Maine Democrat and candidate for the U.S. Senate Graham Platner’s history continues to plague his efforts to portray a more moderate image to voters.
Most notably, Platner has tried to explain away his Nazi tattoo — a Totenkopf infamously adorned by Adolf Hitler’s SS – by flip-flopping, at times downplaying its significance while at others saying the tattoo is a simple skull and crossbones.
Now, comments by the congressional hopeful about Christianity have come to the surface, once again damaging his image.
On Wednesday, political commentator Greg Price posted a screenshot to social media platform X from 2012 in which Platner responded to a post on Reddit about a soldier who claimed the military discriminated against him for being an atheist.
The post was about Army Specialist Jeremy Hall.
CNN explained that Hall grew up Baptist but became an atheist sometime during his tours of duty to Iraq. He filed suit against the United States Department of Defense after saying he experience a career downturn and felt his life was at risk, needing a bodyguard to protect him.
Platner commented on a headline about Hall on the Subreddit R/videos that hit on the major points of Hall’s story, doubting the authenticity of it.
He wrote, “I’ve spent 8 years in the infantry, Marine Corps, and Army, and I’ve been about as crudely atheist as one can be the entire time (zombie jesus jokes and Mary sucking at covering up being a skank, as examples).”
After referring to Jesus as a “zombie” and Mary as a “skank,” Platner added that he was around plenty of atheist soldiers and that he wasn’t held back from promotion, as the headline indicated Hall felt he was.
WARNING: The following post contains language some readers may find offensive.
In an old Reddit post from fully grown adult Graham Platner, he describes himself as “crudely atheist,” calls Jesus a “Zombie,” and calls the Virgin Mary a “skank.” pic.twitter.com/zV8FYol2Qj
“Sure, there have been a few bible thumpers I’ve run into, but it was certainly never systemic,” Platner concluded.
For context, Platner is a combat veteran, enlisting after graduating high school and doing four tours of duty, according to his website.
He cannot seem to avoid controversy.
Likely, Platner will do as poor of a job explaining away these comments as he did in performing the mental gymnastics to downplay his tattoo.
Democrats would have a field day if a Republican were found to have mocked Muhammad years ago on an online post.
Certainly, people can change, and something that was said 14 years ago might no longer be relevant in some cases, but Platner can’t make up his mind about who he is now.
To moderates, saying such deplorable things about the Lord of millions of Americans and the one who gave birth to him will be distasteful at best, but let’s not forget who votes Democrat.
These people may look at Platner’s behavior with joy.
Kirk Ballistics Meltdown Raises Important Questions About the Public’s Right to Know Republished with permission from AbleChild. In the last 24 hours there has been great weeping and gnashing of … Read more
Data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday revised employment numbers, reporting a decrease in February of -133,000 jobs instead of the previously reported -92,000.
U.S. employers added 178,000 jobs in March, exceeding expectations, as gains in health care, construction, and transportation continued, offsetting a gradual decline in federal government employment. The unemployment rate was recorded at 4.3 percent, down slightly from 4.4 percent in February.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled that the central bank is in no rush to respond to the energy shock from the Iran conflict, and investors said March’s job gains reinforce the case for the Fed to wait and assess whether higher energy prices will significantly impact the economy.
Conservative Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito was rushed to a hospital last month after a Federalist Society dinner in Philadelphia, CNN reported.
Alito, who just turned 76, was treated for dehydration after he fell ill (food poisoning?).
Details about the medical emergency were not disclosed.
In the two weeks since the medical incident, Samuel Alito has been on the bench and has attended oral arguments.
“Out of an abundance of caution, he agreed with his security detail’s recommendation to see a physician before the three-hour drive home,” the Supreme Court said in a statement, The Hill reported.
“After that examination and the administration of fluids for dehydration, he returned home that night, as previously planned,” the high court said.
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito was taken to a hospital after becoming ill last month at a Federalist Society dinner in Philadelphia, according to people with knowledge of the March 20 incident.
The justice was evaluated and administered fluids for dehydration. He returned to his home in Virginia that night with his security team.
Alito and Supreme Court public information officials declined to comment for the record about the episode, which has not been previously reported.
In the two weeks since the incident, Alito has attended oral arguments and appeared healthy during the usual give-and-take with lawyers at the lectern.
Alito, who turned 76 on Wednesday and has served as a justice for 20 years, has become the subject of widespread speculation from commentators across the ideological spectrum and the news media over whether he might retire. (He has refused to answer journalists’ questions on the subject.)
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito was treated for dehydration at a hospital after a previously undisclosed March 20 incident in Philadelphia, sources told Fox News.
He was not admitted and returned home the same night without complications.
Alito, 76, attended a Federalist Society dinner that evening and reported feeling lightheaded, prompting his security detail to recommend a precautionary hospital visit. Sources said the justice has had no issues since.
BREAKING: Supreme Court Justice Alito treated for dehydration at hospital in previously undisclosed March 20 incident, sources tell Fox News
Justice Amy Coney Barrett dismantled the Trump administration’s legal foundation for denying birthright citizenship during Supreme Court arguments Wednesday, exposing fatal flaws in the government’s interpretation of the 14th Amendment that legal experts say guarantee defeat.
Barrett Exposes Slavery Citizenship Trap
The conservative justice challenged Solicitor General John Sauer’s theory that birthright citizenship requires parents to be legally domiciled in America. Barrett noted enslaved people brought forcibly to America never intended to remain, making domicile impossible to establish. Under Sauer’s own logic, children of formerly enslaved people would not qualify as citizens, directly contradicting the 14th Amendment’s primary purpose of overturning Dred Scott. Trump walked out mid-argument and later posted on Truth Social that America is stupid for protecting this constitutional right.
Two Competing Citizenship Theories Clash
Legal scholars distinguish between citizenship based on soil, known as territory of birth, versus citizenship based on blood descent. Professor Evan Bernick of Northern Illinois University explained Barrett clearly grasps this distinction. The framers deliberately chose the simpler soil-based approach to prevent complicated questions about parental status from arising. The government’s attempt to introduce domicile requirements adds layers of complexity the Constitution never intended, Bernick noted during analysis on Slate’s legal podcast.
Government Attorney Struggles With Exceptions
When Justice Barrett pressed government attorney Gene Wang about whether Congress can create new exceptions to birthright citizenship, he failed to articulate a coherent constitutional theory. Wang argued the set of exceptions is closed and Congress cannot expand them, but Barrett remained unsatisfied with his explanation. The justice wanted textual and historical support, not merely policy preferences. Wang’s inability to ground his position in constitutional text signaled weakness in the administration’s broader legal strategy.
Constitutional Principles At Stake
The case centers on Trump’s executive order attempting to deny citizenship to American-born children of certain immigrants. A Supreme Court majority expressed deep skepticism toward this action during Wednesday’s session. Barrett’s pointed questions about the slavery precedent appeared to lock in the government’s loss, according to multiple court observers. The 14th Amendment states all persons born in the United States and subject to its jurisdiction are citizens, language legal scholars say leaves little room for the administration’s interpretation.
Artemis II crew aboard the Orion spaceship, on their way to the moon orbit – Screengrab NASA video on X
The Artemis II crew made their way into space exploration history.
After the first part circling our planet, the historic Artemis II mission enters its most dangerous phase as the Orion capsule departs Earth orbit on its way to the Moon.
They are now officially flying to the moon after firing their thrusters and leaving Earth’s orbit.
Now begins a four-day journey that will take the 4-person crew where only two dozen humans have gone before.
Good morning, world!
We have spectacular new high-resolution images of our home planet, all of us looking back through the Orion capsule window at our Artemis II astronauts as they continue their journey to the Moon. pic.twitter.com/QjxGfWiRcS
“The Orion capsule flawlessly executed the nearly six-minute maneuver — known as the translunar ejection burn — Thursday night, just over a day after the historic mission launched from Florida’s Cape Canaveral.”
Nominal translunar injection burn complete. The Artemis II crew is officially on the way to the Moon.
America is back in the business of sending astronauts to the Moon. This time, farther than ever before.
— NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman (@NASAAdmin) April 3, 2026
“Artemis II had been slowly circling the Earth in a large elliptical orbit since the launch, but the injection burn accelerated the capsule to about 22,000 mph and broke it free from orbit — launching it into the empty 250,000 mile vastness between the Earth and moon known as the cislunar space.”
It’s not a straight shot to the far side of the Moon!
Over approximately 10 days, the Artemis II astronauts will orbit Earth twice before looping around the far side of the Moon in a figure eight and returning home. pic.twitter.com/udjejhxgVx
“The mission’s four-person crew — Cmdr. Reid Wiseman, specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen, and pilot Victor Glover — will now buckle down for a four-day journey into deep space before arriving at the moon on Monday evening, if everything goes to plan.”
On Sunday the Orion will enter the ‘lunar sphere of gravitational influence’ and on Monday (day 6 of the mission), begins the lunar flyby, with the crew within 4,000 miles of the moon, watching the far side in sunlight for the first time.
“I’m the space plumber, I’m proud to call myself the space plumber.”
Mission specialists like @Astro_Christina train for all roles so they can jump in wherever they’re needed. Sometimes that means fixing vital machinery, like the spacecraft toilet. pic.twitter.com/RGBWkwRgX7
America’s laws on birthright citizenship are undergoing fresh scrutiny thanks to two anchor babies who allegedly committed a startling crime.
As the Daily Wire reported, the children of two illegal alien Chinese parents allegedly brought an explosive device to MacDill Air Force Base Visitor’s Center in Tampa last week.
One of the siblings, 27-year-old Ann Zheng, has been arrested and charged for her part in the incident.
The DOJ alleges that the brother and sister duo “attempted to damage government property by fire or explosion.” Moreover, they accuse Ann Zheng of helping her brother, Alen Zheng “in order to hinder and prevent his apprehension, trial, and punishment.”
Ann Zheng was apprehended upon her return to the United States from China. Her brother remains at large.
Authorities suspect Alen Zheng is hiding out in China.
The parents of the two alleged terrorists, Qiu Qin Zou and Jia Zhang Zheng, illegally entered the U.S. roughly three decades ago. They were arrested by the Department of Homeland Security back on March 18 and remain in ICE custody.
Here’s more from the Daily Wire on their background:
They had applied for asylum in 1993, but their applications were denied by an immigration judge, who ordered their removal from the U.S. in 1998. DHS says that the Board of Immigration Appeals repeatedly denied their attempts to have their case reopened.
Despite this, they remained in the United States for decades.
Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis released a statement, which noted how the U.S. process of granting birthright citizenship puts national security in danger.
“Automatically granting citizenship to children of illegal aliens born in the U.S. is based on a historically inaccurate interpretation of the Citizenship Clause and poses a major national security risk,” Bis said.
That reality became apparent last week when two U.S.-born children of Chinese illegal aliens were indicted for planting a potentially deadly explosive device outside MacDill Air Force Base in Florida,” she added. “This incident underscores the severe national security threat that illegal immigration and birthright citizenship pose to the United States.”
This horrifying incident comes as the Supreme Court considers President Trump’s executive order banning birthright citizenship.
As TGP readers know, Trump says the 14th Amendment is being hijacked , by the left to give citizenship to ‘anchor babies,’ children of illegal migrants.
He also explains in the executive order why the 14th Amendment has always excluded infants born illegally present in the United States.
“[The] Fourteenth Amendment has never been interpreted to extend citizenship universally to everyone born within the United States. The Fourteenth Amendment has always excluded from birthright citizenship persons who were born in the United States but not “subject to the jurisdiction thereof.” Consistent with this understanding, the Congress has further specified through legislation that “a person born in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof” is a national and citizen of the United States at birth, 8 U.S.C. 1401, generally mirroring the Fourteenth Amendment’s text,” the order reads.
After a record-breaking 47-day shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, Republican leadership announced a two-track plan that will fund most of the agency while separating Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol into a separate three-year funding package. The deal comes after intense internal GOP divisions nearly derailed efforts to reopen critical security operations.
Republican Deal Breaks DHS Funding in Two
House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune confirmed Wednesday that the House will vote on a Senate-passed measure funding most DHS operations through September, excluding ICE and Border Patrol. Those two agencies will be funded through a separate party-line reconciliation bill for three years, requiring no Democratic support. The approach comes after House Republicans rejected an identical proposal just days earlier, instead passing a doomed 60-day temporary funding measure.
President Trump initially resisted the compromise, telling reporters last week he was unhappy with any deal that did not include his election overhaul package known as the Save America Act. However, Trump appeared to reverse course Wednesday, writing on social media that he wants the party-line immigration enforcement funding bill on his desk by June 1.
Democrats Accept Deal Despite Policy Concerns
Senate Democrats welcomed the agreement, though it does not include their demands for immigration enforcement reforms following the deaths of two American citizens in Minneapolis by ICE agents. Democratic leadership had insisted on policy changes including requiring judicial warrants for home entries and banning masks for enforcement officers. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized Republican divisions for prolonging the shutdown but confirmed Democrats would support reopening the department.
Conservative Opposition Threatens Quick Resolution
Despite the leadership agreement, passage remains uncertain. Congress is currently on a two-week recess, and the deal requires unanimous consent to bypass formal voting procedures. Representative Scott Perry of the conservative House Freedom Caucus already announced his opposition, calling the plan a cave to Democrats that defunds law enforcement. Any single member objection would force a delay until lawmakers return from recess. ICE operations have continued largely unaffected during the shutdown due to $75 billion in funding approved through a separate reconciliation bill last year.
A fraudster in the massive “Feeding Our Future” scandal has received just six months in jail after stealing nearly half a million dollars in taxpayer money meant for children.
Zamzam Jama was sentenced to six months behind bars and ordered to repay $491,000 for her role in the scheme.
The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel, who was somehow appointed by President Trump back in 2018, one day after a co-conspirator received only a one-year term.
Brasel has previously ruled in favor of mail-in voting and counting ballots days or even weeks after an election has concluded. Mail-in ballots are the most common method that Democrats use to cheat.
The case involves one of the largest fraud operations in recent U.S. history.
BREAKING – Minnesota Judge Nancy Brasel has sentenced Somali Feed Our Future fraudster Zamzam Jama, who stole $5.6 million, to only six months in prison, just a day after giving another Somali fraudster a one-year sentence. pic.twitter.com/Tp1iV48JlR
— Right Angle News Network (@Rightanglenews) April 1, 2026
Prosecutors say roughly $250 million was stolen from a federally funded child nutrition program between 2019 and 2021.
Jama and her family are accused of taking $5.6 million by submitting false claims that they had served millions of meals.
The operation was run through a Rochester, Minnesota restaurant, where fake invoices and fabricated attendance records were used to justify payments.
BREAKING: Outrage is erupting after ANOTHER Minnesota fraudster gets a short prison sentence — “Zamzam Jama” gets just SIX MONTHS
She was involved in a $5.6M scheme that included her family, and was directly responsible for around $500K
Authorities say the stolen money was diverted into personal purchases, including a $480,000 home and a Toyota vehicle.
Assets tied to the scheme, along with cash held in bank accounts, have since been seized.
Other defendants have received significantly longer prison terms, including sentences exceeding a decade.
Judge Brasel has now issued multiple reduced sentences in the case, including for Abdul Abubakar Ali, who admitted to taking more than $100,000 and had additional charges dropped as part of a plea deal.
His attorney somehow convinced the judge he merited a lighter sentence for having lived a “remarkable life.”
Federal sentencing guidelines typically recommend prison terms of between 30 to 37 months.
Gavin Newsom has ruined California and wants to take his policies to the White House. Photo courtesy of Gavin Newsom Facebook via screenshot.
It has been exactly seven years, two months, and 26 days since Gavin Newsom became governor of California. California is now #1 in homelessness, poverty, illegal immigrant population, benefits for illegal immigrants, budget deficit, income tax, gas tax, gas prices, and people leaving the state, and ranks near the top among states in housing costs, retail crime, adult illiteracy, and anti-business regulation.
#1 in Homelessness
This is one of the most thoroughly documented rankings. Of the nation’s 771,500 people experiencing homelessness in 2024, over 187,000, roughly 24%, were in California, with two in three unsheltered, accounting for nearly half the country’s unsheltered population.
More than one in every three people in the United States experiencing homelessness as an individual was found in California, and the state accounted for half of all individuals counted in unsheltered locations. Over the longer period from 2007 to 2023, the largest absolute increase in homelessness occurred in California, with 44,964 more people, a 41% rise.
Newsom’s administration touts a slowing growth rate, and there is some basis for that. In 2024, while homelessness increased nationally by over 18%, California limited its overall increase to just 3%. However, the state remains by far the national leader in total numbers, and although the number of homeless in California is growing at a slower rate, it continues to grow.
Furthermore, a state auditor found that California has failed to consistently track spending and outcomes across its more than 30 homelessness programs, and the audit was able to determine cost-effectiveness for only 2 of them.
#1 in Poverty
California’s poverty rate, at 17.7%, continued to be the highest in the United States in 2024, tied with Louisiana, with no tangible improvement from 2023. About 7 million state residents lacked the resources to meet basic needs. This figure comes from the Census Bureau’s Supplemental Poverty Measure, which adjusts for cost of living, particularly housing.
California is staggeringly wealthy, home to major agricultural businesses and influential global tech companies with an economy larger than many nations, yet 7 million Californians live in poverty, a number roughly equivalent to the combined populations of Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, and San Francisco. Child poverty more than doubled since 2021, rising from 7.5% to 18.6% in 2024.
#1 in Illegal Immigrant Population / #1 in Benefits for Illegal Immigrants
California leads the nation with approximately 2.3 million illegal aliens, and has built the most expansive benefits system for them of any state in the country, offering driver’s licenses, college scholarships, low-income tax credits, pandemic cash payments, and full Medi-Cal health coverage. By 2024, all illegal immigrants meeting income requirements were enrolled in Medi-Cal at a cost of $8.5 billion annually, $2.7 billion above projections.
The total annual cost of benefits and services to the illegal immigrant population, estimated at 3.23 million when U.S.-born dependents are included, runs approximately $22.8 billion per year, a figure that nearly mirrors the state’s projected budget deficit, according to FAIR.
#1 in Budget Deficit
California’s fiscal deterioration under Newsom has been severe. In January 2024, Newsom’s office projected a $38 billion deficit for fiscal year 2024–25, while the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office projected $68 billion, revised to $73 billion, making it the largest state budget deficit in the country.
For the fourth year in a row, the LAO and the administration are forecasting multiyear budget shortfalls, with operating deficits of $27 billion in 2027–28, $22 billion in 2028–29, and $23 billion in 2029–30. State Sen. Roger Niello attributed the structural deficit to Democrats’ “unstoppable spending problems.”
#1 in Income Tax
Top marginal rates span from 2.5% in Arizona and North Dakota to 13.3% in California, which also imposes a 1.1% payroll tax on wage income, bringing the all-in top rate to 14.4%.
#1 in Gas Prices
California retains its top spot as the state with the most expensive gas in the nation, with a gallon of gas costing $5.89 as of early April 2026, beating out Hawaii at $5.46. California levies the highest total state gas tax in the nation at 70.9 cents per gallon, followed by Illinois and Washington. Beyond the base excise tax of about 61 cents, California-specific costs, including a special fuel blend, roughly 23 cents from cap-and-trade, and another 14 cents from the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, make up a substantial portion of every gallon’s price. The state has also closed two refineries, reducing in-state refining capacity and forcing more imports, which drives prices further.
#1 in People Leaving State
California was the hardest-hit state for domestic outmigration, with roughly 254,000 more people leaving than moving in, according to 2024 Census American Community Survey data. IRS data also shows California has the highest net loss of taxpayers in the country, with one leaving every 1 minute, 44 seconds.
From 2010 through 2024, nearly 10 million people moved out of California to other states, while just over 7 million moved in. SmartAsset’s analysis of IRS migration data found that California lost the most residents to Texas, with 54,136 households departing and carrying an average adjusted gross income of $146,000.
This net loss of high earners represents a structural risk to California’s income-tax-dependent revenue base.
While no state can lead every category, California ranks near the top in several others, including housing costs, retail crime, adult illiteracy, and anti-business regulation.
#2 in Housing Costs
Accurate, depending on metric. By median home price, Hawaii has the highest average house price in the United States at $840,256, with California close behind at $784,840. California has the highest average rent in the nation. Those looking to rent in California pay around $2,542 per month, the highest average rent in the U.S. By affordability ratio (home price to income), Hawaii tops the list at 8.8 and California follows at 8.2, meaning homes cost over eight times the median household income. Only 16% of California homebuyers could afford to purchase a median-priced existing single-family home in the third quarter of 2024.
Honorable mention: Retail Crime
California does not lead all 50 states in every retail crime metric, but it is the dominant locus of organized retail crime nationally. Reported shoplifting in California in 2023 was 28% higher than in 2019, and commercial burglary remained about 6% above its pre-pandemic level. Retail theft increased by almost 70% in Sacramento, 65% in Alameda, 41% in San Mateo, and 40% in Los Angeles between 2019 and 2023, with those four counties accounting for 91% of the statewide increase.
Prop 47 (2014), which reclassified many theft offenses from felonies to misdemeanors, is widely cited as a contributing factor, and voters passed Prop 36 in November 2024 to partially reverse it. The state has since ramped up enforcement, though the volume of the problem reflects years of policy failure.
Honorable Mention: Adult Illiteracy
California scores poorly on adult literacy but the “number one” designation depends heavily on methodology. The state consistently ranks near the bottom on the National Assessment of Adult Literacy and on K–12 reading proficiency scores. As of the most recent NAEP data, California’s fourth-grade reading scores remain below the national average, and its adult functional literacy rates are dragged down by a large non-English-speaking population. This is a legitimate concern but calling it “#1 in illiteracy” overstates the precision of available rankings.
Honorable Mention: Failing Schools
California’s education rankings look very different depending on whether researchers control for demographic factors or measure the entire student population as a whole. When the full population is measured, which is the relevant standard for evaluating a state’s governance outcomes, California consistently ranks poorly.
On the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often called the Nation’s Report Card, California fourth-graders rank in the bottom ten states in both reading and math. Eighth-grade scores follow a similar pattern. These are not adjusted for demographics — they reflect what California’s school system is actually producing across its entire student population, which is the only measure that matters for policy accountability purposes.
California’s own data is damning. The California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) shows that fewer than half of California students meet grade-level standards in English Language Arts, and fewer than one in three meet standards in mathematics. In many urban districts — Los Angeles, Oakland, Fresno, San Bernardino — the numbers are significantly worse.
Supported directionally, but hard to quantify as a precise “number one.” The Tax Foundation and CATO Institute consistently rank California near the bottom for business climate. The state has one of the most extensive labor codes in the country, a strict CEQA environmental review regime, the highest corporate tax rate west of the Mississippi, and AB5 governing gig worker classification.
AB5, signed by Newsom in September 2019, reclassified many independent contractors as employees, requiring companies to provide minimum wage guarantees, overtime pay, unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation, and other benefits.
Given his track record, a vote for Newsom is a vote for degeneration.
In an old Reddit post from fully grown adult Graham Platner, he describes himself as “crudely atheist,” calls Jesus a “Zombie,” and calls the Virgin Mary a “skank.” pic.twitter.com/zV8FYol2Qj
