Trump, Hegseth Announce Launch of Golden Dome Defense Initiative

Secretary of Defense Hegseth: “The Golden Dome for America’s a game changer. A generational investment in security in America and Americans…” (DOD).Tom Karako of the Center for Strategic and International Studies: it’s not just going to be about the rogue state ballistic missiles anymore. It has to be, and rightly should be, about that full spectrum, to include air and cruise missile defense. We’ve known intellectually that this is a problem for the defense of the homeland, a strategic problem, and I think – I’m hopeful that that will be gone after. And then, likewise, I think a – you see bits of this in the reconciliation bill, by the way. You see big chunks of money going to hypersonic defense over and above our current programs, to directed energy, these kinds of things. So I think you’re going to see an emphasis on next-generation capability in the main, but also more procurement in the near term of stuff that we can turn the procurement volume dial up on. So it’s going to be a mix of those things. It’s going to be heavy on space – space interceptors and perhaps some space-based interceptors if that R&D work goes well. So I think it’s a – it’s a very good moment for missile defense. It’s been a – frankly, it’s been a great couple years for missile defense. As you and I have talked, it’s a miracle that more missiles did not get through on April 14 of last year. It’s a miracle that so many of those Iranian ballistic missiles in October of last year were taken out (CSIS). The announcement Tuesday was a follow through on an earlier executive order from the president (White House). But the vision is really a longer-term follow-through on Reagan’s vision—a vision often derisively mocked as Star Wars. Quoting the Gipper from March 23, 1983: Let me share with you a vision of the future which offers hope. It is that we embark on a program to counter the awesome Soviet missile threat with measures that are defensive. Let us turn to the very strengths in technology that spawned our great industrial base and that have given us the quality of life we enjoy today. What if free people could live secure in the knowledge that their security did not rest upon the threat of instant U.S. retaliation to deter a Soviet attack, that we could intercept and destroy strategic ballistic missiles before they reached our own soil or that of our allies? (Reagan Library). The White House announcement yesterday: (White House).

Hegseth Announces Comprehensive Review of Ignominious Afghanistan Withdrawal

From the Secretary of Defense: Three and a half years ago the Biden Administration’s disastrous and embarrassing withdrawal from Afghanistan led to the deaths of 13 U.S. service members and 170 civilians in a suicide bombing at the Kabul International Airport’s Abbey Gate. President Trump promised accountability for what transpired during that military withdrawal, and I am committed to delivering on that promise…. Today, I am directing the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs and Senior Advisor Sean Parnell to convene a Special Review Panel for the Department into the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan (Defense). Beege Welborn: Answers and accountability are coming…. This is someone you may remember hearing about shortly after the tragedy of Abbey Gate unfolded—Marine Corps LtCol Stuart Scheller. The only officer who publicly demanded accountability for the disaster and who then – rightfully or wrongly, depending on your point of view (he was given a lawful order to cease and desist his public statements)—was forced out of the Marine Corps short of his retirement when he wouldn’t stop demanding it. The only officer who ever suffered any career damage, not to mention spent some time in the brig, in the aftermath of all the unforgivable death, destruction, and waste, was the one Marine courageous enough to throw the bulls**t flag. One of the senior advisors who only recently began working at the Pentagon at the beginning of this month is that same Stuart Scheller. LtCol Scheller will now be part of the team searching for the truth about the Afghanistan withdrawal. They will be demanding those answers from the officers and unelected bureaucrats who hadn’t the courage to lay their rank insignia or jobs on a desk in protest of the catastrophic plans (Hot Air).

President Trump and the One Big, Beautiful Bill: Don’t Mess With Medicare

His language was more colorful. But you get the point. Axios: President Trump warned congressional Republicans on Tuesday not to “f**k around” with Medicaid, a stark pushback to conservative lawmakers demanding steeper cuts to the program in “one big, beautiful bill.” … Trump is already floating political retribution for Republican holdouts who don’t get in line. He also tore into Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who has been a firm “no” on the bill throughout the process, blasting him publicly and privately as a “grandstander” and saying he should be “voted out of office.” Trump also warned the GOP’s blue state holdouts not to push too hard on the SALT deduction cap (Axios). Trump knows the program is a sensitive one with voters—an essential lifeline for our most vulnerable Americans—pregnant women, single mothers, low-income seniors, and the disabled. Trump’s 20 reasons to support the bill: It will give Americans PERMANENT tax relief through the Trump Tax Cuts. If the bill doesn’t pass, Americans will see the largest tax increase in history (White House).

The Biden Presidency Was a Coverup—and Hakeem Jeffries Doesn’t Want Us Talking About It

The Democrat leader in the House: “It seems to me entirely inappropriate … that Republicans who are peddling conspiracy theories and want us to look backward.” Katie Pavlich: Things are going to get much worse. How do I know? Because of this kind of reaction from the left (Townhall). Kurt Schlicter: The Democrat Party: It’s all a lie. It’s all a scam. They hid his likely terminal disease so he could be reelected, disclose it, quit, be hailed as a selfless hero, and hand the country to that drooling half-wit vice president of his. We all know it. And we need to say it, loudly and often, regardless of how hard the whiners whine…. But truth-shaming won’t work, not anymore. It’s remarkable how stuck in the 20th century these Democrats and affiliates are with their narrative-molding strategies. They really think that the old rules are still in effect, that they can leverage fake decorum to shut us up because the regime media will be able to act as censors and keep the hard questions from ever being asked. Well, today there are more than three networks and there are more than two newspapers. There’s also this thing called the Internet, and we’re going to use it to talk about how the people who put their hands inside Joe Biden’s puppet head faked his presidency for four years (Townhall). President Trump is clearly looking past Biden: It was the people that knew he was cognitively impaired, and that took over the Autopen. They stole the Presidency of the United States, and put us in Great Danger. This is TREASON at the Highest Level! (Rapid Response).

Jake Tapper Hires PR Firm to Help Him Capitalize on His Book Exposing the Coverup He Helped Perpetuate

Andrew Stiles and Thaleigha Rampersad: Tapper, renowned in political circles for his aggressively defensive response to criticism, hired Risa Heller, a crisis communications expert, to assist with the book rollout and teach the CNN host how to be “nicer” to critics…. Early indications suggest Tapper might be heeding some of Heller’s advice. Last week he described “some of the criticism” of his Biden coverage as “fair,” acknowledging he didn’t do “enough” to cover Biden’s cognitive impairment. “I look back on it with humility,” he said, unconvincingly. A comprehensive review of Tapper’s past coverage of Biden’s decline suggests that far more humility is required than the CNN host is prepared to convey, especially when viewed in light of the details recounted in Original Sin. CNN has claimed that Tapper “fairly and accurately covered” Biden’s entire career “through years of dogged Washington reporting.” The evidence laid out below in what some have described as the official “Tapper Dossier” shows otherwise…. Tapper must have known. Perhaps he was such a reliable ally the White House didn’t even bother to bully him. Mark Halperin has criticized Tapper’s characterization of the scandal as primarily the result of the White House “lying” to journalists who couldn’t possibly have known any better. “It is not true that it’s only after the election that Jake Tapper could’ve gotten to the bottom of this, and the rest of the Washington press corps could’ve gotten to the bottom of this,” Halperin said. “No, they were part of the conspiracy and the cover-up. They allowed themselves to believe the ridiculous spin on TV and in public, and privately they allowed themselves to be browbeat.” Readers familiar with Tapper’s coverage (or lack thereof) of Biden’s decline over the years are left to wonder how often he allowed the people orchestrating the cover-up to influence what he told CNN’s dwindling audience on a nightly basis (Free Beacon). Tapper practicing his “nice” skills with Megyn Kelly: (Megyn Kelly).Tapper’s book is #3 on Amazon.

Charges Filed Against New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver; Trump: “The days of that crap are over! We’re going to have law and order!”

U.S. Attorney Habba: Today my office has charged Congresswoman McIver with violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 111(a)(1) for assaulting, impeding and interfering with law enforcement…. No one is above the law—politicians or otherwise (US Attorney Habba). New York Post: The two-count felony charges, filed Monday in federal court in New Jersey, accuse McIver, 38, of using force to interfere with federal agents earlier this month during a protest that was joined by several other Democratic lawmakers. She faces up to eight years in prison if convicted of the charges (New York Post). President Trump: “Give me a break. Did you see her? She was out of control! She was shoving federal agents. The days of that crap are over! We’re going to have law and order!” (Charlie Kirk). Jonathan Turley: The ACLU called the charges “authoritarianism” and insisted that these state and federal politicians “have every right to exercise their legally authorized oversight responsibilities for expanded immigration detention in New Jersey.” The problem with the oversight claim is that McIver’s status as a member of Congress does not allow her access to closed federal facilities. Congress can subpoena the executive branch or secure court orders for access. However, members do not have immunity from criminal laws in unilaterally forcing their way into any federal office or agency (New York Post).

Another Change in Protocol: FDA Stops Recommending Covid Booster Shots for Most Americans

“We’re finally falling in line with all the other thoughtful people in the world who think it is ridiculous to give a healthy 12-year-old girl her seventh dose without any evidence.” Free Press: the government will no longer recommend Covid booster shots for healthy Americans ages 64 and younger. In addition, as of today, Covid vaccine manufacturers like Moderna and Pfizer will have to conduct trials to prove that their updated vaccines offer clinical benefits such as fewer symptoms, hospitalizations, or deaths. Previously, pharmaceutical companies only had to show that their updated booster shots produced antibodies. That less rigorous standard will still apply for people 65 and older and the immunocompromised…. Vinay Prasad: “We’re finally falling in line with all the other thoughtful people in the world who think it is ridiculous to give a healthy 12-year-old girl her seventh dose without any evidence,” Prasad said. “And we’re not saying we’re never going to do it—we’re just saying: Prove to me it helps her before we do it” (Free Press). Vinay Prasad and Marty Makary: Moving forward, the FDA will adopt the following Covid-19 vaccination regulatory framework: On the basis of immunogenicity — proof that a vaccine can generate antibody titers in people — the FDA anticipates that it will be able to make favorable benefit–risk findings for adults over the age of 65 years and for all persons above the age of 6 months with one or more risk factors that put them at high risk for severe Covid-19 outcomes, as described by the CDC (Figure 2). For all healthy persons — those with no risk factors for severe Covid-19 — between the ages of 6 months and 64 years, the FDA anticipates the need for randomized, controlled trial data evaluating clinical outcomes before Biologics License Applications can be granted. Insofar as possible, when approving a Covid-19 vaccine for high-risk groups, the FDA will encourage manufacturers to conduct randomized, controlled trials in the population of healthy adults as part of their postmarketing commitment (NEJM).

No: Israel Was Not Snubbed by Trump on Middle East Trip

And no: the White House is not preparing to abandon Israel. Times of Israel: A US official denies a Washington Post report citing an unnamed source who claimed the Trump administration would abandon Israel if it kept the war going in Gaza. The US official says that there may be disagreements, but “the idea that we would abandon Israel is preposterous” (Times of Israel). Seth Leibsohn with Hugh Hallman: Since President Trump’s trip to Saudi Arabia … media outlets have raised concerns and posted analyses claiming Donald Trump is sidelining Israel…. too many have viewed and spoken of America’s problem with Iran as if the United States’ position is the same as Israel’s and as if Israel’s foreign policy is or should be the same as that of the United States…. President Trump’s direct outreach to the Arab world, and his efforts to bring in Arab states from the cold (with a strong set of reservations about Qatar), is not only a good thing, but will serve, especially in the case of Saudi Arabia, as a further xxxxxx against Iran.  None of this is anti-Israel or an incipient distancing between the United States and Israel.  Rather, it is the righting of a series of misconceptions and mistaken priorities where American concerns have been previously blurred, and Israel’s security has been wrongly outsourced (Townhall). Hugh Hewitt: Trump’s always “outside-the-box” when it comes to diplomacy. That’s why the U.S. embassy is in Jerusalem and the Abraham Accords exist. Trump doesn’t play by Council on Foreign Relations rules because he’s not interested in its seminars and the approval of its senior fellows but in creating seminal moments. Last week’s trip was one of the latter (Fox News).

Colorado Christian Summer Camp May Be Forced to Close—or Capitulate to the State’s Gender Identity Fictions

The camp name is IdRaHaJe for “I’d Rather Have Jesus.” New York Sun: A Christian summer camp in Colorado is fighting to be able to stay open in light of anew regulation that would force it to allow attendees to use bathrooms and sleeping facilities that do not align with their biological sex. The camp, IdRaHaJe, is suing in federal court over an amendment to camp licensing requirements issued by the state’s Department of Early Childhood that require camps to let campers use private facilities — such as bathrooms and bunk rooms —that match their gender identities…. “The government has no place telling religious summer camps that it’s ‘lights out’ for upholding their religious beliefs about human sexuality,” a lawyer with the Alliance Defending Freedom, Andrea Dill, says. “Camp IdRaHaJe exists to present the truth of the Gospel to children who are building character and lifelong memories. But the Colorado government is putting its dangerous agenda — that is losing popularity across the globe—ahead of its kids (New York Sun). Fox News: “Every child deserves respect of privacy,” ADF senior counsel Ryan Tucker told Fox News Digital, adding, “But that respect of privacy must extend equally to all students. No one should be forced to share a room or showering facilities with someone of the opposite sex. The law ignores reality and children are the ones who ultimately pay the price,” he continued (Fox News).

Lesbians Are Watching Where the LGBTQIA+ Train Is Going—And Growing Numbers of Them Want to Get Off

“I think we need an LGBT break-up.” Julie Bindel, host of “The Lesbian Project”: As the LGBT+ acronym has expanded in recent years to become more ‘inclusive’, many lesbians like me have come to feel less and less included. The umbrella term takes in all manner of sexual and gender identities, most of which have absolutely nothing to do with being same-sex-attracted. As a result, lesbians have been sidelined…. In recent years, with the LGBTQIA2S+ ‘community’ firmly in the grip of gender ideology, sexism has once again reared its ugly head – this time under the guise of transgender inclusion. Lesbians have been scorned and treated badly. We have been accused of bigotry and hatred because we don’t want to share female-only spaces with biological males…. I think we need an LGBT break-up: lesbians like me and gay men should go our own way, even if we remain comrades-in-arms on certain issues to protect the rights we fought long and hard for (Spectator UK).