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Monday, July 14, 2025

Trump Reflects on Anniversary of Butler Assassination Attempt: “By the hand of providence and the grace of Almighty God, my life was spared”

Speaking as he was preparing to board Air Force One: “God was protecting me… The more you think about it, the more you see it. I don’t like to think about it, I have a job to do. This is a dangerous job” (Johnson). From the President: by the hand of providence and the grace of Almighty God, my life was spared. As we commemorate one year since the harrowing events of July 13, 2024, we reaffirm that the American spirit has and will always triumph over forces of evil and destruction. Those who carry scars from that July evening defended our Republic during one of our Nation’s darkest hours—running to the injured amid chaos and uncertainty to provide comfort and lifesaving care…. However, one name stands above all for selfless service and ultimate sacrifice on that fateful day. The world will never forget the tragic loss of Corey Comperatore, a firefighter, veteran, and devoted husband and father. When gunfire erupted, Corey did not hesitate to protect his wife and two daughters. He died a hero, and we are eternally grateful for his inspiring love, valor, and faithfulness. It remains my firm conviction that God alone saved me that day for a righteous purpose: to restore our beloved Republic to greatness and to rescue our Nation from those who seek its ruin. One year after the attempt on my life in Butler, our country is in the midst of a new Golden Age. History will remember the would-be assassin for his cowardice and failure, but the magnificent legacy of the heroes of July 13, 2024, will forever be etched upon the heart of our Nation. Today, we pay tribute to their spirit of love, unity, and resilience—and we proclaim with one voice the epic battle cry that has reverberated all across the world: “Fight, fight, fight!” (White House).

Attack at Kentucky Church Leaves Two Women Killed

ABC News: Two women were shot and killed at a Kentucky church by a suspect who fled there after allegedly shooting a state trooper elsewhere, according to officials. A suspect allegedly shot a Kentucky State Police trooper near the Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, KY, and then fled to a church, where the suspect shot four people before police shot and killed the suspect, officials said at a Lexington Police Department press conference late Sunday afternoon. Two of the churchgoers, both women, were killed, officials said. The other two victims, both male, were taken to the hospital for treatment. One of them is in critical condition while the other is stable, according to officials (ABC). The victims: Two women, 72-year-old Beverly Gumm and 34-year-old Christina Combs were pronounced deceased at the scene, officials said. (Axios). The New York Times adds: Chief Lawrence Weathers of the Lexington Police Department said preliminary information showed that the shooter may have had an unspecified connection to people at the church, the Richmond Road Baptist Church, in Lexington, Ky. “Days like today are extremely difficult,” the chief said at a news conference on Sunday. He added, “Sometimes things happen, you just don’t have a reason why” (New York Times).

LA Mayor Bass to Give “Cash Cards” to Illegal Aliens

As the Mayor seeks to do all she can to thwart federal law enforcement efforts. Los Angeles Times: Mayor Karen Bass announced a plan Friday to provide direct cash assistance to people who have been affected by the Trump administration’s sweeping immigration raids. The aid will be distributed using cash cards with a “couple hundred” dollars on them, which should be available in about a week, Bass said at a news conference. “You have people who don’t want to leave their homes, who are not going to work, and they are in need of cash,” she said… The announcement came during a Bass news conference about an executive order she signed Friday directing all city departments to “bolster protocols” and training on how to comply with the city’s sanctuary policy, which states that city employees and city property may not be used to “investigate, cite, arrest, hold, transfer or detain any person” for the purpose of immigration enforcement, except for serious crimes. Departments will have to come up with their plans within two weeks (Los Angeles Times). Joel Pollack: L.A. doesn’t have the money. It’s $1 billion in the hole. How much cash did taxpaying residents displaced by the fires receive from the City of Los Angeles? $0 (Pollack).

Governor Newsom Unveils Plan for Low Income Housing in the Palisades

Conforming the Governor’s conviction that the priority is not helping those who lost their homes to rebuild: Six months after the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires, California Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled $101 million in funding Tuesday for “multifamily low-income housing development” that will “contribute to a more equitable and resilient Los Angeles.” The priority is for “geographic proximity to the fire perimeters of the Eaton, Hughes, and Palisades fires.” Earlier this year, The Center Square broke news that a local Los Angeles ordinance modeled on current California state laws require fire-destroyed rent-protected housing — which includes all apartments in the Pacific Palisades built before October 1978 — be replaced with low-income housing. Because the affordability requirements use city-level income data, not more local incomes, definitions for “low” and “very low” income housing reflect much lower incomes than the norm for the affluent Palisades community. “Thousands of families – from Pacific Palisades to Altadena to Malibu – are still displaced, and we owe it to them to help,” said Newsom in a statement. “The funding we’re announcing today will accelerate the development of affordable multifamily rental housing so that those rebuilding their lives after this tragedy have access to a safe, affordable place to come home to” (Center Square). Houman David Hemmati: Imagine working hard your entire life to purchase your dream house in a slice of paradise, then having your house & entire neighborhood burn down thanks to idiot politicians, then having those same politicians force you to build low income housing, not your house. For the admitted communist @MayorOfLA @KarenBassLA this is a DREAM. She wants a world where everyone has the same things. And if we can’t all have a nice house, we must all live in government-built housing projects (except for her of course) (Hemmati). Leslie Eastman: Meanwhile, only 800 permits have been issued after over 18,000 structures were damaged or destroyed in the Greater LA Wildfires. And finding a construction workforce may be challenging, given CA’s treatment of the middle class (LI).

Lara Trump Has Her Eye on the North Carolina Senate Seat

The seat that will be open as a result of Thom Tillis’s decision not to seek re-election. The Hill: Republicans are eager to see Lara Trump enter the North Carolina Senate race, with many seeing her as their best opportunity to keep the seat after Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) announced he wouldn’t seek reelection. The daughter-in-law of President Trump and a former Republican National Committee (RNC) co-chair, Lara Trump has quickly become an early favorite for the GOP nomination if she chooses to run. A source close to the president said she’s considering a bid; it would clear the Republican field if she chooses to go forward. While she’s turned down possible Senate bids in the past, she would bring significant name recognition and instant backing from the top levels of the GOP…. Republicans are eager to see Lara Trump enter the North Carolina Senate race, with many seeing her as their best opportunity to keep the seat after Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) announced he wouldn’t seek reelection. The daughter-in-law of President Trump and a former Republican National Committee (RNC) co-chair, Lara Trump has quickly become an early favorite for the GOP nomination if she chooses to run. A source close to the president said she’s considering a bid; it would clear the Republican field if she chooses to go forward. While she’s turned down possible Senate bids in the past, she would bring significant name recognition and instant backing from the top levels of the GOP (The Hill).

Trump Has Had a Remarkable Series of Wins in Supreme Court’s “Shadow Docket”

Demonstrating yet again the enormously strategic appointment of Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barret in Trump’s first term (Senate). Axios: The Supreme Court has handed President Trump a slew of major victories through an abbreviated process that doesn’t require full-fledged briefings and arguments — and will likely continue to do so. The court’s “emergency docket” has been the focus of its activity in Trump’s second term, allowing him to proceed with plans to fire government workers, proceed with mass deportations and ban transgender people from serving in the military. The court’s actions on those issues are all temporary, but even temporary orders are a significant win for Trump, allowing him to implement some of the most controversial parts of his agenda…. (1) Just last week, the court allowed Trump to proceed with plans for mass firings across the federal government. (2) It allowed the administration to deport a group of undocumented immigrants to South Sudan, a war-torn country to which the migrants had no connection, and other “third countries” that are not the U.S. and not migrants’ native countries. (3) The Supreme Court overruled lower-court orders that limited DOGE’s access to Social Security records and made some of its work subject to the Freedom of Information Act. (4) It also allowed the Pentagon to go ahead and prohibit trans people from serving…. A ruling in Trump’s favor on the emergency docket can also indicate that he’s likely to win on the merits, too (Axios).

Pentagon Investment in Rare Earth Minerals Signals a Decisive Shift Away From China

Financial Times: The Pentagon is making a $400mn direct investment in a US rare earths producer, in an unusual arrangement highlighting the Trump administration’s determination to break Chinese dominance of critical minerals and bolster domestic supply chains. MP Materials, on Thursday said the Pentagon would become its largest shareholder, taking a 15 per cent stake in the company, as well as investing billions of dollars to build a 10,000 metric tonne magnet manufacturing facility — expected to begin preparing for operations in 2028. “This initiative marks a decisive action by the Trump administration to accelerate American supply chain independence,” said James Litinsky, founder and chief executive of MP Materials…. Rare earth magnets are critical for weapons systems including the F-35 Lightning II fighter jet, unmanned Predator drones and the Virginia- and Columbia-class submarines. One F-35 needs 900 pounds of rare earths. They are also found in Tomahawk missiles and bombs for a guidance system developed jointly by the US Air Force and Navy. Washington considers its reliance on China for rare earths to be a national security risk. The mining and processing of rare earth minerals is heavily dominated by China, which controls 55 per cent of global mining capacity and 85 per cent of refining (Financial Times). Rod Martin: This is one of the biggest moves yet to decouple from China—and it’s a Trump administration masterstroke (Martin). Wall Street Journal: In its deal with MP Materials, the Department of Defense is guaranteeing a price floor for rare earth minerals and magnets. That means the company is protected against a scenario in which China fully withdraws its restrictive export policies and the minerals flood into the market, lowering global prices. MP described the deal as a multibillion-dollar package of investments and long-term commitments but didn’t give specific figures. The government will guarantee that all magnets produced at the new magnet-making facility will be purchased either by the government or commercial customers (Wall Street Journal).

Israel Could Normalize Relations With Syria Within the Year

Jerusalem Post: Israel and Syria currently face an opportunity for détente for the first time in decades. The collapse of Assad, shifting regional alliances, and a weakened Iran open the door to new possibilities amid an atmosphere of geopolitical change, signaling a rare chance for the governments of Ahmed al-Sharaa and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to move toward peace (Jerusalem Post). YNET: Syrian analysts say the shift reflects changing priorities in Damascus following years of war and weakening Iranian and Russian influence. Syria is seeking reintegration into the region and relief from isolation. Dr. Kamal Jbeili, a strategic affairs researcher in Damascus, said that Syria’s openness to peace “is not surprising if read in the context of reprioritization,” explaining that “the Syrian leadership realizes that remaining in regional and international isolation is no longer a sustainable option, especially after the decline of external support and the impact of economic sanctions” (YNET). Outline of what may be taking shape from Rod Martin: ▪️ Israel accepts Syrian forces with light arms in three southern buffer zones ▪️ Syria acknowledges de facto Israeli control of the Golan▪️ Both sides work toward stability—and peace. No one could have imagined this a year ago (Martin).

“John Brennan Belongs in Prison”

That’s the argument from David Harsanyi and Victor Davis Hanson and—no doubt—a growing number of thought leaders on the right. David Harsanyi: Former CIA Director John Brennan is one of the most contemptible and shady people in public life. Few people have abused their position, power, and access with such impunity and hubris. So, it was a pleasure to read a Fox News report that the FBI has launched a criminal investigation into Brennan, along with former FBI Director James Comey, for possible wrongdoing related to the Trump campaign-Russia collusion investigation, including making false statements to Congress. No, I’m not under the impression Brennan will end up in prison, where he likely belongs, or even see an indictment. The statute of limitations has largely sunset. And even if it hadn’t, the notion that there will be any reckoning is remote. My modest hope is that perhaps a better accounting of his corruption for the historical record will destroy Brennan’s reputation forever, which shouldn’t be a heavy lift (Washington Examiner). Victor Davis Hanson: Two or three of the most significant scandals of the last 50 years—he was at the center (Hanson). Fox News: Former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey are under criminal investigation for potential wrongdoing related to the Trump–Russia probe, including allegedly making false statements to Congress, Justice Department sources told Fox News Digital. CIA Director John Ratcliffe referred evidence of wrongdoing by Brennan to FBI Director Kash Patel for potential prosecution, DOJ sources told Fox News Digital (Fox News).

10.

The Partisan Gender Gap Is Wider Than Ever

Among the young, it’s “skyrocketing”—at over 20 percent. Michael Barone: The gender gap, we’re informed by some of the best polling analysts in the business, is bigger than ever…. For most of four decades, the gender gap wobbled around three or four points. Now, coinciding — perhaps not accidentally — with the era of President Donald Trump, it is bigger. In 2024, according to analyst Daniel Cox, the gender gap was 11 points among Black voters, 12 points among white voters, and 13 points among Hispanics. And it seems to be getting wider among the young. Democratic pollster David Shor sees a gender gap of around 5% among over-70s and around 10% among those 35 to 70, dwarfed by a gap skyrocketing among the young, up above 20%…. On a related issue, (Nate) Silver notes the longstanding research on happiness that shows young men are significantly more likely than young women to self-describe as happy, and other research showing that self-described conservatives report themselves much happier than self-described liberals. On happiness studies, as Silver notes, “Age and religiosity matter a lot — religious people are happier, young people are sadder — but the liberal/conservative gap outweighs almost all other characteristics except age….” A more measured view comes from the Republican pollster and author Patrick Ruffini. “Unhappiness is a feature of being on the left these days. A greater belief in societal ills is internalized, reinforced by being online 24/7. They talk often about right-wingers or Trump policies literally killing people” (Townhall).

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