At Seattle’s “No Kings” Protest, Journalist Brandi Kruse asked questions — and Seattle’s “anti-authoritarian” crowd responded by celebrating death and threatening violence.

“No Kings” Protest: Rage, Delusion, and Zero Self-Awareness

Independent journalist Brandi Kruse stopped by Seattle’s “No Kings” protest to do what few reporters dare anymore: ask protesters what they actually believe. What she captured on camera was disturbing — not just confusion and anger, but open threats and celebrations of death.

Kruse, who’s covered Seattle politics for years, said she loves protest as a cornerstone of democracy — but what she saw at “No Kings” was something darker. “I love protest. It’s such an important part of our nation,” she wrote. “But I don’t know how so many people have been brainwashed into genuine hate. How can we coexist with this mentality?”

Her footage shows activists raging against “oppression” while spewing violent rhetoric and wishing harm on those they disagree with — all under the banner of “justice.” It’s a chilling look at how Seattle’s activist fringe has turned outrage into identity.

Curious just how far off the rails it went? Watch Brandi Kruse’s full video and see the hate unmasked.

Democrats Flunked the Test — Now Republicans Are Taking Over the Classroom

The Washington State Republican Party is doubling down on school board races — literally. After winning 32 out of 36 contests in 2023, the GOP is expanding its program to target more than 60 districts in 2025. Chairman Jim Walsh says the initiative’s goal is simple: rebuild Washington’s collapsing public education system — the same one Democrats drove from top-tier status to below Mississippi.

This year’s slate spans the state, from Jennifer Heine-Withee in Battle Ground to Carolyn Wilsie-Kendall in Kent and Pam Orebaugh in Spokane’s Central Valley. Each candidate gets voter data, fundraising tools, and boots-on-the-ground help from the party’s growing grassroots network.

While Democrats are busy rewriting math standards and rewriting history, Republicans are putting parents, teachers, and common sense back in charge. Looks like the school boards are about to get a serious lesson in accountability. Read more at Seattle Red.

Democrats Dug a $2 Billion Hole — Michelle Caldier Brought the Shovel to Fill It

With ballots out across Washington, Rep. Michelle Caldier is making her final push to flip a key Senate seat in the 26th District — and she’s doing it with unlikely backup from the Tacoma News Tribune. The left-leaning editorial board endorsed her bid, recognizing what most taxpayers already know: the state’s “progressive” majority can’t manage a checkbook.

Caldier isn’t mincing words. Despite record revenues, she says Democrats left Washington $2 billion in the red — proof that you can’t fix a spending problem by raising taxes and pretending the math works out. Her opponent, conveniently appointed after Caldier announced, has tried to sound moderate but still backed $2.2 billion in spending. Caldier’s response? “Voting for the spending but not the taxes isn’t fiscal responsibility — it’s theater.”

She’s also calling out her opponent for ducking debates, noting even Democrat colleagues have sided with her more often. After 11 years representing the district and winning six elections, Caldier says voters know she delivers results — not excuses.

With the race expected to be razor-thin, Caldier’s urging voters to return ballots early to help break Democrats’ supermajority. “We can’t take away the majority,” she says, “but we can take away their blank check.” Read more at Seattle Red.

Bob Ferguson’s Budget Math: Spend First, Blame Later

Governor Bob Ferguson is finally admitting what Republicans have warned for months: Washington’s budget is sinking fast. At a press event in Enumclaw, Ferguson confessed the state faces a nearly $2 billion shortfall heading into the 2026 session — despite record tax collections and a $77.9 billion budget he signed just five months ago.

His excuse? Federal cuts. His problem? That’s not true. GOP leaders say the “cuts” haven’t even taken effect yet — and that Ferguson himself approved a $782 million Medicaid reduction in the last budget. Senate Republican Leader John Braun called the governor out, saying Ferguson “continues to paint it as much more extreme than it is,” and that none of this year’s deficit “is related to federal government cuts at all.”

Still, Ferguson insists he’ll propose a “thoughtful” balanced budget — the same promise he made before raising billions in new taxes last time. Republicans like Braun and Rep. Drew Stokesbary say they met with him throughout the session, but their fiscally responsible ideas were ignored in favor of the largest tax increase in state history.

Now, after spending his way into a crisis, Ferguson is back to blaming someone else. The Democrats’ “tax-first” approach has delivered slower growth, federal dependence, and a hole they can’t fill — unless, of course, they reach for your wallet again. Read more at Center Square.

Pramila Jayapal Takes a Vacation from Reality (and Responsibility)

If irony were legal tender, Rep. Pramila Jayapal could singlehandedly pay off the national debt. The Seattle congresswoman voted against a Republican-backed continuing resolution that would have kept the government open — no shutdown, no furloughs, no chaos. But once the doors closed, Jayapal hopped a flight home to Seattle to complain that Republicans “won’t reopen it.”

That’s right: she helped break it, then blamed someone else for not fixing it fast enough. You can’t make this up. While federal employees wait for paychecks, Jayapal spent her weekend grinning for cameras at the “No Kings” rally — a title almost too perfect for a politician who acts like a queen of performative outrage.

Here’s the truth she’s avoiding: House Republicans did their job and passed a bill to keep the lights on. Senate Democrats killed it. Jayapal knows that — but admitting it wouldn’t fit her narrative or her next fundraising email. So instead, she tweets indignantly between oat milk lattes in Seattle’s Capitol Hill, calling Republicans “on vacation” while she’s literally on one.

For all her talk of “working people,” Jayapal’s paycheck hasn’t missed a beat. The government may be shut down, but her grandstanding never is. Read more at Seattle Red.

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