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Well, this was a bit unexpected, given what Trump supporters have been implying about what Trump’s Ukraine policy would be. Far from cutting off funds or ending the war (the latter of which Trump has indeed promised), Trump, at a rally, told the audience that the US has been bearing a disproportionate portion of the cost and he would pressure European governments to increase their own contributions to the same level as the United States. Given that this is Trump, I wouldn’t call this an iron-clad-take-it-to-the-bank promise to keep pouring billions of dollars into Ukraine’s war coffers, but it does...

A video released today confirms a story that CNN reported a couple weeks ago. Ukrainian special forces were active in Sudan, attacking the local Rapid Support Forces (RSF) which were trying to overthrow the government with the help of Wagner group mercenaries. The video shows Ukrainian snipers and drone attacks on the RSF. (snip) At this point you may be wondering what any of this has to do with Ukraine and why Ukrainian special forces would bother getting involved in this battle in Sudan. The answer is that Wagner forces aren’t in Sudan just to get paid. They are there...

Is Trump’s former White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, about to sing like a canary against his former boss? Politico writes that he “signaled that his defense is likely to include blaming the former president as the primary driver of the effort.”Granted, it’s Politico, and they are not fans of Trump World. The online site relishes stories that pit the various players against each other. But, in this case, it is entirely plausible. Why would Meadows do time for Trump if he can strike a deal? Meadows has proven himself a political opportunist, in my opinion. He seems to...

Screen shot: Townhall Media It is hard to criticize Governor Ron DeSantis when the world is watching such a stellar response to Hurricane Idalia. He left the campaign trail to head back to Florida to lead the state through a mass shooting and a hurricane. DeSantis shines in a crisis. He’s a take charge kind of guy and he goes into Energizer Bunny mode. He went into a predominantly black community, likely hostile political territory, and comforted them when a mass shooting occurred in a Jacksonville Dollar General store. He prepared the state for the hurricane coming its way. Hurricane...

He really is dead. Today Yevgeny Prigozhin was buried in his hometown of St. Petersburg. There were conflicting reports leading up to the ceremony about where and when it would take place. It seems pretty clear that the Kremlin wanted this to be a very low-key affair with few people allowed so that no images or video showing long lines of mourners would wind up in the media.Prigozhin’s press service said in a brief statement that the last rites for Prigozhin were held in secret Tuesday without offering details of the time and location, or providing photographs of the event...

For Ukraine’s Independence Day celebration, Volodymyr Zelensky brought some real fireworks right to the heart of Russia’s occupation. Officials in Kyiv announced this morning that they have landed forces on the western shores of Crimea, raised the Ukranian flag, and have engaged and destroyed Russian forces near two settlements.No word yet from Russia, but this would be bad news indeed for Vladimir Putin if this beachhead succeeds. If it is a beachhead, that is:Special forces landed on the western shore of Crimea, near the settlements of Olenivka and Mayak, in a joint operation with the country’s Navy, according to Ukrainian...

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard reports like this from Russian conscripts. Every few months we get a fresh glimpse at the Russian front lines from individuals who describe the conditions as “absolute f**king hell” or as an ongoing slaughter. The most recent entry of this type comes from an ex-convict named Aleksandr who has been serving in the Russian Army. (snip) You may remember that last year Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner Group was allowed to recruit tens of thousands of conscripts from Russia’s prisons. Wagner was eventually cut off from recruiting more prisoners in one of the first signs...

Every time I think Yevgeny Prigozhin has probably reached the end of his leash, he just goes ahead and says something even more surprising. I really thought he’d reached the limit when he refused to allow his mercenaries to sign an agreement with the army even though Putin (seemingly) ordered him to do it. As far as I know, that hasn’t been resolved yet. Wagner forces still haven’t signed an agreement. But this latest public statement goes way beyond that. Now he is undermining Russia’s entire justification for the war in Ukraine, claiming the whole thing was a lie concocted...

Does the Presidential Records Act provide a defense for Donald Trump and his 38-count indictment for mishandling national-security material? Trump himself has repeatedly asserted this for months, as have his campaign and his supporters. The argument declares that the president has plenary authority to determine the difference between “presidential” and “personal” records, and that the National Archives has no authority to contradict those decisions. To bolster that argument, Trump and his supporters are relying on a decision handed down eleven years ago in a lawsuit brought by Judicial Watch. And it involves Bill Clinton’s sock drawer: The reference to Clinton’s...

South Carolina Senator Tim Scott made what I thought was a very successful entry into the 2024 GOP primary. His announcement event was well attended and picked up by most news outlets. He gave a very positive, uplifting address, asking voters to stand tall beside him in the defense of the nation we all love. He’s kept himself out of the mudslinging, at least thus far. And he’s clearly willing to explore media outlets that other candidates will likely avoid like the plague. Yesterday, John discussed how he even went on The View to speak with the liberal ladies there,...

It is probably a surprise to Donald Trump that so many people have reacted negatively to his recent very personal attack on Kayleigh McEnany. The most loyal of Trump supporters aren’t bothered but many regular voters are disgusted with his attack on a woman that is viewed by a lot of conservatives as America’s sweetheart. Kayleigh got on the wrong side of Trump’s ego. He decided to try to make her pay for that on social media. Trump thinks Kayleigh got his poll number wrong in a recent poll, not reflecting a large enough lead for his ego, so he...

I strongly support Ron DeSantis in the race to become the Republican nominee. I am not unpersuadable. Certainly not NeverTrump. If it is Trump v. Democrat, I am Trump. Easy call, that. But I am, in fact, a fan of Ron DeSantis. You already know that, but I want to lay my cards on the table as the primary battle heats up. DeSantis has been an outstanding governor of Florida, and his electoral victory and the huge level of support in Florida (nearly 60% approval) demonstrate that Floridians as a group agree with that sentiment. DeSantis turned Florida deep Red...

Is Xi Jinping about to say do svidaniya to Vladimir Putin? Or is China’s dictator following an opening set up by Emmanuel Macron to further insinuate Beijing into European security? Karen wrote earlier this morning about how one of Volodomyr Zelensky’s key advisers reacted to Macron’s efforts to get China involved in settling the war. Oleskiy Danilov ripped Macron for negotiating “behind the Ukrainian people’s backs,” and wondering aloud whether Macron would “give up Bordeaux” if invaded … an accusation that could hammer sensitive memories from 1940, and presumably Danilov knows it.Yet less than a day later, Zelensky himself took...

"...this sounds pretty whiny for a first-look official campaign ad. The script for it amplifies that quality, as it sounds as though Trump wrote it himself. “Struggling big-time,” “failing so bad,” “Trump’s support was so powerful,” and so on. It’s comic-book language for a comic-book grudge. Everything about this ad is about Trump’s personal affront, and nothing — not a single word — is about the issues of the day, policies Trump wants to implement, or even voters themselves. It’s sixty seconds of personal butt-hurt, broadcast nationally."

Blah blah blah. Vladimir Putin showed no sign of coming off message in his address on the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine. He also showed no sign of remorse or even original thought. In a speech clearly intended to resonate with the Russians’ cultural mix of imperialism and paranoia, Putin insisted that the West have been the aggressors and that Putin’s invasion was in fact a defense of the motherland. “We aren’t fighting the Ukrainian people,” Putin said while spending the past year volleying missiles at their cities:(snip) One has to wonder whether the Russians can see through these...

The hits on this horror show just keep coming. A joint report out this morning from the WaPo, Texas Tribune, and ProPublica will cause the bile and tears to well up all over again. Oh, my God, is it hard to read. Not just a retelling of some of the more gut-wrenching moments of the siege and botched operation, but a detailed analysis of the emergency medical response to the school shooting. Nineteen kiddos and two teachers died, and the emergency services story is another complete and total disaster.

The Kremlin denies it, but right now, it only looks like a matter of time. Russia wants to keep the nuclear power facility in Zaporizhzhia for its own energy needs as well as nuclear hostage in its failing war in Ukraine. The question is whether they can hold it, and for how long. As the New York Times points out, the fallback from Kherson hasn’t bolstered their forces in Zaporizhzhia enough to sustain its seizure in the long run: Following a string of Ukrainian military successes in the south, the Kremlin sought on Monday to tamp down speculation that Russian...

I have made no secret of the fact that I think Ron DeSantis is an extraordinary politician. I prefer him to any of the potential candidates for President, and am willing to explain to anybody why that is. This, though, is not that column. I also am no Never-Trumper, and would vote for him over any Democrat in a heartbeat. Trump has a lot to be proud of, and without his leadership the Republicans would still be captured by the Establishment™. Now that I have put my biases on the table, let me give you my analysis of what I...

However, NBC offers new details this morning on the police response before the attack — and Paul Pelosi’s curious reaction to it, at least at first. According to their sources, Pelosi himself opened the door when police arrived, and rather than walk out, began to walk back toward assailant David DePape. DePape even assured police that everything was “good,” which — given the broken window — police clearly didn’t believe. Only then did the hammer attack occur, prompting an immediate response from the surprised officers, according to NBC:

After all of the talk about sticking it out in Ukraine for as long as it takes and Mad Vlad threatening to unleash some nukes, could Russia actually be ready to negotiate with Zelensky and the west to seek an end to the invasion of Ukraine? We probably shouldn’t get our hopes up too high just yet, but Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov signaled that there might be an offer on the table over the weekend. Considering how bombastic Lavrov generally is, this would indicate a serious change in his attitude if it turns out to be more than just...