Free Republic

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Ahead of Trump's planned July 4 military parade, several dozen Imperial walkers began to arrive in Washington throughout the week. The AT-ATs were dropped off by U.S. Space Force Star Destroyers just outside the city and then slowly marched toward the capital (rather than being dropped right next to their target, for some reason). Military bands solemnly played the Imperial March in honor of their arrival. Trump was seen at the White House, pointing excitedly at the looming all-terrain armored transports through an Oval Office window. "Wow, look at those guys!" he said while gleefully clapping his hands. "Do...

For the first time since 2010, Maryland does not rank as the top state for millionaires per capita. Maryland, which fell to No. 4, was replaced on this year’s list by New Jersey. When compared with states, the District now ranks No. 2 for millionaires. Phoenix Marketing International’s annual Phoenix Wealth and Affluent Monitor survey found that U.S. millionaire households have risen to 7.7 million. Over the past 12 months, the number of households in the U.S. with over $1 million in assets has increased by 534,000.

Vice President-elect Mike Pence said Wednesday that it is possible President-elect Donald Trump will use executive action in his first days in office to secure the border with Mexico. The comment from Pence comes days after Trump said that on Monday, which he considers his first day in office, he would sign an executive order covering “strong borders.” Pence told MSNBC’s Chuck Todd in an interview that the Trump administration is looking to sign executive orders and repeal those enacted by President Barack Obama in order to implement the new president’s agenda. Todd asked Pence about Trump’s comment that he...

Obama administration spokesman Josh Earnest snaps at CBS reporter Margaret Brennan, asking: "Why is that relevant?" when questioned about the $400 million cash payment (in Euros and Swiss Francs) to Iran. Earnest faced more than 20 minutes of questions about the suspicious nature of this payment Wednesday after details were reported by the Wall Street Journal. ... EARNEST: But why is that relevant? Why is that relevant?

Whoever wins the race to the White House is going to have to deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin from day one. Hopefully, the next U.S. president will learn from the mistakes of the past. One of the biggest foreign policy follies of the Obama administration was the so-called Russian “reset”. In March 2009 Hillary Clinton and her Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov symbolically, if not awkwardly, pressed a “reset” button—to demonstrate a fresh start to U.S.-Russian relations.

John Williams' score to Star Wars is one of the most recognizable pieces in history. The start with the blaring trumpets, like it's announcing a major event as the film's opening crawl reads the happenings of the incoming space adventure. The Star Wars theme isn't just the only memorable theme by any means. The second most recognizable is Vader's theme, or what is known as The Imperial March. It's low minor key gives visual cues of something sinister and lurking around the corner. It's a famous tune that's been used in parodies, TV commercials, sports events, you name it. But...

"Is it too much to ask for the Republican Party to grow a set?!" On his radio show yesterday, Mark ‘The Great One’ Levin said that Republicans “have to grow a set” and go after the imperial president, also known as President Barack Obama. He said this in response to a question from a listener who wondered whether it was time for Republicans to throw around the ‘I-word’: impeachment.

In this video commentary, I discuss how Hillary’s campaign signifies the collapse of the imperial candidacy. Tune in!

How President Barack Obama spent the eighth day of his family's holiday vacation in Hawaii on Saturday: — MORNING AT HOME: President Obama stayed at his Kailua vacation home until late morning on a sunny day on Oahu. — BEACH TIME: Obama and the first family headed to Bellows Air Force Station to hit the beach for the third day in a row. As the motorcade arrived, several dozen beachgoers and families waved and flashed the "shaka" sign on a breezy day. — DINNER WITH FRIENDS: The first couple left their rented home Saturday evening and had dinner with friends...

resident Obama announced plans to normalize diplomatic relations with Cuba today, including opening an embassy in Cuba."We will end an outdated approach that for decades has failed to advance our interests," Obama claimed, "And instead we will begin to normalize relations between our two countries."Specifically, the White House took three major steps today as part of their "New Course on Cuba": Initiating discussions to reestablish diplomatic relations, including a U.S. embassy in Havana, and a Cuban embassy in the United States.A review, by the State Department, of Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism.Relaxing of regulations to facilitate the...

And also he's pretty sure they got a bigger piece of cake. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnxgfQXq5Aw Barack Obama in a speech on Friday took an innovative step forward in policy discussion and blamed someone else for all of his troubles. Speaking on addressing the concerns of voters, the President claimed the administration would have gotten  away with it, if it weren't for those damn Republicans. "The only holdout standing in he way of change for tens of millions of Americans are some Republicans in congress," Obama told an enthusiastic Minneapolis crowd.  "I just want to be real blunt. If you watch the news,...

About 1,300 people were evacuated after a Marine jet carrying ammunitions crashed in a Yuma, Arizona neighborhood Wednesday. The pilot ejected safely. A Marine spokesperson said the jet was trying to land when it crashed in the backyard of a home about a mile from Marine Corps Air Station-Yuma. Authorities say there have been no reports of injuries related to the crash. A Marine spokesperson said the AV-8B Harrier was carrying four 500-pound bombs and 300 rounds of 20-milimeter ammunitions. A one-mile area around the crash site was evacuated so a military explosives disposal team could safely retrieve the ordnance....

Constitutional law experts... warning... of an “imperial presidency.” The hearing, “Enforcing the President’s Constitutional Duty to Faithfully Execute the Laws,” focused on the multiple areas President Barack Obama has bypassed Congress, ranging from healthcare and immigration to marriage and welfare rules. Jonathan Turley, Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University, testified that the expansion of executive power is happening so fast that America is at a “constitutional tipping point.” “My view [is] that the president, has in fact, exceeded his authority in a way that is creating a destabilizing influence in a three branch system,” he said....

There are times when I wonder what I would do if I was freed from the normal constraints that bind all of us, such as morality, conscience, and laws. Would I do as I pleased and seek only my gratification, not caring if my actions hurt others in the process? I would hope not, but the truth remains that all of us have constraint put upon us by society, either through religion or laws. Hmmm...perhaps I spoke too soon. There are some that seem to enjoy not having any shackles put upon them by society, such as President Obama. It...

A wonderful set of photographs taken in China and Japan which gave the Western world one of its first glimpses of the Far East is going for auction. And one particular image of Chinese corpses at North Fort in Peiho in 1860 has presented a stark reminder of the Second Opium War. The North Fort was one of several Taku Forts - strategically-placed defences in China that guarded the mouth of the Peiho River. The fort, which was located near modern-day Tianjin, was breached on August 20, 1860 and its garrison surrendered after a fierce fight.

It must be very satisfying to be an imperial President like Obama. You can rule with executive fiat and rarely have to worry about the pesky legislative process that laws are crafted by Congress, not the executive branch. If someone dares to call you out on your crimes and misdemeanors, any investigations (on the remote chance there is one) is done by the Department of Justice, which is headed by your personal friend and crony, Eric Holder. Not to mention that the DOJ is staffed with progressive liberal allies eager to shield the White House from any accountability. One of...

**SNIP** “You’re attributing to Obama not only good intentions but good actions around Afghanistan and Iraq. Actually he’s not acting well. He’s acting like any imperial leader would act,” Ayers told his interviewer in a new Chicago Magazine story, published online Tuesday. “He wants to have an agreement with [Afghan President Hamid] Karzai because he wants to keep American troops there, trainers there, to keep our interest in oil and all the rest of it on the front burner.” Ayers said Obama’s actions were consistent with American history. “This is true of every puppet that the Americans have put up...

**SNIP** "What makes this man different than anyone else?" he asked. "The president is elected to negotiate." "We treat the tea party like they are some kind of disease, and the very same thing on the other side the press don't even cover it," continued Zell, chairman of Equity Group Investments. "Can you imagine the press vilifying the ACLU?" Zell said he's "not a big tea party fan at all," but added that they are "significant percent of the voting population" with a "right to have a view."

Last Saturday, we told you about how there's a gigantic AT-ST Walker for sale on Ebay right now. It's still there, but why sell such a masterpiece in the first place? Because your girlfriend is freakin' sick of having it around. The AT-ST's owner, Martin Fillery, explained the situation to the Daily Mail: "I think my girlfriend is starting to get a bit worried about me. I've always been a bit mad, and I love sci-fi stuff, but my spending on props is going through the roof. ...The Scout Walker is amazing, but I realised pretty quickly that it was...