Free Republic

Political strategists say Democrats running in competitive races in this year’s midterm elections for the House and Senate should steer clear of making President Trump the centerpiece of their campaigns. While Trump’s approval ratings are low and Americans have been frustrated by his job performance in the first year of his second term, the strategists say the key to winning is to home in on economic issues — particularly affordability. “The fight to win 2026 will be on the economy and affordability. It’s not going to be on the Epstein files,” said Susan Del Percio, a veteran Republican strategist who...

Several beauty trends for conservative women have emerged this year, some with a certain underlying level of humor—from the so-called Mar-a-Lago face to the "conservative girl" makeup. What all these trends have in common under the umbrella of MAGA beauty is an emphasis on hyperfeminine attire—sky-high stilettos, fitting skirts, bouncy hair, full-coverage makeup, and conspicuous plastic surgery. Greene said that while she had not previously spoken up against these trends, she disliked them. “I believe how women in leadership present themselves sends a message to younger women,” she told The New York Times. In an interview with The New York...

WARNING: Israel May Launch False Flag Attack On US Ships To Force Trump Into Direct War With Iran In The Coming Weeks, Warns Military / Geopolitical Expert Matt Bracken!

A victim of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein said Tuesday the partial release of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) files on the disgraced financier and the lack of naming those accused of wrongdoing were “incredibly frustrating.” The DOJ still has 5.2 million files to undergo review, according to a Reuters report Wednesday. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche posted on the social platform X that lawyers from the DOJ, FBI, Southern District of Florida and Southern District of New York “are working around the clock through the holidays” to review the files. The DOJ had 30 days to release its files...

Pete Hegseth appeared to have a quickly lost patience for the Ukrainian plight in its fight against Russia as he took over leadership at the Pentagon last year. The Secretary of Defense – later renamed War Secretary – seemed to have a disdain for any pro-Ukraine generals left over from President Joe Biden's term, according to a New York Times report. Specifically, sources detail tension between General Christopher Cavoli, who is now retired but was commander of United States European Command from 2022 until his retirement from the Army in July 2025. One official said it remains unclear whether Hegseth...

Shapiro was an anti-Trumper in 2016 and was convinced Clinton would win in an electoral landslide.

Ben Shapiro’s war on Tucker Carlson risks turning conservatism inward—smearing populist concerns as extremism instead of confronting the economic failures driving millions to revolt.Just as a “country without borders is not a country,” so it is that “the conservative movement also requires borders.” This was the general message delivered by conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro in a December 17 speech at the Heritage Foundation and again the next day in a speech at Turning Point USA’s Amerifest conference.Shapiro’s other main point was more specific: Conservative political commentator Tucker Carlson is no conservative and must forthwith be expelled from the conservative...

Gen Z right-wing influencers like Nick Fuentes have suggested they may not support Vice President JD Vance if he becomes the Republican presidential nominee in 2028 and have praised California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat. Why It Matters The 2028 election is years away, but talk about who could run for higher office has already begun. Vance is viewed as the frontrunner on the Republican side. The Democratic primary is likely to be more competitive if current polling stands, and Newsom is viewed as a leading candidate. He has cast himself as a staunch rival of the Trump administration. The...

Department says image was flagged by prosecutors before determining it posed no risk to survivors of late sex offenderThe US justice department said on Sunday it had restored an image it had removed a day earlier from the public release of investigative files related to Jeffrey Epstein after concluding that the photograph, which included within it a photo of Donald Trump, posed no risk of public exposure to victims of the late convicted sex offender.The justice department said the image had been flagged by federal prosecutors in New York for potentially exposing victims of Epstein. Its unexplained removal on Saturday...

The phrase “Woke Right” arrived almost overnight... James Lindsay traces the history of “woke” as a mindset rather than a policy list. For him, “woke” is a way of seeing the world through a single lens of power and grievance. It falsely elevates politics to a pseudo-theology—that of a cosmic struggle between oppressors and oppressed. It is inspired by resentment, which inevitably fosters online mobs, practices cancel culture, and treats ideological opponents as heretics who must be hunted down rather than debated. Lindsay argues that a similar pattern has emerged on parts of the Right. He points to Groypers and...

He grew up on a farm in Indiana, the son of a factory worker and eldest of five children. He studied at Liberty, a Christian university founded by the conservative pastor and televangelist Jerry Falwell, and recalls wearing a T-shirt expressing opposition to the Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. Two decades later, Justin Douglas is running for the US Congress – as a Democrat. He is among about white 30 Christian clergy – pastors, seminary students and other faith leaders – known to be potential Democratic candidates in next year’s midterm elections, including a dozen who are already in the...

Would some of you give me an opinion of Candice Owens? I know we have some loose cannons on the right. I feel like overall we have healthy disagreements that are based on honest differences compared to libs that line up perfectly for the strict purpose of power. Steven Crowder had Nick Fuentes on and asked him straight questions about some controversies and the exchange was refreshing. Not a gotcha interview but an informative one. Lots of decent conservative shows like Tim Pool, Dave Rubin, Micheal Knowles invite other conservatives to discuss their issues so that they can argue openly...

One of the big fights coming this January is how to reform the failing Obamacare program, aka, the Unaffordable Care Act. Without massive COVID-era subsidies, users will pay a lot more in 2026. The program itself has so many problems, beginning with the fact that many well-off people qualify, and so much money goes to directly fund insurance companies, no questions asked. It is more than past time to just let this whole mess disappear. But many working people who don’t qualify for Medicaid need some options. Sen. Rand Paul has perhaps the simplest and most effective answer, one that...

Bill Cosby’s sprawling New York townhouse was sold less than a month after being listed for $29 million, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky identified as the buyer through an offshore company – Film Heritage Inc. While the final sale price remains undisclosed, the deal marks the end of a turbulent financial chapter for the disgraced entertainer and his wife, Camille, according to the New York Post. The purchase coincides with a $100 million corruption scandal engulfing Zelensky’s administration, with several of his closest allies accused of involvement in a massive kickback scheme. Earlier this year, the Cosbys were accused in...

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) blasted Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Tuesday for his role in the controversy surrounding the strike on a suspected Venezuelan narcoterrorist cartel boat on Sept. 2. “Secretary Hegseth said he had no knowledge of this, and it did not happen. It was fake news. It didn’t happen. And then the next day, from the podium at the White House are saying it did happen,” Paul said while speaking to reporters at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday. “So, either he was lying to us … or he’s incompetent and didn’t know it had happened.” Paul also...

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that he only learned of a second strike on an alleged Venezuelan drug boat to finish off two survivors “a couple of hours later.” Hegseth disavowed responsibility amid a congressional outcry over the Sept. 2 follow-up attack on the wrecked vessel.

Gen Z conservative activist Nalin Haley, Nikki Haley's son, joined 'Fox & Friends' to discuss the importance of listening to young voters amid lingering economic concerns.

UKRAINE: Zelensky enlisted Senator Mark Kelly’s twin brother to raise $2.8B for a USAID-created propaganda arm targeting US voters and politicians. Much of the money moves anonymously via crypto. Observers note the conflict of interest: the brother of Sen. Mark Kelly helping run a foreign influence operation targeting the very government his twin serves in. United24, created by Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation using a USAID-funded infrastructure, appointed Scott Kelly, Senator Mark Kelly's twin brother, as its ambassador to help raise money for the propaganda outlet. Since then it has raised $2.72 billion, much of it routed quietly via cryptocurrency....

@SenRandPaul I opposed John Kennedy’s idea to bring in so many Afghan nationals. I told Kennedy it was reckless and dangerous. Ultimately, Kennedy and Biden won, and our country was flooded with unvetted Afghan nationals. This video has the receipts. In 2013, I put forward legislation to suspend visas from high-risk terrorism countries and to require thorough background-check waiting periods for all others, so Americans can be confident our visa system keeps terrorists out In 2015, I also introduced legislation to stop taxpayer-funded benefits for newly arrived refugees from high-risk countries.

Donald Trump’s drive to secure peace in Ukraine must not let Vladimir Putin off the hook for war crimes committed by Russian forces, a top EU official has warned, effectively setting a new red line for a deal. In an interview with POLITICO, Michael McGrath, the European commissioner for justice and democracy, said negotiators must ensure the push for a ceasefire does not result in Russia escaping prosecution. His comments reflect concerns widely held in European capitals that the original American blueprint for a deal included the promise of a “full amnesty for actions committed during the war,” alongside plans...