Free Republic

Did Seth say anything the last four years? January 6th protestors being kept in solitary confinement? Pro life advocates praying silently and then being arrested at gunpoint at their homes? Moms being pursued for speaking their mind at school board hearings? Political opponents being arrested in multiple jurisdictions on spurious charges? How about during the COVID era - lockdowns, business closures, being fired for refusing an experimental vaccine?

Tehran would likely respond with “retaliation in layers”: deniable proxy attacks, cyber-attacks, and maritime harassment.

What? They would never do any of these things! It's not like there's any historic evidence of such behavior. Iran has never harassed our ships (even recently), or used any other proxy groups to attack our interests or those of any of its neighbors. They haven't ever built and used IEDs to kill and maim U.S. service members, and they've never even taken any Americans hostage before. Lunacy.

Trump would have made the deal if the Iranians decided to. But they are intransigent Islamic radical goons, who have been pushing a dirty, decades-long campaign of terrorism and destabilization. We also have thousands of U.S. service members who are maimed for life (or were KIA) because of Iranian IEDs. A peace deal was attempted. Trump is a transformative leader who gets shit resolved, one way or another. Iran was too dumb and radical to make the deal.

As to Russia, Trump has been pushing for a deal, and both sides are currently balking at the terms and really, the very idea of making a deal at all, so maybe we just step back and let those former Soviet states kill each other.

That’s not how the legal system works. The “thing” happens first, then someone can sue over it.

Republican Rep. Andrew Garbarino (from New York’s 2nd Congressional District).

What threats is she referring to? And as far as “harassment”, it would seem to me that a bunch of District court judges are the ones doing the harassing, applying nationwide injunctions outside of their Districts/purview in a brazen attempt to limit the President’s plenary powers, directly assaulting the will of the majority of voters (the real “our democracy”).

Fake news - the kids weren’t deported, their parent was. The parent made the choice to take their kid with them.

They’re only “Half Mast” on ships... They are “Half Staff” because Trump ordered it based on the Pope’s death (which I disagree with).

A bunch of savages in Yemen have launched attacks American commercial and naval vessels over 300 times and are trying to prevent us from engaging in commerce. This affects our GDP, our national reputation, and ability to protect our ships.

What isn't "America First" about directly protecting our interests using our national power?

It’s only a “flashpoint” because Democrat thugs are engaging in violence.

Yes, NPR... It is the most basic definition of domestic terrorism - using violence to further a political objective.

Leftist political activists are using street violence for multiple aims: to pressure Elon Musk to back-off, to scare and pressure Tesla owners and prospective owners, and to hurt the company because of Elon Musk's ownership percentage.

This isn’t how negotiated peace agreements work. Ukraine is the weaker party, unless we decide to go to war directly with Russia to defend them. If Zelensky continues to argue that all territories seized by Russia since 2014 must be released, there won’t be a settlement. Russia is not going to give up Crimea. At some point, we may just need to wipe our hands and abandon any support. Ukraine can keep fighting and eventually would have to surrender to Russia.

Where does a DISTRICT Federal judge derive the power to apply a ruling to the entire jurisdiction of the United States? It would only apply in the particular district where the complaint was made.

Not only that, but this judge also thinks he has authority outside the United States - when a deportation flight is over international waters or landed in a foreign country.

I asked Grok: "How many times have the Houthi rebels in Yemen attacked American ships, and can you break out military vs commercial vessels?"

Here is the answer:

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Based on the most recent data available up to March 17, 2025, the Houthi rebels in Yemen have conducted numerous attacks on American ships since November 2023.

The Houthis have attacked American ships a total of approximately 319 times since 2023, with a breakdown as follows:

• Military Vessels: Around 174 attacks have targeted U.S. warships. This includes incidents like the October 19, 2023, attack where the USS Carney, a U.S. Navy destroyer, intercepted multiple missiles launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen. These attacks have involved drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles aimed at U.S. naval assets, such as destroyers and aircraft carriers, operating in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

• Commercial Vessels: Approximately 145 attacks have been directed at commercial vessels, many of which are U.S.-owned or flagged. Notable examples include the January 15, 2024, missile strike on the Gibraltar Eagle, a Marshall Islands-flagged, U.S.-owned bulk carrier, in the Gulf of Aden. These attacks have disrupted global trade, targeting ships with varying degrees of connection to the U.S., often as part of the Houthis’ broader campaign linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

These numbers are derived from posts on X as of March 16, 2025, and align with broader trends reported in web sources, which indicate over 100 total ship attacks by mid-2024, escalating further into early 2025. The distinction between military and commercial targets reflects the Houthis’ stated intent to target both American military assets and commercial shipping perceived as linked to the U.S. or its allies. However, precise counts may differ slightly due to unreported incidents or variations in how attacks are classified (e.g., attempted vs. successful strikes).

I believe the idea is to have the budget fight during reconciliation, where a simple majority is needed, rather than needing 60 votes in the Senate (which we don’t have). Of course, this is assuming the fight will actually come to fruition.

Neither will Lindsay Grahamnesty.

Cutesy time is over.

Hey Mark, MAGA is putting “America First”, not spending $100B of taxpayer money to fund one side of a conflict between two Soviet states. Enough is enough!

Wrong. Elon Musk serves in an advisory capacity to the President of the United States as part of a congressionally-created agency (USDS). There is an Executive Order which plainly explains the structure and goals of United States DOGE Service (USDS).

Maybe you can send the below link to the "anonymous" author of the hit piece you posted?

Establishing And Implementing The President's "Department Of Government Efficiency" – The White House

... L. Brent Bozell III, as his pick to run the U.S. Agency for Global Media, the parent agency of the Voice of America and other federally owned international broadcasters...

Looks like Bozell is going to be Kari Lake's boss? She was picked to be Voice of America's director.