Free Republic

Of course, it was the Iran war—though I don’t think people, including Vice President JD Vance, are fully putting their finger on why.Fairly close to 100% of the electorate, whether they love or hate Donald Trump, understand him not as somebody to follow into a military campaign of his own impulsive choosing, unprovoked by any national emergency.Though in his arrogance and presumption it would have been hard for any underling to put it to him, there was something else: the unique and sequined nature of his legitimacy.His freakish rise in our politics is so much the reciprocal of the illegitimate...

Kyiv has temporarily halted one of its most effective operations against Moscow after complaints from Trump KYIV—Ukraine’s military has paused its strikes against Russian oil refineries, people with knowledge of the operations said, after weeks of pressure from President Trump shook Kyiv’s confidence in U.S. support. The unofficial pause, which is expected to last until after the U.S. midterm elections but potentially deeper into November, began early last week at the height of a crisis in U.S.-Ukrainian relations, the people said. Days earlier, Trump had called for the removal of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Elon Musk’s SpaceX had limited...

As the midterms approach, Democrats are working to ensure his aggressive approach to executive power doesn’t outlast him. Democratic House members are writing bills to rein in a president’s emergency powers. Lawyers are strategizing about how to insulate the Justice Department from presidential influence. A House measure would block a president from unilaterally remodeling the White House. Ethicists are writing rules to prevent a future first family from self-dealing. Throughout Washington and beyond, President Donald Trump’s opponents are scrambling to ensure that after he leaves office, the changes he has imposed on the presidency, and the country, will fade with...

Complete Transcript SummaryOverall summary The September 30 broadcast revolves around three major themes. International instability: Jones sees the Russia-NATO confrontation, the Iran war, and terrorism as interconnected threats that could produce wider conflict and economic disruption. Concentrated institutional power: His discussions of AI, wealth, surveillance, defense contractors, and UFO disclosure share a common argument: powerful corporations and government-connected organizations allegedly exercise influence without sufficient public accountability. The conflict within conservative media: The extended Candace Owens discussion focuses on the distinction between questioning official accounts and making unsupported accusations. Jones criticizes Owens's investigative methods while also defending his own record and...

I’m sure it is unpleasant to have your private diary made public, which is why I don’t keep one. Anthony S. Fauci was not so circumspect, and worse still, he kept his personal notes on a government computer. Their release last week by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), ahead of scheduled Senate testimony, has embarrassed Fauci and revived old resentments. Many entries seem almost purposely crafted to inflame every lingering conservative grievance over the pandemic. Fauci, who helped lead the U.S. response to covid-19, records many laudatory interactions with famous and influential liberals. He details behind-the-scenes maneuvering over restrictive covid policies....

Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, the head of U.S. European Command, sent written notification to senior Pentagon officials saying that without another Navy destroyer he will be forced to choose defense of the United States “homeland” over that of Israel, said the officials, who like some others spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the correspondence. A U.S. defense official said Grynkewich’s notification appears consistent with past outreach to the Pentagon from the military’s top generals when they see certain risks that require Washington’s consideration. This can occur, the official said, as commanders compete for finite resources and weapons. The Pentagon...

“The Turner Diaries” is a work of white supremacist agitprop. It purports to be the diary of a neo-Nazi militant, Earl Turner, who is working to overthrow the United States government — or as the book calls it, “the System” — through a group called “the Organization.” Turner castigates “the System” for promoting integration, encouraging nonwhite immigration and placing Jewish people, Black Americans and other minorities in positions of authority over whites.Among other atrocities, the novel describes nuclear attacks on predominantly Black cities, a Holocaust of Jewish Americans, the total ethnic cleansing of California, the subjugation of women and the...

As the war with Iran has continued, some are finding that the stress is bringing back old anxieties.A 4-year-old child began having behavioral problems when his father left for war.A wife whose husband works in Army intelligence is already dealing with heightened anxiety, even though he hasn’t been deployed yet.A woman found this year that she is struggling to cope with the news of conflicts at home and abroad, nearly 20 years after she lost her fiancé in combat.More than 80 percent of military families have reported elevated stress from the war with Iran, driven by safety concerns, deployment changes,...