Free Republic

Gold star widow Natasha De Alencar released the audio of a phone conversation she had with President Donald Trump in April about the death of her husband who was killed in Afghanistan. “I am so sorry to hear about the whole situation. What a horrible thing, except that he’s an unbelievable hero,” Trump told her in the call about her husband Army Staff Sgt. Mark R. De Alencar, which The Washington Post released. “Thank you. I really, really appreciated it,” she said. “I really do, sir.” Trump also told the widow if she is ever in Washington D.C. that she...

I heard something unusual when I logged on to the New York Times this morning. It seemed to me a dire, authoritative, even apocalyptic sound. It was as if a gigantic clap of thunder had been produced by an immense boot of truth. Allow me to explain. On my screen appeared a think piece comparing Adolf Hitler with Donald Trump. “Trump Isn’t Hitler. But the Lying . . . ,” by op-ed columnist Charles Blow, advances a breathtaking claim that has never, to my knowledge, appeared in any media outlet before: That though Trump isn’t Hitler, he’s actually pretty close,...

Former FBI Director James Comey knows how to play the G-Man as a straight arrow on television, but he’s a cynical Washington operator in real life. His orchestration of the appointment of his friend Robert Mueller as special counsel to take down President Trump in the fictitious Russia collusion scandal (and all its penumbras and radiations) represents a striking case in point. Comey’s hand in it should discredit the Mueller operation all by itself. Comey is a sort of Rosetta stone for the Russia investigation. Interpreting him and his works might allow one to decipher the hieroglyphics. I’m not saying...

CHINA’S leader has laid out his ambitious plans for a superpower in a three-hour speech with huge implications for Australia. BEIJING has outlined plans to become the world’s biggest superpower within the next 30 years. Opening a five-yearly national congress, Chinese President Xi Jinping set out his time frame for the country to become a “global leader” with international influence. In his 3 ½ hour speech, Mr Xi urged a reinvigorated Communist Party to take a stronger role in society and economic development to better address the nation’s “grim” challenges. Speaking in the massive Great Hall of the People near...

The stock market doesn't revolve around Donald Trump, regardless of what the president tries to claim. This much should be clear to anyone who's enjoyed a seemingly endless series of record highs, even as Trump has failed to make progress on the policies he's been proposing for months. Sure, politicians and their supporters like to take credit for good news, no matter where it comes from. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin even went as far as warning on Wednesday that the market would sink if Trump's tax plan weren't adopted because, he said, it's responsible for recent market records. And it's...

Senate Republicans approved a $4 trillion budget measure Thursday, taking a crucial step toward their goal of passing a tax plan this year. The chamber approved the budget resolution by a 51-49 vote. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was the only GOP senator to vote against it. Senators will now have to reconcile their budget resolution with a separate one passed by the House. The other chamber could simply choose to pass the Senate budget blueprint. Passing a budget unlocks reconciliation, which enables the GOP to pass a tax bill with a simple 51-vote majority in the Senate. Using the tool...

Donald Trump is criticized, often justly, for misstatements of facts and failure to understand the details of public policy. But in two of his most recent controversial actions, he has taken stands upholding the rule of law and undoing the lawless behavior of his most recent predecessor. The question now is whether the author of "The Art of the Deal" -- and congressional Republicans and Democrats -- can maneuver and compromise on these issues in ways that produce sensible public policy. The first action in question was Trump's Sept. 5 announcement that he would withdraw Barack Obama's Deferred Action for...

Jason Miller, former communications director for Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, joined SiriusXM host Matt Boyle on Friday’s Breitbart News Daily to talk about the struggle between President Trump and both the Republican and Democrat political establishments. Miller said the president has a “really good shot” at getting his tax reform plan through Congress after a successful budget vote on Thursday. “If you’re not on board with cutting taxes, then this truly is one of those issues where you probably need to look in the mirror and evaluate whether you’re in the right party or not,” he said. “It looks...

When Donald Trump faced criticism from advocacy groups for not including more women and minorities in his cabinet last January, the incoming administration promised that the lower rungs of the bureaucracy would ultimately look more diverse. Now, recently available government data on the ethnic and gender make-up of the broader Trump administration shows that with over 1,000 mid-level political jobs filled by mid-year the appointees look much like the top leadership: mostly white and male. Office of Personnel Management numbers analyzed by Reuters show that 88 percent of such appointees were non-Hispanic white and 62 percent were men. “This administration...

The Environmental Protection Agency has removed dozens of online resources dedicated to helping local governments address climate change, part of an apparent effort by the agency to play down the threat of global warming. “I think it’s very alarming” said Adam Parris, who leads the Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay in New York. “These are not the kind of resources that are just basic climate science. These are the kind of resources it has taken years to develop across the federal family.” Gina McCarthy, administrator of the E.P.A. under Mr. Obama, said in a statement that one of...

So here are the key facts: The FBI found that Russian intelligence had targeted Hillary Clinton before and during her time as secretary of state. Clinton’s spokespersons denied that this was so. Clinton opposed the Magnitsky sanctions on officials tied to Putin. After her husband received a half-million dollars in Moscow from a Kremlin-connected investment bank, Clinton moved with unusual speed to whisk the ring of 10 Russian spies out of the country and back to Moscow. She had the lopsided swap take place over a long summer weekend, before the FBI was finished with the spies, and before the...

CNN is to be commended for their sponsorship of the tax debate between Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) last night. It was a serious, informative discussion about an important issue in Washington. Imagine that. During the debate, Cruz did himself — and the Republican Party — a lot of good. He maintained a friendly, informative and nimble presence, effectively outlining the case that GOP tax reform is part of an overall economic plan, whereas Sanders’s call for tax increases for the rich appeared to be knee-jerk and punitive rather than part of a serious economic policy. And...

An Indiana Representative is forcing the establishment media to look in the mirror and face their hypocrisy.He is proposing the First Amendment in Indiana be treated the same as the Second Amendment. His proposal is that journalists be required to apply for a license before they are allowed to publish.If they have felony convictions, they might not be allowed to publish.From fox59.com: Lucas, from Seymour, has been critical of the media’s coverage of his efforts to repeal a state law that requires a permit to carry a handgun.He has stated reporters, columnists and editorial boards mischaracterize his idea, which...

It’s been a month since Hurricane Maria ravaged the island of Puerto Rico. While supplies and aid are flowing, reports on the ground have noted the chronic issue with delivering water to the residents. Also, contrary to popular belief, the Trump administration did take anticipatory actions, as noted by Bloomberg. Moreover, even Gov. Ricardo Rosselló, a Democrat, said that he’s been in contact with the Trump administration, and that resources have been made available to the island.Bloomberg’s Tobin Harshaw interviewed retired Navy Captain Jerry Hendrix, who mentioned that the light amphibious carriers and ships were put to sea ahead of...

Rep. Scott Taylor (R., Va.) said that he was "embarrassed" and "disgusted" Friday by Rep. Frederica Wilson's (D., Fla.) comments criticizing President Donald Trump and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly over Trump's phone call toward a military widow from her district.CNN host Chris Cuomo asked Taylor for his opinion on the ongoing feud between Wilson and the White House. Wilson has charged Trump acted callously in his phone conversation this week with Myeshia Johnson, the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, who was recently killed in Niger alongside three other American soldiers.Kelly said he was "stunned" by Wilson...

The IRS says it will not accept electronic tax returns that do not disclose whether the filer had health insurance coverage during the year. It also says it will suspend paper returns that do not have the disclosure. The IRS' move, which will bolster compliance with Affordable Care Act rules, comes as the Trump administration takes other steps to undercut the law. The IRS is warning tax professionals that it will block or suspend processing of 2017 income tax returns that do not comply with Obamacare rules requiring filers to disclose their health insurance status. The new move to tighten...

Austria’s president gave the green light to conservative leader Sebastian Kurz on Friday to form a government, but Kurz gave little away about his coalition plans, leaving a tie-up with the far right the most likely outcome. Kurz’s People’s Party (OVP) secured 31.5 percent of the vote in Sunday’s parliamentary election, winning by a clear margin but falling well short of the majority needed to control parliament in the affluent Alpine republic. “I would like to build a government that has the courage and determination to bring real change to Austria,” Kurz, 31, told reporters after meeting President Alexander Van...

Natasha De Alencar released the audio of a phone conversation she had with President Trump in April about the death of her husband, Army Staff Sgt. Mark R. De Alencar, who was killed in Afghanistan."I am so sorry to hear about the whole situation. What a horrible thing, except that he's an unbelievable hero," Trump told her in the call.Trump told her repeatedly that her husband was a hero, and Natasha stayed composed as she thanked him."Thank you. I really, really appreciated it," she said. "I really do, sir."Trump also used the call, reported by the Washington Post, to invite...

Sen. John McCain said Thursday he is holding up President Trump's pick for Army secretary and other nominees partly to get answers about recent soldier deaths in Niger. McCain, R-Ariz., added the Oct. 4 ambush by ISIS-aligned fighters in West Africa that killed four soldiers to the list of military briefings his Armed Services Committee wants from the Trump administration in exchange for moving Defense Department nominees. The DoD has launched an investigation of the incident in Africa and plans to release the findings to Congress, Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, Trump's national security adviser, said Thursday. The Armed Services chairman...

Florida Rep. Frederica Wilson continued her war of words with President Donald Trump after his chief of staff’s criticism of her on Thursday.White House Chief of Staff John Kelly's rebuked Wilson during the White House news briefing for sharing the contents of the president’s call with the widow of Sgt. La David T. Johnson, who was one of four soldiers killed in Niger. “He shouldn’t be able to just say that, that is terrible,” Wilson, D-Florida, said. “This has become totally personal.”Trump called the Florida Democrat “wacky” in a tweet late Thursday, and said she was “SECRETLY on a very personal call.” In response,...