Free Republic

In what could prove to be a pivotal election year for the Republicans, with the midterms holding much influence, President Donald Trump arguably needs the support of his own party now more than ever. Especially as he is facing loud calls for impeachment from the Democratic Party on account of his Venezuela operation... Yet there is currently a split forming, as some prominent Republican lawmakers are publicly disagreeing with Trump regarding his renewed annexation threats against Greenland in the wake of the Venezuela intervention. In a series of inflammatory remarks labeled as “utterly unacceptable” by Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen,...

He is not a neoconservative in the sense we once knew: he does not cloak American interventions in the language of democracy promotion, human rights, or universal values. Instead, he is a neoconservative without the values. What makes him distinctive is not the substance of his policies, but the way he frames them, stripped of the moralizing tone. Oddly enough, this makes his foreign policy more transparent—and perhaps, in some ways, more refreshing. Classical neoconservatism was never only about hawkish foreign policy. It was about the marriage of power and ideals. The movement argued that American might was essential not...

Forgive me, but I've had two recent breaks and left wondering why and how to avoid them in future! I think they want less posts about Rand which is fine. He's only been in the news recently because of disagreement with Trump on a few issues. If you disagree with Trump and are a prominent politician i.e a U.S senator the media take a natural and close interest and yes, I know it's not helpful but that's not my fault. This explains why. Prior to this Rand struggle(d) to get coverage in the last 15 years he is after all...

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...

Lindsey Graham: “Who is in charge of Venezuela? Donald J. Trump. If you defy him, what happened to Maduro is going to happen to you”

Tim Walz wants a third term. Donald Trump and Mike Lindell want to beat him. Minnesota has been the white whale for Republicans in the Trump era. And 2026 could be the year they finally break through — if President Donald Trump and one of the most prolific peddlers of conspiracy theories about the 2020 election don’t sink their chances. Republicans are growing optimistic about their chances of unseating Democratic Gov. Tim Walz next year, as he seeks a historic third term. But Trump’s increasingly caustic attacks on Walz and disparagement of Minnesota’s Somali community — and MyPillow CEO Mike...

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...

Did President Trump seek authority from Congress to attack Venezuela? The short answer is no. There is no indication that Donald Trump sought or received advance authorization from Congress before ordering the strikes. Last month, Trump publicly stated that he did not believe congressional approval was required to launch attacks against targets in Venezuela, including strikes on land. He said he might brief Congress but would not seek formal legal authorization. In December, Republicans, joined by a small number of Democrats, voted down two separate War Powers resolutions in the House of Representatives that would have required congressional approval for...

In an early sign of congressional concern about the U.S. operation, Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah questioned President Trump's authority to use the military in Venezuela without authorization from Congress. "I look forward to learning what, if anything, might constitutionally justify this action in the absence of a declaration of war or authorization for the use of military force," he said in a social-media post.

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...

When Congress returns next week, lawmakers will have less than a month to pass the remaining nine appropriations bills funding federal agencies in fiscal year 2026. Already, however, there are signs of further delay, with two Republican senators pledging to vote against the bill for Labor and Health and Human Services due to its inclusion of $5.69 billion for refugee assistance services. The amount is less than the $6.3 billion that HHS’s Administration of Children and Families, which runs various refugee and asylee support programs, received in fiscal years 2024 and 2025. But it is still three times higher than...

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...

NOTE: This post is very long, and the videos included are even longer. If you choose to watch only one, I would suggest the third one that specifically covers the Trump class. A lot of people instantly hated the new Trump-class Battleship because it has the name "Trump" attached to it, and especially hated it because Trump wants to have a hand in the design for "aesthetic" reasons. After all, if Trump likes something, it must be a bad idea. But of course, that's a terrible reason to have an opinion about whether a weapons system, which would likely be...

Israel has taken the controversial decision to recognise the breakaway state of Somaliland as an independent nation, sparking condemnation from many other countries. China is the latest to condemn the decision, with its foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian telling reporters: "No country should encourage or support other countries' internal separatist forces for its own selfish interests." China outlined its position ahead of the UN Security Council holding an emergency session to discuss Israel's decision. Israel on Friday became the first country in the world to acknowledge Somaliland as a standalone republic, more than 30 years after the region declared independence...

It’s hard to be optimistic about the future of Gaza. The cease-fire agreement brokered by the Trump administration is holding, but Israel continues to occupy more than half of the territory, and its forces have killed more than 350 Palestinians since the truce was reached on Oct. 10. Hamas, meanwhile, is resurging in Gaza—replacing key commanders killed in the two-year war with Israel; executing its Palestinian opponents; and hiding weapons and fighters in its tunnel system, more than half of which remains intact. So, where does that leave Palestinians and Israelis? And what does it mean for the rest of...

After the aborted 2024 rally sapped its momentum, and the tariff threats of early 2025 clouded its industrial demand picture, silver ultimately delivered on its promise this year, and then some, as prices gained 170% and counting. And while big banks and institutions are growing cautions with silver on the verge of $80 per ounce, many industry experts and a solid majority of retail traders see another standout year for the gray metal in 2026. Spot silver kicked off the year trading near $29.50 per ounce, after having closed 2024 with a pair of bounces right at the $29 support...

The approval of the synodal document, last October 25, by the synod of Italian bishops, which in fact clears the sin of sodomy, testifies even more that the apostasy prophesied in the third secret of Fatima is in action. «The apostasy within the Church is the most serious and shocking thing» that emerges from the 20th century Marioophany. «Cardinal Ciappi, who had read the Third Secret, specified that the Virgin had said that the apostasy would begin at the summit of the Church». Every Catholic today is called to bear witness to the Truth and to oppose this Masonic fringe...