Free Republic

The ideological battle over what “America First” means in the Trump era is intensifying in wake of Israel’s strikes on Iran, splitting the MAGA right and testing its relationships with the president. On one side, noninterventionist doves insist the Trumpian tagline means the president must avoid U.S. troops, resources or dollars going toward the conflict, for fear of getting dragged into an endless war. “Anyone slobbering for the U.S. to become fully involved in the Israel/Iran war is not America First/MAGA,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) posted Sunday on the social platform X. But on the other end, foreign policy...

*** Rival factions of the MAGA movement are now openly feuding in an increasingly nasty civil war, and questioning whether the president will make what they regard as the right move in the Middle East. Trump himself stunningly split with one of his own close advisers on Tuesday, dismissing Congressional testimony from Director of National Security Tulsi Gabbard. In March, Gabbard stated that the intelligence community had assessed Iran was not building a nuclear weapon. 'The IC continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon, and Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program that...

President Donald Trump has one well-known and exploitable weakness: His inordinate love for the triumphal announcement that he has brokered a deal. This inordinate love has already spawned two terrible blunders that threaten us all, one actual and one potential. The actual blunder is the welcoming of Chinese students into American Universities. This blunder stems from his failing to recognize that every Chinese student is a spy. This is not to say that each and every Chinese student is actively engaged in spying at every moment. But it is the case that each and every Chinese student is legally obliged...

President Donald Trump disputed his own director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, on how developed Iran’s nuclear capabilities are and said Iran was on the verge of obtaining a nuclear weapon when Israel struck in recent days.I don't care what she said...."Video at the link

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he was not a “big fan” of Saturday’s parade celebrating the 250th birthday of the Army. Host Kristen Welker said, “Let’s turn to what we witnessed in Washington, D.C., the Nation’s Capitol on Saturday, a military parade celebrating the 250th birthday of the Army here in Washington yesterday. You expressed some doubt ahead of the parade. President Trump was to showcase the army’s military might, and even to inspire a new generation to sign up for military service. Senator, what do you say about that argument? Could the...

https://thefederalist.com/2025/06/13/by-promoting-amnesty-for-illegal-workers-trump-is-selling-out-america-first-for-cheap-labor/

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican tax bill approved by the U.S. House of Representatives would cost the poorest Americans roughly $1,600 a year while increasing the income of the wealthiest households by an average of $12,000 annually, according to a new analysis released Thursday by the Congressional Budget Office. Middle-income households would see a boost of roughly $500 to $1,000 per year under Republican President Donald Trump’s tax bill, the CBO found. The cuts to the lowest-income households come from proposed cuts to social safety net programs including Medicaid and a food assistance program for lower-income people, known as Supplemental...

Seems Trump is crawfishing on immigration as he said maybe we need to allow them to stay and overlook their legal status...

NEW: Leonard Leo is STILL sneaking Never Trumpers into the judiciary. Just last week, 4 nominees for the 8th Circuit Eastern District of Missouri had their judiciary committee hearing, and it’s SO bad. Every single one of the nominees agreed with Sen. Durbin that President Trump must follow the orders of radical judges who issue nationwide orders halting deportations of criminal aliens to places like El Salvador and Venezuela. Even worse, one nominee, Maria Lanahan, is married to Michael Lanahan, who worked for the Club for Growth—an organization that spent millions of dollars AGAINST Trump in the 2024 GOP primaries....

@RandPaul We can cut the proposed border funding in half, from $150 billion to $75 billion, and still secure our border and protect the American people. Let me give you an example of how this is excessive. Let’s take the proposed border wall. Proposed fence cost: $46.5 billion Actual fence cost: $6.5 billion How did I come up with that number? Math based on costs, according to Border Patrol. $6.5 million per mile x 1,000 miles of border wall = $6.5 billion Where is that extra $40 billion going? I’m all for hiring new people to help secure our borders,...

U.S. President Donald Trump stumbles and nearly falls while climbing the stairs of Air Force One

President Trump's second term has been a payday for the powerful, exposing a disconnect in his promise to deliver for "the forgotten man" of America's working class. Why it matters: The populist paradox at the heart of MAGA — a movement fueled by economic grievance and championed by a New York billionaire — has never been more pronounced, Axios' Tal Axelrod and Zachary Basu report. ⚡ Trump's blue-collar base remains fiercely loyal, energized by his hardline stances on immigration, trade and culture — and patient that his economic "Golden Age" will materialize.

@RepThomasMassie Massie plan: Throw the big beautiful bill in the trash. Start over… skinny! Extend 2017 tax cuts End Green New Deal cold turkey No bloat for military industrial complex No SALT No pork Realistic border funding Serious Medicaid reform $1 spending cuts for $1 new tax cuts

For months, US economic data has shown resilience, with layoffs remaining low and business activity staying steady despite fears over policy uncertainty. But the tide may be shifting. Multiple data points this week have shown signs of slowing as a wide swath of tariffs has been in effect. On Thursday, weekly filings for unemployment benefits hit their highest level since October 2024, adding to a slew of data showing a cooling economy leading into the Friday morning release of the May jobs report. Earlier in the week, the Institute for Supply Management's Services PMI registered a reading of 49.9 in...

If you have walked the deep political weeds with us, you will likely remember the warnings. Thomas Massie, Chip Roy, Rand Paul and other fellow republican travelers will join with Elon Musk and the alligator emoji network to oppose President Trump as soon as they can get back into the minority.There is an intention behind this alignment of interests, which includes the Tech Bros (and Sea Island), that ends with a Vance-DeSantis promoted effort in 2028. The only thing standing in their way is MAGA. As a result, MAGA must be fractured.The money center behind the strategy is working on...

Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!

President Donald Trump on Thursday lashed out at Elon Musk as their feud rapidly ramped up, calling him “CRAZY” and suggesting that he may terminate the Tesla CEO’s government contracts. Trump in a bitter Truth Social post wrote that Musk was “wearing thin” by the end of his tenure leading the president’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. “I asked him to leave,” Trump claimed. The angry swipe came after Musk blasted the president amid an escalating clash that stemmed from the mega-billionaire’s vocal opposition to Trump’s massive tax-cut bill. Trump earlier Thursday said Musk was “upset” that the budget...

Since he was sworn in four months ago after an airtight confirmation vote, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has continued to be at the center of controversy. We have seen Hegseth’s use of the Signal messaging app on an unsecure personal phone to discuss sensitive military operations, his firing of three senior aides, and a Pentagon chock-full of internal turmoil. ince he was sworn in four months ago after an airtight confirmation vote, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has continued to be at the center of controversy. We have seen Hegseth’s use of the Signal messaging app on an unsecure personal phone...

Is it time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle?

President Donald Trump shared on Wednesday that he wants the debt limit “scrapped,” which Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has also called for. Trump issued a statement on Truth Social Wednesday afternoon. “I am very pleased to announce that, after all of these years, I agree with Senator Elizabeth Warren on SOMETHING. The Debt Limit should be entirely scrapped to prevent an Economic catastrophe,” he wrote. “It is too devastating to be put in the hands of political people that may want to use it despite the horrendous effect it could have on our Country and, indirectly, even the World,” he...