Free Republic

A group of moderate Democrats quietly gathered in Virginia last month — and hatched a comeback plan to try to distance the party from the far-left and win back the working class by embracing “patriotism.” Third Way, a centrist-leaning Democratic think tank, put together the soul-searching retreat in Londoun County, a roughly hour drive from Washington, DC, and invited elected leaders, consultants, staffers and others to critically assess the party’s woes “Activist groups and progressive staffers push unpopular cultural positions, making it seem like Democrats are more extreme than they actually are,” said a summary paper from the retreat and...

A long time ago, in an America far, far, away, there was a time when everyday people could have political differences without it affecting their relationships. It appears America has drifted light years away from these days. Over the past decade, there seems to have been an increase in marriages breaking up because of political differences – especially when it comes to President Donald Trump. Now that he is in his second term, this issue seems to be persisting. Slate’s Scaachi Koul wrote an article on Tuesday telling the stories of three progressive women who were having marital problems that...

During Donald Trump's address to the joint session of Congress on March 4, 2025, the President gave a tribute to a thirteen year-old cancer survivor. The Democrats notably refused to stand, and many refused to even clap. for the boy.

CNN’s Harry Enten delivered a reality check during Monday’s broadcast, laying out the shifting American sentiment on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and showcasing President Donald Trump’s strong approval numbers compared to his predecessor, Joe Biden. Known for his straight-shooting analysis, Enten presented polling data that showcased a dramatic divergence in public opinion regarding presidential handling of foreign affairs. “So this is the net approval rating: you look at Joe Biden back in 2024, he was 22 points underwater,” Enten started. “Holy cow! You look at Donald Trump, it’s just a different planet entirely. I mean, the gulf between these two is...

...Is the U.S. about to come into a windfall? We spoke to Laura Lewis, a university distinguished professor of chemical and mechanical engineering at Northeastern, who studies critical minerals and their applications. Her comments have been edited for brevity and clarity... ...What about rare earths? Does Ukraine have them? The evidence for Ukraine having rare earths at all is derived from reports that are at least 50 years old that were conducted by Russia. There really is no significant evidence that Ukraine has them. If they do, and they say that they're going to now develop this resource, it would...

ESPN host Stephen A. Smtih’s latest foray into politics has upset veteran politico James Carville. On his podcast, Politicon, Carville addressed Smith’s recent ruminations about a 2028 run for the Democrat nomination. “If you’re the Democrats, that’s why Stephen A. Smith is in the news,” Smith said recently on The Stephen A. Smith Show, “because y’all don’t have anybody. You don’t have anybody. Who you got? Who you got? Kamala Harris better not run. She better not run.” Carville noted Smith’s prowess when it came to sports. But, he took a decidedly different tone when it came to the ESPN...

There are many stories about January 6 that fall by the wayside. Some January 6 defendants got extensive media coverage, especially in the immediate aftermath of January 6, but this is not representative of the overall body. Most defendants have remained nameless, faceless hostages. Real Americans have been rendered as caricatures as a way of pigeonholing them and glossing over the real experiences of that complicated day. PATRIOT PETE Peter Schwartz is many things, but an insurrectionist is not one of them. Schwartz served in the United States Army Reserve in his younger years. He ended up living a life...

Every Arizona swing voter in our latest Engagious/Sago focus groups said they approve of President Trump's actions since taking office — and most also support Elon Musk's efforts to slash government. Why it matters: Public opinion can constrain presidents when Congress does not. But these 11 voters — all of whom backed Joe Biden in 2020 but switched to Trump last November — said they're good with Trump aggressively testing disruptive, expansionist expressions of presidential power that are piling up in court challenges. It's needed to "get America back on track," one participant said. What we're watching: One notable area...

In the Fall of 1971, I took a newly-offered Poly Sci course in HS in Boulder CO, taught by the US History teacher. She was one of a now-extinct race I term Honorable Democrats, who was politically active but didn't press an agenda on her students. One day she read us an article from a journal of PolySci to which she subscribed. It was a long-term prediction of how Politics in the USA would unfold, written by Political Scentists. You must understand that since it's their job to study this stuff, these highly skilled Professionals are naturally the most reliable...

American are saying Democrats are espousing priorities that are not representative of voters, according to polling conducted by Ipsos and The New York Times last month. The Times/Ipsos poll conducted after President Donald Trump's election victory was certified in early January revealed Americans' priorities more closely match that of Republican Party election messaging priorities. Those polled found economy, immigration, taxes, crime, and healthcare costs to be priorities for them, the first three also considered priorities by the Republican Party in the respondents' view. Those people sensed Democrats were most concerned about abortion, LGBT policies, climate change, and the state of...

The more we learn about John Brennan and the other swamp creatures, aka the 50 intelligence agents who signed off on the Hunter Biden laptop letter, the more we understand why and support Trump removing their security clearance. For years, we felt as if we were the crazies talking about the deep state and how they were working to control our elections but now that everything is out in the open, we're finding that perhaps we weren't so crazy after all. Especially when you see leaked emails like this one where Brennan admits everything they were doing was to help...

At one of the confirmation hearings in the Senate, for President Trump's nominee Robert F. Kennedy to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kennedy asked an interesting question, slightly paraphrased below: How is it that the wealthiest nation on the earth, the United States of America, is not the healthiest nation on earth? How is it we have increasing levels of Obesity, Depression, Diabeties, etc? The question assumes the wealthier a nation is, the healthier it should be. This is not necessarily true. Many of the problems noted by RFK Jr. are diseases caused by abundance. Wealth is the...

As officials investigate what caused Los Angeles’ devasting fires, I know the answer. It was the homeless. The LA Fire Department reports that 54% of fires in 2023 were started by homeless. They responded to almost 14,000 fires that year alone related to homelessness! Regardless of whether the Pacific Palisades fire was directly started by a homeless person, the extent of the destruction from the fire can be attributed to the homeless. A few months ago, a LA City Council person reported to me that she spends 80 percent of her time on LA’s homeless problem. Eighty percent! That does...

On Friday’s broadcast of NewsNation’s “Cuomo,” Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) stated that she doesn’t want to get into politics about the fires in California, but “services cost money and we should be willing to get the richest people in this country, the richest 1% that is protected, make sure they pay their fair taxes so that we can have the money to provide the services. With that money and with those resources, the people who have been selected or elected to do the job should do the job.” Waters began by saying, “I’m not into the blame game. I’m not...

Judd Apatow has become a household name in Hollywood, celebrated for his sharp wit, comedic brilliance, and groundbreaking contributions to entertainment. However, beyond his role as a writer, producer, and director, Apatow’s political perspectives and activism have significantly shaped his public persona and professional narrative. Known for combining humor with heartfelt storytelling, Apatow’s political views often weave into his work, creating a bridge between comedy and critical social commentary. From championing progressive causes to leveraging his platform to address pressing societal issues, Judd Apatow has never shied away from voicing his opinions. Whether it’s through interviews, public appearances, or even...

Willis to pay the conservative foundation's legal expenses. Last week, a Georgia court ordered Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to pay Judicial Watch nearly $22,000, finding that she ignored the organization's open records request and hid communications. In August 2023, Judicial Watch submitted an Open Records Act request for communications Willis' office had with the Department of Justice's special counsel Jack Smith's office and the House committee investigating the January 6, 2021, protest at the United States Capitol. "This response was perplexing and eventually suspicious to [Judicial Watch], given that Plaintiff subsequently uncovered through own effort at least one...

Companies in Mexico are no longer prohibited from buying corn from the United States grown with genetically engineered (GE) traits. A three-person panel recently found in the United States’ favor after the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) argued Mexico’s action to ban GE corn imports was not based in science and undermined the marketing access Mexico agreed to provide the U.S. under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Mexico argued the ban is necessary to protect public health and Mexico’s native corn species.

Democratic President Joe Biden took credit for a report of decreased illegal immigration and faced fierce backlash on social media. The post on X attributed to Biden claimed that "unlawful" border crossings had dropped by 60%. The Biden administration has been heavily criticized over lax border policies that led to a historic surge of illegal immigration. Some blame the results of the election on concerns over illegal alien crime. "Following the executive actions we took to secure our border, unlawful crossings have dropped over 60%. They’re lower than the last several months of the previous administration," read the Biden statement....

Of all the bogus criminal prosecutions and civil lawsuits that the Democrats have brought against Donald Trump, perhaps the most ridiculous is the New York “hush money” case. In that case, corrupt prosecutors and a corrupt judge colluded, using an unprecedented and incoherent legal theory, to transform Trump’s perfectly legal payment to Stormy Daniels into a felony under New York Law. The jury’s conviction, on charges that the prosecution was literally unable to explain, let alone prove, was a travesty.Now Judge Juan Merchan, who acted as an agent of the Democratic Party in allowing and furthering this prosecution, has issued...

Criminal defense attorney Arthur Aidala ignited a debate Thursday night when he reminded former Republican Rep. Joe Walsh of Illinois that Democrats pursued President-elect Donald Trump with multiple legal probes. President Joe Biden awarded former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming the Presidential Citizens’ Medal for her role in a House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol building. Walsh urged Biden to pardon Cheney in order to “protect” her from the incoming Trump administration, prompting Aidala to point out how the Biden administration targeted Trump. “Joe Biden should try to pardon as many people as...