Free Republic

President Trump shed his shoes Monday to take in the splendor of the largest mosque in the United Arab Emirates — a rare visit by a sitting American chief executive to an overseas Muslim house of worship. “It’s so beautiful,” Trump, clad in stocking feet as a mark of respect, told reporters inside the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. “This is an incredible culture.” Trump, 78, was joined at the ornate white marble edifice by Abu Dhabi’s crown prince Khaled bin Mohamed Al Nahyan, who recently signed a deal with Disney to develop a theme park on nearby Yas Island. The...

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — President Trump urged Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to sign the Abraham Accords in a previously unplanned meeting on Wednesday, one day after lifting all sanctions on the Middle Eastern country. The two leaders met on the sidelines of a Gulf Cooperation Council gathering in Riyadh, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan phoning into the conversation. Syria currently doesn’t recognize Israel’s statehood, and the Abraham Accords were just one of Trump’s requests to Syria in an effort to normalize relations. Trump also told the Syrian leader to make all foreign terrorists leave Syria, deport Palestinian terrorists, help...

President Trump said Wednesday that he’d like to see legendary sportscaster Stephen A. Smith run for president — after the Bronx native peppered him with questions about his anti-DEI policies. “I’ve been pretty good at picking people and picking candidates, and I will tell you I’d love to see him run,” Trump, 78, said in a NewsNation interview. *** “Stephen A, he’s a good guy. He’s a smart guy. I love watching him,” Trump replied to O’Reilly’s idea. “He’s got great entertainment skills, which is very important. People watch him. You know, a lot of these Democrats I watch, I...

WASHINGTON — President Trump spoke Friday with Canada’s new prime minister as the US prepares to slap 25% tariffs on all Canadian imports — and referred to Mark Carney by his title, dropping the “governor” moniker he applied to predecessor Justin Trudeau. “I just finished speaking with Prime Minister Mark Carney, of Canada,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “It was an extremely productive call, we agree on many things, and will be meeting immediately after Canada’s upcoming Election to work on elements of Politics, Business, and all other factors, that will end up being great for both the United States...

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is facing a rebellion over his decision to help pass a six-month spending bill to avert a federal shutdown last week— and Republicans have noted that one of Democratic megadonor George Soros’ groups is helping to lead the charge. Indivisible, an activist hub that has received more than $7.6 million since 2017 from Soros’ Open Society Foundations, has called for Schumer to step down for helping pass the bill and is hosting a virtual event Saturday in which activists are encouraged to write happy retirement cards to the Brooklyn Democrat. “The Democrats will have an...

President Trump threatened massive sanctions against Russia on Friday over its continued attacks on Ukraine as he attempts to broker a cease-fire in the more than three-year war between the nations. “Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late. Thank you!!!”

The Justice Department ordered Manhattan prosecutors Monday to dismiss the historic bribery case against Mayor Eric Adams — siding with Hizzoner that the charges under the Biden administration were politically motivated and hampered his ability to combat the migrant crisis in New York City, The Post has confirmed. The new DOJ under President Trump instructed the Southern District of New York to dismiss the case without prejudice, meaning charges could be refiled in the future, sources said. “You are directed, as authorized by the Attorney General, to dismiss the pending charges” against Adams, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove wrote...

Please, Don, may I have some more? President Trump was greeted warmly by Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom as the commander in chief exited Air Force One upon arrival in Los Angeles Friday — making nice after Trump blasted his management of the crisis. Trump, 78, and Newsom, 57, talked briefly and animatedly after the president descended the steps of his jet — with the governor alternately pointing, making a fist and giving a thumbs up. The awkward greeting, in which both men patted each other on the shoulder, ended with Newsom, who had not been officially invited, giving first...

President Trump received a firm handshake from California Gov. Gavin Newsom as he exited Air Force One upon arrival in Los Angeles Friday — with the Democrat making nice after Trump blasted his management of the crisis. “I appreciate the governor coming out and meeting me,” Trump told reporters on the tarmac. “We want to get it fixed.” “You got hit by a bomb,” Trump said — likening the scenes of wildfires to the devastation of World War II. “Most importantly, thank you for being here,” Newsom told Trump. “We’re going to need your support. We’re going to need your...

WASHINGTON — DC US Attorney Matthew Graves announced Monday that he will resign before President-elect Donald Trump retakes the White House — likely avoiding an involuntary departure after controversial decisions not to criminally charge first son Hunter Biden and most local crimes. “Serving as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia has been the honor of a lifetime,” Graves said in a statement announcing his resignation, effective Jan. 16. “I am deeply thankful to [DC Delegate Eleanor] Holmes Norton for recommending me; to President Biden for nominating me; and to Attorney General [Merrick] Garland for placing his trust in...

WASHINGTON — Democrats spent Thanksgiving eating crow — privately confessing that President Biden’s handling of the border crisis fueled voter outrage and the Republican sweep of the White House and both chambers of Congress. Lawmakers, aides and sources close to powerful Dems finally admitted after President-elect Donald Trump’s resounding victory over Biden’s successor, Vice President Kamala Harris, that the party’s permissive lurch on the border helped doom them in 2024. “We destroyed ourselves on the immigration issue in ways that were entirely predictable and entirely manageable,” a Democratic senator confided to The Hill under the condition of anonymity. “We utterly...

Harris, 60, replaced President Biden, 81, atop the Democratic ticket in late July and quickly surged in polling while raking in about $1 billion over a six-week period — massively out-raising Trump, 78, and providing the resources to drive home her early advantage over the Republican nominee. Her failure to seal the deal outraged Democrats, including those who worked in the Biden-Harris administration and on her campaign. “I’ve worked on five presidential campaigns. I knew this would be hard. Others acted like they knew they were going to win,” said one person who chipped in during the final stretch of...

WASHINGTON — Grim looks are a common sight at Kamala Harris' Election Night watch party — as roughly half of the crowd headed home by midnight without a visit from the vice president. In scenes reminiscent of Hillary Clinton's dismal watch party at the Javits Center in 2016, young Harris supporters on the campus of Howard University frowned, crossed their arms and stared with mouths agape at TV screens. Harris, 60, was expected to triumphantly visit her alma mater in the event of good news — but remained at her official residence after losing North Carolina and lagging behind Donald...

fter becoming the first presidential candidate in 40 years to miss the charity event put on by the Archdiocese of New York, the Democratic nominee tried to make up for her absence by sending in a pre-recorded “comedy” skit with former “Saturday Night Live” actress Molly Shannon. In the video, Shannon, 60, resurrected her schoolgirl alter ego Mary Katherine Gallagher to “interrupt” Harris’ formal dinner remarks and warn her not to make fun of Catholics. In one attempt at humor, Harris, 59, said that making fun of Catholics at the Al Smith Dinner would be like “criticizing Detroit in Detroit,”...

WASHINGTON — White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insisted Wednesday that President Biden remains sharp as a tack and “absolutely” could serve another four-year term — stunning journalists at her first briefing since Biden dropped his re-election campaign over concerns about his mental acuity. “Look, he didn’t step down from campaigning or from running because he didn’t believe he can serve in a second term. That is not why,” Jean-Pierre claimed to the incredulity of the press corps. The press secretary said the 81-year-old president’s decision to drop out Sunday and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris, 59, was in the...

WASHINGTON — President Biden’s inner circle has gotten smaller following his disastrous debate last week — with his wife’s top aide Anthony Bernal emerging as one of the 81-year-old’s key advisers alongside longtime confidante Mike Donilon, four sources close to or inside the White House tell The Post. Bernal, 51, is a divisive figure for allegedly bullying and sexually harassing colleagues — and his influence was likened by three sources to that held by the mystic Grigori Rasputin over the family and court of Nicholas II, the last czar of Russia. First lady Jill Biden considers Bernal her “work husband”...

Former first lady Michelle Obama joined former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Biden aboard Air Force One on Tuesday to travel to the funeral of former first lady Rosalynn Carter in Georgia. Michelle Obama, 59, traveled without her husband and Biden’s ex-boss, former President Barack Obama, amid renewed speculation that she could follow in Hillary Clinton’s footsteps and seek the nation’s top job for herself. The 81-year-old Biden faces dismal poll numbers ahead of next year’s expected rematch against former President Donald Trump, who leads in national and swing-state polls despite four pending criminal...

The White House issued a brutal response Monday to what it said was the "inappropriate" nickname President Biden has been given by critics of his support for Israel amid its war with Hamas terrorists. Dubbed "Genocide Joe," Biden has increasingly become the target of far-left protests across the country, including by some in his own party accusing him of supporting an effort to wipe out Gaza and the Palestinian people. "We're not worried about nicknames and bumper stickers. I mean, it's First Amendment free speech. The president's focused on … making sure that we can continue to support Israel as...

WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson called on the Big Apple Thursday to scrap its “sanctuary” city status if it wants federal money to help house thousands of migrants pouring into the city. In an exclusive and wide-ranging interview with The Post, the Louisiana Republican’s first with a major publication since seizing the gavel, Johnson said he was “certain” his fellow GOP lawmakers will stipulate a rollback of policies that restrict local police cooperation with federal immigration officials to deport migrants accused of serious crimes. “I’m certain that will be one of our proposals, and it should,” the 51-year-old said....

WASHINGTON — President Biden told a group of rabbis on Thursday that he was “raised in the synagogues” of Delaware — after previously claiming to have been raised by the state’s then-tiny Puerto Rican community. “I, you might say, was raised in the synagogues of my state. You think I’m kidding, I’m not,” Biden said during a call ahead of Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish new year holiday that begins Friday.