ABOUT THOSE FIRST 100 DAYS POLLS

By Howie Katz

 

The Marist Poll is considered to be a very reliable poll

 

On Tuesday, I posted that polls show that President Trump has the lowest approval rating of any president after 100 days in office since President Eisenhower. 

In fairness to Trump it should be noted that the polls include the opinions of Democrats who would never, ever approve anything Trump does.

There is no doubt that Trump's economic policies are hurting the very folks that elected him, the working people. 

Many of those working people were Democrats who only voted for Trump because they couldn't stomach Kamala Harris.  Trump cannot really count on their support.

Thus, had the Democrats had a moderate candidate instead of uber-liberal 'word salad' Kamala, the outcome of the 2024 election could very well have been different.

The Marist Poll, which is considered to be a very reliable poll, broke it down this way for Trump's 100 days back in office:

45% of Americans give President Trump a grade of an “F.” 23% give him an “A,” and 17% give Trump a “B.” The president receives a “C” from 8% and gets a grade of a “D” from 7%. 

Among Republicans, 54% give Trump a grade of an “A,” and an additional 29% give him a “B.” 

Nearly half of independents (49%) give Trump a failing grade.

Of those 45% who gave Trump an "F," one would have to conclude that they were almost all Democrats.

So, if you don't count the Democrats, Trump's approval rating would be rather high.

TOO BAD THEY DIDN'T SHIP HIS ASS OFF TO EL SALVADOR

Palestinian Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi freed from ICE custody on judge’s orders, immediately sends message to Trump

“I am saying it clear and loud to President Trump and his Cabinet: I am not afraid of you,” Mahdawi said outside the Vermont courtroom.

 

 

By Ronny Reyes

 

New York Post

Apr 30, 2025

 

Mohsen Mahdawi greets supporters outside the federal courthouse in Burlington after a judge ordered his release from detention on April 30, 2025. 

 

The Palestinian Columbia University student who was arrested by ICE after leading anti-Israel protests on campus was set free on Wednesday by a judge who said he wasn’t a risk to the public.

Mohsen Mahdawi, 34, was released from custody following an order from US District Judge Geoffrey Crawford, with the defiant protester sending a message to President Trump and his administration immediately after his release.

The judge said that he did not believe Mahdawi posed any risk to the public, nor was he a flight risk, WPTZ reported. 

 

Mahdawi speaks outside the courthouse after a judge released him in Burlington, Vt. 

People gather outside the Post Office in Brattleboro with signs to show support for Mahdawi. 

 

Mahdawi, a legal permanent resident for 10 years, was arrested on April 14 during an interview about finalizing his US citizenship.

“I am saying it clear and loud to President Trump and his Cabinet: I am not afraid of you,” Mahdawi said outside the Vermont courtroom.

 

US District Judge Geoffrey Crawford ordered Mahdawi’s release.

 

The government argued that Mahdawi’s detention at the Northwest State Correctional Facility, in St. Albans, was a “constitutionally valid aspect of the deportation process.”

The State Department insisted the West Bank-born Mahdawi is removable under the Immigration and Nationality Act, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio claiming the protester’s presence and activities “would have serious adverse foreign policy consequences and would compromise a compelling U.S. foreign policy interest.”

 

Mohsen Mahdawi, left, and Mahmoud Khalil participate in a pro-Palestinian protest at Columbia University in October 2023.

 

The State Department ultimately accused Mahdawi of engaging in “threatening rhetoric and intimidation” against Jewish students during the protests at Columbia. 

Mahdawi’s legal team, however, maintains that the protester was detained in retaliation for leading disruptive anti-Israel protests on Columbia’s campus. 

Crawford also compared the recent period of mass migrant detainment to the era of McCarthyism and the “Red Scare” of the 1950s.   

 

Mahdawi was accused of engaging in “threatening rhetoric and intimidation” against Jewish students during the protests at Columbia. 

Under the judges’ orders, Mahdawi will be allowed to keep his permanent residence status in Vermont, will be allowed to return to New York City, attend school and graduate from Columbia. 

Mahdawi was co-president of the now-suspended Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), which helped lead the protests on campus against the Gaza war. 

Following his release, Mahdawi led chants outside the Vermont courthouse to “Free Palestine,” as he called on people to defend free speech. 

“Never give up on the idea that justice will prevail,” he told his supporters. “We want to stand up for humanity, because the rest of the world — not only Palestine — is watching us. And what is going to happen in America is going to affect the rest of the world.”

REASSIGNED? THE DISGUSTING AND DISGRACEFUL ACT OF KNEELING FOR A CAREER CRIMINAL SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN THEM FIRED

FBI agents seen kneeling in infamous George Floyd protest picture learn their fate

 

By Melissa Koenig 

Daily Mail

Apr 30, 2025

 

 

FBI agents who were photographed kneeling during a Washington DC protest in the wake of George Floyd 's 2020 death have been reassigned

FBI agents who were photographed kneeling during a Washington DC protest in the wake of George Floyd's 2020 death have been reassigned.

The female agents from the now infamous photo are now in supervisory positions, which many inside the bureau view as a demotion, according to the New York Times.

At least four had been in senior roles, including in counterterrorism, counterintelligence and cybercrimes, when they learned in recent days they would be reassigned, the Washington Post reports.

Insiders told CNN the FBI offered no explanation for changing their roles to less coveted positions. 

But the change comes amid a broader effort by President Donald Trump's new FBI Director Kash Patel to root out what the president has called 'woke' and politicized elements within the bureau.

Some who worked on criminal cases against Trump and led field offices across the country have reportedly also been removed from their positions, often without any reason, according to the Washington Post.

The FBI has declined to comment on the staffing changes, citing its policy against discussing personnel matters.

Yet some former FBI officials told CNN they worry that the recent staff changes are a sign that the bureau is bypassing its regular disciplinary process - as the agents have previously been found to have done nothing wrong.

'This notion that the bureau would go after these people, it's just disgusting,' a former official told CNN.

The agents in question had been based in DC when former police officer Derek Chauvin was filmed kneeling on George Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes as he cried out that he couldn't breathe.

The viral incident sparked mass protests across the country that at times turned violent and left cities vandalized. 

As the protests continued, Trump -  who was in his first term in office - urged then-Attorney General Bill Barr to regain control of the streets.

Barr, in turn, ordered the FBI and other agencies to help with crowd control and to protect federal monuments.

But FBI agents are not generally trained to do crowd control, and deploying them to face off against the demonstrators raised concerns about a possible deadly confrontation.

 

The change comes amid a broader effort by President Donald Trump's new FBI Director Kash Patel to root out what the president has called ' woke ' and politicized elements within the bureau

 

On the day of the kneeling photo, some of the agents recalled a recent incident in which National Guard soldiers handled a similar confrontation and decided to take a knee in an effort to de-escalate tensions.

The plan worked, and the protesters moved on.

But when the picture was published, some of the agents were ostracized and personally attacked by their peers, according to CNN.

Some senior officials at the agency even believed the women involved put themselves and their team at a tactical disadvantage.

Top officials then reviewed the incident, and ultimately found that no disciplinary action was necessary 'because there was no violation of policy that they could point to.'

 

The infamous photo came amid nationwide protests in the wake of the police-involved killing of George Floyd in 2020

At times, the protests became violent and resulted in vandalism

 

'What the bureau asked those agents to do is go out on foot patrol, something they were never trained to do. They were asked to be police officers,' a former official told CNN.

'In no way were they making a political statement.'

A 2024 report from the Department of Justice's inspector general also found that the FBI deployments to protect the monuments 'lacked adequate planning' and 'failed to provide sufficient guidance to personnel regarding their mission and legal authorities.'

It also said that 'by sending armed agents to respond to civil unrest for which they lacked the proper training or equipment, created safety and security risks for the agents and the public.'

LORDE'S ALBUM COVER LOOKS LIKE AN AD FOR A PORN FILM

Lorde unveils SHOCKING cover art for new album Virgin featuring her crotch area as fans spot alarming detail

 

By Christine Rendon 

Daily Mail

Apr 30, 2025

Lorde's new album cover featuring her crotch

 

Lorde has shocked fans as she debuted her new album artwork and sexually suggestive title. 

The jaw-dropping cover was an X-ray of what appeared to be her pelvic area, with her hip bones, belt buckle, and zipper visible.

But it was one particular detail in the X-ray that got fans talking - a T-shaped object that appeared to be an IUD (intrauterine device), a type of birth control that is placed in the uterus. 

It's not entirely clear if the X-ray is of Lorde but DailyMail.com has reached out for comment to confirm. 

Lorde, 28, dropped the visual to her Instagram where she also announced the title of her fourth studio album - Virgin. 

On her website, she claimed the album was written '100%' in blood and will be released on June 27. 

 

Lorde has shocked fans as she debuted her new album artwork and sexually suggestive title

'An album by me,' she wrote on her website of the project. 'Produced by me and Jim-E Stack.'

 

'An album by me,' she wrote of the project. 'Produced by me and Jim-E Stack.' 

'100% written in blood. Coming June 27,' she wrote. 

On social media, fans did not hold back as they expressed a range of emotions over the album cover.   

'I WASNT PREPARED FOR THIS ON A WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON LORDE,' one posted. 

'girl what are we looking at,' another tweeted. 

One suspected the inclusion of the IUD was a political statement.

'Lorde putting an IUD on album cover is very political. Cant wait,' one posted.   

Another praised her for the birth control display: 'The IUD on Lorde's new cover??? CONTRACEPTIVE QUEEN.' 

'NOT THE IUD BEING ON THE COVER FOR AN ALBUM CALLED VIRGIN OH MY LORDE YOUR BRAIN NEEDS STUDIED. THIS ALBUM COVER EATSSSS SO HARD,' one tweeted. 

'Never thought I'd see @lorde's IUD but hey anything is possible,' another posted. 

'I WASNT PREPARED FOR THIS ON A WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON LORDE,' another wrote.  

One humorously noted of the album cover and title contradiction: 'She must be a very cautious virgin using a contraceptive IUD.' 

Another joked: 'When is Lorde gonna drop IUD merch'. (Lorde's website is already selling merchandise that includes the X-ray).  

 

One suspected the inclusion of the IUD was a political statement

Another praised her as a 'contraceptive queen' for including her birth control 

Fans were stunned by the image, with one posting: 'I WASNT PREPARED FOR THIS ON A WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON LORDE'

 

An IUD is one of the most effective forms of birth control, with an over 99 percent success rate, meaning that fewer than one out of 100 people with an IUD will get pregnant each year. 

Lorde said she was both 'proud and scared' of the upcoming project in an email sent to fans. 

'The colour of the album is clear. Like bathwater, windows, ice, spit. Full transparency.

'The language is plain and unsentimental. The sounds are the same wherever possible.

'I was trying to see myself, all the way through. I was trying to make a document that reflected my femininity: raw, primal, innocent, elegant, openhearted, spiritual, masc.

'I'm proud and scared of this album. There's nowhere to hide. I believe the putting the deepest parts of ourselves to music is what sets us free.'

 

It comes after Lorde released her first new music in four years, the song What Was That.

It comes after Lorde released her first new music in four years, the song What Was That.

She released the song on April 25 along with the music video which was partially filmed during her bike ride into Washington Square Park ahead of her pop-up performance of the track. 

What Was That is Lorde's first major release in almost four years, following 2021’s Solar Power album.

Lorde is one of the highest-selling New Zealand singers of all time and her 2013 song Royals reached number one in America, eventually being certified 14 times platinum. 

ISRAELI AIR FORCE CARRIES OUT STRIKE AGAINST SYRIA WITH HERMES 450 UAV

Israel carries out ‘warning strike’ in Syria in defense of Druze minority

Syria denies Jerusalem’s claim that strike foiled planned attack on civilians; IDF chief orders further strikes if violence against minority persists; Israeli Druze urge intervention

 

By Lazar Berman, Nava Freiberg and Emanuel Fabian

 

 

The Times of Israel

Apr 30, 2025

The strike was carried out with an Israeli Air Force Hermes 450 UAV

 

The Israeli military carried out a drone strike on an armed group preparing to attack a Druze community in Sahnaya, on the outskirts of Damascus, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement on Wednesday.

The “warning operation” targeted “a gathering of an extremist group that was preparing to continue its attack on the Druze population” in Syria, said the premier and defense minister.

In a separate statement, the Israel Defense Forces said the drone strike targeted operatives “after they had attacked Druze civilians.”

One member of Syria’s new security forces was killed as a result, a source from the Syrian interior ministry told Reuters, and disputed Israel’s claim, saying that Syrian security forces were looking to put an end to clashes between armed groups operating outside state control.

Netanyahu and Katz also conveyed a “serious message” to Syria’s leadership: “Israel expects it to act to prevent harm to the Druze.”

The strike was carried out with a Hermes 450 UAV, used by the Israeli Air Force as a surveillance and armed drone, which launched a missile at a building where the armed men were identified, according to military sources.

Following an assessment on Wednesday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir instructed the military to target Syrian government sites “if the violence against the Druze does not stop.”

“The IDF is monitoring developments in Syria. The forces are deployed with readiness for defense and various scenarios,” the military added.

The strike came after more than a dozen people were killed in the predominantly Druze town of Jaramana near the Syrian capital on Tuesday, in clashes sparked by a purported recording of a Druze man cursing the Prophet Mohammad that angered Sunni gunmen, rescuers and security sources said.

Later on Wednesday, three Syrian Druze civilians, who were apparently wounded in the sectarian violence, were evacuated by the Israeli military to a hospital in Israel.

The IDF said the three arrived at the Israeli border and were initially taken to the Nafah base in the Golan Heights. They were then taken to Ziv Hospital in Safed for treatment.

The fighting marked the latest episode of deadly sectarian violence in Syria, where fears among minorities have been swelling since Islamist-led rebels ousted former leader Bashar al-Assad from power in December, installing their own government and security forces.

 

Members of Syria’s Druze community wave flags and chant slogans during the funeral of seven people killed during overnight clashes with Syrian security forces, in Damascus, on April 30, 2025. 

 

“On Memorial Day for Israel’s fallen soldiers,” read the Israeli statement, “when we honor the great contribution of the Druze community to Israel’s security and the memory of the Druze fallen who risked their lives to defend Israel, we see great importance in fulfilling our commitment to the Druze community in Israel and to protecting their brothers in Syria.”

“Israel will not allow harm to the Druze community in Syria, out of a deep commitment to our Druze brothers in Israel,” Netanyahu and Katz said, “who are connected by family and historical ties to their Druze brothers in Syria.”

The statement came as dozens of Druze blocked roads in northern Israel, calling on Jerusalem to intervene in Damascus amid the sectarian clashes.

 

Druze students who fled their dorms at Damascus University arrive to take shelter in Jaramana following sectarian clashes in Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, April 29, 2025.

 

The Druze, who number around 140,000 in Israel, are an Arabic-speaking minority population distinct from the mainstream Muslim and Christian Arabic communities.

 

Israeli-Druze bond ‘transcends borders’

Israel has repeatedly said it is willing to intervene in Syria to protect the Druze, and during speeches at Memorial Day ceremonies honoring fallen IDF soldiers on Wednesday, Israeli ministers asserted Jerusalem’s commitment to the Druze both domestically and abroad.

 

Members of the Druze community attend a funeral in the Druze village of Maghar, on September 20, 2024. 

 

Energy Minister Eli Cohen, speaking at the cemetery of the Druze community in Maghar, said: “The alliance between the Jewish people and the Druze community transcends borders. Israel will not sit idly by if there is an attempt to harm Druze beyond the country’s borders.”

Jerusalem Affairs Minister Meir Porush told a crowd gathered in the Hurfeish military cemetery that the government knows about the “terrible situation in Syria,” and “we will make sure that nobody hurts the Druze in Syria.”

The Druze, said Porush, “give so much to the nation. We know that the government can do more to strengthen the Druze community.”

“The covenant between the Druze and Jews is a covenant of life,” he added.

Sheikh Muafak Tarif, the head of the minority’s community in Israel, called on Israel to “act immediately to prevent a massacre in Druze communities near Damascus.”

Sectarian violence in Syria

Druze elders met with security forces following the clashes on Tuesday in a bid to prevent further escalation, a Syrian security source said.

 

People gather for a mass demonstration in Syria’s northeastern city of Qamishli on March 11, 2025, protesting against a recent wave of sectarian violence targeting Syria’s Alawite minority in the west of the country along the Mediterranean sea coast. 

 

“What was said by a few individuals against our Prophet represents only them and is rejected by us and all of society,” Druze religious leader Sheikh Yousef Jarbou said of the recording cursing the Prophet Muhammad, and called on both communities to reject efforts to fuel sectarian divisions.

Syrian security forces deployed near Damascus to “restore security,” state media reported later on Wednesday.

Security official Hussam al-Tahan told state news agency SANA that forces completed a “security operation” in the Sahnaya area and that General Security personnel deployed there to “restore security and stability.”

Syria’s foreign ministry also issued a statement, saying that the government “affirms its unwavering commitment to protect all components of the Syrian people… including the children of the honorable Druze community,” while also expressing its rejection of “foreign interference.”

Fears amid Syrian minority groups have spiked after the killings of hundreds of Alawites in March in apparent revenge for an attack by Assad loyalists.

Since new president Ahmed al-Sharaa took over, hundreds of Alawites have been forcibly evicted from their private homes in Damascus by the security forces, Reuters revealed on Wednesday, citing Syrian officials, Alawite leaders, and others familiar with the matter, adding that Syria’s Interior Ministry, which oversees the GSS, and Sharaa’s office did not respond to requests for comment.

Syria’s nearly 14-year civil war carved the country into various zones of influence, with the Druze – who practice a religion originally derived from Islam – arming themselves to defend their own towns.

The new leadership in Damascus has called for all arms to fall under its authority, but Druze fighters have resisted, saying Damascus has failed to guarantee their protection from hostile forces.

Community leaders blamed the government for failing to prevent Tuesday’s attack and warned that it would bear responsibility for any future repercussions.

 

This grab from a handout video statement released by the Syrian Presidency shows Syria’s interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa speaking in Damascus on March 9, 2025. 

 

Since December, Israel has carried out extensive airstrikes on military bases in Syria that belonged to the previous regime and moved forces into a UN-monitored demilitarized zone on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights.

The IDF describes its presence in southern Syria’s buffer zone as a temporary and defensive measure, though Katz said that troops will remain deployed in the area “indefinitely.”

ISRAEL'S PROTECTION WANTED BY DRUZE IN SYRIA

Druze in Syria call Israel for help as IDF Chief warns new regime

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir warns the Syrian regime to stop attacking Druze communities in the country, or face Israeli military response. Syrian Druze cleric Sheikh al-Rishi: "We would welcome Israeli protection".

by Shachar Kleiman and Lilach Shoval 

 

Israel Hayom

Apr 30, 2025

A funeral procession for members of a Druze militia who were killed fighting pro-government forces in Jaramana, a suburb of Damascus, Syria, on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. 

 

A prominent Druze cleric in Syria said Wednesday that the community in is prepared to receive Israeli assistance in light of recent attacks on Druze towns south of Damascus.

"If the assault on us continues, we would welcome Israeli protection," Sheikh al-Rishi told Sky News Arabia. "We do not accept anyone who attacks us. There are those who want to provoke conflict. We are Syrians and want to be treated like other Syrians. The Syrian leadership must be inclusive of all," he said.

According to military sources, the IDF is monitoring developments in Syria and has deployed forces ready for various scenarios.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has ordered preparations for strikes against regime targets in Syria should the violence against Druze civilians persist. On Wednesday alone, the IDF struck three targets on the outskirts of Damascus using unmanned aerial vehicles. The army said the targets were militants who had attacked Druze civilians.

  

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir (M) with commander of the Israeli military’s Northern Command, Major General Ori Gordin (R) in southern Syria, Apr. 20, 2025.

 

A senior defense official stressed, "We will not allow harm to our Druze brethren. Israel has additional tools in its toolbox to prevent attacks against them."

Meanwhile, Syrian state media reported that an Israeli warplane flew over the Druze town of Sahnaya, south of Damascus. Earlier, the IDF launched a warning strike against a militant group preparing to attack Druze civilians in Sahnaya. At the same time, a stern message was delivered to the Syrian regime stating that "Israel expects it to act to prevent harm to Druze communities."

In contrast, Syrian Druze Al Jazeera anchor Faisal al-Qassem reported that Israel has proposed that all factions in Syria should reach agreements with the regime in Damascus rather than relying on Israeli support. Al-Qassem, known for his close ties to the new leadership and support for it, claimed that Israel ostensibly favors "a united Syria," as it is easier to engage with a single authority. He added that the US has conveyed a message to Israel not to intervene in Syria, and to coordinate with Turkey instead.

Meanwhile, a senior officer in the Syrian regime's military announced that a ceasefire and exchange of bodies had been agreed upon in the town of Jaramana. The officer said regime forces were beginning to deploy in two Druze towns and reported that 16 regime troops had been killed since the previous night.

AFTER 100 DAYS, TRUMP HAS AN UNEVEN RECORD, COMBINING SOME VERY COMMENDABLE MOVES WITH SOME SERIOUS MISSTEPS

Trump’s schizophrenic Middle East policy after 100 days

The administration has opened dozens of investigations into universities to determine their compliance with civil-rights laws protecting Jews, but he gutted the department responsible for conducting those reviews. 

 

By Mitchell Bard

 

JNS

Apr 30, 2025

 

U.S. President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office, April 24, 2025.

 

For decades, political observers have judged American presidents by their first 100 days—a somewhat arbitrary marker that can still offer insights into the administration’s priorities and governing style. Trump has done more during this time than any other president. His decisions have been good, questionable or awful, depending on your partisanship. That is true of his policy toward the Middle East and Israel specifically.

If anyone ever believed that Trump holds a special regard for the U.S.-Israel relationship, his imposition of a 17% tariff on Israeli goods, after Israel eliminated tariffs on American imports, should shatter that illusion. Israel is facing harsher tariffs than many countries that are not allies.

Trump’s advisors and cabinet are a mixed bag of pro-Israel stalwarts and isolationists. There are officials with ties to Qatar and others with far-right extremists. One of the more promising appointments has been Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has initiated a much-needed overhaul of the U.S. State Department, eliminating USAID—a move with mixed consequences, given that it both defunded problematic NGOs and cut off support for Israeli hospitals. Another positive addition to the State Department is Mike Huckabee, a Christian Zionist appointed as U.S. ambassador to Israel.

If you substitute the name Obama or Biden for many of Trump’s other policies, Jewish conservatives would be apoplectic. Remember the uproar when Obama visited Cairo and skipped Jerusalem? Trump is going to Saudi Arabia but not Israel. How about the decision to negotiate directly with Hamas and Iran?

Biden’s approach to Israel vacillated between Jekyll and Hyde. Trump’s policies have been similar.

He pressured Israel into ceasefires with Hamas and Hezbollah. Now, however, he’s allowing strikes in the Gaza Strip and Southern Lebanon. He warned against attacking Beirut but apparently approved the attack on a Hezbollah missile facility in a suburb.

Trump told Israel not to attack the Houthis, who are targeting it almost daily. Unlike Biden, who was petrified of the possibility of escalation, Trump ordered ongoing U.S. military strikes on Yemen.

He blocked Israel from attacking Iran but threatened war to stop Iran from getting a nuclear bomb. Trump has resumed his “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran but said he wants to have direct talks with its supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. He’s moved significant military assets to the region but has not used them to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities. He says that Iran can’t have a nuclear bomb, but his negotiator talked about a modified version of Obama’s nuclear deal that Trump tore up because it would not accomplish that goal. Like Obama, he is letting Iran string him along and refuse to talk about its missile program or sponsorship of terror.

Trump ordered the release of weapons that Biden withheld and removed his predecessor’s sanctions on settlers. The administration has also denied visas to Israeli cyber experts.

After meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump then praised Turkey’s Islamist leader, who has been threatening Israel while saying he could mediate between them.

Trump warned Hamas that there would be “hell to pay” if the hostages weren’t freed, which was an empty threat the terrorists ignored. Meanwhile, his negotiator, Adam Boehler, prioritized the release of Americans and was prepared to leave the other Israeli captives behind while expecting Israel to hand over Palestinian prisoners. In response to criticism, he said, “We’re the United States; we’re not an agent of Israel.”

Trump has shown no interest in resuscitating his failed peace plan from his first term or engaging in a new initiative involving the Palestinians. He cut aid again to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and remains unwilling to fund the Palestinian Authority while its “pay-to-slay” policy continues. Trump floated the fanciful plan to take over Gaza, expel the Palestinians and create a “Riviera of the Middle East,” which received a great deal of backlash and has since stalled in terms of going forward.

After weeks of ignoring the humanitarian situation in Gaza, Trump sounded almost Bidenesque in his demand that Israel open access points for the delivery aid.

Administration leaks of Israeli military plans and shared intelligence has affected Israel’s security.

Domestically, his draconian fund cuts and other threats have forced universities to take antisemitism on campus more seriously. The Hamas-loving protesters no longer have free rein, and some are being targeted for deportation.

Trump issued an executive order mandating full and timely disclosure of foreign funding by higher education institutions, which may finally allow the public to know how much Arab money flows to universities and the purpose of those funds. The administration has also opened dozens of investigations of institutions of higher learning to determine their compliance with civil-rights laws protecting Jews and others. Simultaneously, however, he gutted the department responsible for conducting those reviews.

Perhaps more seriously, Trump has undercut Israel with his rhetoric. When he refused to commit to removing the tariff on Israel, he said: “Don’t forget, we help Israel a lot. We give Israel $4 billion a year, that’s a lot.” Stressing the point further, he added that “we give Israel billions of dollars a year. Billions. It’s one of the highest of anyone.”

This effectively lumped Israel with other countries he considers schnorrers—freeloaders he accuses of sponging off the United States, ignoring the mutual benefits of our alliance. Nevertheless, Rubio expedited the delivery of the $4 billion in military assistance.

After 100 days, Trump has an uneven record, combining some very commendable moves with some serious missteps.

SOMEBODY MUST HAVE REALLY HATED THIS GUY

By Bob Walsh

 

 

 

This little disagreement played out in Miami Gardens, Florida, in the very early morning a couple of days ago.  There were these two vehicles moving fast, one of which may have had a flat tire.  One of the cars went off the road and crashed into a pole near a Marathon gas Station.  Somebody in a red SUV opened fire on the black car that crashed and the car burst into flames. 

The driver of the black car got out and ran to the gas station, apparently for a place to hide out.  The red SUV did NOT leave the scene right away but instead circled back, possibly in an attempt to renew the attack. 

The intended victim beat feet before the cops showed up. 

FORD TO OPEN TWO NEW PLANTS

By Bob Walsh

 

 

 

The broadcast media reported today that Ford is planning to open two new assembly plants in the United States in the not too distant future (relatively speaking).  One of the plants will be in Tennessee.  I don't see them putting any new plants in a mandatory union state.  The right to work states are where all the new heavy industry seems to be going, for obvious reasons.

ACLU SUCCESSFULLY SUES BORDER PATROL IN CA

By Bob Walsh

 

 

In response to an ACLU lawsuit U. S. District Court Judge Jennifer L. Thurston, Fresno, has issued an order prohibiting the Border Patrol from arresting suspected illegal aliens without a warrant in the central valley between Bakersfield and Redding. 

Apparently the Border Patrol has been swooping on "brown skinned" people in the parking lots of Home Depot and similar places who are looking for work as day laborers. 

The Border Patrol's position is that this is not within the authority of Judge Thurston, but has also issued new guidelines to ensure that there is some level of probable cause involved in any such arrests.. 

TRESPASSING PROSECUTIONS BEGIN

By Bob Walsh

 

Assuming the broadcast media got it right the feds have begun to arrest and prosecute people for trespassing into the military security zone along the southern border.  It is a misdemeanor and could get those persons, including illegal aliens, who trespass there a year in the slammer. 

It will be interesting to see what shakes out from this.  It is certainly a potentially useful tool.

IT'S NOT THE POLLS, IT'S THE ECONOMY STUPID

By Howie Katz

 

 

President Trump is pictured claiming that "the polls suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome. They are sick."

 

President Trump has kept his campaign promises. Among them, he has stopped the illegal border crossings so prevalent during the Biden-Harris administration and is deporting illegal immigrants, especially the criminal ones.

But polls show that President Trump has the lowest approval rating of any president after 100 days in office since President Eisenhower. That was back in 1953.

Trump's reaction to the polls was to blast them as "fake news" and complaining that "They suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome, and there is nothing that anyone, or anything, can do about it." He added, "They are sick." 

Trump's economic policies are hurting the very folks that elected him, the working people. The cost of just about everything they buy is rising. That's why the polls are not fake news.

As James Carville said in 1992, "It's the economy stupid."

If anyone is suffering from a derangement syndrome, it's President Trump himself.

THE HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM WILL BE BETTER OFF WITHOUT EMHOFF

Kamala Harris dealt final brutal blow as Trump goes after her husband Doug Emhoff with petty action

 

By Charlie Spiering 

Daily Mail

Apr 29, 2025

 

 

The president fired Joe Biden 's political appointees, including Harris' husband Doug Emhoff , from the board that oversees the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum

Donald Trump knows where to hit Kamala Harris where it hurts. 

The president fired Joe Biden's political appointees, including Harris' husband Doug Emhoff, from the board that oversees the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Trump official Mary Sprowls informed Emhoff and other Biden officials on Tuesday morning that his position was terminated 'effective immediately' according to the New York Times.

'On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as a member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council is terminated, effective immediately.' 

Biden's former chief of staff Ron Klain, Barack Obama's national security adviser Susan Rice and Jill Biden's adviser Anthony Bernal were also fired.

Trump's action comes as Harris wants to propel herself back into the national political conversation with an upcoming major speech criticizing Trump.

The failed presidential candidate will deliver the keynote speech at the Emerge 20th anniversary gala at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco on Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET.

 

Donald Trump knows where to hit Kamala Harris where it hurts

 

The speech will be live-streamed, according to the organizer Emerge, a Democratic group that recruits and trains women to run for public office.

It's a major fundraiser as tickets cost up to $50,000 for a sponsor. But the group is also charging $25 per virtual watch.

Harris is expected to deliver a 'call to action,' urging activists and future candidates for political office to have the courage to make their voices heard about Trump's actions as president according to CNN.

'She will reflect on the enduring promise of America and issue a call to action in the face of reckless economic policies and the urgent and escalating crisis facing America's institutions and global leadership,' a person with knowledge of Harris' speech to the Los Angeles Times.

The group was founded after Harris won her race for San Francisco district attorney as her advisors believed there was a lack of resources to recruit women for political office.

'Vice President Harris is the original Emerge woman,' said A'shanti F. Gholar, president and CEO of Emerge, in a statement. 'She continues to be a champion for Emerge and an advocate for elevating women in elected office.'

News of Harris' return to the national stage drew mockery from critics.

‘When you fire a head coach the last person you want to hear from is a fired head coach,’ wrote Mike Lester on X.

‘Can’t wait to hear more about the duality of Democracy in this moment,’ wrote Steve Mur on X, mocking some of her empty messaging lines from the presidential campaign.

‘Oh, this should be really good! Good in terms of comedy. Her speech writers are busy right now putting cackles and word salad together and some gibberish about her being middle class and Trump being a dictator,’ wrote Tom Johnson on X.

 

Former Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the Leading Women Defined Summit at the Ritz-Carlton

Kamala Harris at the 56th NAACP Image Awards held at the Pasadena

 

'Everyone already knows she will fail at the speech given she slurs, makes up stories and gets lost in the middle of the stories,' wrote X user Bret Weingart

Harris return to the public stage raises questions about the next step of her political career as she weighs whether or not she wants to run for Governor of California in 2026.

California Governor Gavin Newsom is term limited from running again and is already eying the 2028 presidential race.

Democrats are also watching Harris to see if she wants to run again for president in 2028, as she feels she did not have enough time to be fully competitive in her failed 2024 campaign.

EVENTUALLY TRUMP IS BOUND TO GET FED UP WITH HEGSETH

Pete Hegseth accidentally roasts Noem and Rubio as he shuts down 'woke' Pentagon program

 

By James Gordon 

Daily Mail

Apr 29, 2025

 

 

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth canceled a program that sought to increase the role of women in national security sectors that was first signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2017

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth canceled a program that sought to increase the role of women in national security sectors that was first signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2017. 

In a move that was meant to target the previous Biden administration, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth instead found himself torching key members of Donald Trump's own cabinet as he vowed to gut a Pentagon initiative focused on women's roles in conflict prevention.

On Tuesday, Hegseth announced that he would begin dismantling the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) program, a defense-wide initiative that promotes women's participation in peace-building efforts and national security planning. 

The program was signed into law by President Trump in 2017, the WPS Act had bipartisan backing and global acclaim, but in a scorching post on X, Hegseth dismissed the effort entirely.

'Yet another woke divisive/social justice/Biden initiative that overburdens our commanders and troops - distracting from our core task: WAR-FIGHTING,' Hegseth tweeted. 

He didn't stop there. Hegseth labeled the WPS initiative as a 'UNITED NATIONS program pushed by feminists and left-wing activists,' vowing the Pentagon would only comply with the bare minimum requirements under federal statute before lobbying Congress to kill the program outright.

But in aiming at 'wokeness,' Hegseth overlooked a crucial detail: the program wasn't a Biden-era initiative but was in fact created and codified by the previous Trump administration. 

The program has even been celebrated by Trump, his administration and his family.

 

At the time of its introduction it received significant help from Trump's closest allies, including Kristi Noem and Marco Rubio, both now prominent cabinet officials in Trump's second term

On Tuesday, Hegseth announced that he would begin dismantling the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) program, a defense-wide initiative that promotes women's participation in peace-building efforts and national security planning

 

It became a heralded part of the first Trump administration's accomplishments for women, and in 2019, Ivanka Trump celebrated that the WPS program was starting a new partnership to help train female police cadets in Colombia.

In a later post, Hegseth wrote a post saying, without evidence the program was 'straight-forward & security-focused' but that it had been 'distorted & weaponized' by the Biden administration. He confirmed his intention to end it.

At the time of its introduction it received  significant help from Trump's closest allies, including Kristi Noem and Marco Rubio, both now prominent cabinet officials in Trump's second term.

But Hegseth's inadvertently scorched the very figures expected to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him in the administration's ideological war against 'wokeness.'

Kristi Noem, now Homeland Security Secretary, was the lead author of the House version of the 2017 Women, Peace, and Security Act when she served in Congress.

At the time, she introduced the bill alongside progressive Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Illinois).

Marco Rubio, Secretary of State and former senator from Florida, co-sponsored the Senate version of the same law and hailed Trump's signature on it as a historic moment. 

Even as recently as this month, Rubio celebrated the WPS Act as 'the first law passed by any country in the world focused on protecting women and promoting their participation in society.'

 

Senior White House Advisor Ivanka Trump speaks during a roundtable discussion with the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the US strategy for implementing the The Women, Peace, and Security Act, on Capitol Hill in June 2019 during Trump's first term

It became a heralded part of the first Trump administration's accomplishments for women, and in 2019, Ivanka Trump celebrated that the WPS program was starting a new partnership to help train female police cadets in Colombia 

 

The legislation stemmed from a resolution unanimously endorsed by the U.N. Security Council, the most powerful UN body, in October 2000, aimed at including women in peacebuilding efforts because women and girls have historically borne the brunt of global conflict.

National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, another staunch Trump ally, previously co-chaired the bipartisan Women, Peace and Security Caucus in Congress and supported efforts to expand the program.

Hegseth's post drew fire from Democratic lawmakers who are continuing to question his qualifications for the job following his use of the commercial app Signal to share sensitive military operations with other officials, his wife and brother. 

Many Democrats and national security veterans  accused him of willfully ignoring both the program's origins and its track record.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire), who co-authored the Senate version of the bill with Rubio, issued a blistering statement.

'It's startling that just because the word 'women' is in the title, this evidence-based security program has been reduced to a DEI program,' Shaheen said. 

'This is a dangerous and disturbing pattern from the Secretary, who clearly does not listen to advice from senior military leaders.' 

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) took aim at the credibility of Hegseth's claim that the military hates the program.

 

It's the latest controversial move from Hegseth as the Pentagon works to nix programs or content seen as promoting diversity, equity or inclusion

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) joined Rep. Kristi Noem (R-SD) for House Speaker Paul Ryan's (R-WI) signing of S. 1141, the Women, Peace, and Security Act in September 2017

 

'The fact that he claims that it's a Biden issue when it is an initiative that was supported unanimously by a Republican majority of the Senate and 'troops hate it' when the newly confirmed head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff testifies to its value, I find shocking,' Kaine said. 

Indeed, that military leader, Lt. Gen. Dan Caine, Trump's nominee for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, spoke favorably of the WPS program during his recent confirmation hearing, lauding its role in creating more stable post-conflict environments and strengthening US national security.

'When we would go out into the field after concluding an assault, we would have female members who would speak with those women and children who were on the objective, and they would help us to understand the human terrain in a new and novel way,' Caine said during his April confirmation hearing. 

Trump met and became endeared to Caine when Caine was serving in Iraq, part of the reason Trump nominated him to the chairmanship. 

Despite the program's bipartisan history and continued endorsements from military brass, Hegseth is pressing forward. 

He insisted in his post that social justice frameworks have no place in military planning and accused the Pentagon of being 'distracted from its core task.'

But critics say Hegseth's real distraction may be his obsession with performative anti-woke crusades, even if it means taking aim at his own administration's accomplishments.

As of Tuesday evening, neither Rubio nor Noem had responded publicly to Hegseth's remarks.

It's the latest controversial move from Hegseth as the Pentagon works to nix programs or content seen as promoting diversity, equity or inclusion. 

After Trump ordered federal agencies to purge DEI content, the Pentagon issued a broad edict to the military services that ignited public outcry when online images of national heroes like Jackie Robinson were briefly removed.