Tuesday, August 26, 2025

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Xi: Nothing Will Stop Us Taking Taiwan.

China’s President Xi Jinping rang in the New Year by pledging that nothing would stop the communist state’s takeover of Taiwan. During his televised New Year’s speech, the autocratic leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) defiantly declared that no other nation could prevent China from annexing the breakaway island, which has maintained its independence since 1949, without ever being controlled by the People’s Republic of China.

Meanwhile, Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te, in his New Year’s address, underscored Taiwan’s role as a critical component of the global “defense of democracy.” Lai reiterated Taiwan’s willingness to engage in dialogue with Beijing but did not back down on strengthening Taiwanese military capabilities. According to Taiwan’s defense ministry, the new year commenced with Chinese warplanes and ships conducting a “combat patrol” around Taiwan. Such maneuvers, which involve air and maritime deployments near Taiwan, have become a frequent occurrence.

President Xi has routinely threatened Taiwan’s sovereignty to stoke national unity in mainland China. In December 2023, ahead of Taiwan’s elections, Xi stated that China would take the island “by any means.” A month later, pro-CCP candidates were soundly defeated at the polls by Tawainese leaders backing continued independence from the mainland. While the entrenchment of anti-CCP leaders has blocked any diplomatic path to reunification, it may push Xi and the CCP towards more open conflict regarding integrating Taiwan.

The National Pulse reported in March that U.S. Admiral John Aquilino, head of the Indo-Pacific Command, testified before Congress that China is increasing its nuclear and military capabilities in preparation for a potential invasion of Taiwan by 2027. Aquilino noted that China also possesses advanced modern systems, enabling it to exert significant control in the Pacific.

Image by China News Service via Wikimedia Commons.

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Supreme Court Upholds Trump’s $783 Million Cut to DEI Research.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: The United States Supreme Court has moved to overturn a lower court’s ruling that blocked $783 million in cuts made by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Supreme Court, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 16 Democratic state attorneys general, U.S. District Court Judge William Young, and the Trump administration.

📍WHEN & WHERE: August, 2025, with litigation ongoing.

💬KEY QUOTE: “All these interventions should have been unnecessary. When this Court issues a decision, it constitutes a precedent that commands respect in lower courts.” — Justice Neil Gorsuch

🎯IMPACT: The ruling will likely encourage further emergency appeals by the Trump White House—most importantly in a handful of lower court cases where judges appear to have ignored a Supreme Court ruling significantly narrowing the use of nationwide injunctions.

IN FULL

The United States Supreme Court has moved to overturn a lower court’s ruling that blocked $783 million in cuts made by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In an unusual move, the high court was very vocal in chastising U.S. District Court Judge William Young for having ignored a previous Supreme Court precedent from April. Sixteen Democratic state attorneys general initially brought the case.

“All these interventions should have been unnecessary,” Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote for the majority. “When this Court issues a decision, it constitutes a precedent that commands respect in lower courts.” The 5-4 ruling marks a significant win for President Donald J. Trump‘s efforts to cut government spending and federal waste, fraud, and abuse.

Despite the win on nearly $1 billion in grant cuts, the Supreme Court’s ruling wasn’t a total victory for the Trump administration. Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined with Chief Justice John Roberts and the high court’s three liberal justices in upholding the part of Judge Young’s order that blocked President Trump’s directives to end diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs at the NIH.

Outside the ruling’s immediate impact on federal grants, it is notable that the majority opinion focused on the lower court’s ignoring of Supreme Court precedent. This is likely to encourage further emergency appeals by the Trump White House—most importantly in a handful of lower court cases where judges appear to have ignored a Supreme Court ruling significantly narrowing the use of nationwide injunctions.

Image by Joe Ravi.

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CBP Agents Thwart DC Carjacking Amid Trump Crime Crackdown.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents stopped a carjacking in Washington, D.C., on Monday during President Donald J. Trump’s federal crime crackdown in the capital.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: CBP agents, the suspect involved in the carjacking, and federal authorities under the Trump administration’s direction.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Monday, August 25, in Washington, D.C., as part of the “Making D.C. Safe and Beautiful” task force initiative.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Today while making D.C. safe and beautiful, CBP agents received a call of a carjacking in progress. Agents immediately responded to the area and stopped the fleeing suspect,” a CBP post on X (formerly Twitter) stated.

🎯IMPACT: The suspect was arrested and will face charges, as over 1,000 arrests have been made since the crime crackdown began.

IN FULL

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says its agents foiled a carjacking in Washington, D.C., on Monday, August 25, as part of President Donald J. Trump‘s efforts to crack down on crime in the nation’s capital. According to CBP, agents were on patrol nearby when they were alerted to a possible carjacking in progress and moved to intervene.

“Today while making D.C. safe and beautiful, CBP agents received a call of a carjacking in progress. Agents immediately responded to the area and stopped the fleeing suspect,” a CBP post on X (formerly Twitter) stated. The agency confirmed the suspect was arrested and will face multiple charges.

The operation is part of the “Making D.C. Safe and Beautiful” task force, launched on August 7 following an Executive Order by President Trump in March. The initiative escalated on August 11 when Trump moved to federalize control of the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) under emergency powers in the Home Rule Act.

More than 1,000 arrests have been made since the operation began, with federal law enforcement supported by the National Guard working alongside local officers to reduce crime in the city. So far, the initiative has been a marked success, with the city seeing a significant drop in violent crime.

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Farage Targets 600,000 Deportations to Beat ‘Scourge’ of Illegal Immigration.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Reform Party leader Nigel Farage unveiled new plans to tackle illegal immigration if he becomes Prime Minister, including leaving the European Court of Human Rights, banning asylum claims for illegal entrants, and deporting 600,000 migrants.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Nigel Farage, Reform, Labour Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, and other Labour Party officials.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Plans outlined on Tuesday in Oxfordshire, England.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Under these new plans, if you come to the UK illegally you will be ineligible for asylum. No ifs, no buts.” – Nigel Farage

🎯IMPACT: The proposals aim to address the “national emergency” of illegal immigration, which has worsened steadily under both the incumbent Labour Party and the previously governing Conservative Party.

IN FULL

Nigel Farage, leader of Britain’s populist Reform Party, has unveiled a set of policies to tackle illegal immigration, which he calls a “scourge” that has grown to a “historic and unprecedented” level under Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his Labour Party. Farage’s plan includes withdrawing from the European Court of Human Rights—an institution technically separate from the European Union (EU) to which Britain remains subject despite Brexit—scrapping the British Human Rights Act, which is often cited by activist judges blocking deportations, and suspending outdated international agreements like the Refugee Convention.

Outlining “Operation Restoring Justice” at a speech in Oxfordshire, England, Farage declared, “Under these new plans, if you come to the UK illegally you will be ineligible for asylum. No ifs, no buts.” He also pushed for a legal requirement forcing Starmer’s Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper—roughly equivalent to the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary—to deport migrants for illegal entry, which is rarely prosecuted at present.

Reform wants a permanent ban on asylum claims for anyone entering the country illegally. Officials from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party have dismissed the plans as poorly thought out and lacking depth. Still, Starmer’s own efforts to “smash the gangs” behind people-smuggling have proved farcical, with illegal immigration up significantly and smuggling arrests down rather than up.

“The scourge of illegal migration that we have seen in this country over the last five years is historic and unprecedented,” Farage stressed. Tens of thousands of migrants now cross the English Channel in small boats every year from France—a safe country—with the French authorities doing little to stop them, despite the British government paying them hundreds of millions of pounds to do so. Migrants also continue to enter Britain stowed away in trucks and other vehicles passing through the Channel Tunnel, albeit in lower numbers. Meanwhile, the number of visa-overstay illegals is unknown because the British government stopped releasing them after 2020.

Currently, Reform is polling ahead of Labour and substantially ahead of the notionally right-wing Conservative Party, which governed from 2010 to mid-2024. Reform winning office in 2029—the latest the next British general election can be held—would be seismic, with the country not having had a Prime Minister who was not from Labour or the Conservatives since 1922.

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Trump Designates August 26 as Day to Remember Abbey Gate Heroes.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump issued a proclamation designating August 26, 2025, as a day to honor the American service members killed or wounded in the Abbey Gate terror attack during former President Joe Biden’s botched Afghanistan withdrawal.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Gold Star families.

📍WHEN & WHERE: August 25, 2025, in the Oval Office, with the proclamation commemorating the 4th anniversary of the attack.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I encourage all Americans to remember the heroism of the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, and the Gold Star Families who carry on their proud legacy.” – Donald J. Trump

🎯IMPACT: The proclamation serves as a solemn reminder of the sacrifices made by U.S. service members and the need for accountability regarding the events surrounding the attack under Biden.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump has declared August 26, 2025, a day to honor the American service members killed or injured in the Abbey Gate terror attack during former President Joe Biden’s botched Afghanistan withdrawal. The proclamation, marking the fourth anniversary of the attack, states: “On one of the darkest days in our Nation’s history, foru years ago, the gates of hell sprung open when an evil Jihadi terrorist carried out a suicide bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan—killing 13 heroes of our United States Armed Forces and shattering the hearts of Americans and our allies.”

Trump stressed the importance of remembering the fallen and supporting their loved ones. The proclamation added, “We will never forget you; we will never forsake you; and your memory will live on forever.” It also named the 13 service members who died, including Marines, a Navy Corpsman, and an Army Staff Sergeant.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth remarked, “America deserves answers as far as what happened in Afghanistan. The military needs to answer for what happened in Afghanistan.”

Ahead of his return to office in January, President Trump and his transition team were reportedly considering court martials for the military brass who presided over Abbey Gate. Pentagon accounts of the attack have at times been contradicted by the evidence, and a House Foreign Affairs Committee found the Biden government misled the public over the tragedy.

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BREAKING: Trump Fires Biden-Appointed Fed Governor Lisa Cook Over Alleged Mortgage Fraud.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: President Trump has fired Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook following allegations of mortgage fraud.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald Trump, Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, and Bill Pulte.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The firing was announced in a letter to Cook, following a criminal referral dated August 15, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The American people must be able to have full confidence in the honesty of the members entrusted with setting policy and overseeing the Federal Reserve.” – Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: The decision raises questions about the integrity and trustworthiness of financial regulators.

IN FULL

President Trump has taken decisive action by removing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook from her position. This move comes after Bill Pulte exposed Cook for alleged mortgage fraud, leading to a criminal referral.

Lisa Cook, who was appointed by President Biden in 2022, is accused of making false statements on mortgage agreements. Specifically, she is alleged to have signed documents for two properties, each claiming to be her primary residence for the coming year, which is deemed impossible.

In a letter addressed to Cook, President Trump cited his constitutional authority and the Federal Reserve Act to justify her removal. He emphasized the necessity for integrity and honesty in financial regulators, particularly those involved in setting interest rates and overseeing banks.

The allegations against Cook include signing a document for a property in Michigan, followed by another for a property in Georgia, both within a two-week period. This conduct has been described as deceitful and potentially criminal, casting doubt on her competence and trustworthiness.

The Federal Reserve plays a critical role in the U.S. economy, and the integrity of its members is paramount. President Trump’s decision underscores the importance of maintaining public confidence in the institution’s leadership.

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Trump Is Going to Court Against This Senate Tradition:

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump announced plans to file a lawsuit challenging the Senate’s “blue slip” tradition.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Democratic senators opposing nominees.

📍WHEN & WHERE: August 25, during an Oval Office signing ceremony at the White House.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Blue slips make it impossible for me as President to appoint a judge or a U.S. attorney because they have a gentlemen’s agreement that’s about 100 years old.” – Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: The lawsuit aims to challenge a Senate tradition that has delayed the confirmation of Trump’s judicial and prosecutorial nominees.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on August 25 that he plans to file a lawsuit over the Senate’s long-standing “blue slip” tradition, a procedural custom that allows home-state senators to block certain judicial and prosecutorial nominees in the areas they represent. The century-old practice, used by the Senate Judiciary Committee, often stalls the nomination process when one or both home-state senators decline to return their blue slips, a signal of approval for moving forward with the nominee.

The America First leader made the announcement at the White House, where he signed an executive order targeting cashless bail policies. “We’re also going to be filing a lawsuit on blue slipping,” Trump said. “You know, blue slips make it impossible for me as president to appoint a judge or a U.S. attorney because they have a gentlemen’s agreement that’s about 100 years old.”

Trump’s frustration with the Senate’s slow pace in confirming his nominees has been mounting, especially in light of recent judicial setbacks. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who currently serves as the chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, has issued multiple rulings in recent months that have thwarted important elements of the Trump administration’s agenda. Boasberg notably ruled against key executive actions on immigration enforcement and environmental deregulation, decisions that the White House has sharply criticized as judicial overreach.

President Trump recently had to withdraw his nominee for U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, Alina Habba, after both Democratic senators from the state withheld their blue slips, effectively blocking her confirmation.

Trump also took aim at Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) over the weekend for refusing to discard the blue slip tradition and push through his nominees. “Chuck Grassley should allow strong Republican candidates to ascend to these very vital and powerful roles, and tell the Democrats, as they often tell us, to go to HELL!” he posted on Truth Social.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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This Bill Would Deport Green Card Migrants for Drunk Driving.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: The Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act seeks to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to make noncitizens convicted of or admitting to driving under the influence offenses deportable.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The bill was introduced by Representative Barry Moore (R-AL) and has Senate sponsorship from Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), with support from multiple Republican senators.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Initially introduced in January, the bill passed the House in June and is now under Senate consideration.

💬KEY QUOTE: “A DUI could get green card holders deported, even from ten years ago! If it becomes law, anyone who is not a U.S. citizen—be they green card holders, international students, or H-1B workers—could become inadmissible [for citizenship] and deportable for having a DUI on record,” complained immigration attorney Joseph Tsang.

🎯IMPACT: The bill could affect green card holders, foreign students, and visa holders with past DUI records, potentially making them inadmissible for citizenship and deportable.

IN FULL

The Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act could revise the Immigration and Nationality Act to classify noncitizens, regardless of immigration status, as potentially deportable if they are convicted of or admit to driving under the influence (DUI)-related offenses. This provision would apply to illegal immigrants, lawful permanent residents, and green card holders.

Initially introduced in the House in January by Representative Barry Moore (R-AL) as H.R.6976, the legislation now awaits consideration in the Senate after passing the House in June. Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) introduced a companion version in the Senate, with backing from several Republican senators, including Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Katie Britt (R-AL), and Tom Cotton (R-AR). Its sponsors frame the bill as a public safety initiative to deter DUI offenses among noncitizens and enhance immigration enforcement.

Supporters argue the measure strengthens the standards of moral character required for U.S. citizenship. Immigration advocates disagree, with immigration attorney Joseph Tsang complaining, “A DUI could get green card holders deported, even from ten years ago! If it becomes law, anyone who is not a U.S. citizen—be they green card holders, international students, or H-1B workers—could become inadmissible and deportable for having a DUI on record.”

The proposed law would broaden the grounds for inadmissibility to include not only convictions but also admissions to DUI-related conduct. Additionally, it would apply regardless of whether the DUI is considered a misdemeanor or felony under state, federal, or local laws.

The legislation has received support from the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which cited U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) data showing more than 43,000 noncitizens were arrested on DUI charges between 2018 and 2023.

The new act comes amid a case of an Indian truck driver who killed three people in Florida this month when trying to make a U-turn on a busy highway. It was later revealed that the Indian was allowed to remain in the United States by the former Biden regime and was granted a commercial driving license by Governor Gavin Newsom‘s California government despite being an illegal alien.

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Ghislaine Maxwell Was Honored at Clinton Event Despite Abuse Reports.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Ghislaine Maxwell was honored at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) conference in 2013, despite accusations of sexual abuse against her surfacing years earlier.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Ghislaine Maxwell, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, and Clinton aide Doug Band.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The 2013 Clinton Global Initiative conference, four years after sexual abuse claims against Maxwell became public.

🎯IMPACT: The report raises further questions about the Clintons’ ties to Maxwell.

IN FULL

Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking, was honored in 2013 at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) conference for her work in ocean conservation, despite sexual abuse allegations against her already being public at the time. Maxwell received a complimentary invitation to the event, which reportedly required approval from either Bill or Hillary Clinton. This occurred four years after Virginia Roberts Giuffre publicly accused Maxwell of recruiting and grooming her for abuse by Jeffrey Epstein. Maxwell had also been subpoenaed in 2009 as she left a previous CGI event, and attended Chelsea Clinton’s 2010 wedding.

A Clinton spokesman said that Maxwell’s invitation was one of over 600 complimentary tickets approved at the staff level for that year’s CGI. “As we have consistently said, the Clintons know nothing about Jeffrey Epstein’s terrible crimes,” the spokesman claimed. Despite this, internal communications reveal that longtime Clinton aide Doug Band had previously directed staff to bar Maxwell from all Clinton-related events, suggesting personal intervention by the Clintons to honor her in 2013.

Band also said that Chelsea Clinton maintained a relationship with Maxwell because of her “access to yachts and homes.”

Maxwell has long defended Bill Clinton’s ties to Epstein, claiming his travel on Epstein’s private plane was related to humanitarian work. Flight logs show Clinton flew with Epstein 26 times, but Maxwell described it as “one journey.” She also denied that Clinton ever received massages during those trips.

Earlier this month, the Department of Justice released transcripts and audio recordings from a two-day interview with Maxwell, conducted under limited immunity. Following the interview, she was transferred to a minimum-security facility in Texas. During the sessions, Maxwell addressed her interactions with President Donald J. Trump, stating, “I never witnessed the President in any inappropriate setting in any way. The President was never inappropriate with anybody. In the times that I was with him, he was a gentleman in all respects.”

She said Trump and Epstein were “friendly, like people are in social settings,” adding, “I don’t think they were close friends.”

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Obama Judge Blocks Trump’s Effort to Defund Sanctuary Cities.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: A far-left federal judge appointed by Barack Obama blocked President Donald J. Trump’s efforts to cut funding to sanctuary cities.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. District Judge William Orrick, President Trump, and numerous sanctuary jurisdictions.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The ruling was issued Friday, impacting over 30 cities, including Los Angeles, Baltimore, and Chicago.

🎯IMPACT: Sanctuary jurisdictions remain protected from losing federal funds, but the Trump administration is expected to appeal the decision.

IN FULL

A far-left San Francisco judge, appointed to the bench by former President Barack Obama, ruled on Friday that the Trump administration cannot cut federal funding from dozens of cities and counties that have been designated as “sanctuaries” for illegal immigrants. Judge William Orrick—in the U.S. District Court Northern District of California—extended a preliminary injunction blocking the administration from withholding federal money or placing specific immigration-related conditions on grant programs.

The ruling protects more than 30 sanctuary jurisdictions, including major cities such as Los Angeles, Baltimore, Boston, and Chicago. Orrick also blocked the administration from placing similar immigration-related conditions on two grant programs. According to Orrick, Trump’s actions to withhold funding from these jurisdictions constitute unconstitutional coercion.

In January, Trump signed an Executive Order titled “Protecting the American People Against Invasion,” which cut off federal funding to sanctuary jurisdictions. The order directed the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to ensure that these jurisdictions do not receive federal money and to pursue lawful actions against jurisdictions that interfere with federal law enforcement.

Judge Orrick, in his order expanding the number of cities protected by the injunction, acknowledges his underlying ruling is currently under appeal. Additionally, some legal scholars suggest the injunction—due to its application outside the U.S. District Court Northern District of California—violates a recent Supreme Court ruling limiting injunctions to their originating jurisdiction and only allowing for broader orders in the case of class action lawsuits.

Notably, Orrick issued a similar ruling on defunding sanctuary cities during Trump’s first term.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has also taken legal action against cities with sanctuary policies. In June, the DOJ sued Los Angeles, claiming its policies barring city resources from aiding immigration enforcement violated federal law. A month later, the DOJ filed a similar suit against New York City.

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DeSantis Erases Rainbow Crosswalk After Trump Directive.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) ordered the removal of a rainbow-colored crosswalk in Orlando, citing compliance with federal traffic regulations.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Gov. Ron DeSantis, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer (D), and State Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith (D).

📍WHEN & WHERE: The federal directive was issued on July 1, and the crosswalk removal took place in Orlando, Florida, last week.

💬KEY QUOTE: “We will not allow our state roads to be commandeered for political purposes.” – Ron DeSantis

🎯IMPACT: The decision sparked criticism from local Democrat officials and far-left activists, while gaining support from many Floridians.

IN FULL

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has ordered the removal of a rainbow-colored crosswalk in Orlando, in compliance with new federal regulations. On July 1, 2025, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced new federal standards requiring “consistent and recognizable traffic control devices, including crosswalk and intersection markings, and orderly use of the right‑of‑way that is kept free from distractions.” All state governors were ordered to ensure compliance with the public safety regulations.

The move by DeSantis has enraged far-left activists and Florida Democrats, who claim the removal of the rainbow-colored crosswalk is an attack on gay rights. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer (D) called the removal “callous” and “a cruel political act,” adding, “This crosswalk not only enhanced safety and visibility for the large number of pedestrians visiting the memorial, it also served as a visual reminder of Orlando’s commitment to honor the 49 lives taken,” referring to the victims of a jihadist mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in 2016.

Meanwhile, State Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith (D) argued, “They did this in the middle of the night because they were scared of the resistance, because they know what they did was wrong.”

Despite the histrionic Democrat complaints, the state transportation agency has been notifying cities around Florida that they must remove rainbow-colored crosswalks and intersections or face the withholding of transportation funds.

Gov. DeSantis defended his decision, stating, “We will not allow our state roads to be commandeered for political purposes.” Some activists later rechalked the rainbow colors onto the crosswalk as a form of protest.

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