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Category: Politics
January 6, 2026
Politics

Fetterman Blasts Hypocritical Fellow Dems for Flip-Flopping on Capturing Maduro.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) is criticizing his fellow Democrats for inconsistent messaging regarding the Trump administration’s capture and arrest of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, noting that former President Joe Biden placed a $25 million bounty on the Marxist autocrat.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Sen. John Fetterman, former President Biden, Congressional Democrats, and President Donald J. Trump.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Fetterman’s remarks on his party’s hypocrisy regarding Maduro’s arrest were made during a television interview on Monday, January 5, 2026.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Why have a bounty of $25 million if we didn’t want him gone? Why would you do these things if you weren’t willing to actually do something other than harsh language?” – Sen. John Fetterman

🎯IMPACT: Fetterman’s remarks highlight the blatant contradictions in Congressional Democrat criticism of President Trump’s decision to launch the U.S. military operation resulting in Maduro’s capture and arraignment in a U.S. federal court on narco-terrorism charges.

IN FULL

Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) is criticizing the hypocrisy of his fellow Democrats over their attacks on President Donald J. Trump’s authorization of a U.S. military operation last Saturday that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan dictator and accused narco-terrorist Nicolás Maduro. During a television interview on Monday, Fetterman noted that former President Joe Biden issued a $25 million reward for Maduro’s capture, questioning the bounty’s purpose if Democrats on Capitol Hill were not committed to any action beyond empty rhetoric.

“Democrats, years ago, wanted to eliminate him, and why have a bounty of $25 million if we didn’t want him gone? Why would you do these things if you weren’t willing to actually do something other than harsh language?” Fetterman said. “I’ve seen the speeches from—whether it’s Leader [Chuck] Schumer or… past tweets from President Biden, we all wanted this man gone, and now he is gone.”

“Democrats, we all used to describe him as a dictator or a tyrant or a terrible person, and it wasn’t less than a year ago [that] President Biden raised the bounty [to] $25 million, less than a year ago,” the Pennsylvania Democrat stressed.

In an opinion editorial published early Tuesday, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) called President Trump’s decision to capture Maduro an “unauthorized military attack on Venezuela,” declaring it “a sickening return to a day when the United States asserted the right to dominate the internal political affairs of all nations in the Western Hemisphere.”

A number of top contenders for the Democratic Party’s 2028 presidential nomination, including Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA), Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, have claimed Maduro‘s ouster is actually about U.S. oil interests and regime change rather than the Marxist dictator’s narco-terrorist operation flooding America with illegal drugs.

Image via Tom Wolf.

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January 6, 2026
Economy
Politics

NYC Mayor Mamdani Appoints Communist Housing Tsar Who Wants to ‘Impoverish the White Middle Class.’

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) has announced the appointment of Cea Weaver as the director of the newly revitalized Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants, sparking controversy over her past social media posts attacking white middle-class homeowners and calling for the government seizure of private property.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Cea Weaver, and Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning Leila Bozorg.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Weaver’s appointment was announced on January 1, 2026, by Mamdani, with her deleted social media posts reemerging over the days that followed.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Impoverish the *white* middle class. Homeownership is racist / failed public policy.”  — Cea Weaver

🎯IMPACT: Weaver’s racially charged and politically radical past statements have raised questions about her suitability for the role and the direction of housing policy in New York City, and fit a pattern of Mamdani tapping far-left ideologues to serve in his administration.

IN FULL

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani‘s appointment of Cea Weaver as the director of the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants is drawing intense pushback after now-deleted social media posts authored by Weaver expressing anti-white and pro-communist views resurfaced following her nomination on January 1, 2026. Weaver, like Mamdani, is a member of the far-left Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and a long-time progressive housing activist with numerous public statements in support of Marxist collectivization policies. 

“Private property including and kind of ESPECIALLY homeownership is a weapon of white supremacy masquerading as ‘wealth building’ pubic policy,” Weaver wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) in August 2019. Meanwhile, in a November 2018 social media post, she endorsed the adoption of government policies aimed at stripping the white-middle class of wealth, writing: “Impoverish the *white* middle class. Homeownership is racist / failed public policy.” 

In a July 2018 post, Mamdani’s new director of the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants stated, “There is no such thing as a ‘good’ gentrifier, only people who are actively working on projects to dismantle white supremacy and capitalism and people who aren’t.” A month earlier, Weaver had called for the government seizure of private property. 

Especially troubling is a 2017 post where Weaver calls on voters to elect more communists to government, and for white men to be barred from public office. She added in another social media missive that, “this country built wealth for white people through genocide, slavery, stolen land & labor. white supremacy built the north and the south.” 

As late as 2022, Weaver was still publicly calling for economic collectivization, stating in a podcast interview, “I think the reality is that for centuries we’ve really treated property as an individualized good and not a collective good. And transitioning to treating it as a collective good and towards a model of shared equity will require that we think about it differently and it will mean that families—especially white families, but some POC families who are homeowners as well—are going to have a different relationship to property than the one that we currently have.”

Weaver is just one of several controversial appointees announced by Mamdani since winning last November’s New York City mayoral race. In December, Catherine Almonte Da Costa—tapped by Mamdani to serve as his Director of Appointments—was forced to resign before ever formally taking the position after anti-Semitic social media posts she had made resurfaced.

Additionally, his choice of Mysonne Linen, a 49-year-old former armed robber, to advise his administration on criminal justice policy has drawn significant public criticism, along with his naming of Ramzi Kassem—known for his legal advocacy on behalf of accused Islamist terrorists—as New York City’s chief counsel. 

Image via NYC Mayor’s Office.

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January 6, 2026
Corruption
Politics

Trump Says California ‘More Corrupt Than Minnesota’ Amid Federal Fraud Investigation.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump announced that a fraud investigation into California has begun, citing corruption under Governor Gavin Newsom (D).

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Gov. Newsom, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D).

📍WHEN & WHERE: Trump made the announcement on Truth Social on Tuesday morning, with the investigation involving multiple Democrat-led states.

💬KEY QUOTE: “California, under Governor Gavin Newscum, is more corrupt than Minnesota, if that’s possible??? The Fraud Investigation of California has begun.” – Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: The Trump administration is moving to freeze $10 billion in welfare funding from five Democratic-led states over fraud concerns.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump has announced that his administration has launched an investigation into allegations of fraud in California, contending that the state, under Governor Gavin Newsom (D), is “more corrupt than Minnesota.” In a Tuesday post on Truth Social, President Trump stated, “California, under Governor Gavin Newscum, is more corrupt than Minnesota, if that’s possible??? The Fraud Investigation of California has begun.”

On Monday, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) abandoned his reelection bid amid a growing scandal involving widespread fraud linked to the Somali community and rising pressure from fellow Democrats. Federal prosecutors have estimated that over $9 billion in taxpayer dollars may have been stolen through social services fraud in the state.

Newsom is widely considered one of the more prominent contenders for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, and he has tried to position himself as a partisan foil to President Trump over the last year. While the California governor scored a key victory in November of last year with the adoption of Proposition 50—a constitutional amendment passed by voters that temporarily suspends the state’s redistricting commission, allowing the legislature to redraw district lines—Newsom has also faced several political setbacks involving public corruption and illegal immigration.

Late last year, Dana Williamson, who served as Newsom‘s chief of staff until December 2024, was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and charged with public corruption. The charges, part of a federal indictment, accuse Williamson and her co-conspirators of engaging in a scheme involving wire and bank fraud. Additionally, the Newsom administration was forced to admit it had unlawfully issued commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) to an estimated 17,000 illegal immigrants, and subsequently moved to revoke the permits after facing pressure from the Trump White House.

The Trump administration moved to freeze $10 billion in welfare funding on Monday for five Democratic-led states—California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, and New York—due to concerns over fraud. Programs affected include the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF), the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, and the Social Services Block Grant program.

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January 5, 2026
News
Politics

Failure to Cut Refugee Funding Could Derail Major Appropriations Package.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Congress faces a tight deadline to pass nine appropriations bills for fiscal year 2026, with signs of further delays due to disagreements over refugee assistance funding.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rand Paul (R-KY), Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

📍WHEN & WHERE: The appropriations bills must be passed by February 1, 2026, to avoid a partial government shutdown.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The funding is still three times higher than it was prior to Joe Biden’s presidency,” complain GOP Senators Mike Lee and Rand Paul.

🎯IMPACT: Failure to pass the bills could lead to a partial government shutdown.

IN FULL

As Congress reconvenes next week, members will face a tight window of under a month to approve the nine remaining appropriations bills that fund federal agencies for fiscal year 2026. The cutoff date to enact these measures is February 1, 2026, to prevent a partial government shutdown.

Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rand Paul (R-KY) have committed to opposing the Labor and Health and Human Services (HHS) appropriations bill because it contains $5.69 billion for refugee assistance programs. Although this amount is below the $6.3 billion provided in fiscal years 2024 and 2025, it is still substantially above the levels seen before the Biden government.

In fiscal year 2021, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) received $1.91 billion for refugee programs. After Joe Biden assumed office, that figure rose sharply to $4.8 billion in fiscal year 2022 and $6.42 billion in fiscal years 2023 and 2024. With no full fiscal year 2025 budget enacted, ACF has continued operating on more than $6 billion per year under a series of Continuing Resolutions (CRs).

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) intends to schedule a vote soon after the return on a five-bill minibus package that includes the contentious Labor-HHS measure. The package also funds the departments and agencies handling Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Defense, Commerce, Justice, Science, and Interior.

Should lawmakers miss the February 1 deadline, a partial government shutdown could occur. The primary obstacle continues to be the dispute over refugee assistance funding.

Image by Ted Eytan.

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January 5, 2026
Politics

Mamdani’s Democratic Socialists Demand Trump Release Maduro, Return Him to Power.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) released a statement condemning the U.S. capture of Venezuela’s Marxist dictator, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, calling it an “illegal war” and demanding they be returned to power.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Nicolás Maduro, Cilia Flores, U.S. President Donald J. Trump, the U.S. military, and the Democratic Socialists of America, along with prominent DSA figures like New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The military operation occurred on Saturday in Venezuela. Maduro and his wife are currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The United States military is the strongest and most fearsome military on the planet. By far. With capabilities and skills our enemies can scarcely begin to imagine,” warned President Trump during a press conference on the operation.

🎯IMPACT: Nicolás Maduro faces narcotics charges in a U.S. court. The DSA and left-wing leaders are criticizing the operation, calling it an act of “imperialism” and “regime change.”

IN FULL

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), a quasi-political party that operates within the Democratic Party and includes New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, is condemning the U.S. military’s capture of Venezuela’s Marxist dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The DSA described the operation as an “illegal war” and accused the Trump administration of engaging in “imperialist” actions to control Venezuela’s oil resources.

Maduro, a far-left autocrat who came to power in 2013, is accused of collaborating with cartels and drug smugglers to distribute cocaine into the United States. The charges against him include drug trafficking and narco-terrorism. Trump had previously vowed to crack down on the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S., implementing measures such as tariffs on China for fentanyl and Caribbean boat strikes targeting suspected traffickers from Venezuela.

The DSA, however, rejected the claims linking Maduro to drug trafficking, claiming, “There is no substantiated evidence that high-level members of the Venezuelan government are ‘narco-terrorists.'” The group is demanding the immediate return of Maduro and Flores to Venezuela and is calling for an end to U.S. military operations in the region. Newly elected New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a DSA member, has also voiced his opposition to the operation, citing “regime change” and “violations of international law.”

“I called the President and spoke with him directly to register my opposition to this act and to make clear that it was an opposition based on being opposed to a pursuit of regime change, to the violation of federal international law and a desire to see that be consistent each and every day,” Mamdani said on Saturday, adding: “I registered my opposition, I made it clear and we left it at that.”

Maduro and Flores are currently held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn and are expected to appear in court on Monday.

Image by Personisinsterest.

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January 5, 2026
Politics
The Resistance

Hegseth Seeks Censure, Review of Sen. Kelly’s Rank and Pay for ‘Seditious Video.’

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced a formal censure and directed a review of Democrat Senator Mark Kelly’s retirement rank and pay, alleging his “seditious statements” undermined military operations.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of the Navy John Phelan.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The announcement was made six weeks after Kelly and other Democrat lawmakers released a controversial video.

💬KEY QUOTE: “As a retired Navy Captain who is still receiving a military pension, Captain Kelly knows he is still accountable to military justice.” – Pete Hegseth

🎯IMPACT: The review could result in a downgrade of Kelly’s retirement rank and pay, and the censure will be placed in his permanent military personnel file.

IN FULL

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced that Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) will receive a formal censure letter, and a review of his retirement rank and pay has been ordered. The investigation stems from allegations that Kelly made “seditious statements” undermining military operations. Secretary of the Navy John Phelan has been tasked with providing a recommendation within 45 days.

“Six weeks ago, Senator Mark Kelly—and five other members of Congress—released a reckless and seditious video that was clearly intended to undermine good order and military discipline,” Hegseth said in a statement. He emphasized that Kelly, as a retired Navy Captain receiving a military pension, remains accountable to military justice. “The Department of War—and the American people—expect justice,” he added.

The review could result in Kelly’s retirement rank being downgraded, which would also reduce his retirement pay. The censure letter will outline the “totality of Captain Kelly’s reckless misconduct,” according to Hegseth. Such letters are formal warnings and can justify reductions in rank, pay, or benefits. Hegseth stated, “This Censure is a necessary process step, and will be placed in Captain Kelly’s official and permanent military personnel file.”

The department clarified that Kelly’s current status as a U.S. senator does not exempt him from accountability. Further violations could lead to additional actions. Kelly has 30 days to respond to the censure, which is based on public statements he made from June through December 2025, where he allegedly characterized lawful military operations as illegal and encouraged service members to defy lawful orders.

The controversy began after Kelly and five other Democratic lawmakers, all with military or intelligence backgrounds, released a video addressing service members. The video, titled “Don’t Give Up the Ship,” urged military members to “refuse unlawful orders.”

The group of Democrat lawmakers had previously worked to limit President Donald J. Trump’s ability to deploy National Guard members or conduct military actions without congressional approval. However, those details were not included in the video.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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January 5, 2026
News
Politics

Tim Walz Abandons Reelection Bid Amid Somali Fraud Scandal.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) announced he is dropping his reelection bid.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Gov. Tim Walz, fellow Democrats, and potential GOP challengers.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Announcement made on Monday in Minnesota, ahead of the 2026 midterms.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The reversal marks a major shake-up in Minnesota politics.” – Axios Report

🎯IMPACT: The decision opens the field for new Democratic candidates and increases the GOP’s chances in the upcoming elections.

IN FULL

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) has abandoned his campaign for reelection. The announcement was made on Monday, amid a growing scandal involving widespread fraud linked to the Somali community and rising pressure from fellow Democrats.

The decision marks a significant shift in the North Star State’s political landscape as the 2026 midterm elections approach, and reverses the failed 2024 vice presidential candidate’s September announcement that he would run for a third gubernatorial term.

Minnesota has seen Democratic victories in every statewide office since 2006, but Walz’s perceived weaknesses have attracted potential Republican challengers, such as state House Speaker Lisa Demuth. Notably, state government whistleblowers have reported that the Walz administration was aware of Somali fraud in the state years ago, but quashed attempts to expose it and threatened retaliation against officials who pushed the issue.

“Tim Walz is 100% responsible for massive fraud in Minnesota. We let Tim Walz know of fraud early on, hoping for a partnership in stopping fraud but no, we got the opposite response,” over 400 Minnesota Department of Human Services workers revealed in a December statement. “Tim Walz systematically retaliated against whistleblowers using monitoring, threats, repression, and did his best to discredit fraud reports. Instead of partnership, we got the full weight of retaliation by Tim Walz,” they added.

Attention now turns to who will enter the race for the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party nomination to replace Walz, with figures including U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), state Attorney General Keith Ellison (D-MN), and state Secretary of State Steve Simon (D-MN) regarded as possible contenders.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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January 2, 2026
William Upton
Media
Politics

Left-Media Smears Nick Shirley Over Biden-Era Illegal Migrant Stunt.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The leftist media is attempting to use a several-year-old stunt pulled by Nick Shirley to highlight former President Joe Biden’s illegal immigration crisis as a means to discredit the independent journalist’s reporting on allegations of widespread daycare subsidy fraud in Minnesota and other Democrat-controlled states.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Independent journalist Nick Shirley, The Daily Beast, freelance journalist Jack Revell, and fraud claims tied to Minnesota’s Somali immigrant community.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The Daily Beast smear was published on January 2, 2026, while the Minnesota social services fraud scandal began

💬KEY QUOTE: “The stunt aligns with Shirley’s history of Mr. Beast-style shock content, but is deeply problematic for the self-described ‘100% independent journalist’ as it contravenes several professional ethical codes.” — Jack Revell of The Daily Beast

🎯IMPACT: The haphazard effort to discredit Shirley suggests the fraud allegations pose a significant threat to the Democrat Party.

IN FULL

The leftist media is attempting to use a several-year-old stunt pulled by Nick Shirley to highlight former President Joe Biden’s illegal immigration crisis as a means to discredit the independent journalist’s reporting on allegations of widespread daycare subsidy fraud in Minnesota and other Democrat-controlled states. In a new story for The Daily Beast website, Australian freelance journalist and “night reporter,” Jack Revell—who appears to be a psychedelic drug enthusiast—pearl clutches, claiming the nearly two-year-old illegal immigration stunt is “deeply problematic” and “contravenes several professional ethical codes.” Notably, Revell does not detail what “professional ethical codes” were contravened.

In May of 2024, Shirley—as part of an effort to promote awareness about the former Biden government’s illegal immigration crisis—paid a group of migrant workers $20 to demonstrate in support of Biden just outside the White House perimeter fence in Washington, D.C. As part of his investigation, Shirley reveals how, because of economic conditions, physical ailments, and other hurdles, many of the illegal immigrants allowed into the United States by the former Biden government—ostensibly to work—are unable and instead living in deteriorating conditions on the streets of major cities like Washington, D.C.

Unlike much of the corporate news, Shirley’s migrant video relays firsthand accounts from illegal immigrant laborers without a media filter. And bizarrely, unlike what Revell and The Daily Beast—who evidently didn’t actually watch the entire YouTube video, which runs just over 15 minutes—Shirley actually spends a great deal of time focusing on the living conditions of the illegal immigrants who are unable to find or unwilling to work.

Such an omission, however, shouldn’t come as a surprise, as the leftist and corporate media are more interested discrediting and covering up allegations of social services fraud instates like Minnesota now that it has become politically dangerous for the Democrat Party—despite even The New York Times initially acknowledging the problem of widespread fraud tied to the state’s Somali immigrant community in late November 2025. Currently, federal prosecutors estimate that over $9 billion in taxpayer dollars—around half of the federal funding provided to the 14 social programs in Minnesota, which are believed to have been targeted by criminal schemes—may have been stolen through fraud.

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January 2, 2026
Politics

Thomas Massie’s Primary Opponent is Raising a LOT of Money.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Ed Gallrein, a retired Navy SEAL and GOP challenger to Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY), raised $1.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2025, his campaign announced.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Ed Gallrein, Rep. Thomas Massie, President Donald J. Trump, and campaign spokesman Lance Trover.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The fundraising announcement came in December 2025, with the GOP primary for Kentucky’s fourth congressional district scheduled for May 19, 2026.

💬KEY QUOTE: “President Trump endorsed Ed because he knows Ed is fighting to put America First and will partner with him to unleash our economy, lower taxes, and stop the woke agenda.” – Lance Trover, Gallrein campaign spokesman

🎯IMPACT: Gallrein’s early fundraising success positions him as a serious challenger to Massie, with Trump’s endorsement amplifying his campaign.

IN FULL

Ed Gallrein, a retired Navy SEAL who served for three decades—including on SEAL Team Six—and is mounting a primary challenge against Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY), has raised $1.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2025, his campaign has announced. The campaign attributes this significant fundraising milestone to the overwhelming support Gallrein has received since entering the race in October.

“This fundraising number reflects the overwhelming support Ed’s campaign has received right out of the gate,” Gallrein campaign spokesman Lance Trover said, emphasizing that President Donald J. Trump’s endorsement has been pivotal. “President Trump endorsed Ed because he knows Ed is fighting to put America First and will partner with him to unleash our economy, lower taxes, and stop the woke agenda,” Tover added.

Gallrein launched his campaign to challenge Massie in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District. According to Gallrein’s campaign, nearly all the money they’ve raised thus far is from contributions for the primary cycle, not the general election, suggesting growing Republican support for ousting Massie, who has held the seat since November 2012. Republican voters and other supporters of President Trump have become increasingly frustrated with Massie, who has too often sided with Congressional Democrats to block the White House’s America First agenda.

During the first year of President Trump’s second term, Massie voted against the One Big Beautiful Bill, which provides significant working-class tax relief and needed funding for immigration enforcement. Before the 2024 election, Massie emerged as an unlikely ally of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who was ousted by former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) after breaking an agreement with House conservatives over spending bills.

President Trump is publicly backing Gallrein’s primary campaign, calling him a “winner,” and writing on Truth Social before the primary bid, “I hope Ed gets into the Race against Massie… CAPTAIN ED GALLREIN IS A WINNER WHO WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN.” The Kentucky Republican primary is slated for May 2026.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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January 2, 2026
News
Politics

Soviet-Era Putin Ally Drops Simpsons Meme on ‘Comrade Mamdani’ After ‘Collectivism’ Flub.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Russian President Vladimir Putin’s political ally Kirill Dmitriev mocked New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s collectivist rhetoric using a Simpsons meme in a post on social media.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Kirill Dmitriev, Zohran Mamdani, and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT).

📍WHEN & WHERE: Dmitriev’s response was posted on January 1, 2026, following Mamdani’s swearing-in ceremony in New York City.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Dear Comrade Mamdani — just a friendly reminder that this has been tried before.” – Kirill Dmitriev

🎯IMPACT: Mamdani’s rhetoric drew criticism from a number of political commentators, who labeled it as “chilling” and “horrific.”

IN FULL

Kirill Dmitriev, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, mocked New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s embrace of collectivism on social media following Mamdani’s swearing-in ceremony. Mamdani, who identifies as a democratic socialist, declared during the event, “We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism.”

Dmitriev responded directly to Mamdani on X (formerly Twitter), addressing him as “comrade” and posting a Simpsons meme depicting Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin as a zombie with the caption, “Must crush capitalism!” Alongside the image, Dmitriev wrote, “Dear Comrade Mamdani — just a friendly reminder that this has been tried before.” Dmitriev, who is a Harvard graduate, has frequently commented publicly on Western politics and economic policy.

Mamdani was publicly sworn into office on January 1, 2026, by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), whom the new mayor praised as “the man whose leadership I seek most to emulate.” His remarks on collectivism drew criticism from conservative and MAGA-aligned commentators in the United States, some of whom described the language as “horrific” and “chilling.”

The exchange comes amid a history of Russian officials weighing in on U.S. political affairs. In 2024, Putin publicly indicated a preference for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential race, citing dissatisfaction with sanctions imposed on Russia by President Donald J. Trump during his first term in office. The comments attracted attention after coinciding with former U.S. Representative Liz Cheney’s (R-WY) endorsement of Harris.

Even before being sworn in to office, Mamdani’s administration has drawn controversy. One of his appointees resigned just one day after being named to a senior role, following backlash over resurfaced past antisemitic statements. Mamdani has additionally faced criticism for staffing decisions during his transition period, including tapping a lawyer known for representing terrorism suspects to his transition team—and later naming him as the city’s Chief Counsel—and defending the inclusion of a convicted armed robber in a public safety role.

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