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Category: Politics
October 27, 2025
Politics

Pence Whines About Trump Calling Him a ‘Wimp’ on Jan 6.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump reportedly called former Vice President Mike Pence a “wimp” during a phone call on January 6, 2021, over Pence’s refusal to block the certification of the 2020 election results.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Donald Trump, Mike Pence, and Jonathan Karl, who revealed the details in his upcoming book, Retribution.

📍WHEN & WHERE: January 6, 2021, during a phone call at approximately 11 AM. Eastern, hours before the Capitol breach.

💬KEY QUOTE: “You’ll go down as a wimp. If you do that, I made a big mistake five years ago,” Trump reportedly said to Pence, according to the former Vice President’s notes.

🎯IMPACT: Pence has attempted to position himself as and capitalize on being the foremost anti-Trump voice in the Republican Party. However, Pence has shown a lack of fortitude and success even in that endeavor.

IN FULL

In a phone call on January 6, 2021, hours before the Capitol protests, President Donald J. Trump reportedly criticized then-Vice President Mike Pence for refusing to block the certification of the 2020 election results while state-level challenges were underway. According to notes taken by Pence, Trump called him a “wimp” and said, “If you do that, I made a big mistake five years ago.” These details come from Jonathan Karl’s upcoming book, Retribution.

Pence’s notes, written in his day planner, were intended to be used as evidence by former Special Counsel Jack Smith in his investigation into Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Pence had previously referenced this call in his 2022 memoir, So Help Me God. Trump later stated during a speech on January 6 that he hoped Pence would “do the right thing” by declining to sign off on questionable Electoral College votes, but the then-Vice President refused to back the America First leader.

During the certification process, Trump tweeted criticism of Pence, stating he “didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution.”

Trump has denied calling Pence a “wimp,” contradicting his former Vice President’s recollection of events. Notably, Pence has attempted to position himself as and capitalize on being the foremost anti-Trump voice in the Republican Party. Even in that endeavour, however, Pence has shown a lack of fortitude. The National Pulse reported in May that Pence, while accepting the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for his actions in January 2020, avoided criticizing President Trump by name, instead opting to attack the President through innuendo.

In January, Pence—in his role as an establishment mouthpiece to attack President Trump and his agenda—lobbied Republicans in the Senate to reject Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Pence’s political organization, Advancing American Freedom, unsuccessfully whipped Republican senators against the ex-Democrat Kennedy’s nomination on the pretext of his past support for abortion access.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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October 27, 2025
News
Politics

Populists Are Returning to Government in This European Country.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Czech president has tasked billionaire former Prime Minister Andrej Babis with leading talks to form the next government following his party’s recent election victory.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Czech President Petr Pavel and Andrej Babis.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The announcement was made on Monday in the Czech Republic.

🎯IMPACT: The decision sets the stage for government formation talks in the Czech Republic following the parliamentary election.

IN FULL

Czech President Petr Pavel has appointed Andrej Babis, the billionaire former prime minister whose populist ANO party emerged victorious in the recent parliamentary vote, to spearhead negotiations for a new coalition government. Pavel announced the appointment during a public address on Monday, stressing the need to safeguard core democratic values amid the process.

This step comes on the heels of ANO’s strong showing in the elections earlier this month, cementing Babis’s central role in shaping the country’s next administration. As a prominent entrepreneur and past head of government, Babis now faces the challenge of forging alliances to deliver a cohesive ruling coalition in the European Union (EU) member state.

Babis’s ascent reflects a broader surge in populist momentum across the continent, where nationalist and anti-establishment populist movements are reshaping the electoral landscape. In the European Parliament, for instance, ANO has aligned with the Patriots for Europe bloc, launched in late June 2024 by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party—which includes Austria’s Freedom Party and Spain’s VOX, and is poised to rank as the chamber’s third-largest faction if it absorbs the Identity and Democracy group.

This continental wave has seen similar breakthroughs elsewhere, such as in Portugal’s May 2025 snap elections, where the anti-immigration Chega party, under André Ventura, captured a record 22.56 percent of the vote amid public frustration over corruption and border policies, nearly matching the opposition Socialists and pressuring the center-right Democratic Alliance to run a minority government.

The populist rise has also provoked backlash from establishment powers, as evidenced by Romania’s December 2024 constitutional court decision to void its presidential runoff, after pro-Trump nationalist Călin Georgescu’s unexpected first-round triumph, citing alleged Russian-linked social media meddling. The move was decried by critics as an undemocratic ploy to thwart populist gains, echoing patterns in other EU states.

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October 24, 2025
News
Politics

Dems in These Two States Want to Redraw Congressional Maps.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Democrats in Virginia and Colorado are exploring redistricting measures ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, following similar moves by Republicans in states like Texas and North Carolina.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Virginia Democrats, Colorado Democrats, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R), Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser (D), and various state party chairmen.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Recent developments in Virginia and Colorado as part of a broader national redistricting debate ahead of the 2026 midterms.

💬KEY QUOTE: “This is a shameless, reprehensible political power grab by Democrat lawmakers desperate for anything to distract from the disastrous Democrat Shutdown and Jay Jones’ demented comments and criminal investigation.” – Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin.

🎯IMPACT: Intensifying redistricting battles could reshape the balance of power in the House of Representatives, with both parties eyeing potential gains.

IN FULL

Democrats in Virginia and Colorado are weighing congressional redistricting plans ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, mirroring recent moves by Republicans in states such as Texas, North Carolina, Missouri, and Indiana. In Virginia, Democrat lawmakers are reportedly exploring ways to create two or three additional districts favorable to their party. In Colorado, Democrats are considering a constitutional amendment to allow mid-decade redistricting, a move that would require approval from 55 percent of voters.

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) sharply criticized the proposal, saying, “This is a shameless, reprehensible political power grab by Democrat lawmakers desperate for anything to distract from the disastrous Democrat Shutdown and Jay Jones’ demented comments and criminal investigation.”

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser (D) defended the idea of changing the law to match actions in Republican-led states, saying, “If you see states breaking the norm doing mid-decade redistricting, give a mechanism so that we can match it.”

Currently, Democrats hold five of Virginia’s eleven congressional seats and four of Colorado’s eight. Both states have several competitive districts that could shift under new maps.

The push in Virginia and Colorado comes amid a nationwide redistricting battle. In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott (R) signed a redistricting bill in August that could eliminate five Democratic-leaning seats, strengthening the GOP’s hold on the state’s delegation. The plan was endorsed by President Donald J. Trump and quickly approved by the Republican-controlled legislature.

Democrats in California have also sought to redraw their state’s congressional boundaries through a proposed ballot measure backed by Governor Gavin Newsom (D). The plan could potentially yield up to five new Democratic seats by allowing the legislature to take temporary control of the redistricting process from the state’s independent commission.

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October 24, 2025
Jack Montgomery
News
Politics

Mamdani: My Aunt Was 9/11’s REAL Victim Because She Couldn’t Wear Her Hijab on the Subway.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Democrat New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani held back tears in a speech on “Islamophobia” on Friday, commemorating his aunt, who “did not feel safe in her hijab” on the subway after jihadists murdered 2,977 people.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Zohran Mamdani and rival candidates Andrew Cuomo (I) and  Curtis Sliwa (R).

📍WHEN & WHERE: Statements made on Friday, October 27, 2023, in the Bronx, New York, one day before early voting begins for the November 4 mayoral election.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I want to speak to the memory of my aunt, who stopped taking the subway after September 11th because she did not feel safe in her hijab.” – Zohran Mamdani

🎯IMPACT: The remarks have heightened scrutiny of Mamdani, who follows the extremist Twelver sect of Shia Islam and will become New York City’s first Muslim mayor if elected.

IN FULL

Zohran Mamdani, the far-left, anti-white Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, addressed what he called “racist, baseless” attacks against him on Friday, linking these criticisms to a broader culture of “Islamophobia.” Speaking outside a mosque in the Bronx, he also paid tribute to “the memory” of an aunt of his and suggested she was the real victim of the September 11, 2001, radical Islamic terror attack on the city, as she did not feel comfortable wearing her Islamic headscarf on the subway afterwards.

“I thought that if I behaved well enough or bit my tongue enough in the face of racist, baseless attacks… it would allow me to be more than just my faith,” said Mamdani, who follows the extremist Twelver sect of Shia Islam and believes a 1,200-year-old final prophet is living in hiding somewhere, waiting for a time when he will preach Islam to world.

“I was wrong. No amount of redirection is ever enough,” he said, referring to Republican rival Curtis Sliwa alleging he supports a “global jihad,” and independent rival and former state governor Andrew Cuomo appearing to agree with a radio host who suggested Mamdani would be “cheering” if “another 9/11” happened.

Referring to 9/11, Mamdani, choking back tears, said, “I want to use this moment to speak to the Muslims of New York City; I want to speak to the memory of my aunt who stopped taking the subway after September 11th because she did not feel safe in her hijab.”

The bulk of the 2,977 people murdered by radical Islamic terrorists on 9/11 were killed in New York City, with many observers suggesting that Mamdani’s focus on his aunt’s comparatively minor hardship suggests he is out of touch. A Ugandan immigrant, Mamdani only became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2018.

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October 24, 2025
Politics

The New York Knicks Really Want to Make It Clear They Didn’t Endorse Mamdani.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The New York Knicks issued a cease-and-desist letter to New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani (D) over his unauthorized use of the team’s logo in a campaign ad.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The New York Knicks, Zohran Mamdani, Mayor Eric Adams, and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D).

📍WHEN & WHERE: The incident occurred during the Knicks’ season opener in New York City, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The Knicks want to make it clear that we do not endorse Mr. Mamdani for Mayor, and we object to his use of our copyrighted logo. We will pursue all legal remedies to enforce our rights.” – Knicks spokesman

🎯IMPACT: Continued misteps by Mamdani’s campaign, as with its Knicks logo use, could leave undecided voters seeing the far-left New York Assemblyman as too inexperienced to serve as mayor.

IN FULL

The New York Knicks have sent a cease-and-desist letter to Democratic Socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani after his campaign used a modified version of the team’s logo in a political ad. The ad, aired during the Knicks’ season opener, replaced the word “Knicks” with “Zohran” in the iconic orange and blue logo.

The team’s legal representatives argued that the ad could “mislead the public into believing that the Campaign is affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by, or in some way connected with the Knicks.” A spokesman for the Knicks stated, “The Knicks want to make it clear that we do not endorse Mr. Mamdani for Mayor, and we object to his use of our copyrighted logo. We will pursue all legal remedies to enforce our rights.”

While polling shows Mamdani, a Ugandan Muslim immigrant, leading Andrew Cuomo, the former state governor, heading into the final weeks of the campaign, continued misteps, as with the Knicks logo use, could leave undecided voters seeing the 34-year-old New York Assemblyman as too inexperienced to lead the city. In another inexplicable campaign flub in June, Mamdani’s proposal for city government-owned grocery stores fell apart after it was revealed that he didn’t understand the city budget. Among the errors was Mamdani’s confusing private investment with public investment and not understanding the budgetary impacts of  “waived tax revenue” rather than “expenditure.”

The National Pulse reported earlier this week that Mamdani shared a photo on social media last Saturday in which he appears with radical Islamist Imam Siraj Wahhaj, an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. In the post, Mamdani, who follows the extreme Twelver sect of Shia Islam, praised Wahhaj as one of America’s foremost Muslim religious scholars and a pillar of the local community.

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October 24, 2025
Health
Politics

Federal Judge Overturns Biden-Era Expansion of Title IX Protections to Include ‘Gender Identity.’

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A federal judge struck down a Joe Biden-era rule that expanded anti-discrimination measures to transgender healthcare, stating that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) exceeded its authority.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Judge Louis Guirola Jr., a coalition of 15 Republican-led states, and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

📍WHEN & WHERE: The ruling came from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi and follows a lawsuit filed by 15 states.

💬KEY QUOTE: “This decision restores not just common sense but also constitutional limits on federal overreach,” said Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti.

🎯IMPACT: The ruling vacates the rule universally, reinforcing states’ rights to regulate healthcare without federal overreach.

IN FULL

A federal judge has ruled against a former Biden government policy that expanded anti-discrimination protections to include gender identity in healthcare. Judge Louis Guirola Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi declared that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) “exceeded its authority” in redefining sex discrimination under Title IX to include gender identity.

The legal challenge was brought by a coalition of 15 Republican-led states, including Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, and others. Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti (R) praised the ruling, stating, “When Biden-era bureaucrats tried to illegally rewrite our laws to force radical gender ideology into every corner of American healthcare, Tennessee stood strong and stopped them.”

Skrmetti’s office highlighted that the rule would have mandated healthcare providers to offer gender dysphoria treatments, prohibited sex-segregated spaces, and required states to subsidize such treatments through Medicaid. The court determined that Congress’s original intent in 1972’s Title IX referred to biological sex, not gender identity. It stressed that federal agencies cannot unilaterally rewrite laws to advance political agendas.

The rule was originally introduced under the Obama administration in 2016, reversed by the Trump administration, and later reinstated by the Biden government. However, the policy had already been stayed since July 2024, preventing it from taking effect. Judge Guirola’s ruling now vacates the rule entirely.

“This decision restores not just common sense but also constitutional limits on federal overreach, and I am proud of the team of excellent attorneys who fought this through to the finish,” Skrmetti added.

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October 23, 2025
News
Politics

Researchers Find TikTok Algorithm Favors Pro-Mamdani Content.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Researchers say TikTok’s algorithm systematically boosts pro-Zohran Mamdani content and suppresses pro-Andrew Cuomo content in New York City’s mayoral race.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Spring AI, led by CTO Yehonatan Dodeles, conducted the research; TikTok’s algorithm is under scrutiny.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Findings were announced on October 21 via X and published on Medium; the issue pertains to TikTok’s influence in the New York City mayoral elections.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Our new research suggests TikTok’s algorithm systematically boosts pro-Mamdani and anti-Cuomo content in NYC’s mayoral race.” – Yehonatan Dodeles

🎯IMPACT: Raises concerns about social media’s role in influencing political opinions and the potential weaponization of algorithms.

IN FULL

Researchers from Spring AI claim that TikTok’s recommendation algorithm is favoring content supporting the Democrats’ socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani while suppressing posts that back former governor Andrew Cuomo. The company’s chief technology officer, Yehonatan Dodeles, announced the findings on X, referring to the phenomenon as “algorithmic steering.”

“Our new research suggests TikTok’s algorithm systematically boosts pro-Mamdani and anti-Cuomo content in NYC’s mayoral race,” Dodeles wrote. The researchers identified “Excessive Publicity” videos, which are posts that receive more exposure than they would have organically. About 17 percent of all videos displayed this kind of non-organic boost, according to the report. However, the effect was far more pronounced in political content, where 55 percent of videos were affected. Within that group, most promoted clips were either pro-Mamdani or anti-Cuomo, while pro-Cuomo content was suppressed below the baseline.

“These are preliminary findings and further research should be done, but the implications are huge,” Dodeles said. He warned that algorithmic steering could shape not only what users see but also what they believe, raising concerns about the manipulation of public opinion through social media.

Broader concerns about Chinese interference have been highlighted in recent reports, including Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) findings alleging attempts by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to exploit mail-in ballots during the 2020 U.S. election. Other investigations have documented Beijing’s efforts to influence Western think tanks and policy groups as part of a wider “information-warfare” campaign.

Imagine by Eden, Janine, and Jim.

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October 23, 2025
Immigration
Politics

Nancy Pelosi Wants Local Police to Arrest ICE Agents.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Former House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) suggested that local law enforcement could arrest federal agents who break local laws while enforcing federal immigration policies.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Kevin Mullin (D-CA), San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, and federal agents.

📍WHEN & WHERE: California, as outlined in a statement on Wednesday.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Our state and local authorities may arrest federal agents if they break California law—and if they are convicted, the President cannot pardon them.” – Nancy Pelosi and Kevin Mullin

🎯IMPACT: Legal experts have noted that the authority for states to arrest federal officers lacks clear precedent and could face significant legal challenges.

IN FULL

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), in a joint statement with Representative Kevin Mullin (D-CA), suggested that local law enforcement authorities could arrest federal agents who violate California laws while enforcing federal immigration policies.

“Reports of a planned mass immigration raid in the Bay Area are an appalling abuse of law enforcement power. Broad sweeps that target families and terrorize law-abiding residents betray our nation’s values and waste resources that should focus on real threats to public safety,” Pelosi and Mullin wrote, continuing: “It is important to note that California law protects communities and prevents federal agents from taking certain actions here that we have witnessed in other states. While the President may enjoy absolute immunity courtesy of his rogue Supreme Court, those who operate under his orders do not.”

“Our state and local authorities may arrest federal agents if they break California law—and if they are convicted, the President cannot pardon them,” the two House Democrats concluded.

San Francisco District Attorney (DA) Brooke Jenkins devised the idea of arresting federal immigration agents on charges like excessive use of force. “I had lead time to think about what authority I have and what I can do. This is something I felt very strongly about, and I had my office research it,” she explained in a recent interview.

According to the San Francisco DA, her office could review footage of incidents involving federal agents and seek warrants for their arrests if excessive force is identified. However, Jenkins acknowledged potential hurdles, including agents operating in masks or without identification, as well as legal challenges to a new California law barring agents from wearing masks, which takes effect in January.

Legal experts, including Berkeley School of Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, note the lack of precedent for such actions. Chemerinsky recently commented, “As long as the ICE agents are acting legally, the state can’t prosecute them and hold them liable, even if it dislikes what they’re doing.”

The arrest of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents has previously been threatened by U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey Cummings, who has barred arresting illegal immigrants inside or near the Cook County courthouse in downtown Chicago, Illinois, unless they can produce a warrant.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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October 23, 2025
Politics

Senate Dems Block Bill to Pay Military and Federal Workers During Their Govt Shutdown.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Senate Democrats rejected a Republican-backed bill to pay military servicemen and federal workers during the ongoing government shutdown.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Senate Republicans and Democrats, military service members, and federal workers.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Thursday, October 23, in Washington, D.C.

🎯IMPACT: The Senate remains deadlocked, and no solution to reopen the government is in sight.

IN FULL

A Republican-backed bill that would have ensured payment for military servicemembers and federal workers during the ongoing government shutdown was blocked by Senate Democrats. The legislation failed to garner the necessary 60 votes to overcome a filibuster on a vote of 54 to 45.

Sponsored by Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), the legislation authorized appropriations to ensure payments for federal employees required to work during the shutdown, as well as military personnel and contractors. An alternative bill, offered by Senate Democrats, that authorized money to pay all federal workers—including those on furlough—and prevent the White House from laying off more federal employees during the shutdown failed to pass on unanimous consent.

Largely considered as a test vote to gauge current Democrat support for a clean continuing resolution (CR) already adopted in the House, Sen. Johnson’s bill saw three Democrats join with the Republican majority: Sens. John Fetterman (D-PA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), and Raphael Warnock (D-GA). Ossoff is facing reelection in 2026 and is a top target for Republicans. Additionally, there was one absence on the vote.

Previously, Sens. Angus King (I-ME), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Fetterman voted to pass the clean CR, suggesting that with the additions of Warnock and Ossoff, the Senate is inching ever closer to the 60 votes needed to end the Democrat shutdown. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who has joined Senate Democrats on other votes to keep the government shutdown going, voted in favor of the bill.

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October 22, 2025
Politics

Far-Left Prof’s Lawsuit Blocks Land Transfer for Trump Presidential Library.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A lawsuit has temporarily halted the transfer of downtown Miami, Florida, real estate intended for the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library,  with a far-left retired academic claiming that the Miami Dade College’s Board of Trustees violated a state transparency law.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Dr. Marvin Dunn, a retired professor, filed the lawsuit against Miami Dade College’s Board of Trustees.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The lawsuit was filed in Miami, with a court ruling on the matter in October 2025.

🎯IMPACT: The court ruling has blocked the property transfer, requiring either an appeal or a new public vote.

IN FULL

An 85-year-old, far-left, retired college professor is the mastermind of a lawsuit based on a technicality in Florida’s Sunshine Law that has—for now—succeeded in temporarily blocking the transfer of a key piece of downtown Miami real estate designated for the future site of the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library. Marvin Dunn, who taught psychology at Florida International University (FIU) from 1972 until 2006, is a well-known Miami-area progressive political activist, frequently comparing President Trump to German dictator Adolf Hitler.

Dunn contends that Miami Dade College’s Board of Trustees breached Florida’s “Government in the Sunshine” law. He alleges the board did not provide adequate public notice before a meeting where the board voted to transfer a $66 million state-owned property to the Trump Foundation.

The property in question is a 2.63-acre parking lot adjacent to Miami’s historic Freedom Tower. It was approved for transfer by the state to the foundation overseeing Trump’s proposed library. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) and his cabinet had endorsed the plan, describing the site as ideal for a significant cultural and tourist landmark.

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