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Tag: Donald Trump
January 14, 2025
William Upton
Politics
Sports

Trump-Backed Bill to Ban Men in Women’s Sports Advances in Congress.

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation banning men claiming to be transgender from participating in women’s sports. Backed by President-elect Donald J. Trump, the bill advanced largely along partisan lines by a vote of 218-206.

H.R. 28, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025, is sponsored by Congressman Greg Steube (R-FL) and backed by several powerful House Republicans, including Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI). The bill amends Title IX compliance rules to explicitly apply to only “a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.”

Speaking on the House floor on Tuesday, Rep. Walberg stated the legislation is about keeping a promise to American women. “More than 50 years ago, this country made a promise to women and girls across America,” the Michigan Republican said. “That promise, Title IX, said women and girls would have equal opportunities, both in the classroom and in athletics.”

“Unfortunately, these wins for women and girls, ushered in by the promise of Title IX, have been under attack. The Biden-Harris administration pushed a radical rewrite of Title IX that would eliminate policies enacted by 26 states to protect equal athletic opportunities for women and girls. ,” Walberg said, arguing: “Mr. Speaker, kicking girls off sports teams to make way for a biological male takes opportunities away from these girls.”

“The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act offers a new promise to America’s women and girls. It will strengthen Title IX’s protections for women, ensure a level playing field for female athletes, and protect the law from current and future radical regulatory schemes,” he concluded.

After its passage in the House on Tuesday, the bill will now head to the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate.

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The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation banning men claiming to be transgender from participating in women's sports. Backed by President-elect Donald J. Trump, the bill advanced largely along partisan lines by a vote of 218-206. show more
January 14, 2025
William Upton
Media

Bezos’s Washington Post in Free Fall, Loses $100M After Trump Election Victory.

The Washington Post continues its meteoric fall after President Donald J. Trump’s 2024 election victory and just days before his inauguration in Washington, D.C. While the newspaper—owned by Amazon retail giant billionaire Jeff Bezos—has undergone rounds of layoffs and seen readers flee since its editorial board declined to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris during the presidential election, it is now revealed The Washington Post has also lost $100 million in revenue in 2024 alone.

During the summer peak of the 2024 presidential election—when 82-year-old incumbent Joe Biden exited the race after a disastrous presidential debate performance and the first of two assassination attempts on President-elect Trump—The Washington Post only saw an average of 2.5 million to three million visitors to its website. The daily visitors over the summer of 2024 represent a steep drop off from the 22.5 million daily visitors when Biden was inaugurated in 2021.

Compounding the newspaper’s problems is a flight of top reporters, including Josh Dawsey and Michael Scherer. In addition, The Washington Post‘s editorial section has seen several of its top names resign in response to what they contend was Bezos’s decision to block an endorsement of Kamala Harris. In October, editor-at-large Robert Kagan—who is married to the Biden-Harris government’s Ukraine war architect Victoria Nuland—announced he was resigning his position. Meanwhile, just days before Trump’s inauguration as the 47th President of the United States, Jennifer Rubin revealed she is leaving The Washington Post as well.

While the newspaper, whose slogan is “Democracy Dies in Darkness,” has always struggled with revenue, the recent numbers underscore its dire straits. Over the past several years, The Washington Post has undergone several rounds of significant layoffs and contract buyouts in an effort to stabilize its finances, albeit with little success.

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The Washington Post continues its meteoric fall after President Donald J. Trump's 2024 election victory and just days before his inauguration in Washington, D.C. While the newspaper—owned by Amazon retail giant billionaire Jeff Bezos—has undergone rounds of layoffs and seen readers flee since its editorial board declined to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris during the presidential election, it is now revealed The Washington Post has also lost $100 million in revenue in 2024 alone. show more
January 14, 2025
William Upton
Economy
Politics

Trump Announces Plan to End the IRS.

President-elect Donald J. Trump announced he intends to create a new revenue agency that will effectively end the need for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which oversees the federal taxation of Americans. Instead, the President-elect proposes an External Revenue Service (ERS), which will serve as the central point for collecting tariffs, duties, and other taxes and fees on foreign goods. This revenue source, he believes, will supplant the need for the federal income tax.

“For far too long, we have relied on taxing our Great People using the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Through soft and pathetically weak Trade agreements, the American Economy has delivered growth and prosperity to the World, while taxing ourselves. It is time for that to change,” Trump wrote on Tuesday in a post on his Truth Social media platform. He continued: “I am today announcing that I will create the EXTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE to collect our Tariffs, Duties, and all Revenue that come from Foreign sources.”

“We will begin charging those that make money off of us with Trade, and they will start paying, FINALLY, their fair share,” the President-elect added.

In October last year, just days before the 2024 presidential election, Trump posited replacing the long-loathed federal income tax with a system of foreign tariffs and customs duties. The plan received enthusiastic backing from long-time IRS opponent and former Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX).

For most of the United States’ history, its major source of tax revenue was not the direct taxation of income but tariffs. Trump did not miss this point, remarking on that history in October: “It had all tariffs—it didn’t have an income tax.”

On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly signaled his intention to swiftly enact broad-based tariffs against countries that have their own duties, tariffs, and fees on U.S. products or manipulate currency to tilt trade imbalances in their favor.

READ:

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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President-elect Donald J. Trump announced he intends to create a new revenue agency that will effectively end the need for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which oversees the federal taxation of Americans. Instead, the President-elect proposes an External Revenue Service (ERS), which will serve as the central point for collecting tariffs, duties, and other taxes and fees on foreign goods. This revenue source, he believes, will supplant the need for the federal income tax. show more
January 14, 2025
William Upton
Politics
TRUMP TRANSITION 2024/5

FLASHBACK: Dem Senator Who Questioned Hegseth’s Qualifications Engaged in Stolen Valor.

Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), one of the several Democratic members of the Senate Armed Services Committee who baselessly questioned Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth‘s qualifications to run the Pentagon, has long been accused of engaging in stolen valor. The Connecticut Democrat declared at Tuesday’s hearing that Hegseth, tapped by President-elect Donald J. Trump to lead the Department of Defense, is maybe qualified to serve “as the spokesperson for the Pentagon” but not as its chief.

The line of attack, while deployed by multiple Democratic Senators on the panel, was unusual coming from Blumenthal, given the controversies surrounding his own military record. In 2010, while serving as Connecticut’s Attorney General, Blumenthal was exposed for falsely claiming he served in the Vietnam War during his time in the Marine Reserves. However, the Connecticut Demcorat’s military records show no such service. In fact, Blumenthal was safely stationed in Washington, D.C.—nearly 9,000 miles from the conflict.

BLUMENTHAL’S STOLEN VALOR. 

“We have learned something important since the days that I served in Vietnam, and you exemplify it,” Blumenthal said during an event in 2008. “Whatever we think about the war, whatever we call it—Afghanistan or Iraq—we owe our military men and women unconditional support.”

The comments were part of a larger narrative used by Blumenthal as he geared up for a run for the U.S. Senate to politicize the deeply unpopular Iraq and Afghanistan wars, while deceiving voters regarding his own military service. Blumenthal later claimed he misspoke.

Despite the attempt to wave off the allegations, it was revealed in 2010 that Blumenthal had secured at least five deferments from deployment to Vietnam so that he could complete his academic studies at Harvard University and undertake a graduate program in the United Kingdom. Nearly 60,000 U.S. servicemembers died in the conflict in Southeast Asia.

TRUMP & THE RUSSIA HOAX.

The allegations of stolen valor boiled to the surface again in 2017 during the midst of the Democratic Party’s Russia hoax against then-President Trump. The latter slammed Blumenthal’s false service claims. The Connecticut Democrat served as a key instigator of the fraudulent Russia collusion allegations against Trump.

“Never in U.S. history has anyone lied or defrauded voters like Senator Richard Blumenthal,” Trump wrote in a post on X (then Twitter) in August 2017. The President continued: “He told stories about his Vietnam battles and conquests, how brave he was, and it was all a lie. He cried like a baby and begged for forgiveness like a child. Now he judges collusion?”

Later, Trump added: “I think Senator Blumenthal should take a nice long vacation in Vietnam, where he lied about his service, so he can at least say he was there.”

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Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), one of the several Democratic members of the Senate Armed Services Committee who baselessly questioned Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth's qualifications to run the Pentagon, has long been accused of engaging in stolen valor. The Connecticut Democrat declared at Tuesday's hearing that Hegseth, tapped by President-elect Donald J. Trump to lead the Department of Defense, is maybe qualified to serve "as the spokesperson for the Pentagon" but not as its chief. show more
January 14, 2025
Jack Montgomery
NatSec
UK

UK Labour Bows to Trump, Will Not Give Away Strategic Islands Before Inauguration: Report.

Britain’s far-left Labour government will hold off on finalizing a deal with Mauritius regarding the British Indian Ocean Territory, including the British-American military base on Diego Garcia, until the deal receives President-elect Donald J. Trump’s blessing, sources close to the negotiations claim.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had been attempting to ram through a controversial deal to surrender sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius, which is aligned with China, before the America First leader’s inauguration. Critics have been baffled by the negotiations. Britain has agreed to give away the islands in exchange for nothing but a 99-year lease on Diego Garcia while paying Mauritius billions of pounds in reparations. However, Mauritius has never controlled the Chagos islands historically, and the native Chagossians—removed from the islands to make way for the military base—are overwhelmingly opposed to Mauritian sovereignty over the islands.

A change in government in Mauritius late last year saw the island nation attempt to extract more concessions from the British. Starmer seemingly willingly frontloaded £9 billion (~$11 billion) in agreed-upon annual payments to Mauritius in the interests of finalizing the transfer while Joe Biden is still in office. However, sources have now told the Financial Times that the British leader is resigned to pausing the deal until Trump signs off on it.

THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY.

Nigel Farage, a key ally of Trump, has warned his team is hostile to the deal because Mauritius could—as it has already demonstrated—attempt to alter the terms of the 99-year lease concerning Diego Garcia, or worse, lease another of the Chagos islands nearby to China.

Marco Rubio, Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State, and Mike Waltz, soon to be Trump’s National Security Adviser, are among those unhappy with the deal’s national security implications.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, a black identitarian who has attacked Trump as a “neo-Nazi sympathizing sociopath” and “tyrant” in the past, previously assured Parliament the deal has backing from the Pentagon, U.S. intelligence agencies, and others.

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Caine Storino.

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Britain's far-left Labour government will hold off on finalizing a deal with Mauritius regarding the British Indian Ocean Territory, including the British-American military base on Diego Garcia, until the deal receives President-elect Donald J. Trump's blessing, sources close to the negotiations claim. show more
January 14, 2025
William Upton
NatSec
World

UN Chief Claims Trump Can’t Take Back Panama Canal.

The Secretary-General for the United Nations (UN) International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, claims President-elect Donald J. Trump cannot take back the Panama Canal. While speaking with the media, Dominguez, a Panamanian national, insisted on Tuesday that the critical international shipping waterway “will remain” under his country’s control.

“This is not at the level of the Secretary-General since it is not something that is regulated within the organization, but for me, it is very clear, and it is not a topic of much conversation because the treaties were signed in 1977,” Dominguez said, adding: “The canal passed into the hands of Panama, which continues to operate this vital waterway and will continue to do so.”

Following America’s 2024 elections, President-elect Trump has made a concerted push for the U.S. government to retake control of the Panama Canal, stressing that it was built with American labor at the cost of thousands of American lives. Despite Panama having agreed to cede the former Panama Canal Zone to the U.S. in exchange for a one-time payment and annual annuity in 1903, the late Democratic President Jimmy Carter agreed to give it away to the Central American country in the 1970s.

Trump and others have accused the Panamanian government of allowing the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to meddle in the canal’s operations. National security experts warn that increasing Chinese influence and control over the canal threaten U.S. military and economic interests.

Rising canal fees—set to hit a new high this year—could eventually cripple international markets. The Panama Canal is a critical connection point between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

Even more concerning is whether the Chinese could use their leverage over the Panamian government to close off the canal to U.S. military transports, making it difficult to reinforce U.S. positions in the Pacific in the event of a conflict with the Chinese communists.

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The Secretary-General for the United Nations (UN) International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, claims President-elect Donald J. Trump cannot take back the Panama Canal. While speaking with the media, Dominguez, a Panamanian national, insisted on Tuesday that the critical international shipping waterway "will remain" under his country's control. show more
January 14, 2025
NatSec
News

Capitol Police Identify Major Threats Ahead of Trump Inauguration.

The U.S. Capitol Police say they have identified the potential for major threats ahead of President-elect Donald J. Trump’s inauguration on January 20 in Washington, D.C. City officials and law enforcement are emphasizing that they’re implementing heightened security measures to counter any individuals planning violent acts, with a strong focus on potential lone wolf actors.

During a press conference on Monday, Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger noted the recent security breaches during former President Jimmy Carter’s state funeral events. In one instance, an individual was apprehended attempting to enter the Capitol building armed with a machete and three knives shortly before President-elect Trump was slated to arrive at the building to meet with Republican lawmakers. Chief Manger highlighted the swift response of Capitol Police in preventing the suspect from gaining entry beyond the security screening area.

However, the incident and public announcements of protests by far-left organizations have prompted a continuous state of high alert and the implementation of robust security plans across the capital city. The mishap-prone U.S. Secret Service (USSS) is leading the national security efforts for Inauguration Day, deploying extensive measures, including approximately 30 miles of fencing, security checkpoints, and drone surveillance.

Moreover, the District of Columbia National Guard will have about 7,800 soldiers available to help manage traffic and patrol public transit stations. Two Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) command posts will be operational to monitor possible threats, though no specific threats have been publicly identified as of the time of publication.

City officials say they expect approximately 250,000 ticketed attendees for the inauguration, along with an unknown number of demonstrators.

The Secret Service has faced ongoing criticism for security failures, including those that led to two known assassination attempts against Trump during the 2024 presidential campaign.

Image by Lorie Shaull.

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The U.S. Capitol Police say they have identified the potential for major threats ahead of President-elect Donald J. Trump's inauguration on January 20 in Washington, D.C. City officials and law enforcement are emphasizing that they're implementing heightened security measures to counter any individuals planning violent acts, with a strong focus on potential lone wolf actors. show more
January 13, 2025
Wake Up Right
TRUMP TRANSITION 2024/5

Senate Prepares to Stock Trump’s Cabinet.

The GOP-led Senate is moving quickly to confirm President-elect Donald J. Trump’s cabinet picks, with hearings scheduled to begin this week for high-profile nominees, including Pete Hegseth and Kristi Noem.

On deck: This week’s Senate committee hearings include:

Tuesday, January 14:

  • Doug Collins (Veterans Affairs)
  • Pete Hegseth (Defense)
  • Doug Burgum (Interior)

Wednesday, January 15:

  • Kristi Noem (Homeland Security)
  • Pam Bondi (Attorney General)
  • Marco Rubio (State)

Thursday, January 16:

What’s next: Delays are expected for some picks, including Tulsi Gabbard (DNI) and Robert F. Kennedy Jr (HHS), amid Senate Democrats push back.

Countering Democrats: GOP Senator John Barrasso told CBS News:

  • “President Trump said the number one goal for the Senate needs to be to get his team in place. I’ve met with just about all of them. I support every one of these nominees. As the whip, my job is to make sure they get across the finish line, get on the job, and President Trump deserves the team early.”

Big picture: We’re emphasizing the word “EARLY.” Trump has two years of guaranteed control over both houses of Congress. We cannot allow democrats to steal any of that time.”]

Be sure to subscribe to the Wake Up Right newsletter! 

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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The GOP-led Senate is moving quickly to confirm President-elect Donald J. Trump’s cabinet picks, with hearings scheduled to begin this week for high-profile nominees, including Pete Hegseth and Kristi Noem. show more
January 13, 2025
William Upton
Data
Politics

Almost 50% of Federal Govt Bureaucrats Say They’ll ‘Resist’ Trump Admin.

Almost half of career federal government bureaucrats say they plan to resist directives from President-elect Donald J. Trump‘s incoming administration. The scale of planned interference by unelected federal government employees against the actions of a duly elected President underscores the urgent need for reforms like the Schedule F employment designation and the swift confirmation of Trump’s cabinet nominees.

Polling conducted by RMG Research found that 42 percent of federal government workers intend to actively undermine President-elect Trump’s agenda. Overall, the data found that the political elite—who overwhelmingly backed Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election—have the most faith in the federal government and tend to support bureaucratic resistance to Trump. RMG Research defines the political elite as individuals who earn over $150,000 a year, live in major metropolitan areas, and have advanced degrees.

Among government workers, support for the Trump administration primarily reflects the individual’s partisan preferences. A concerning 73 percent of those who identify as Democrats say they plan to resist the Trump administration. Meanwhile, 89 percent of those who identify as Republicans—a small minority in the federal government—say they plan to support Trump’s agenda.

Trump has long pushed for using the Schedule F employment designation to remove or reassign career federal workers who choose to undermine his policies.

Notably, those designated as Main Street Americans by RMG Research largely oppose the unelected federal bureaucracy’s intention to disrupt the incoming Trump administration. Additionally, the same segment—representing about 70 to 75 percent of Americans—also has lower trust in government. According to the survey, Main Street Americans support Trump’s agenda by 59 percent, with just 28 percent supporting resistance against it. Only 48 percent of the so-called political elite support Trump’s plans, while 39 percent support resistance against Trump.

Image by Ted Eytan.

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Almost half of career federal government bureaucrats say they plan to resist directives from President-elect Donald J. Trump's incoming administration. The scale of planned interference by unelected federal government employees against the actions of a duly elected President underscores the urgent need for reforms like the Schedule F employment designation and the swift confirmation of Trump's cabinet nominees. show more
January 13, 2025
Politics

Trump Lauds Fetterman as ‘Fascinating’ After Mar-a-Lago Meeting.

President-elect Donald J. Trump is praising Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) after the two met at Mar-a-Lago over the weekend. Fetterman, accompanied by his wife Gisele, became the first and—so far—only Democratic Senator to meet with the President-elect.

“It was a totally fascinating meeting. He’s a fascinating man, and his wife is lovely. They were both up, and I couldn’t be more impressed,” Trump said after the weekend meeting with the Pennsylvania Democrat. The President-elect continued: “He’s a commonsense person. He’s not liberal or conservative. He’s just a commonsense person, which is beautiful.”

According to Trump, they discussed a range of topics, including the ongoing Israeli war against the Hamas terrorist group and the Japanese-owned Nippon Steel’s attempted takeover of U.S. Steel. Additionally, Trump and Fetterman discussed the need to ramp up border security to prevent the flood of illegal immigrants into the country, and the President-elect’s aim to acquire Greenland as a U.S. territory.

In a statement responding to Democratic Party pushback against his decision to meet with Trump, Sen. Fetterman emphasized that he does not only represent one political party as a federal lawmaker. “President Trump invited me to meet, and I accepted. I’m the senator for all Pennsylvanians—not just Democrats in Pennsylvania,” Fetterman said, adding: “I’ve been clear that no one is my gatekeeper. I will meet with and have a conversation with anyone if it helps me deliver for Pennsylvania and the nation.”

Fetterman, a progressive and quasi-populist figure who gained attention after winning the 2022 Democratic primary against Conor Lamb, has distinguished himself among Democrats in Congress. At times, he has diverged from the progressive wing of his party on topics like immigration and Israel.

Following Trump’s landslide 2024 presidential election victory, Fetterman warned the corporate media to “chill out” about covering the President-elect. He said, “I’m not rooting against him,” adding that opposition to the president implies opposition to the nation.

Fetterman emphasizes a belief in “Country first.”

Image by Tom Wolf.

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President-elect Donald J. Trump is praising Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) after the two met at Mar-a-Lago over the weekend. Fetterman, accompanied by his wife Gisele, became the first and—so far—only Democratic Senator to meet with the President-elect. show more