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Rep. Jim Clyburn Insists Biden Could Have Served as President Until 2029 (VIDEO)

Filed Under: Gateway Pundit, INVESTIGATIONS

Jim Clyburn / CNN State of the Union

Rep. Jim Clyburn has claimed that Joe Biden could have served as president for another four years.

In an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Clyburn reiterated his belief that the 82-year-oldn would have been able to perform the duties required for a second term in office that would have lasted until January 2029.

Here is a transcript of the exchange:

TAPPER: With what we’ve seen from President Biden both in that audio, but also throughout 2023, 2024, especially on the debate stage do you think that Joe Biden really would have been able to perform as president all the way through January 2029, when he would have been when he would be 86?”

CLYBURN: Yes. I thought that back then. I still think that, but I don’t know that. When people ask me, did I know this or did I know the other?

And the fact of the matter is, no, I didn’t. You make my point here. It’s not all about age. I’ve seen people develop Alzheimer’s when they’re in their 30s and 40s.

So it’s not about age. It’s about the ability to do the job. And I never saw anything that allowed me to think that Joe Biden was not able to do the job. Just that simple. ”

TAPPER: Do you think that your party’s incredibly low standing with the American people in polling has anything to do with the impression that many people in your party, especially in the White House and especially President Biden and his family and inner circle, hid his actual dysfunction?

CLYBURN: Well, there very well could have.

Watch the clip below:

Hours after the interview aired, Biden’s office announced that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer.

“Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms. On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone,” the office said in his statement. 

“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management.”

They added Biden and his family are currently “reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”

BREAKING: Biden Diagnosed with Aggressive Form of Prostate Cancer – Spread to His Bones

The post Rep. Jim Clyburn Insists Biden Could Have Served as President Until 2029 (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Vanity Fair Scribe Raises Trump Obsession with MARK TWAIN Biographer Ron Chernow

Filed Under: INVESTIGATIONS, Newsbusters

Ron Chernow is the author of a number of highly acclaimed biographies such as about Alexander Hamilton and Ulysses S. Grant. His latest biography is about Mark Twain.

In an interview with the lefty rag Vanity Fair, Chernow explained Twain’s relationship with the rich: 

Twain became this quintessential American writer, and he lived in a society that worships money and success, but as a child saw his father without money and without status, just ground down by these failed ambitions. If you read his books, he’s constantly, constantly satirizing money-mad people who dream of hitting the jackpot. 

Naturally, Vanity Fair staff writer Erin Vanderhoof somehow had to make this about Donald Trump, despite the fact that Trump wasn’t even born until 36 years after Mark Twain, pen name of Samuel Clemens, died. Even the title of the interview which was published on Tuesday reflects Vanity Fair’s inability to shake politics even when discussing a writer born nearly two hundred years ago:

Ron Chernow Says He’s “Nervous About” American History’s “Politicization From Both Sides”

And we see a prime example of trying to politicize American history from the left side when Vanderhoof tries, and fails, to get a Chernow quote critical of Donald Trump.

How intentional were the Donald Trump parallels? There’s one moment where it feels overt: A young Twain is described as “someone willing to tangle with anyone, make enemies, and say aloud what other people only dared to think”—but I understand those words could also describe a large range of figures in American history.

Unfortunately for her, Chernow did not play her silly game as you can see in his reply:

I was, frankly, unaware that I was making some references—I deliberately avoided Donald Trump references. So what you’re referring to was unconscious. When I am writing a book, I want to completely immerse the reader in the period. I deliberately don’t apply modern analytic categories to character, because these are categories that fit our culture but not theirs. Even in the language—doing a standard English—I worked very hard at not having modern jargon interfering, because I really want the readers to be so completely steeped in this character’s English that they lose themselves.

Later in the interview, Vanderhoof attempted to interject politics one more time by trying to get Chernow to criticize the 1776 Project which was written in response to the highly flawed 1619 Project:

What do you think about the 1776 Project, which emerged as a response to the 1619 Project? I worry that some people think the only way to teach civics is to make it right-wing and sanitize history.

If Vanderhoof was hoping to hear either criticism of the 1776 Project or praise for the 1619 Project then she would have been sorely disappointed by Chernow’s response.

I’m nervous about the politicization from both sides, but I think it’s important that anyone who graduates American middle school or high school should know the American Revolution and the Civil War, should know the Constitutional Convention. It used to be that this was standard civics taught in schools, and then that was replaced by something more vague called social studies.

Although his answer probably frustrated the politics pushing Vanderhoof, few rational people could disagree with Chernow that “it’s important that anyone who graduates American middle school or high school should know the American Revolution and the Civil War, should know the Constitutional Convention.”

TOO LATE: CBS’s Margaret Brennan Also Wants to ‘Look Forward’ from Dem-Media Concealment of Biden’s Cognitive Decline

Filed Under: INVESTIGATIONS, Newsbusters

Many elected Democrats and media are beginning to wilt under scrutiny over the damning revelations published in Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson’s “Original Sin”. Many, as we heard from CBS’s Margaret Brennan, are just wanting to move on, or “look forward.”

Watch as Brennan admits as much to wrap up her interview with Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen on Face the Nation:

MARGARET BRENNAN: Speaking of responsibility, I’m sure you’ve been tracking all the headlines and the conversation about President Biden and what happened with that debriefing of him by the Special Counsel Hur during that Justice Department investigation of his mishandling of classified information. No charges were brought, but the audio of that was obtained by Axios, and it- you hear the president halting at times. Remember Hur was the one who said President Biden was a sympathetic, well meaning, elderly man with a poor memory, and Democrats really pushed back at the time at that saying that sounded very political. In hindsight, do you think Democrats were too willing to look the other way? 

CHRIS VAN HOLLEN : Well, hindsight is 20/20. We know a lot more now than we knew then. I can just say personally, I had limited interactions with President Biden at the time. He came to the Key Bridge in Maryland when it collapsed, and we had a good conversation. So hindsight is 20/20. Obviously, if we could redo this tape and play it over again, we would do things differently. 

BRENNAN: Do you feel like you have to explain and defend that now? I mean, there was a piece in The Washington Post from Dan Balz who said Democrats are either- were either covering up then or covering their behinds now.

VAN HOLLEN : No- well- look- I mean, I think we can acknowledge that this was a-  people overlooked a serious problem or were just not aware. 

BRENNAN: Willingly? 

VAN HOLLEN : Well, I don’t- I can only speak for myself. I didn’t- I wasn’t aware of this, but we are focused on the future right now. I mean, right- right now we have the Republican tax plan, which is a giveaway to the rich. We have- you know, we didn’t talk about it, but Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East, my view, is the overall narrative here was selling out US national interests for the private gain of his family business. He essentially gave away the crown jewels of American AI and semiconductor technology to the Gulf in exchange, in exchange, it looks like, for a $2 billion investment in the Trump family stablecoin venture.

BRENNAN: Another topic. But on this point, I hear you want to look forward. I do too. But don’t Democrats have to reckon with this and say to the public that the answer to that question- you know?

VAN HOLLEN :  I think we’ve all acknowledged that if we had the benefit of hindsight, we would have done things differently. I don’t know if all of us have. I recognize that, but at this point, it seems to me, the American people are much more interested in the conversation as to the future of our country and the damage that Elon Musk and Donald Trump are doing every day.

BRENNAN: Senator Van Hollen, thank you for your time today. 

VAN HOLLEN: Good to be with you.

BRENNAN: We’ll be back in a moment.

For Van Hollen (and Brennan, at least on process grounds), the week’s developments provide a welcome break from having to advocate for migrant gangbangers such as “Maryland Dad” Kilmar Abrego Garcia, still detained in El Salvador. On the other hand, there is no escaping the conspiracy to conceal Biden’s rapid decline from the American public.

Brennan’s interview, much like everyone else in the Legacy Media, seeks to deflect blame for the conspiracy to Biden, his team, and other elected Democrats. This is what begets her expressed desire to “look forward.”

But as much as they want to, there will be no “looking forward.”

Click “expand” to view the full transcript of the aforementioned interview, as aired on CBS Face the Nation on Sunday, May 18th, 2025:

BRENNAN: And we are back now with Maryland Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen. Good morning and good to have you here. 

CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: Good to be here, Margaret.

BRENNAN: We just showed some reporting from our colleague, Debora Patta, with incredible pictures from our- our shooter inside of Gaza, Marwan. It’s hard to look at pictures of children in that level of starvation. You have said the Israeli government is starving civilians, and the U.S. is complicit in the gross violation of international law. The U.N.’s begging to go in. The Israeli government says they don’t want to work with the U.N. here. They want to work with this Gaza Humanitarian Foundation that’s just being set up. What do you know about this? Should there be U.S. support for it?

VAN HOLLEN : So Margaret, you’re right. It’s very hard to look at those pictures, and the United States has been complicit. President Trump was in the region and really did nothing, said virtually nothing about what’s happening in Gaza, which is on- on fire. We’re in 77th day of a full blockade. Two million Palestinians are starving. This is collective punishment that is clearly illegal under international law. And this other idea that’s been cooked up, either by the Israelis or by the Trump administration, is clearly not fit for purpose when it comes to trying to address this burgeoning famine. And all it will do is further allow food to be used as a weapon of the war. So I hope the United States will back off this plan. None of the credible international organizations have said that they will participate because it violates, you know, international norms and how it’s structured. And so I hope the United States will back off and immediately call today to allow the trucks right now that have food to be able to come, provide food to starving people. These are provided by international aid organizations.

BRENNAN: Is there anything that the United States can do in terms of leverage? You were- you’ve been bipartisan in your criticism. You said that what happened in Gaza is a black stain on Joe Biden’s legacy as president. You are criticizing the current administration for not doing more here. What leverage is there? I mean, is what you’re saying falling on any ears that want to listen?

VAN HOLLEN : Well, I’ve had conversations with some people in- in the Trump administration and made clear that they need to do more. One of the very obvious things they could do is President Trump today could call upon the Netanyahu government to let aid in. I mean, the President acknowledged there are people starving in Gaza the other day. He said so. But why hasn’t he called on Netanyahu to let the aid in? Let’s just start with that.

BRENNAN: Well, we’ll follow the diplomacy that Steve Witkoff is leading. I want to ask you about what’s happening here at home. The Treasury Secretary this morning, is dismissing the news that Moody’s credit rating agency downgraded America’s credit, the first time since 1917 now all three agencies have said the US fiscal situation is unsustainable. Moody specifically said the upcoming bills and spending reductions won’t make a difference. You’re an appropriator. You are in a position of power here. What is going to happen with Capitol Hill and the President’s agenda? Is it going to be much of a fight? Is there going to be anyone pushing back because of this?

VAN HOLLEN : Oh, yes, Margaret. What you’re seeing is the Republican plan, the Trump plan is essentially to give these huge tax cuts to very wealthy people and corporations at the expense of everybody else. They’re going to cut Medicaid, they’re going to cut food and nutrition programs, but even after those cuts–

BRENNAN: –They say they are not, as you know–

VAN HOLLEN : –but even- well, it’s in their current House bill. They have $700 billion in Medicaid cuts and 300 billion in food nutrition programs in the House bill now. I mean, they can always change it. But even after that, they’re going to- this will result in a huge spike in the national debt. And so that’s why Moody’s is warning people that we’re going down this road, and it will have a direct harmful impact on every American, because what it will do is drive up interest rates. Right? Just like the Trump across-the-board tariffs are raising prices, so will these big deficits and debts they incur.

BRENNAN: Moody’s also says, though, that this has been cumulative, which means Democrats bear some responsibility for the situation we find ourselves in now.

VAN HOLLEN : Just on that point, I put forward a variety of plans to close tax loopholes for the very rich to begin to address the deficit problem.

BRENNAN: Speaking of responsibility, I’m sure you’ve been tracking all the headlines and the conversation about President Biden and what happened with that debriefing of him by the Special Counsel Hur during that Justice Department investigation of his mishandling of classified information. No charges were brought, but the audio of that was obtained by Axios, and it- you hear the president halting at times. Remember Hur was the one who said President Biden was a sympathetic, well meaning, elderly man with a poor memory, and Democrats really pushed back at the time at that saying that sounded very political. In hindsight, do you think Democrats were too willing to look the other way? 

VAN HOLLEN : Well, hindsight is 20/20. We know a lot more now than we knew then. I can just say personally, I had limited interactions with President Biden at the time. He came to the Key Bridge in Maryland when it collapsed, and we had a good conversation. So hindsight is 20/20. Obviously, if we could redo this tape and play it over again, we would do things differently. 

BRENNAN: Do you feel like you have to explain and defend that now? I mean, there was a piece in The Washington Post from Dan Balz who said Democrats are either- were either covering up then or covering their behinds now.

VAN HOLLEN : No- well- look- I mean, I think we can acknowledge that this was a-  people overlooked a serious problem or were just not aware. 

BRENNAN: Willingly? 

VAN HOLLEN : Well, I don’t- I can only speak for myself. I didn’t- I wasn’t aware of this, but we are focused on the future right now. I mean, right- right now we have the Republican tax plan, which is a giveaway to the rich. We have- you know, we didn’t talk about it, but Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East, my view, is the overall narrative here was selling out US national interests for the private gain of his family business. He essentially gave away the crown jewels of American AI and semiconductor technology to the Gulf in exchange, in exchange, it looks like, for a $2 billion investment in the Trump family stablecoin venture.

BRENNAN: Another topic. But on this point, I hear you want to look forward. I do too. But don’t Democrats have to reckon with this and say to the public that the answer to that question- you know?

VAN HOLLEN :  I think we’ve all acknowledged that if we had the benefit of hindsight, we would have done things differently. I don’t know if all of us have. I recognize that, but at this point, it seems to me, the American people are much more interested in the conversation as to the future of our country and the damage that Elon Musk and Donald Trump are doing every day.

BRENNAN: Senator Van Hollen, thank you for your time today. 

VAN HOLLEN: Good to be with you.

BRENNAN: We’ll be back in a moment.

 

House Speaker Mike Johnson Discusses President Trump’s America First Agenda on Fox News Sunday (VIDEO)

Filed Under: Gateway Pundit, INVESTIGATIONS

House Speaker Mike Johnson on “Fox News Sunday” with host Shannon Bream 5/18/25

House Speaker Mike Johnson was on “Fox News Sunday” with host Shannon Bream to discuss President Trump’s America First agenda. The conversation included the bill that Congress was working on and the challenge to get a few Republican reps to vote yes, who were holding out for various reasons.

“So, House Budget Committee the vote failed on Friday. They are back at it at 10 pm tonight,” Bream said.

“But you got to be talking with them to turn some of those no’s to yes. How are those conversations going?” Bream asked.

“They are going well Shannon. We are on track working around the clock to deliver this nation shaping legislation for the American people as soon as possible,” Johnson said.

“All eleven of our committees have wrapped up their work and they spent less and saved more than even we projected initially,” Johnson continued.

“The plan is to move it to the rules committee by mid-week and to the House floor by the end of the week, so we meet our initial, our original Memorial Day deadline,” Johnson continued.

“This is the vehicle through which we will deliver on the mandate that the American people gave us in the last election,” Johnson said.

“You are going to have historic savings for the American people, historic tax relief for American workers, historic investments in border security,” Johnson said.

“We are going to make the 2017 tax cuts permanent,” Johnson continued.

Bream asked speaker Johnson about the no votes from some members of Congress because they thought the spending cuts were inadequate.

“Some of these members and they were both no votes in that budget committee,” Bream said.

“They think its gimmicks. They say they are getting perks now and paying later. How do you respond?” Bream asked.

“What they were complaining about or mostly concerned about I think is for example work requirements in Medicaid. They wanted them to be implemented earlier rather than later. So do we,” Johnson said.

“This is the largest spending reduction in at least three decades, probably longer,” Johnson continued.

Watch:

The post House Speaker Mike Johnson Discusses President Trump’s America First Agenda on Fox News Sunday (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

WNBA to Investigate Allegations of Racism by Fans at Chicago Sky vs. Indiana Fever Game After Dust-Up Between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese

Filed Under: Gateway Pundit, INVESTIGATIONS

The WNBA issued a statement Sunday responding to allegations of racist behavior by fans at the season opening game between the Chicago Sky vs. Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis Saturday. The Fever, led by Caitlin Clark, soundly defeated Angel Reese and the Sky, 93-58. (Clark and Reese got into it in the third quarter details below.) The announcement comes just days after the league announced a “No Space for Hate” campaign.

Indiana Fever player Caitlin Clark walks away from Chicago Sky player Angel Reese after giving Reese a hard foul in a game at Indianapolis, screen image via ESPN, May 17, 2025

Statement by the WNBA, “The following is a statement from the WNBA regarding yesterday’s game in Indianapolis. The WNBA strongly condemns racism, hate, and discrimination in all forms — they have no place in our league or in society. We are aware of the allegations and are looking into the matter.”

The game was marred by rough play between intense rivals Reese and Clark in the third quarter that led to a flagrant foul on Clark and a missed free throw by Reese that some fans thought may have been the result of ‘monkey sounds’ heard in the arena as Reese took her free throw. There were other claims that racist taunts were heard throughout the game.

Reese was near the basket setting up for a rebound when she shoved Fever player Natasha Howard hard in the back to clear her out for the rebound and easy shot. Clark saw the foul and looked for the call, then, when there wasn’t a foul called on Reese, gave Reese a hard foul to disrupt her easy shot and force her to the free throw line. Some viewers thought Clark gave Reese an extra shove that knocked her to the floor, which apparently the refs saw and gave her the flagrant add-on to the foul charge.

The ESPN clip starts (curious edit choice) right after Reese shoved Howard out of the way. Afterward, Reese got up to confront Clark, but Clark turned her back and walked away.

This angle appears to show Clark shoving Reese with her left arm:

Reese and Fever player Aliyah Boston were both given technical fouls. Boston was stunned to learn after the game that she had been hit with a technical.

Explainer posted by reporter Scott Agness, “Pool report with crew chief Roy Gulbeyan on Caitlin Clark’s Flagrant 1: “The foul on Clark met the criteria for Flagrant Foul 1, for wind up, impact, and follow through for the extension of the left hand to Reese’s back, which is deemed not a legitimate basketball play, and therefore deemed unnecessary contact. After the foul, there is a physical taunt technical on Boston and a verbal technical on Reese, which offset.””

But it was what happened after the flagrant foul and offsetting technical fouls were called that really stirred up controversy.

When Reese went to the foul line, an odd sound could be heard:

What some people took as monkey sounds, others took to be a recording of the viral laughter of YouTube influencer FlightReacts

The WNBA Players Association issued a statement, “The WNBPA is aware of reports of hateful comments at yesterday’s game in Indianapolis and supports the WNBA’s current investigation into this matter. Such behavior is unacceptable in our sport. Under the WNBA’s ‘No Space for Hate’ policy, we trust the league to thoroughly investigate and take swift, appropriate action to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all.”

Mel Raines, CEO of Pacers Sports and Entertainment which owns the Indiana Fever, issued a statement Sunday afternoon, “We are aware of the allegations of inappropriate fan conduct during yesterday’s game and we are working closely with the WNBA to complete their investigation. We stand firm in our commitment to providing a safe environment for all WNBA players.”

The Associated Press reported Sunday the alleged racial taunts being investigated by the WNBA were directed at Angel Reese (headline and excerpt):

WNBA investigating racial slurs by fans made at Angel Reese during Indiana game, AP Source says

The WNBA is investigating racial comments directed toward Angel Reese by fans during the Chicago Sky’s loss to Caitlin Clark and the Fever at Indiana on Saturday, according to a person familiar with the situation.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on Sunday on condition of anonymity because the league had not publicly identified who the taunts were directed toward or who made the allegations.

Without any hard evidence, the AP has already convicted Indiana Fever fans of being racist.

This writer found one post claiming racist behavior at the game was witnessed by an attendee, but so far no video of such behavior:

Bonus video clip that helps explain the lopsided score:

The post WNBA to Investigate Allegations of Racism by Fans at Chicago Sky vs. Indiana Fever Game After Dust-Up Between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

JUST IN: Liberal Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan Set To Win Controversial Romanian Presidential Elections

Filed Under: Gateway Pundit, INVESTIGATIONS

Romanian Presidential candidate Nicusor Dan.

Romanian authorities have announced that the liberal mayor of Bucharest, mathematician Nicusor Dan has won the second and final round of the deeply controversial Romanian presidential elections.

With the first round of vote cancelled; with favorite candidate Calin Georgescu arrested, prosecuted and banned from the re-election; with widespread allegations of fraud and foreign interference by France – this election is forever tainted.

Right-wing populist George Simion, who won the first round of the election ‘re-do’ with over 20 percentage point ahead of Dan, warned of fraud, and posted on X that he was the new president of Romania.

But the official results state: Nicusor Dan is the new president-elect.

Watch: Dan with supporters tonight in Bucharest.

Reuters reported:

“The soft-spoken mathematician made a last-minute dash to the top in recent days after weeks of trailing George Simion, a hard-right supporter of Trump and a Eurosceptic wanting to end military aid for Ukraine in its war with Russia. Simion did not concede.

Dan, 55, had campaigned on a pledge to fight rampant corruption, maintain support for Ukraine – where Romania has played an important logistic role – and to keep the country firmly within the European mainstream.”

All around the conservative corners of the web, Simion supporters denounce rampant irregularities.

Read more:

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov Says France Pressured Him To Censor Right-Wing Voices in the Run-up To Romanian Elections

The post JUST IN: Liberal Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan Set To Win Controversial Romanian Presidential Elections appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Why Chicago loves da pope

Filed Under: INVESTIGATIONS, The Blaze

In my previous piece about Pope Leo XIV, I discussed last weekend’s social media buzz around the first American pope’s love of baseball.

Unfortunately, the article went to press before I could confirm one crucial detail: The pope is a White Sox fan.

For every meme of the pope wearing a Sox jersey, someone else is crying because the pope used to go to her high school or speaks with his accent.

“He was never ever a Cubs fan, so I don’t know where that came from. He was always a Sox fan,” the new pope’s younger brother, John Prevost, told WGN TV.

White smoke, White Sox

Footage even emerged on Friday afternoon showing a younger Pope Leo in the stands for Game 1 of the Sox’s historic 2005 World Series sweep of the Houston Astros.

The news was also confirmed by Cincinnati Reds fan Vice President JD Vance, who joked that Pope Leo’s White Sox fandom may be good for his spirituality.

“I had a friend of mine that had a pretty funny take on this,” recalled Vance. “He said, ‘If Pope Leo really is a Chicago White Sox fan, then he’s already actually faced the stress of martyrdom multiple times,’ so maybe we have a real winner in the new Holy Father.”

Sorry, Cubs.

No word on whether club chairman Tom Ricketts’ invitation for Pope Leo to sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” at Wrigley Field still stands.

Da memes

Despite enduring some jabs for prematurely claiming Pope Leo as one of their own, Cubs fans seem undeterred, cranking out just as much Leo-themed merchandise and memes as their crosstown rivals.

The sheer number of “da pope” memes, shirts, posters, and bobble-heads that have been made in the past few days shows that Chicagoans love being the hometown of the new Holy Father. One local restaurant chain even named an Italian beef sandwich after the pope, while another local pizza joint is seeing skyrocketing business after it was revealed that the pope ate there. The buzz has yet to die down!

As it turns out, Chicagoans of all baseball persuasions have fallen head over heels for Pope Leo in the past few days.

It all seems a little provincial compared to the significance of the larger milestone: that an American from anywhere in the country made the cut.

American pious

Catholic commentators have long thought the Church would be unlikely ever to choose a leader from a country already so dominant in politics, economics, and culture. Africa or South America, where much of Catholicism’s recent growth has occurred, seemed much more likely candidate pools.

That’s why so many Americans are trying to find a message behind the papal conclave’s choice of Cardinal Prevost. What made an American so uniquely suited to this moment in Catholic history, given America’s history of Protestant anti-clericalism and its dubious distinction of being one of the only countries in history to have a heresy named after it?

Was this a statement about the remarkable revival of the Church in America (through folks like Bishop Barron and Fr. Mike Schmitz) or a warning that its vocal “trad” element needs to be more like the politically moderate Pope Leo XIV?

The Chicago way

Back in my native Chicago, any such speculation seems fairly abstract when compared to the ever-present buzz of excitement. Midwest Americans feel a connection to the pope they’ve never felt before.

This is particularly true in Chicago, where Polish, Irish, German, Slavic, Italian, and Hispanic Catholic communities are deeply rooted in the city’s identity and people. For every meme of the pope wearing a Sox jersey, someone else is crying because the pope used to go to her high school or speaks with his accent, creating a new level of identification they’ve never felt with their spiritual father.

Local clergy and laypeople I’ve spoken to in the last few days are bursting with excitement that a graduate of the South Side’s Catholic Theological Union — and a man with whom they share myriad personal connections — is now the supreme pontiff.

Fellow Chicago native and Catholic apologist Bishop Robert Barron put it well in a video last Friday, reflecting how touching it is to have grown up in the same milieu as Pope Leo. They are only a few years apart in age.

“He’s not only an American; he’s from Chicago. He’s from my hometown,” said Barrron. “In fact, he grew up in Dalton, and I grew up in Western Springs. [In good traffic] I could get to Dalton in 25 minutes.”

Barron couldn’t resist pointing out one crucial way in which he dissents from Pope Leo: “I’m a Cubs fan.”

Chi-town represent

Regardless of team — or even religious affiliation — it’s a powerful thing to see yourself represented in such a significant institution. As my friends have put it, it is both surreal and intensely moving to hear a pope speak English with an American accent.

Especially moved are those who grew up in the neighborhoods that Pope Leo lived and served in. I’m seeing Facebook friends, many who aren’t Catholic, share with obvious pride that their family members went to the same high school as the pope.

As Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says, “This is a tremendous moment for our Catholic community and for all Chicagoans.”

I can’t say I’m not enjoying it myself. However, as much fun as it is to see all the Mike Ditka and “da Bears” jokes, I must admit I am getting queasy from the memes showing the Eucharist replaced with a deep dish pizza. And the wine replaced with Malort.

Setting aside the mild sacrilege, I don’t like the idea of getting a heartburn from holy communion.

How Republicans can shut down this overbearing agency once and for all

Filed Under: INVESTIGATIONS, The Blaze

With accountability and spending restraint more urgent than ever, Congress should shut down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for good. Eliminating the CFPB would mark a decisive move to protect taxpayers from another bloated, unaccountable government agency. If Republicans, Congress, and President Donald Trump want to keep their promise to rein in Washington’s runaway bureaucracy, they must ensure this agency stays dead — and buried for good.

The CFPB’s unchecked growth and regulatory overreach have raised red flags for years. Born out of the 2008 financial crisis, the agency operates with minimal oversight and has long avoided serious scrutiny. Its expanding budget and vague authority continue to spark legitimate questions about fiscal responsibility and constitutional limits. Closing down the CFPB would end a failed bureaucratic experiment and send a clear message: Every federal agency answers to the taxpayers. No exceptions.

Consumers deserve clear, commonsense policies — especially after years of market confusion driven by the CFPB’s heavy hand.

The CFPB was built to operate independently, beyond the reach of Congress or the president. Lawmakers granted it broad, vague authority — allowing unelected bureaucrats to meddle freely in the U.S. economy. Beyond its track record of economic failure, the CFPB’s structure flatly contradicts the American model of representative government.

President Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, acted quickly. They made high-impact decisions to show Americans they were serious about cutting waste, reducing overreach, and eliminating redundancy across the federal bureaucracy. When the CFPB came up for its DOGE review, the administration halted its operations and dismissed hundreds of staff.

That move triggered criticism from the usual quarters, but consumers and lawmakers should look deeper. Ending the CFPB isn’t just about cost-cutting. It signaled a broader plan to streamline the federal government and promote efficiency across every agency.

Still, even the DOGE can’t finish the job without Congress. Only Congress can repeal the statute that established the CFPB — and only Congress can shut the agency down for good. Lawmakers must do so.

The CFPB currently controls its own funding, bypassing the regular appropriations process and evading critical checks and balances. Reclaiming those dollars would help reduce the deficit, and redistributing the CFPB’s limited useful functions to other agencies would ensure continued consumer protections under proper oversight.

The Federal Reserve and other agencies already handle key aspects of financial regulation and could easily absorb the CFPB’s remaining duties. Congress must finally draw the line: no more duplicative mandates, no more unchecked authority, and no more mission creep. If consumer protections matter — and they do — then Congress must deliver them through a structure that answers to the people.

RELATED: Congress claps back at Biden’s ‘junk fee’ crusade


Ployker via iStock/Getty Images

Fortunately, the CFPB has begun scaling back some of its overreach. Earlier this month, the agency dropped its lawsuit against Credit Acceptance Corporation, an auto lender. That move signals a step in the right direction — away from regulatory overreach and toward a more balanced role in the economy.

Every unnecessary enforcement action piles compliance costs on businesses, stifles innovation, and hampers economic growth. Reassessing these missteps marks progress toward a regulatory approach that defends consumers without punishing industry.

Consumers deserve clear, commonsense policies — especially after years of market confusion driven by the CFPB’s heavy hand. They also deserve policies shaped by accountable officials, not by bureaucrats operating in defiance of congressional oversight. Credit access remains essential for Americans seeking financial stability in times of need. Crafting sound regulations — and eliminating those that never made sense — protects both their financial futures and the broader economy.

Consumers also deserve protection they can trust. Creditors need clear, consistent rules to serve their customers without facing unpredictable regulatory entanglements. Any reform bill must address these concerns directly and distribute the CFPB’s remaining legitimate duties across existing, accountable agencies.

As these changes take shape, stakeholders must stay engaged. Reforms should be implemented deliberately and effectively — promoting economic growth while preserving oversight where it’s needed. If President Trump wants to cement his legacy as the president who dismantled the administrative state, he must make sure the CFPB doesn’t just get paused. It must stay gone for good.

Gender Confused NYU Student Uses Graduation Speech to Virtue Signal for Hamas

Filed Under: INVESTIGATIONS, Newsbusters

A gender confused NYU student thought she was breaking some new ground toward universal justice by smugly standing up in front of her graduating class and using her commencement speech to virtue signal for Hamas.

“As I search my heart today in addressing you all, my moral and political commitments guide me to say that the only appropriate thing to say in this time and to a group this large is a recognition of the atrocities currently happening in Palestine,” preached theatre student Logan Rozos, who is apparently a biological woman pretending to be a man. 

First, know this: This young man has had his diploma suspended for doing this.
Now, watch what he did:pic.twitter.com/oKVhJoKa88
— Ben Phillips (@benphillips76) May 15, 2025
She was correct in admitting one thing: Her commitment to leftist ideology requires her to pledge her unwavering loyalty, by turning her speech into a self important lecture rather than thanking her family who sacrificed their time and money so she could stand up there and piss it all away. 

Related: ‘F*** YOUR FINALS!’ Wannabe Jihadis Storm Columbia University’s Library Calling For Terrorism

“The genocide currently occurring is supported politically and militarily by the United States, is paid for by our tax dollars, and has been live-streamed to our phones for the past 18 months,” she continued. 

You know what IS paid for by our taxpayer dollars? This spoiled dilettante’s TikTok-level education.  

Apparently, four years of Ivory Tower indoctrination provide this 20-something-year-old with the moral authority and life experience to “speak for all people of conscience” and bloviate on a foreign war he’s learned about through social media. 

“I want to say that I condemn this genocide and complicity in this genocide,” she concluded, repeating the same empty cliches to the roaring other 20-something year old ignoramuses. 

In a statement apologizing for the public embarrassment, NYU accused Rozos of lying about the original remarks she had submitted and claimed “this moment was stolen by someone who abused a privilege that was conferred upon him.”

It appears the university has taken down her student profile from their website and suspended his diploma, according to CNN.

FBI Says Palm Springs Bombing of Fertility Clinic Motivated by Anti-Natalist Ideology — 25-Year-Old Suspect Identified

Filed Under: Gateway Pundit, INVESTIGATIONS

Guy Edward Barkus

The FBI has confirmed that the bombing of a fertility clinic in Palm Springs was motivated by anti-natalist ideology.

Guy Edward Bartkus, 25, has been named by authorities as the individual suspected of setting off the explosive during Saturday’s incident, which claimed his own life.

NBC reports:

Investigators are focusing on social media posts made by the suspect, including a 30-minute audio recording, which they say support anti-natalist views.

While the posts and the recording are still being verified, officials believe they reflect the ideology behind the bombing. Anti-natalism refers to the belief that no one should have children.

The same person may also be linked to an online forum post from earlier this month in which the individual contemplated suicide using an explosive device, the sources said.

They are also investigating a YouTube account, under the same moniker, that features videos of experiments with homemade explosives.

Natalism is the belief that societies should encourage childbirth and population growth, often through policies or cultural messaging that promote family life and higher birth rates.

It is often supported by conservatives, with Elon Musk being its most famous proponent.

However, some left-leaning voices also back natalist policies, particularly in countries such as Japan and South Korea that are facing exisential demographic decline.

During a Sunday press briefing, officials stated that the suspect may have been trying to broadcast the attack live and confirmed they are examining what they referred to as a “manifesto.”

In this manifesto, which took the form of a 30-minute audio recording, Barkus explained his motives for the attack, which included the belief that humans had never given consent to being alive.

“I figured I would just make a recording explaining why I’ve decided to bomb an IVF building, or clinic,” he explained.

”Basically, it just comes down to I’m angry that I exist and that, you know, nobody got my consent to bring me here.”

In more positive developments, all those injured in the blast have now been released from hospital.

The post FBI Says Palm Springs Bombing of Fertility Clinic Motivated by Anti-Natalist Ideology — 25-Year-Old Suspect Identified appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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