THE NEWS

The Korean Federation of Community Credit Cooperatives said Monday that it will provide AI-powered companion robots to elderly residents.

South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem said Monday that the company is showcasing its AI-powered anti-drone technologies at Eurosatory 2026, a defense fair.

Who Won The Third Gulf War?

Authored by Andrew Korybko,

Iran is poised to gradually return to the US-led Western order within certain limits exactly as Iran’s moderate faction has long wanted, its hardline faction has successfully preserved the armed forces and their missile stockpile, while Israel achieved none of its goals in its most epic defeat ever.

Iran and the US plan to sign a Zarif-inspired memorandum of understanding (MoU) on ending the Third Gulf War this Friday in Switzerland. The exact details aren’t yet known, and Fortune reported that there were at least three competing texts, but all of them “include similar elements around reopening the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway, giving Iran sanctions relief and opening the door to longer-term negotiations around its nuclear program.” That’s already enough to arrive at several very important conclusions.

For starters, reopening the strait without Iran’s wartime petroyuan toll booth in place would represent a significant concession by the Islamic Republic, whose media surrogates celebrated this model as an historic multipolar milestone. The same goes for resuming negotiations on its politically sensitive nuclear program. The sanctions relief in exchange might arguably be worth it, however, judging by this estimate here of the profound economic-financial damage caused by the US’ (imperfect) blockade.

On that topic, it was explained here in late March that “The US will have lost the Third Gulf War if China can still rely on Iran as a reliable low-cost energy supplier while turning the yuan into a global reserve currency that challenges the petrodollar”, so preventing both is imperative from the US’ perspective.

With the petroyuan reportedly out of the picture, that leaves Iran’s oil export dependence on China, but sanctions relief could help gradually redirect its sales (such as to India) without disrupting the market.

Likewise, if reports about a $300 billion reconstruction fund for Iran are true (even if the final sum is much lower but still tens of billions of dollars), then US and Gulf investments in Iran’s energy industry could lead to them controlling its exports.

It was assessed in January that “The US Wants To Replicate The Venezuelan Model In Iran”, which would be on the path to implementation in that scenario.

The resultant interdependence could advance collective security and facilitate the US’ regional withdrawal.

Iran’s moderate (“reformist”) and hardline (“principalist”) factions would therefore achieve some of their goals, the first with respect to sanctions relief and the second with regards to preserving the country’s (arguably battered) armed forces as well as their missile stockpile, not to mention their political system.

Nevertheless, the factional balance would have shifted in the moderate’s favor since the US wouldn’t sign a MoU if the moderates couldn’t control “rogue” hardliners, who could potentially rekindle the war.

It can therefore be concluded that the moderates beat the hardliners in Iran’s deep state power struggle, but this was due to the US and Israel killing dozens of top hardline figures, after which their respective institutions (especially the IRGC) were weakened and ultimately tamed by the moderates.

To be sure, “rogue” hardliners – regardless of their relationship to the IRGC – could still sabotage the MoU, but Trump 2.0 feels comfortable enough that they won’t otherwise it wouldn’t go through with the signing.

A new regional era is emerging whereby the Third Gulf War might very well lead to Iran’s gradual reincorporation into the US-led Western order, albeit within limits, which lays the groundwork for better ties with its Gulf neighbors.

In that scenario, Israel would stand to lose since it could no longer divide-and-rule Iran and the Gulf, nor would the US have its back if Israel resumes hostilities with Iran due to the recent revival of the possibly irreconcilable Trump-Bibi rift. Israel is therefore the war’s biggest loser.

Tyler Durden
Mon, 06/15/2026 – 23:25

Screencap of Twitter/X video.
Earlier today, former President Obama criticized Trump’s new deal with Iran, suggesting it is no different that the Iran Deal that he tried to put into place. In fact, they are not the same thing at all.
Vice President JD Vance fired back at Obama during an appearance on the Sean Hannity show on FOX News tonight, pointing out one of the glaring differences between the two deals.
Gulf Arabs hated the Obama deal, but they like this one. Also, Obama’s deal was going to almost guarantee that Iran would eventually get a nuclear weapon.
Partial transcript via Overton News:
Vice President Vance fires back at Obama for claiming the new Iran deal is basically the same as the JCPOA.
Vance then asked Obama one question that completely destroyed his entire argument.
VANCE: “I’d ask the president, the former president, I’d say Obama, why in the world if it’s the same thing, why is it that the Gulf Arabs hated your deal and they love our deal?”
“They are the ones in the region, they know what it means to enrich the worst terrorist regime in the world, and they also know what it means to turn over a new leaf and go to a different future.”
“I think president Obama, he should acknowledge that the people who are closest to this, they love the Trump deal.”
“They hate the Obama deal.”
“And that’s maybe the biggest endorsement of this plan.”
See the video below:

Vice President Vance fires back at Obama for claiming the new Iran deal is basically the same as the JCPOA.
Vance then asked Obama one question that completely destroyed his entire argument.
VANCE: “I’d ask the president, the former president, I’d say Obama, why in the world if… pic.twitter.com/bOKrGn56kE
— Overton (@overton_news) June 16, 2026

Obama is just not willing or capable of keeping his nose out of things, even though he has been out of office for a decade.
He is incapable of showing the same grace that was afforded to him by his predecessor, George W. Bush.

The post Vice President JD Vance Fires Back at Obama Over Criticism of New Iran Deal (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Vice President JD Vance said that the proposed U.S.-Iran deal will usher in a “new day” for the Middle East, while addressing whether U.S. taxpayer funds would be used to finance Iran’s potential $300 billion reconstruction fund in an interview Monday on “Hannity”Vance told Fox News host Sean Hannity that Iran could have access to the multibillion-dollar fund if the nation fulfills the obligations outlined in its deal with the United States.”The agreement says they are not getting a single dime of American money,” he said.TRUMP SAYS IRAN DEAL ‘LARGELY NEGOTIATED’ AS 84-DAY WAR NEARS POSSIBLE END”What the agreement does say, Sean, is if the Iranians behave and if there are sanctions relief and if the Iranians are integrated into the world economy, we would invite other countries, not us, but other countries to invest in their country.”U.S. and Iranian officials reached an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, cease hostilities and address Tehran’s nuclear weapons program. The deal, known as a memorandum of understanding, is set to be signed on Friday in Switzerland.A proposed $300 billion fund under consideration by the Trump administration for Iran would be financed by private companies looking to invest in the country, not American taxpayers.LISA DAFTARI: HORMUZ WHIPLASH PROVES TEHRAN CAN’T HONOR ANY DEAL IT SIGNSWhile the full terms of the U.S.-Iran peace agreement have not been released, Vance emphasized that the deal is performance-based and said Iran will have access to the reconstruction fund only if it complies with the deal’s conditions.”The Iranians don’t get a dime unless they behave and change their behavior,” he said on “Hannity.””If they show verifiable commitment, and that means a real inspections regime, then they can get the benefits of the bargain.”Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said, according to Tasnim News Agency, “This memorandum does not mean trusting the enemy; it has been written with active distrust.”TRUMP-BACKED BOARD OF PEACE, ISRAEL ‘WILL TAKE ACTION’ IF HAMAS REMAINS OUT OF COMPLIANCE: NETANYAHU ADVISORThe vice president insisted that Iran has a “real opportunity” to transform the regime’s strained relationship with the United States, saying that action will be rewarded instead of words.”I think that they see there’s a real opportunity here to turn over a new leaf so long as they do the right thing,” Vance declared.”If the Iranians are willing to change their ways. If they’re willing to behave like a normal country, stop trying to build a nuclear weapon, stop trying fund terrorism all over the Middle East, then we are willing to actually fundamentally transform our relationship with them.”The vice president, who said the deal “absolutely” includes a nuclear-disarmed Iran, addressed how the administration plans to eliminate the nation’s enriched uranium stockpile.”What we’re going to do, Sean, is destroy the highly enriched material, the nuclear dust, and we’re gonna do it with the Iranians,” he told “Hannity.””[Trump] wants us to work with the Iranians, with the international organizations to destroy that stockpile of enriched material.”Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei played a direct role in shaping Iran’s memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the U.S., according to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.Vance, who has taken a leading role in peace talks, revealed that some Iranian hardliners have begun questioning decades of hostility toward the United States.”You talk about hardliners and moderates. What’s fascinating to me about their system is that we’re seeing even people that I would have assumed are hardliners who are kind of saying, ‘Maybe it was a mistake for us to do the things that we’ve done over the last 40 years. Maybe we should turn over a new leaf in the relationship with the United States of America,’” he said.”We’ve never had this level of direct communication with the Iranian leadership.”Vance said that if Iran fails to uphold its commitments, relations between the two countries will revert to their previous state.”The reason why our Arab allies, our Gulf allies, are so excited about this is because they think this is a new day in the Middle East,” he told Fox News. “But again, if it’s not, then it’s not. If the Iranians don’t comply, then we’re gonna go back to the same relationship that we had before, where we have all the cards.””We have the cards, and if they don’t honor the commitment, we’ll figure out what to do when we get there.”

Gun Safety: Violent Crime Drops As More Americans Pack Heat

Authored by John R. Lott jr via RealClearInvestigations,

Alessandra Coote was walking on a trail with her 2-year-old daughter and dog two-and-a-half years ago when a man began yelling at her and threatened to kill her dog. When the petite single mom made it back to her Utah home, she decided she needed a firearm for protection.

A few months later, while living in what she described as a “shady part of town,” a homeless man threatened her. After that encounter, she began regularly carrying a firearm under Utah’s Constitutional Carry law.

Coote, who just graduated this spring from the University of Utah, says carrying the gun has given her the confidence to feel safe in public. “It’s been life-changing,” she told RealClearInvestigations (RCI). Although she has never had to draw or fire the weapon, she has faced a threatening individual when she was armed, but stopped the attack by merely letting the man know she was carrying.

Coote is part of a growing trend of strapped Americans. A new survey of 1,000 general election voters conducted last month by McLaughlin & Associates found that almost 30 percent of respondents said they carry a firearm. More specifically, the survey found that 13.2 percent respondents said they carry a firearm all or most of the time, while an additional 16.6 percent said they carry one sometimes or rarely. These results show a 5.5 percent increase in the number of respondents who said they carry firearms since a similar poll was conducted in December 2024.

Both polls were commissioned by the group I lead, the Crime Prevention Research Center, and have a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent.

Since 2021, 13 states, covering 34 percent of the U.S. population, have adopted constitutional carry laws. As a result, 29 states do not require law-abiding citizens to obtain a permit to carry a concealed handgun. A little less than two-thirds of those who are carrying a concealed handgun in these states have a permit.

The survey is the latest evidence challenging claims linking firearms and violent crime. As data show both the number of firearms and the percentage of people carrying them is increasing, preliminary estimates show the U.S. murder rate is likely to hit a record low in 2025—at least 10 percent below the previous record low.

“It doesn’t surprise me that while the country is experiencing record-low murder and violent crime rates, we are also experiencing a record high number of people legally carrying concealed handguns for self-protection,” Alan Gottlieb, the executive vice president and founder of the Second Amendment Foundation, told RCI.

Bradford County, Fla., Sheriff Gordon Smith said lowering crime rates “isn’t rocket science.” He told RCI, “You reduce crime by putting more cops on the street, increasing arrest and conviction rates, and imposing meaningful prison sentences. But you also cut crime by empowering law-abiding citizens to defend themselves and their families through constitutional carry.”

Gun control groups—Everytown, Brady United, and Giffords Law Center—declined repeated requests to respond to the survey data and crime statistics.

Blacks, Hispanics & Women

The CPRC survey also found that politically engaged citizens are more likely to carry firearms. Respondents who identified as general election voters were twice as likely to have concealed handgun permits as other adults.

Blacks and Hispanics also carry at disproportionately high rates. Black people make up 11.0 percent of likely voters but account for 15.9 percent of those who carry all or most of the time. Hispanics are even higher, accounting for 18.8 percent of frequent carriers despite comprising only 11.0 percent of likely voters. By contrast, whites and Asians carry at rates below their shares of likely voters. Whites constitute 72 percent of likely voters but only 62.6 percent of those who carry all or most of the time, while Asians account for 4.0 percent of likely voters but just 2.0 percent of frequent carriers.

Audrey Bodiford, a 5’2” black woman living in Lansing, Michigan, told RCI she owes her life to her handgun and having a concealed handgun permit. On Valentine’s Day in 2022, she said, the over 6-foot-tall man she had been dating “kind of went crazy,” threatened to kill her, and pulled a knife on her. Fearing for her life, she shot him in self-defense.

Because she lives in what she describes as a “not good” neighborhood, this was not the only time she relied on her firearm for protection. In another incident, she said she accidentally let a door slip from her hand while trying to hold it open for a man leaving a store. The man became verbally abusive, followed her, and aggressively closed in on her. She turned slightly so he could see that she was armed. He immediately backed off, ending the confrontation. Asked if carrying has given her more confidence: “I feel more safe, definitely,” she said.

The survey found relatively small differences between men and women. While women make up 52 percent of general election voters, they comprise 45.1 percent of Americans carrying concealed weapons; men are 48 percent of the electorate and 54.9 percent of those who carry all or most of the time. The breakdown for Constitutional Carry states is relatively higher for women, with 47.5 percent of those carrying all/most of the time being women and 52.5 percent men. Constitutional Carry may benefit women who suddenly face threats from a stalker or former partner and often do not feel they can wait the months it takes for officials to approve a permit application.

Research shows that two groups benefit the most from carrying firearms: physically weaker individuals, such as women and the elderly, and those most likely to become crime victims, such as poor blacks living in high-crime urban areas. These groups have also experienced the largest percentage increases in concealed handgun permits over the last decade (2015–2024). During that period, permits for women increased 112 percent faster than permits for men, while permits for blacks increased 284 percent faster than permits for whites.

“A firearm dramatically increases a woman’s ability to defend herself,” Professor Carl Moody, a crime researcher at the College of William & Mary, told RCI. “Without a firearm, a woman is almost always at a significant disadvantage if attacked by a man. With a firearm, she can avoid an unfair fight with an opponent who usually has a size and strength advantage. Almost always, it is only necessary to announce or display the weapon to dissuade the attacker.”

More Guns, Fewer Violent Crimes

After the Supreme Court struck down a New York state law in 2022 which had sharply limited the number of people who could carry concealed weapons, six states, including California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York, were forced to make it easier to get a concealed handgun permit by eliminating arbitrary discretion and establishing objective rules on training and other qualifications. “This dangerous decision will make America a less safe country,” Democratic New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy warned. Those states did, indeed, see an enormous increase in the number of permits issued. In New Jersey, the number of concealed carry permit holders increased from 1,212 in 2022 to 57,245 in 2025. In Hawaii, the total has now gone from zero to 4,000.

Violent crime, however, has fallen in all six states. The murder rate in New Jersey fell from 3.9 per 100,000 people in 2022 to 2.4 in 2024, and the preliminary numbers show it falling to as low as two per 100,000 in 2025. A press release from New Jersey’s attorney general announced a “Historic Low in Gun Violence for 2025.” Some attribute the drop to the increase in permits. “Today, more than 58,000 law-abiding New Jerseyans can exercise their right to carry a firearm. And while some warned this would turn our streets into the Wild West, the reality has been far different,” Republican New Jersey Assemblyman Greg Myhre claimed.

An easier thing to measure is that permit holders are exceptionally law-abiding. States revoke their licenses for firearm-related violations at rates measured in thousandths or even tens of thousandths of a percentage point. Police officers rarely commit crimes, yet concealed handgun permit holders prove even more law-abiding than cops. Permit holders are convicted for firearms offenses at just one-twelfth the rate at which police are convicted of comparable firearm-related crimes.

“The data clearly show that concealed carry permit holders are among the safest and most responsible users of firearms,” David Mustard, a distinguished professor at the University of Georgia who researches extensively on crime, told RCI. Bradford County Sheriff Gordon Smith confirmed that this is his experience with Constitutional Carry: “The data is clear: The vast majority of concealed carriers are among our most responsible residents, not the problem.”

Despite the fears raised by gun-control advocates, over 91 percent of street police officers support concealed handgun laws. Law enforcement professionals understand that self-defense is a key element of public safety, in part because they know they usually arrive only after criminals commit crimes. An overwhelming body of academic research finds that allowing law-abiding citizens to carry concealed handguns reduces crime.

This is especially true for women, who often struggle to defend themselves against much larger and stronger men, who also tend to run faster. While both men and women benefit from carrying a concealed handgun, research shows that each additional woman who carries a concealed handgun reduces the murder rate for women by roughly three to four times more than an additional man carrying a concealed handgun reduces the murder rate for men.

“Too often, women who are being stalked or threatened are told to limit their movements, alter their routines, or rely on a piece of paper to stop someone determined to harm them,” Robyn Sandoval, the president of A Girl & A Gun, told RCI. “Women deserve better than living in fear. By learning to responsibly carry a firearm, they can gain the confidence and means to protect themselves and live their lives without fear.”

“Every day, more law-abiding citizens choose to legally carry firearms because they refuse to be victimized by criminals and thugs,” Brevard County, FL, Sheriff Wayne Ivey told RCI. “Responsible gun owners know that even the best police response times takes minutes, while violent criminals can take a life in seconds!”

Tyler Durden
Mon, 06/15/2026 – 22:35

Screencap of YouTube video.
A North Carolina high school student was accused of vandalism and investigated after she painted a pro-Charlie Kirk message on a rock on the school’s campus that has historically been used by students in this way.
Now the student is sitting on top of gigantic pile of money, having won a legal settlement over the way she was targeted for this.
There was absolutely nothing offensive in the messages she painted on the rock. The school only acted because the message was about Charlie Kirk. The student’s First Amendment rights were violated.
FOX News reports:
North Carolina student wins $95K after school accused her of vandalizing spirit rock with Charlie Kirk tribute
A North Carolina high school student has reached a $95,000 settlement with her school district after she was publicly accused of vandalism and told she was under police investigation. The controversy revolved around painting a campus “spirit rock” with a Bible verse and patriotic message in tribute to the late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.
Fox News Digital has learned that a settlement was reached this week between the family of Ardrey Kell High School student Gabby Stout and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education. Under the terms of the agreement, the school board will adopt a new free speech policy, issue a public statement expressing regret, and pay $95,000 to Stout’s legal team at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).
The settlement comes six months after the Stouts filed a federal lawsuit alleging rampant violations of the student’s First Amendment rights.
Stout told Fox News Digital the settlement ultimately clears her name.
“This settlement finally reinforces that I did nothing wrong, and the school system has to admit that publicly,” she said. “After I got permission to paint a message sharing my faith in God, school officials accused me of vandalism in front of my whole school and my entire community. Then they put me through an unfair investigation. They never should have treated me this way, and by saying they regret that I had this experience, they are finally acknowledging that publicly.”
This was an expensive lesson for the school.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools just paid $95K for a lesson on the First Amendment.
That payment is part of a settlement with Gabby Stout— the high school student who painted a patriotic tribute to Charlie Kirk on a spirit rock last year.
Although Gabby had gotten permission—and… pic.twitter.com/bUZamRIfn0
— Kristen Waggoner (@KristenWaggoner) June 15, 2026

The left’s hysteria over conservatives sometimes makes them behave quite stupidly.

The post North Carolina Student Wins Massive Legal Settlement After School Accused Her of Vandalism Over Pro-Charlie Kirk Message Painted on Rock appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

After the 2026 NBA Finals wrapped up a Knicks-led gentleman’s sweep of the San Antonio Spurs, much of the conversation has shifted to evaluating Victor Wembanyama after a self-destructive postseason debut.When the final buzzer sounded in Game 5, the 7-foot-4 French phenom skipped the traditional handshake line and headed straight for the locker room.It capped off a rough Finals from a PR standpoint.Earlier in the series, Wembanyama drew criticism for a dangerously hard foul on Brunson and was later caught on camera laughing in Mitchell Robinson’s direction during a heated moment.When the reality of the loss finally set in, Wembanyama chose not to face the Knicks on the court. His postgame comments did little to clear things up, as he largely sidestepped questions about the walk-off.CHARLES BARKLEY ‘ANNOYED’ WITH VICTOR WEMBANYAMA BEING GIVEN ‘FACE OF THE LEAGUE’ TITLEThe decision opened the door for one of the NBA’s most ironic critics: notorious enforcer Draymond Green.The same Draymond Green who has spent much of his career blurring the line between basketball and mixed martial arts is now handing out lessons on sportsmanship.It’s not so much Green’s lack of self-awareness that is astonishing; it’s that he actually has something to offer the young Wemby when it comes to proper conduct.On the latest episode of “The Draymond Green Show,”, the Warriors veteran didn’t hold back when discussing Wembanyama’s decision to skip the handshake line.DRAYMOND GREEN UPSET WITH ‘AGENDA’ THAT HE IS AN ‘ANGRY BLACK MAN'”Look your killer in the face,” Green advised Wembanyama.”You gotta look them in the face. By the way, if you leave the court and you don’t look me in my face and I just beat you, I actually know that I own you forever because you couldn’t look me in the face.”As strange as it sounds coming from Green, he’s got a point.Win or lose, part of being a professional is facing the outcome.By leaving the floor immediately, Wembanyama gave critics an easy target and allowed the story to become about his temperament rather than the Knicks’ championship celebration.Wembanyama remains one of the league’s brightest young stars. For him, handling defeat is part of the job.As the presumed next face of the NBA, Wemby’s lack of maturity after a crushing loss turned off many fans who were starting to buy into his hype.His appeal is now fair game for discussion.Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela  ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

Screencap of Twitter/X video.
During a recent broadcast, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria did a monologue about California and how the state has been failed by the one-party rule of Democrats.
He points to the state’s failure in education, the inability to build housing, and the massive homeless problem, among other things.
Zakaria uses all of this to explain the anger of voters and the rise of Republican candidates like Steve Hilton and Spencer Pratt.
Partial transcript via Real Clear Politics:
FAREED ZAKARIA: At a time when President Trump and Republicans are faring poorly in most polls, the story has been different in California. Republican Steve Hilton finished ahead of many high spending Democrats in the governor’s race to advance to the November election, facing Democrat Xavier Becerra. In Los Angeles, an overwhelmingly Democratic city, Spencer Pratt, a Republican, former reality television personality, looked as if he might make the mayoral general election before finishing third.
California Democrats will be tempted to dismiss all this as a sideshow, but the frustration is real and justified. California is one of the most dynamic places on the planet. It has Silicon Valley, Hollywood, world class universities, extraordinary agriculture, ports, talent and natural beauty. But it is a case study in how a rich society can spend more and more while producing less and less of what its ordinary citizens need.
The paradox of California today is a successful economy attached to a failing model of governance.
Consider the fiscal record. Since 2000, California’s population has grown by roughly 15 percent. But the state’s general expenditures have grown more than 200 percent, from $78 billion to about $248 billion. General spending per person has risen from about $2,300 to about $6,300. The number of state employees has grown by more than 50 percent by one count.
Does anyone think that California government and its benefits have gotten 200 percent better in the last 25 years?
Housing is the central failure. California has long spoken the language of compassion while building a system of exclusion. Alicia Finley writes in the “Wall Street Journal” that from 2021 to 2024, the L.A. metro area, with nearly 13 million people, issued only 118,000 building permits for new homes. Atlanta with about half that population issued 163,000.
California has made it too hard, slow and expensive to build. The result is predictable. Home prices soar, rents rise, workers commute farther, homelessness grows, young people leave. And people are leaving. Over the past seven years, the state has lost a net 1.9 million people through domestic migration.
Watch the video below:

California is one of the most dynamic places on the planet.
But it is a case study in how a rich society can spend more and more while producing less and less of what its ordinary citizens need.
My take: pic.twitter.com/a8LGEhWCdd
— Fareed Zakaria (@FareedZakaria) June 14, 2026

It’s nice of Zakaria to point all of this out, after Spencer Pratt has been bumped off the ballot for mayor of LA.
Better late than never, right?

The post CNN’s Fareed Zakaria Admits One-Party Rule by Democrats Has Been a Disaster for California (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

New Study Exposes How The Left Turned Mental Illness Into A Political Identity

Something researchers have observed for decades is finally crystallizing into a measurable cultural phenomenon. Political conservatives consistently report higher levels of happiness, better mental health, and stronger psychological well-being than their liberal counterparts. A new study published in Political Behavior takes that finding several steps further, arguing that mental illness has begun functioning as its own political identity, and that identity clusters most tightly on the left.

Columbia University’s magazine originally flagged the underlying trend back in 2023, reporting that “American adults who identify as politically liberal have long reported lower levels of happiness and psychological well-being than conservatives,” Based on the data of four different studies, researchers from the Universities of Florida and Toronto, found an explanation: conservatives tend to exhibit greater personal agency, religiosity, moral clarity, self-worth, and a more optimistic general disposition.

The Political Behavior study was conducted by Prof. Lauren Van De Hey of Utah State University, and the implications of her findings were significant. “I further find that there is an emerging mental health political identity that is most pronounced among younger (Gen Z) and more liberal Americans,” she said.

She also noted that “the political predictors and political consequences for the emerging mental health identity differ from those for physical disability and serious physical illness categorization and identification,” suggesting that mental health, unlike physical illness, has acquired a distinctly ideological character in American life.

Approximately half of the study participants with mental illness reported that their identity as a person with a mental health condition is “very important or somewhat important” to them. Meanwhile, conservatives are less likely than liberals to categorize anxiety and depression as mental health conditions and seek clinical treatment at lower rates. Van De Hey speculates this may reflect a “personal responsibility ethos: they do not seek help when they think they can resolve the issues on their own.” That framing, notably, does not treat the conservative approach as a pathology.

The study concludes that “these findings have far-reaching consequences for mental health advocacy, and the role mental health identity will play in the political sphere – especially as Gen Z matures as a cohort,” with conservative and specifically Christian beliefs credited as having a stronger track record for producing happiness and well-being than leftist counterparts.

“It is becoming increasingly clear which ideas do what! Conservative, and specifically Christian, ideas have a much better track record than their leftist counterparts,” writes Glenn T. Stanton of Daily Citizen. “This has deep personal and political implications.”

The gender dimension of this divide deserves its own examination. Academic literature going back to the 1970s establishes that women generally report worse mental health than men. A separate body of research establishes that conservatives report greater happiness than liberals. Among young liberal women, both trends converge. Last year, the Institute for Family Studies report found that 37% of conservative women report being “completely satisfied” with life, compared to 28% of moderates and just 12% of liberal women. Young conservative women are more than three times as likely as liberal women to report feeling very happy, and IFS found that “liberal women are two to three times more likely to report they are ‘not satisfied’ with their lives, compared to conservative women.”

The loneliness numbers were just as striking. Among women ages 18 to 40, 29% of liberals reported feeling lonely many times a week. Among conservative women, that figure dropped to 11%. The explanatory variables IFS identified were that young conservative women are far more likely to be married, far less likely to be cohabiting, and nearly five times more likely to attend weekly church services.

IFS concluded that closing the happiness gap “will seemingly require not only a change in thinking but also a renewal of young liberal women’s connection to America’s core institutions – family and faith.” That’s a direct challenge to a progressive framework that has spent years telling young women that traditional institutions are the source of their suffering rather than the solution.

Tyler Durden
Mon, 06/15/2026 – 22:10