THE NEWS

(U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Donita Burks)
As President Donald Trump continues his effort to drain the swamp of Deep State officials, his acting director of national intelligence announced a fresh round of firings Sunday night.
“Since becoming Acting Director of National Intelligence, our team has been smartly, and carefully, reducing the size of ODNI, re-focusing ODNI on national security, the law, and the statute,” Bill Pulte said on X.
“As of this evening, we just finished a 4th round of thoughtful, measured layoffs. Thank you!”

Since becoming Acting Director of National Intelligence, our team has been smartly, and carefully, reducing the size of ODNI, re-focusing ODNI on national security, the law, and the statute. As of this evening, we just finished a 4th round of thoughtful, measured layoffs. Thank…
— DNI Pulte (@DNIPulte) July 27, 2026

Last month, Trump nominated Pulte to head DNI, asking him “to execute the immediate and needed downsizing of the office, reverting staff to their home agencies. At the same time, I am looking for a permanent ODNI Nominee with experience in National Security.”
“Just like they did on Border Funding, the Radical Left Dumocrats are trying to take our National Security hostage because of unrelated issues. They should stop playing politics with the safety of our Great Country.”
President Donald J. Trump attends Game 3 of the NBA finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs, Monday, June 8, 2026, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. (Official White House photo by Daniel Torok)
Trump has since nominated U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton to serve as director of National Intelligence once confirmed by the Senate.
In the meantime, Pulte is publicizing success concerning declassification of sensitive government materials.
He praised Trump on X, saying the president “has been amazing on DECLASSIFICATIONS!”
Pulte added: “While it has only been a few weeks since he made me Acting Director of National Intelligence, President Trump has moved at lightning speed to protect our country from foreign influence and give transparency through DECLASSIFICATIONS!”

While it has only been a few weeks since he made me Acting Director of National Intelligence, President Trump has moved at lightning speed to protect our country from foreign influence and give transparency through DECLASSIFICATIONS!
— DNI Pulte (@DNIPulte) July 27, 2026

Pulte then posted a handful of the declassifications, including:

pic.twitter.com/Y9fHwSvKLS
— DNI Pulte (@DNIPulte) July 27, 2026

pic.twitter.com/2yN2ZGRNko
— DNI Pulte (@DNIPulte) July 27, 2026

pic.twitter.com/MXA3y38fYU
— DNI Pulte (@DNIPulte) July 27, 2026

Is the news we hear every day actually broadcasting messages from God? The answer is an absolute yes! Find out how!
Follow Joe on X @JoeKovacsNews

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham was due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a base training Ukrainian forces in maritime warfare.

FIRST ON FOX: One Ivy League institution has taken in more money from foreign countries, including China, than any other university in the country.The U.S. Department of Education has, for years, compiled a list of federally funded universities that have taken in funding from abroad. The Trump administration sought to revamp the agency’s online reporting portal, and, in doing so, it has shown that one institution, Harvard University, has scored more foreign funding than any other college in the country.Harvard is in the crosshairs of Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., for its ties to China and other foreign nations because of the reams of outside cash the university has taken in. And the Senate Republican, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, wants Education Secretary Linda McMahon to open an investigation into China’s cash flow into higher education.REPUBLICANS TARGET TRUMP’S CRYPTO EMPIRE WITH NEW PLAN, DEMS SAY IT FALLS SHORT”I remain concerned that millions in additional transactions with sanctioned Chinese entities may not have been reported,” Cotton wrote. “Therefore, I encourage additional scrutiny of financial ties between American universities and Communist China.”Harvard did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Cotton noted that since the portal was relaunched in January, reporting data has shown that federally funded universities accepted more than $6.8 billion from “Communist China — including more than $300 million from sanctioned entities.””Harvard, for instance, has received more than $630 million from Chinese entities,” Cotton wrote. “This includes roughly $418,000 from organizations participating in foreign talent programs and nearly $420,000 from entities allegedly supporting unauthorized military advancements.”KHANNA DEMANDS ANSWERS FROM CCP-LINKED COMPANY ACCUSED OF UNDERCUTTING US MANUFACTURERSMore money from foreign countries flows to Harvard than any other college on the Education Department’s list, to the tune of nearly $4.5 billion across 7,089 transactions.Of that, $634 million is from countries of concern.Notably, China is not the only country of concern that has sent money to Harvard. A country of concern is one that the federal government designates as engaging in conduct that is detrimental to U.S. national security, foreign policy, or the safety of U.S. citizens. Venezuela and Russia have also both sent money to the university, with $3.3 million and over $750,000, respectively, flowing to the Ivy League institution.CALIFORNIA MAYOR ACCUSED OF SECRETLY WORKING FOR CHINA, SPREADING PROPAGANDA WHILE IN OFFICE: FEDSChina’s alleged influence doesn’t stop at Harvard, either.Broken further down, there are four Chinese entities in the top five funders on U.S. watch lists that have provided a total of about $119 million to universities across the country. That list includes the Beijing Institute of Tech, Air China, Ltd., Huawei Technologies Co., and Ocean University of China.The Education Department late last year announced that it would be revamping the portal and charged that the Biden administration had neglected the system.”After years of neglect by the Biden Administration, the new portal will assist our institutions of higher education in fulfilling their statutory responsibilities and enable us to protect our national security by facilitating improved compliance,” McMahon said in a statement at the time.”America’s taxpayer-funded colleges and universities have both a moral and legal obligation to be fully transparent with the U.S. government and the American people about their foreign financial relationships,” she continued.

On Saturday a suspect believed to be tied to Berlin’s “Islamist scene” plowed through the Berlin Gay Pride Parade killing at least one person and injuring 16 others. The Berlin Christopher Street Parade is one of the largest annual LGBT events in Europe.
The killer rammed his car into revelers at the annual Christopher Street Day celebration.
The Sun reported that the suspect then left the vehicle with a bladed weapon and attacked people in the park near the end of the parade route.
According to Bild.de, the man, was known to be a member of the Islamist scene. He is believed to be Abdul Ballout, 21. Police admitted Abdul Ballout was linked to Islamist groups and was on the authorities’ radar.
Ballout was killed on Sunday when Berlin police surrounded a garden plot before moving in and killed the Islamist who drove through the gay pride parade on Saturday.
According to Bild.de the terrorist attacked police with a “bladed weapon” before he was killed at 6:34 PM German Time.
This is not the first deadly Islamist attack in Germany.
In 2016 Islamic extremists murdered 22 people in Germany in seven different attacks.

Now there is a map of all of the rapes, homicides, assaults, terror attacks, swimming pool assaults, robberies by migrants to Germany in 2016.
Purple balloons: Sexual assaults
Pink balloons: Rape and attempted rape
Red balloons: Robbery and theft
Green balloons: Riots and intimidation
Blue balloons: Criminal assault
Red flames: Arson
Yellow triangle: Terrorist attacks
Black balloons: Homicide and attempted homicide
Green rectangle: Sexual assaults in public swimming pools

Democrats want to bring that to the United States.
Following the brutal murder by Islamist Abdul Ballout, mourners held a Berlin memorial on Sunday.
One crazy liberal woman (translated from German) told the crowd when she heard about the Islamist attack she hoped that the killer was a “white Christian person.”
Crazy Liberal Woman: “When I heard the news that a car had plowed into the CSD (Christian Street Parade) — a man in a car — and what was also shocking to me was that the first thing I thought was, “I hope it’s not some foreigner; I hope it’s a white Christian person,” but it wasn’t. And that’s where intersectionality comes into play again. We don’t all fight the same battles, but we’re there for each other in moments like these. And then it’s beautiful.”
Yes, sooo beautiful.
What a complete brainwashed lunatic.
Via Drew Pavlou:

Vigil for the victims of the Berlin Pride parade attack.
Leftist says that when she heard about the attack she had hoped the attacker was not Muslim but instead a white Christian man.
Crazy. Just utterly nuts. pic.twitter.com/KKPtmJmqIv
— Drew Pavlou (@DrewPavlou) July 26, 2026

Gay Pride Parade organizers say they hope the Islamist attack at their annual parade will not be politicized.
That’s not all…
The organizers of the gay pride parade said they hoped that the Islamist attack will not be politicized.
Tell me you’re a dhimmi without telling me you’re a dhimmi.
It appears Germany, like Great Britain has already been conquered by Islam.
Via Andy Ngo:

Organizers of the Berlin Pride that was targeted in a deadly attack by a Muslim Arab man read off a speech saying that the Islamic terror incident shouldn’t be politicised.
The problem is with cowards like this.
They want to stand in the way of those who seek to address…
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) July 26, 2026

The post Crazy Liberal Women in Germany Admits She Hoped that Islamist Killer at Berlin Gay Pride Parade was “White Christian Person” – Organizers Hope the Islamist Attack Will Not Be Politicized appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is urging protests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s upcoming UN visit, highlighting his longstanding anti-Israel positions and raising questions about incitement, constitutional authority, and conflict with established U.S. foreign policy.
 
After publicly acknowledging that he has no authority to carry out his promise to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is now urging New Yorkers to protest Netanyahu ahead of his expected visit to the city in September for the UN General Assembly.
Mamdani made the comment during a City Hall press conference on July 22, telling reporters, “If anyone feels a level of frustration or opposition, protest is something that we will always respect.” A spokesperson for Mamdani declined to say whether the mayor himself plans to protest Netanyahu’s arrival.
The remarks followed a video Mamdani released the night before in which he admitted that he did not have the authority to arrest Netanyahu. During his 2025 mayoral campaign, however, Mamdani had pledged to order the NYPD to enforce the International Criminal Court arrest warrant himself. In the recording, he called Netanyahu “the architect of a horrific genocide” and a “war criminal,” and urged the federal government to enforce the ICC warrant against him. The video has been viewed nearly 90 million times.
One day before the video was released, President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that Netanyahu “will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America.”
Irrespective of critics claiming the opposite, U.S. support for Israel, including protection for visiting Israeli leaders, reflects a longstanding bipartisan feature of American foreign policy that predates and extends beyond any single administration. It has been sustained across both Republican and Democratic presidencies since Israel’s founding.
Furthermore, foreign policy authority, including how the federal government treats a visiting head of state, rests constitutionally with the president and the executive branch, not with city government.
Mamdani’s continued calls regarding Netanyahu have prompted criticism from Jewish organizations and from far-right U.S. politicians. The UJA-Federation of New York said in a statement, “New Yorkers elected a mayor to lead this city, not to make Israel the centerpiece of your political grandstanding,” accusing Mamdani of antisemitism.
The comments reflect a consistent pattern in Mamdani’s public record that goes beyond criticism of specific Israeli government policies to questioning the legitimacy of the Israeli state itself. As a state assemblyman in May 2021, Mamdani led a rally where participants chanted “BDS, BDS” and criticized officials’ “incomprehensible fealty to the Israeli state.”
At an October 8, 2023, Times Square rally, two days after the Hamas attack on Israel, local members of the Democratic Socialists of America, Mamdani’s own party, celebrated Hamas. Mamdani condemned the rally two days later, telling Politico that his support for Palestinian liberation “should never be confused for a celebration of the loss of civilian life.” He has also declined to affirm Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, called Israel an “apartheid state,” and declined to condemn the slogan “globalize the intifada.”
In April 2024, Mamdani wrote on social media that Columbia University students arrested at the campus “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” were arrested “for the crime of peacefully protesting against genocide.” The encampment, which Columbia’s president cited in calling in the NYPD to clear it, has been extensively documented as including antisemitic conduct.
The Anti-Defamation League recorded chants including “we don’t want no Zionists here,” and protesters telling Jewish students to “go back to Poland.” The Times of Israel reported that protesters blocked campus access to those they perceived as “Zionists,” violating the rights of Jewish students. The publication also reported that Jewish students faced near-daily chants of “Globalize the Intifada” and, on one occasion, students chanting in support of “10,000 October 7ths.”
Twenty-one members of Congress, led by Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Dan Goldman, wrote that the “from the river to the sea” chants used at the encampment constituted a call to eliminate Israel and all Jews within its borders. They also argued that Columbia’s shift to hybrid classes tacitly acknowledged a hostile environment for Jewish students and appeared to violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
Mahmoud Khalil, a Syrian-born Palestinian and lead organizer with Columbia University Apartheid Divest, became a lawful permanent resident in November 2024 through marriage to a U.S. citizen. In March 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined that Khalil’s activities, including organizing Columbia’s protest encampment, carried “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences” for the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act. ICE arrested him at his Columbia-owned apartment on that basis.
Mamdani, then a mayoral candidate, called the arrest “a blatant assault on the First Amendment and a sign of advancing authoritarianism under Trump,” and later that month tried to push past security to confront then-border czar Tom Homan at the New York State Capitol in Albany, shouting “Do you believe in the First Amendment?” and “How many more New Yorkers will you detain?” Homan did not respond beyond what Mamdani later described as a “smirk.” Mamdani separately hosted Khalil for an iftar dinner.
Mamdani was introduced at a Staten Island mosque event by organizer Abdullah Akl, who has a documented record of chanting “Strike, strike Tel Aviv, Abu Obeida, our beloved” in 2024 and calling for Palestine “from the river to sea” at a December 2023 convention.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills, a Queens synagogue, on the night of January 8, 2026, chanting “Say it loud, say it clear, we support Hamas here” during a protest of a synagogue event promoting real estate investment in Israel and the West Bank.
By noon the next day, as the video spread widely, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and several other city and state officials had already condemned the chants, while Mamdani’s office remained silent. He issued a statement Friday evening calling the rhetoric “wrong and have no place in our city,” without naming Hamas, then followed up about an hour later on X, “Chants in support of a terrorist organization have no place in our city,” after facing criticism for the omission. Critics noted the roughly 24-hour delay was slower than both Hochul’s response and that of his predecessor, Eric Adams.
Under the 1947 Headquarters Agreement, the United States is obligated to ensure the functioning of the UN headquarters district and to provide accredited delegations with the privileges and immunities required under the agreement. The U.S. Mission to the United Nations says it is committed to protecting UN Headquarters, accredited missions, and the diplomatic community, coordinating with the NYPD, the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, the Secret Service, and the FBI.
A 1951 State Department legal memorandum addressing a similar dispute involving picketing outside the Soviet mission found that the U.S. obligation to protect foreign delegations from demonstrations was governed by Section 15 of the Headquarters Agreement. That provision entitles delegations to the same privileges and immunities the United States generally accords to diplomatic envoys.

The post NYC Mayor Mamdani’s Protest Call Conflicts With Federal Policy appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Let’s get the final Monday of July 2026 rolling with a fresh edition of Monday Screencaps where we cook up some content before football season gets cranked up. Guys, I’m disappearing for a few days after this column to get some family vacation time in before the kids dive into school sports and the school year starts in two weeks.It’s that time of the year. It’s now or never for those final family getaways, which means SeanJo will be with you the rest of the week.IDAHO TEEN UMPIRE DELIVERS ULTIMATE REALITY CHECK TO COACH COMPLAINING ABOUT WALK-UP MUSICTONY ROMO’S BRUTAL GOLF SCORE BEFORE GETTING ARRESTED PAINTS A NIGHTMARISH PICTUREImagine going out in public looking like this. And we’re supposed to listen to what this woman has to say about America from her living room in Ireland?– Jeff E. emails: If you took all the soccer I’d watched in my life and compared it to FIFA in US it’s not even close.  Maybe watched four or five games – even watched some that were not USMT. Here’s the top and bottom three list for soccer:Top-Fan commitment to their team-Athletic prowess with feet-Visitor reaction to USBottom-Red Card (often over prescriptive – someone should tell them how hockey does it)-Time keeping (added time, lack of precision, lack of communication to those watching)-Flopping, the worst thing about soccer (many had taken LeBron James master class)– Marty in Idaho always sends in cool content: Some readers are having squirrel problems in their back yard. I get that squirrels can be annoying but let’s add some perspective. In late June a buck deer died in the tall grass in my back yard from an antler injury we think. Not much I could do so I just put a game camera on it to see what happened. Mountain lions (mama and three cubs) found it within the hour and spent most of the next two nights feeding on it. If you watch the video, our house is about 75 yards to the left. I let the neighbors know so nobody would go out for a moonlight stroll.– Loyal reader Ricky A. is spending his summer in Japan:– Robert R. on how to get to Wisconsin while avoiding Chicago: I lived in FL 35 years and moved to TN in 2019.  I’m from WI originally, my oldest lives near Green Bay and since 1997 I have been making the trip to visit at least once a year .  I solved the Chicago problem about 10 years ago.  I now leave I 57 and head west to Bloomington about 40 miles before Chicago, use I 72. At Bloomington head north to Rockford and then at Janesville you can take 43 to Milwaukee or go to Madison and use 51 north to Fond du Lac.  Adds about an hour or a little more but: less traffic, only 1 toll (at Rockford) for about $2 .  I hate going through Chicago, my daughter in-law used to call and ask where I was and my response was always “the 7th ring of Hell”.– John in Milford, MI advises me to take up smoking: It will take commitment on your part, but I have a solution to your problem with your neighbor’s cigarette smoke that I guarantee will work. I smoked long ago when I was young, and I can tell you that the urge to run out and pick up a carton of Winstons never goes away. I still find the smell of cigarette smoke enchanting. All you need to do is start smoking yourself, huff a pack a day for a few years, then quit cold turkey.  I promise that you will look forward to being downwind from your neighbor and catching a whiff of tobacco smoke after that. Problem solved.– Jim in East Peoria, IL has a simple solution: LEAF BLOWER!!! Hell yes!!! Dumbass me should have thought of that. And a real f–king loud and big and annoying one would be in order methinks.Also, those Miami girls are definitely going to give the Dallas team a run for their money!!!Kinsey: I did have my leaf blower next to me on the patio Saturday afternoon. I’ll have to try this next time the neighbor lights up the cigs.This went down over the weekend in Madison, WI. Very simple solution. Pepper spray water cannons. Clear the whole area. If they want to come back. Blast them again. Clear the way for red-blooded Americans who want to suck down a beer or whiskey on a Saturday night while maybe chasing some skirts.###################That is it this morning. SeanJo will have you until Saturday morning when I will be back. Send him emails. Send him your deep thoughts. And keep Respecting Summer while I’m out.Have a great week.

As we enter the “dog days” of summer in this 250th, since our nation boldly asserted its independence, there is, as there should be, a good deal of reflection about who we are and what we truly value. As we look to the future, there is perhaps no more important measure than how we educate our children so that they can be strong protectors of our country and our democracy deep into the decades to come.It turns out that a basic truth of well-being, getting fresh air and play time, plays a pretty big part in achieving that goal. It’s simple. It’s free. It stimulates and restores learning power, and, as it turns out, many of our children are getting precious little of it.From the earliest days of the republic, education was never intended to be merely the efficient transfer of information. Reformers like Horace Mann, whose vision helped shape modern American education, argued that schools should prepare children not only for work, but for democratic life. Even the word kindergarten — German for “children’s garden” — reflects an understanding that young minds need room to grow, explore, play and develop.NEBRASKA ENDS IN-STATE TUITION BENEFITS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS UNDER DOJ DEALOver time, however, our definition of educational success narrowed. Beginning with A Nation at Risk in 1983 and accelerating through the accountability era of No Child Left Behind, schools came under increasing pressure to maximize instructional minutes and standardized test performance. One of the first casualties was often recess, treated as expendable time rather than an essential part of learning.Today, modern neuroscience has confirmed what America’s earliest education reformers understood intuitively: children learn best when schools develop the whole child — not just the test taker. In many ways, the science has finally caught up with the philosophy. Earlier this summer, the American Academy of Pediatrics released its first updated policy statement on recess since 2013. Rather than simply reaffirming its earlier recommendations, the new statement reflects an explosion of research over the past decade, expanding from roughly 44 references to more than 100 studies documenting how recess supports learning, memory, executive function, social development, mental health and physical well-being. As they concluded, recess is not a break from learning — it’s part of how children learn.That’s because recess is not simply exercise. It’s the only part of the school day designed around child-directed play. As two middle school children explained this month in an op-ed in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, it gives students the opportunity to “refresh themselves.” It also lets them negotiate disagreements, practice leadership, build friendships, manage stress, solve problems and return to the classroom better able to focus and learn. These are not “soft skills.” They are the very qualities that fuel innovation, civic engagement, resilience and collaboration, the qualities every generation of Americans needs.In other words, the Academy’s recommendation remains clear: recess should be protected, never withheld as punishment or exchanged for more academic time seated. That conclusion has not changed since 2013. What has changed is the strength of the evidence behind it. More than a decade of new research has deepened our understanding of why recess matters — not only for children’s physical health, but for their cognitive development, emotional well-being and long-term success.The lesson is remarkably consistent with America’s oldest educational ideals. If the purpose of education is to develop thoughtful, resilient citizens — not simply higher test scores — then recess is not a distraction from learning, but key to it.This summer, as Americans gather to celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday, we’re also celebrating examples of teamwork, perseverance and excellence across the country — from neighborhood ballfields to championship arenas. Yet those qualities don’t begin under stadium lights, as in the stunning athleticism displayed from countries around the world in the FIFA World Cup, or the college sports teams we’ll start watching in August. They begin on playgrounds. Long before children wear a team uniform — whether as professional athletes, college athletes, or even on Little League fields — they learn to cooperate, lead, compromise, recover from failure, resolve conflict and celebrate success together during recess.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONTwo hundred fifty years after our nation’s founding, only twelve states currently mandate daily recess for kids in school. But several states, including New York, are considering legislation that would change that. As we prepare for “back-to-school” in August, and as mandatory recess bills are considered in the next legislative season, the nation will be watching to see how states decide to let kids play, or not.We have all seen the evidence that children have become more isolated, depressed and anxious in a society that has all of us glued to our screens. Protecting children’s play time, fresh air and opportunities for social connection is one of the simplest ways we can improve their health and well-being.The children on today’s playgrounds will become tomorrow’s architects, engineers, scientists, physicians, diplomats, entrepreneurs, artists, teachers, military leaders, parents and elected officials. They could even become America’s World Cup soccer stars. They will shape America’s next 250 years.The skills they’ll need — creativity, collaboration, resilience, curiosity, leadership, empathy and the confidence to solve problems together — will require commitment to academic rigor in the classroom, balanced with the promise of play time and fresh air to “refresh” young minds and bodies in every single school day.Kelly McKenna is CEO of End Chronic Disease, former captain of Stanford’s varsity sailing team and a three-time All-American.

Trump Accounts Are Now Open: What Parents And Grandparents Need To Know Before Contributing

Authored by Adam H. Douglas via The Epoch Times,

As of July 4, 2026, money can officially flow into Trump accounts, the new child savings vehicle created by last year’s tax law.
rblfmr/shutterstock

Millions of families have already signed up, and millions more are asking the same practical questions: does my child qualify, how do I claim the $1,000, and is this better than the 529 plan we already have?

Most coverage explanations answer these questions in tax-professional language. Here are the essentials in plain terms, including one state-level catch that could surprise you at tax time.

Quick Answer: Who Qualifies for a Trump Account?

Any child who is a U.S. citizen with a valid Social Security number can have a Trump account, as long as it is opened before the year they turn 18. The one-time $1,000 federal seed contribution is narrower: it goes only to eligible children born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028. Parents or guardians claim it by submitting IRS Form 4547, which can be filed through the Trump Accounts app, at trumpaccounts.gov, through an IRS Individual Online Account, or when filing taxes. Once the Treasury confirms the account is active, it deposits the $1,000.

What Your Child Gets, by Birth Year

The seed money depends entirely on when your child was born.

Dozens of companies, including several major banks and technology firms, have pledged to match the federal $1,000 for employees’ children. If you or your child’s other parent works for a large employer, it is worth asking human resources before assuming the seed money is all your child will receive.

The Contribution Rules in Plain Terms

Once the account exists, here is how money goes in:

The combined cap is $5,000 per year. Parents, grandparents, and anyone else contribute after-tax dollars, and all of it counts toward one shared limit per child. The cap adjusts for inflation after 2027.
Employers get special treatment. An employer can put in up to $2,500 per year for a worker’s child. That amount counts toward the $5,000 cap but is excluded from the employee’s taxable income.
Some money does not count against the cap. Contributions from qualifying charities, states, tribes, and local governments sit outside the $5,000 limit, as does the federal seed itself.
Contributions stop the year before the year your child turns 18.
For grandparents, the practical takeaway is coordination. Because the cap is shared, a grandparent writing a $5,000 check uses up the entire year’s room for everyone.

How the Account Actually Works

A Trump account is best understood as a special kind of IRA with training wheels. The money is invested in a low-cost index fund tracking the S&P 500, so the balance rises and falls with the stock market.

Earnings grow tax-deferred at the federal level, and the funds are locked until the child turns 18, with only limited exceptions. On January 1 of the year the child turns 18, the account essentially converts to a traditional IRA in the child’s name.

That last detail matters: Withdrawals in adulthood are generally taxed as ordinary income, the same as any traditional IRA.

The State Tax Catch Almost Nobody Explains

Here is the wrinkle buried in most coverage explanations.

Federal tax deferral does not automatically mean state tax deferral. State tax codes must conform to the new federal rules, but some states have not done so.

California is the most prominent example: Unless state law changes, annual earnings inside a Trump account could be taxable on your California return each year, even while federal taxes wait until withdrawal.

That does not make the account worthless in a nonconforming state. The $1,000 seed is still free money, and federal deferral still helps. But it changes the math on large voluntary contributions and creates a recordkeeping chore.

Before contributing beyond the seed, check your state’s current treatment with your state tax authority or a tax professional, because conformity decisions are still moving in several states.

Trump Account vs. 529: The Short Version

If you already fund a 529 plan, the two are not interchangeable.

A 529 offers tax-free withdrawals for qualified education expenses, and many states add a deduction for contributions – a Trump account offers neither.
A Trump account has no education restriction – at 18 it becomes retirement-oriented IRA money, giving your child a decades-long compounding head start.
The sensible sequence for most families: claim the free seed money if your child qualifies, keep education savings in the 529, and treat additional Trump account contributions as a separate, long-horizon decision.
FAQs About Trump Account Eligibility

Is the $1,000 Seed Contribution Automatic?

No. Eligible children born between 2025 and 2028 do not receive the money by default. A parent or guardian must first open the account and elect the contribution by submitting IRS Form 4547, whether through the Trump Accounts app, trumpaccounts.gov, an IRS Individual Online Account, or a tax return. After the Treasury confirms with the account trustee that the account is active, it deposits the $1,000. No account, no seed money.

Can Grandparents Contribute to a Trump Account?

Yes. Grandparents, other relatives, and even friends can contribute, but everything counts toward the single $5,000 combined annual cap per child, alongside contributions from parents and employers. Contributions are made with after-tax dollars and are not deductible. Families should coordinate before year-end so a well-meaning gift does not crowd out an employer match, which carries the added benefit of being excluded from the employee’s taxable income.

What if My Child Was Born Before 2025?

Your child can still have a Trump account, opened any time before the year they turn 18, and family or employer money can go in under the normal rules. They simply will not receive the federal $1,000. Children born from 2016 through 2024 may qualify for a $250 Dell Foundation deposit if they live in a ZIP code where the median income is $150,000 or less, which covers most of the country.

Will My State Tax the Earnings Each Year?

Possibly, depending on where you live. The accounts are tax-deferred under federal law, and states must conform to that treatment, but some, including California, may tax annual earnings at the state level unless their laws change. In a nonconforming state you could owe state tax on gains yearly while federal tax waits. Check your state’s current position before making large contributions, since several legislatures are still deciding.

Tyler Durden
Mon, 07/27/2026 – 09:00

An elderly leftist couple in Arlington Heights, Illinois, charged with vandalizing the Republicans of Wheeling Township headquarters in January pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges.
An elderly leftist couple in Arlington Heights, Illinois, charged with vandalizing the Republicans of Wheeling Township headquarters in January pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges on Thursday.
Brock McNerney, a 72-year-old retired financial planner, and Moisette McNerney, a 69-year-old retired special education teacher, admitted to criminal damage to property and criminal defacement of property charges as part of a plea agreement.
The Gateway Pundit previously reported that on the night of January 25, 2026, surveillance video captured the pair drawing multiple swastikas and profanities in permanent marker across the windows of the ROWT office at 909 E. Rand Road.
They specifically targeted a portrait of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, born in Arlington Heights and a former volunteer at the local GOP office as a Wheeling High School student, defacing his image. The couple also tossed bags of feces and poured an unknown liquid near the front door.
This was no isolated act of random mischief. It came after earlier vandalism in December 2025 that included threatening and offensive messages scrawled into the brick outside the office, specifically and gleefully referencing Charlie Kirk’s wounds.
The January attack occurred right before the March primary. ROWT members installed cameras after the prior incident.
Despite the use of Nazi symbols against a political organization and the apparent effort to frighten Republican volunteers, the McNerneys were charged only with misdemeanors, not hate crimes.
The Daily Herald reported:

Cook County Judge Thomas Newinski sentenced the couple to 18 months court supervision, 100 hours of community service, a $100 fine and court costs. Newinski also ordered the couple to pen an apology letter to the Wheeling Township organization.
[…]
Defense attorney Jason Stevens said Thursday that his clients took accountability for their actions, adding that they had no prior criminal record.
“They’re going to abide by their sentence,” he said.
Many in the Republican community, including ROWT members, point to Illinois’ glaring two-tiered system of justice. Recent cases of Merlin Lu in Cook County and Derek Webb in Lake County saw the accused hit with felony hate crime charges for conduct involving well-recognized symbols of hate. Derek Webb was denied bond; a judge called his actions “extremely troubling” and said they “terrorized” the community.
The McNerneys’ case involved the same category of hate symbols, swastikas plastered over Charlie Kirk’s face, yet prosecutors stuck with misdemeanors. No hate crime enhancement. No felony. Just another soft landing in Democrat-controlled Cook County.
The victim impact statement submitted by the Republicans of Wheeling Township makes the human cost clear. The perpetrators largely succeeded in their mission to silence and intimidate. Membership feels less safe holding open office hours in a space occupied for over two decades.
Supporters are declining to display yard signs for fear their homes will be targeted next. One Jewish member wrote of being “saddened and horrified.”
Others described lasting fear of retaliation, reluctance to recruit new members, and the emotional toll of repeated attacks that forced extra police patrols and additional security spending.
Despite the notoriety of this case, it has not deterred further attacks. ROWT reported four separate acts of defacement in June alone—two involving sputum deposited on Charlie Kirk’s face and others with offensive notes. A similar note appeared in April.
Just the morning of the victim impact statement, a Facebook comment celebrated the original vandals: “You are right my friends, this person [the Accused] let us all down by using a sharpie and not using fire.”
Four days after the January vandalism, the same individuals were observed holding similar hateful symbols at a “No Kings” rally—with a slight modification: swastikas for the Republicans, none for themselves. Five months later, still no apology.
ROWT asked the court to consider a public written letter of apology and, in lieu of monetary restitution to the organization, a donation in Charlie Kirk’s honor to Turning Point USA, the group he founded.
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The post Arlington Heights Elderly Leftist Couple Pleads Guilty to Defacing GOP Headquarters with Swastikas and Feces on Charlie Kirk Poster — No Hate Crime Charges, Just $100 Fine appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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