Trump’s Aura Overpowers Disrespectful Dems at Congressional Address

Headline USA Editor
-
0
Trump’s Aura Overpowers Disrespectful Dems at Congressional Address

(Headline USA) Heckling Democrats tried to derail President Donald Trump’s first congressional address Tuesday evening, but Trump would not be deterred from boasting about the action-packed first six weeks of his administration.

“The presidential election of Nov. 5 was a mandate like has not been seen in many decades,” Trump said as he began his speech—before he was interrupted by Rep. Al Green, D-Texas.

“You have no mandate!” Green shouted.

Republicans quickly jumped to their feet with chants of “USA! USA!”

House Speaker Mike Johnson warned Green that he’d be removed if he continued to disrupt the address, but Green continued to stand and make a scene. He was then removed from the House chamber.

Republican members cheered at his removal, shouting “Get out!” and “Goodbye!” at the lawmaker. Green shouted, “You have no mandate to cut Medicaid!” at Trump before police escorted him from the chamber.

Later in his speech, Trump jabbed at the rest of the seething Democrats.

 “We’ve ended weaponized government where, as an example, a sitting president is allowed to viciously prosecute his political opponent like me. How did that work out?”

Trump was gloating about having survived four different Democrat-led criminal prosecutions — only one of which went to trial.

The President also chided Democratic members of Congress for failing to stand and applaud as the president delivered his speech.

“It’s very sad, and it just shouldn’t be this way,” Trump said.

Democrats remained seated as Trump said it, some scowling. Many held up small black signs printed with “False” in white lettering. Every time Trump boasts of his accomplishments, they hold up the signs.

“Lie after lie after lie,” came one shout from the Democratic side of the chamber.

Becoming increasingly comfortable as the night wore on, Trump even referenced his famous nickname for Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass: “Pocahontas.”

“Do we really want to keep this Ukraine War going on for another five years? Pocahontas says ‘yes,’” Trump said, referencing Warren’s support for the Biden administration’s proxy war against Russia.

The night became more somber when Trump referenced the July 13 attempt on his life—which killed firefighter Corey Comperatore and grievously wounded at least two others. Comperatore’s family was at Trump’s address.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

Is Vivek Ramaswamy an Anchor Baby?

Headline USA Editor
-
0
Is Vivek Ramaswamy an Anchor Baby?

(José Niño, Headline USA) With Vivek Ramaswamy running as the Republican candidate for Ohio’s gubernatorial seat, new questions have emerged about his citizenship status.

In the last few days, a video has made the rounds across social media where Ramaswamy admitted that both of his parents were not immigrants, thereby making him a recipient of birthright citizenship.

The interview in question was with former NBC News correspondent Dasha Burns, which took place on Sept. 21, 2023 during Ramaswamy’s failed presidential run.

On the campaign trail, Ramaswamy was vocal about ending birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to illegal aliens. Burns looked to press Ramaswamy on his citizenship status to expose his purported hypocrisy on the issue.

After much probing, Ramaswamy revealed that his father, V. Ganapathy Ramaswamy, entered the United States legally as an immigrant from India. The elder Ramaswamy worked as an engineer and patent lawyer for General Electric. His father never tried to obtain U.S. citizenship.

When he was about his mother’s citizenship status, Ramaswamy revealed that Geetha Ramaswamy took her citizenship test after he was born. Ramaswamy stressed that his mother followed “the legal process.”

Burns subsequently inquired, “So you gained citizenship through birthright then?” Ramaswamy agreed but shifted the conversation to make it about his plan to “revive a vision of citizenship” where birthright citizenship should only apply to children “of parents who are here [United States]. Legally.”

Although Ramaswamy’s parents are foreigners, him being born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1985, makes him a U.S. citizen by birth under the current interpretation of the 14th Amendment, which states: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.”

Ramaswamy announced on Feb. 24 his candidacy for Ohio governor.

Ramaswamy’s candidacy has faced increased scrutiny by factions of the populist Right who have soured on Ramaswamy after comments he made last December criticizing American culture.

At the time, there were heated debates about American immigration, namely, the H1B visa system. DOGE leader Elon Musk is a major proponent of the program and believes it is useful for addressing alleged labor shortages.

The failed presidential candidate also chimed in the discussion.

“The reason top tech companies often hire foreign-born & first-generation engineers over ‘native’ Americans isn’t because of an innate American IQ deficit (a lazy & wrong explanation),” Ramaswamy said.

“A key part of it comes down to the c-word: culture,” continued. “Tough questions demand tough answers & if we’re really serious about fixing the problem, we have to confront the TRUTH: Our American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long (at least since the 90s and likely longer).”

Ramaswamy drew popular culture parallels to further reinforce his point:

“A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers. A culture that venerates Cory from “Boy Meets World,” or Zach & Slater over Screech in “Saved by the Bell,” or ‘Stefan’ over Steve Urkel in “Family Matters,” will not produce the best engineers.”

Various political pundits such as Auron MacIntyre took exception to Ramaswamy’s message, declaring, “Turns out the “waste” that DOGE wanted to cut from America was Americans.”

Ramaswamy has taken conventional stances on halting illegal immigration. However, it remains to be seen where he officially stands on the issue of mass, legal immigration.

José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino

Are Dems Plotting to Derail Trump’s Speech by Throwing Eggs at Him?

Luis Cornelio
-
0
Are Dems Plotting to Derail Trump’s Speech by Throwing Eggs at Him?

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Democratic lawmakers may stoop to new lows in their attempt to disrupt President Donald Trump’s first congressional address on Tuesday—potentially resorting to egg-throwing or bringing empty egg cartons to somehow blame Trump for inflation. 

These tactics are at odds with Democratic leaders’ earlier proposals to invite some of the government bureaucrats impacted by Trump and DOGE’s budget cuts and mass layoffs, Axios reported Tuesday. 

The egg tactics appeared to be part of a broader effort to pin inflation on Trump, even though he has been in office for less than five weeks. Conservative critics noted that Democrats have largely downplayed inflation during the Biden administration’s years, arguing that Americans were just misguided. 

Egging, a popular form of protest, has targeted several politicians in the past, including French President Emmanuel Macron and British politician Nigel Farage, according to Vice News.

In 2019, Australian Senator Fraser Anning was infamously egged by a 17-year-old boy during an interview—a moment that quickly went viral on social media. In 2010, future Prime Minister David Cameron was also egged by a 16-year-old student. 

It is unclear whether Democrats would employ such acts, which could be construed as assault, given that Trump is protected by the Secret Service. 

In the past, Democrats have tried to disrupt Trump’s addresses to Congress with symbolic and even childish tantrums. 

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi infamously shredded a paper copy of Trump’s address during the 2020 State of the Union. In 2019 and 2018, Democrats wore specific colors to showcase their solidarity with women’s rights and the #MeToo movement. 

Ironically, Democrats went on to nominate Joe Biden for the presidency in 2020—the same year that Tara Reade, a former congressional staffer, accused him of sexually assaulting her in 1993. 

Group Sues over Efforts to Strip Trump of Secret Service Detail

Editor 3
-
0
Group Sues over Efforts to Strip Trump of Secret Service Detail

(Bethany Blankley, The Center Square) The Center to Advance Security in America has sued the Department of Homeland Security to compel bureaucrats to release records related to Secret Service staff possibly colluding with Democratic members of Congress to strip then presidential candidate Donald Trump of his Secret Service detail.

In July, CASA’s director, James Fitzpatrick, filed Freedom of Information requests with DHS inquiring if DHS Legislative Affairs’ and Secret Service’s staff were involved with House Democrats who filed a bill to strip Trump of his USSS detail in the event that he were sentenced to prison, The Center Square exclusively reported.

At the time, one failed assassination had already occurred, and a New York judge had yet to issue a sentencing in a 34-felony count verdict in a trial Democrats argued would send Trump to prison for decades. Trump denied the charges, arguing the case and trial were a witch hunt, the weaponization of the court system, lawfare and baseless.

It would not be until after he was reelected that that the judge sentenced him to an unconditional discharge, meaning Trump wouldn’t face jail time. This was after two other federal cases against Trump were dropped, an alleged election interference case in Washington, D.C., and a classified documents case in Florida.

Prior to the first assassination attempt in Butler, PA., nine House Democrats cosponsored a bill last April, led by U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., to strip Trump of his Secret Service detail. After the failed assassination attempt, one of Thompson’s staffers, who was subsequently fired, reportedly said in a Facebook post the shooter needed shooting lessons so he wouldn’t “miss the next time.”

Thompson’s bill went nowhere in the Republican-controlled House. But Fitzpatrick, a former U.S. Senate staffer, had questions about how writing the bill came about, including how involved USSS staff were in crafting it – if at all– just months before the agency’s security failure in protecting Trump from the assassination attempt, The Center Square reported.

Fitzpatrick sent two FOIA requests, one to DHS and USSS, which is part of DHS, and another to DHS’s Office of Legislative Affairs. The first FOIA requested records, calendar entries, communications and other information related to a specific staffer “or any U.S. Secret Service Office of Intergovernmental and Legislative Affairs employee” and Thompson’s bill. The second request asked for similar information but lists other staffers’ names.

Newsom Orders State Return to Office, Noting Custodial Staff Already in Everyday

Editor 3
-
0
Newsom Orders State Return to Office, Noting Custodial Staff Already in Everyday

(Kenneth Schrupp, The Center Square) California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered state employees to return to the office four days a week by July 1, 2025, noting that state offices’ custodial, janitorial, and maintenance staff — and much of the public —  are already working in person every day.

The governor also ordered the state’s human resources department to make it easier for the state to hire former federal employees who may have been impacted by recent federal cuts.

“Ongoing disparities around in-person work expectations across departments and within classifications for state employees raise issues of fundamental fairness, particularly for classifications of employees who must report in-person five days a week, including custodial and janitorial staff,” said Newsom in his order. “Increasing in-person work expectations for state employees will also promote trust with members of the public, many of whom must report to work in-person for their own jobs, that state government is working effectively for them.”

Newsom’s order says the state’s departments have more than 224,000 full-time state employees, who, according to the most recent state data available, make an average of $86,852 per year in wages, and another $40,138 per year in retirement and health benefits, or $126,990 per year.

This means the state spends $2.84 billion on wages and benefits for its full-time department staff.

Newsom also referenced recent jobs cuts by the Trump administration, ordering CalHR to take in former federal workers.

“To further enhance the state’s workforce needs, the Governor is also directing CalHR to streamline the hiring process for former federal employees seeking employment in key roles, including firefighting, forest management, and weather forecasting,” said Newsom’s office in a statement. “With federal workforce reductions, California is strategically recruiting experienced professionals to fill key job openings in firefighting, extreme weather forecasting, climate resilience, and water management roles — ensuring the state remains prepared for natural disasters and environmental challenges — in addition to other critical fields such as medical and mental health care.”

With the governor’s budget requesting a $7 billion withdrawal from reserves to fund the state’s proposed $322 billion budget, and volatile stocks making up a significant portion of the state’s projected revenue for the year, it’s unclear if the state can afford to hire more staff.

It’s also unclear what possible penalties for noncompliance with the order might be, and if the order could be a prelude to state layoffs. With a state report finding private sector employment started declining in 2022, only offset by substantial growth in government and government-adjacent hiring, decreases in government jobs could have a major effect on the state economy.

DOJ Finally Joins Fight for Election Integrity, Intervenes in Prosecution of Whistleblowing Mom

Luis Cornelio
-
0
DOJ Finally Joins Fight for Election Integrity, Intervenes in Prosecution of Whistleblowing Mom

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) The Trump-led DOJ announced Monday a review of the heavy-handed prosecution of Tina Peters, a gold star mother and former Colorado clerk sentenced to nearly a decade in state prison after sounding the alarm in 2021 about alleged flaws in Dominion Voting Systems machines. 

Federal prosecutors, unaffiliated to the state case, filed a “statement of interest” expressing serious concerns about how Peters was targeted by Colorado officials. She had filed a federal motion three weeks ago challenging her state guilty verdict.

“Reasonable concerns have been raised about various aspects of Ms. Peters’s case,” wrote Acting U.S. Attorney for the Civil Division Yaakov Roth, according to Rasmussen Reports and the liberal New York Times. Trump tapped Roth to the role in February. 

Among these concerns are the “exceptionally lengthy sentence imposed” for the alleged offenses, the First Amendment implications of the trial court and the refusal to grant bail pending appeal. 

Roth also revealed that the federal government has launched a broader review of politically motivated prosecutions, including Peters’s, to determine whether these cases “oriented more toward inflicting political pain than toward pursuing actual justice or legitimate governmental objectives.” 

Peters served Mesa County’s clerk and recorder from 2019 to 2023 before being prosecuted by Mesa County District Attorney Dan Rubinstein and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, a Democrat, in 2022. 

Her indictment conveniently coincided with her bid for Colorado secretary of state, a position currently held by Jena Griswold, a Democrat who led the unconstitutional efforts to remove Trump from Colorado’s presidential ballot. 

Peters was repeatedly branded by activist Judge Matthew Barrett as a “charlatan” before slapping her with a 9-year prison sentence instead of probation in October 2024.

“I’m convinced you’d do it all over again if you could,” Barrett ranted, according to Colorado Newsline. “You are a privileged person. You are as privileged as they come. You used that for power and fame.” 

According to Newsline, Peters’s guilty conviction included: 

  • Three felony counts of attempting to influence a public servant 
  • One felony count of conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation 
  • One misdemeanor count of official misconduct 
  • One misdemeanor count of violation of duty in elections 
  • One misdemeanor count of failure to comply with the secretary of state. 

Peters’s son, Remington Peters, died in a parachuting accident during a 2017 Navy SEAL Leap Frogs air show after serving in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

California Juvenile Detention Officers Staged ‘Gladiator Fights’ Between Youth, Indictment Says

Editor 3
-
0
California Juvenile Detention Officers Staged ‘Gladiator Fights’ Between Youth, Indictment Says

(Headline USA) Thirty officers at a Southern California juvenile detention facility have been charged for their role in facilitating so-called “gladiator fights” between youth in their care, the state’s attorney general said Monday.

A grand jury indictment alleges the officers at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Los Angeles County allowed and sometimes encouraged nearly 70 fights to take place between July 2023 and December 2023. More than 140 victims between the ages of 12 and 18 were involved.

“We believe that this was planned, it was intended,” Attorney General Rob Bonta said. “They often wanted them to happen at the beginning of the day, in a certain time, in a certain place, a space and a time was created for the fights, and the plan was for the fights to happen.”

The officers face charges including child endangerment and abuse, conspiracy, and battery.
Twenty-two of the officers were scheduled to be arraigned Monday at the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

The investigation began after the Los Angeles Times first obtained and published footage that shows a 17-year-old being attacked by at least six other young people, who come at him one-by-one as officers stand by watching. Some officers appear to laugh and shake hands with the participants in the beating.

The video was first made public during a court hearing during which the 17-year-old’s public defender argued to a judge that he was not safe at Los Padrinos and should be released ahead of his trial.

The indictment singles out two probation officers who allegedly told staff members ahead of time that fights would occur and “they were not to say anything, write down anything, and just watch.” It also alleges one of the officers told youths involved to “refuse treatment when they went to medical to get treated by nurses.”

The LA County Probation Department, which runs the facility, said in a statement that it “fully supports and applauds” the attorney general’s office for Monday’s indictments, and that all officers involved are on leave without pay.

“Our department sought the assistance of law enforcement authorities when misconduct was discovered,” the statement said. “Since then, we have fully collaborated with our law enforcement partners. … Accountability is a cornerstone of our mission, and we have zero tolerance for misconduct of any peace officers, especially those dealing with young people in our system.”

Jamal Tooson, who represents the 17-year-old and his family in a civil case against the county, called Monday’s indictment the “the tip of the iceberg” of a systemic problem in the probation department.

There’s a “culture that promotes a lack of accountability, violence and policies that encourage officers to look the other way as evident in the video,” Tooson said. “The reaction of the children who were eating their lunch, they really didn’t seem shocked or surprised, which tells me this is a daily occurrence.”

Tooson represents several other families with children harmed at Los Padrinos, including one who was left with a traumatic brain injury after being knocked unconscious in a classroom, he said.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

Trump Administration Begins Crackdown on Anti-Israel Protests

Headline USA Editor
-
0
Trump Administration Begins Crackdown on Anti-Israel Protests

(José Niño, Headline USA) The Trump administration’s newly formed Federal Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism has announced its plan to visit 10 university campuses that have allegedly been host to antisemitic incidents since October 2023.

Task Force member Leo Terrell, who is also a previous Fox News contributor and a senior counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, informed the 10 universities on Friday that he was aware of claims that the institutions may have not provided sufficient protections to Jewish students. According to a Justice Department press release, Terrell told the universities they could be in potential violation of federal law.

In the DOJ’s press release, Terrell revealed that the Task Force would be meeting with university leadership, students and staff allegedly impacted by antisemitic incidents, local law enforcement, and community members as it investigates these incidents and mulls taking remedial action.

“The President, Attorney General Pamela Bondi, and the entire Administration are committed to ensuring that no one should feel unsafe or unwelcome on campus because of their religion,” said Terrell. “The Task Force’s mandate is to bring the full force of the federal government to bear in our effort to eradicate Anti-Semitism, particularly in schools. These visits are just one of many steps this Administration is taking to deliver on that commitment.”

The 10 universities the Task Force singled out are: Columbia University; George Washington University; Harvard University; Johns Hopkins University; New York University; Northwestern University; the University of California, Los Angeles; the University of California, Berkeley; the University of Minnesota; and the University of Southern California.

Since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, pro-Israel pressure groups have sought to shore up Israel’s image in the United States, and have pressured elected officials to keep tabs on antisemitic discourse at university campuses.

On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump promised to combat campus antisemitism and mete out stronger punishment against individuals accused of engaging such acts. Trump followed through with this promise by issuing an executive order titled “Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism” on Jan. 29.

The order’s aim is to address the reported increase in antisemitic incidents, especially on college campuses, since Oct. 7, 2023. Under this order, the DOJ is encouraged to use appropriate civil rights enforcement authorities to combat antisemitism, while calling on Attorney General Pam Bondi to report on court cases involving higher education institutions.

Trump’s antisemitism executive order has raised free speech concerns. Pen America, a free speech advocacy organization, described the crackdown on antisemitism as a new “McCarthyism.” Similarly, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) stated that Trump’s orders would violate First Amendment protections.

“Students who commit crimes — including vandalism, threats, or violence — must face consequences, and those consequences may include the loss of a visa. But if today’s executive order reaches beyond illegal activity to instead punish students for protest or expression otherwise protected by the First Amendment, it must be withdrawn,” FIRE proclaimed in a statement published on X/Twitter.

Trump’s antisemitism executive order lies in contrast to the president’s executive order, titled “Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship,” which aims to protect free speech from government censorship. The order was issued on Jan. 20. It bans federal government officers, employees, and agents from engaging in any behavior that infringes on the free speech rights of American citizens.

José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino

Democratic Senators Block Legislation Banning Males from Women’s Sports

Editor 3
-
0
Democratic Senators Block Legislation Banning Males from Women’s Sports

(Thérèse Boudreaux, The Center Square) Women’s sports advocates suffered a loss Monday night when all Democratic senators present voted against a bill that would ban males who identify as transgender from competing against women in sports.

Republicans were unable to garner the seven Democratic votes needed to advance the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025 to a vote on final passage. Democrats argued the bill is “an attack” on transgender people, while Republicans labeled opponents as anti-women and out of touch with most Americans.

“Well, at least now the American people know the truth,” U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., who sponsored the legislation, said on X following the vote. “Democrats STILL support men competing in women’s sports. This is far from over. I’ll NEVER stop fighting to protect women and girls.”

The bill stipulates that under Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally funded programs, “sex shall be recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.”

Furthermore, it would ban any recipient of federal funding “who operates, sponsors, or facilitates athletic programs or activities to permit a person whose sex is male to participate in an athletic program or activity that is designated for women or girls.”

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., who has occasionally sided with Republicans in controversial votes, explained he voted no because he does not believe the issue is a legitimate problem.

“The small handful of trans athletes in PA in a political maelstrom deserve an ally and I am one,” Fetterman said on X following the vote. “Empty show votes or cruelty on social media aren’t part of a thoughtful, dignified solution.”

According to a recent report from the United Nations, transgender athletes have captured about 900 medals that would have otherwise gone to about 600 female athletes.

Additionally, nearly 80% of Americans — including the majority of Democratic voters — do not want transgender-identifying men in women’s sports, according to a recent poll by the New York Times.

The legislation would have effectively codified President Donald Trump’s Feb. 5 executive order, which reversed Biden-era policies expanding Title IX to include gender identity. Trump’s order also banned transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports at schools and colleges.

The EO immediately garnered backlash from Democrat-led states, with Maine now facing the threat of a federal lawsuit for noncompliance.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association partially complied with Trump’s order by banning male athletes from participating in NCAA-sanctioned competitions yet still allowing them to practice with women’s teams and receive certain benefits.

It is unclear how the president’s order or future Title IX laws will be enforced if Trump follows through with his intent to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.

Trump’s Tactics Work: Zelenskyy Agrees to Immediate Ceasefire w/ Russia

Ken Silva
-
0
Trump’s Tactics Work: Zelenskyy Agrees to Immediate Ceasefire w/ Russia

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) On Friday, President Donald Trump became the center of international criticism after he kicked Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy out of the White House—telling him to come back when he’s ready for peace.

But Trump’s gambit appears to have worked. On Tuesday, Zelenskyy announced that he’s ready for an immediate ceasefire.

“Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. Nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians. My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts,” Zelenskyy said on Twitter/X.

“We are ready to work fast to end the war, and the first stages could be the release of prisoners and truce in the sky — ban on missiles, long-ranged drones, bombs on energy and other civilian infrastructure — and truce in the sea immediately, if Russia will do the same. Then we want to move very fast through all next stages and to work with the US to agree a strong final deal.”

Zelenskyy also said he’s ready to sign a deal for U.S. access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals.

“Regarding the agreement on minerals and security, Ukraine is ready to sign it in any time and in any convenient format. We see this agreement as a step toward greater security and solid security guarantees, and I truly hope it will work effectively,” he said.

Trump kicked Zelenskyy out of the White House after putting him in his place on live television Friday during an extraordinary meeting in the Oval Office, telling him that he’s “gambling with millions of lives” and warning his actions could trigger World War III.

Trump followed that move by suspending all military aid to Ukraine on Monday.

Ken Silva is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.

1...744745746...3,836Page 745 of 3,836