Opinion: Democrats Should Concede DOGE’s Diagnosis or Confirm They are Fools

(Deroy Murdock, Headline USA) President Donald J. Trump and Department of Government Efficiency chief Elon Musk are trying to right-size the entire federal enterprise, just as companies — large and small — do daily.

Democrats are having none of it. Indeed, their rage over DOGE knows no borders.

“Donald Trump has turned the White House into The Elon Musk Show,” House Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York complained this week on the Capitol steps. “It’s a malignant clown show. Nothing that is being done — nothing — is actually making life better for the American people. They are trying to take affirmative steps to make life worse.”

Meanwhile, journalist Joe Gallina asked Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (D – Texas), “If you could speak directly to Elon Musk, what would you say?”

Crockett replied: “F–k off.”

Profanity would be an improvement at Musk-owned Tesla dealerships in California, Colorado, and Oregon. They have endured anti-Musk graffiti, vandalism, arson, and even gunfire. “Mostly peaceful” bullets have shattered the windows of Tesla facilities in recent weeks.

Despite this acrimony and political violence, the American people stand with Trump, Musk, and DOGE. A February 24 Harvard-Harris survey of 2,443 registered voters found that 76% favor “Undertaking a full-scale effort to find and eliminate fraud and waste in government expenditures.” Only 24% disagree.

Americans are righteously indignant about Washington, D.C. treating their hard-earned tax dollars like boys-room tampons:

  • DOGE reports that the Department of Health and Human Services paid a non-profit called Family Endeavors $18 million per month since March 2024 to manage an empty immigration facility in Pecos, Texas. That’s $180 million, through December 31, to run a vacant space.
  • A mysterious “climate” group called Power Forward Communities, tied to failed Democrat gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams of Georgia, declared 2023 income of $100. Regardless, Team Biden last year handed PFC a whopping $2 billionEPA grant. “That’s 20 million timesthe organization’s reported revenue,” said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.
  • USAID distributed $2 billion in Haiti-related grants. “Only 2% of the 2 billion went to where it was supposed to,” Fox News host Jesse Watters said Tuesday. “Half of it went to all of these aid groups based around DC,” he added. “Are liberals just stealing from poor black people and calling it compassion?”

Graft aside, Washington exhibits basic mismanagement and mind-blowing incompetence.

“The FAA is using floppy disks to manage some of their systems,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy revealed. “This is ancient technology,” he added. “It costs $0.90 of every dollar to maintain these really old systems.”

Rather than scream, “Resist!” Democrats should concede that Trump, Musk, and DOGE are right about these indefensible federal failures. Having Washington’s computers operate as if the Internet never lived, and keypunch cards never died, serves neither free-spending liberals nor free-market conservatives.

Helping, rather than hindering, DOGE excise federal excesses and self-humiliating deficiencies would make Democrats far easier to take seriously when they urge Republicans to think twice before cutting programs that accomplish something.

The National Institutes of Health battles the forced march into twilight known as Alzheimer’s. DOGE sacked 10% of the 100-member Center for Alzheimer’s and Related Dementia, including lead researcher Kendall Van Keuren-Jensen. While CARD should survive a 10% staff reduction, Democrats, and some Republicans, would argue that accelerating treatments and cures for this crippling mental ailment would buoy Alzheimer’s victims and reduce public-health expenditures.

Trump and DOGE would be more sympathetic to such pleas, if Democrats first said, “We agree: It was stupid to spend USAID money to jet Ukrainian designers and models to Paris Fashion Week. Ditto $2 million squandered on Moroccan pottery classes. Let’s recover those funds. Now, will you agree to keep CARD properly staffed, so we can send Alzheimer’s the way of polio and smallpox?”

Defending federal dysfunction is a losing proposition. If Democrats want to champion anything that Washington gets right, they should admit that Trump, Musk, and DOGE are uncovering billions of dollars in federal wrongs.

Deroy Murdock is a Manhattan-based Fox News Contributor.

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo Launches Political Comeback w/ Run for NYC Mayor

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday that he is running for mayor of New York City, relaunching his political career following a yearslong exile over a barrage of sexual harassment accusations. Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s Justice Department hasn’t indicated whether it will pursue House Republicans’ calls to prosecute Cuomo for lying to Congress.

In a 17-minute video, Cuomo pitched himself as an accomplished moderate who can save a city he described as threatening and “out of control,” and is capable of navigating the delicate balance between working with Republican President Donald Trump and fighting him, when necessary.

“I am not saying this is going to be easy. It won’t be easy, but I know we can turn the city around, and I believe I can help,” he said.

The Democrat is expected to mount a formidable campaign, despite entering the race deeply wounded by the scandal that forced his resignation as governor in 2021.

He takes on a large field of primary opponents with low name recognition plus an incumbent, Mayor Eric Adams, who — for now — remains under indictment on federal corruption charges and under scrutiny from critics who question his independence from Trump.

Cuomo brings fundraising prowess, a record of accomplishments over three terms as governor and potential support among moderate voters who helped propel Adams to office.

Yet it is unclear whether voters are willing to give Cuomo another chance following his remarkable downfall, when he went from being hailed for his leadership during the onslaught of COVID-19 to being castigated for his behavior with women and questioned about his pandemic response.

House Republicans have gone as far as to call for the Justice Department to prosecute Cuomo. The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic sent a criminal referral for Cuomo to the DOJ last October, recommending that he be charged with making false statements to Congress.

“In an apparent effort to shield himself from accountability, evidence suggests Mr. Cuomo knowingly and willfully made false statements to the Select Subcommittee on numerous occasions about material aspects of New York’s COVID-19 nursing home disaster and the ensuing cover-up,” the Coronavirus Subcommittee said in a press release.

According to the subcommittee, evidence shows that Cuomo reviewed, edited, and even drafted portions of a purportedly independent and peer-reviewed New York State Department of Health report, which was used to support his deadly pandemic-era nursing home policies.

However, Cuomo told the subcommittee in his June transcribed interview that he had nothing to do with that report. Cuomo’s lie is why the subcommittee wanted him criminally charged.

“Andrew Cuomo repeatedly lied to Congress, and he must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Both witness testimony and new documents serve as evidence that the former Governor made false statements to the Select Subcommittee during our COVID-19 nursing home investigation,” subcommittee Chairman Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, said in a press release.

“This deliberate and self-serving attempt to avoid accountability for the thousands of lives lost in New York nursing homes during the pandemic will not stand. If his prior criminal activity is any reflection, Andrew Cuomo is not a man of principle, and his willingness to lie to the Select Subcommittee is unfortunately a continuance of this behavior,” he added.

“Plain and simple, making false statements to Congress is a federal crime.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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

Trump Considers Ending All Aid to Ukraine

(Kyle Anzalone, Antiwar.com) The White House is considering ending all aid transfers, including weapons, to Ukraine after an Oval Office press conference turned into an argumentbetween President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Zelensky.

According to The Washington Post, “The Trump administration is considering ending all ongoing shipments of military aid to Ukraine in response to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s remarks in the Oval Office on Friday and his perceived intransigence in the peace process.”

If the aid is terminated, Ukraine would not receive billions of dollars in weapons from the US, including missiles and ammunition that was approved through the Presidential Drawdown Authority.

The New York Times reported that weapons deliveries to Ukraine have “slowed to a trickle” even before Friday’s heated exchange. However, Trump is now considering cutting off other support to Kiev.

“The president might decide to end even the indirect support being provided by the US,” the outlet explained. “Which includes other types of military financing, intelligence sharing, training for Ukrainian troops and pilots, and hosting a call center that manages international aid at a US military base in Germany.”

Following the White House clash between Trump, Vance, and Zelensky, NBC News reported the administration was also cutting non-military aid to Ukraine. Secretary of State Marco Rubio ended the Ukraine Energy Security Project, which provides Kiev with hundreds of millions of dollars to attempt to repair the country’s energy grid.

According to the outlet, other programs could be eliminated. “In addition to ending the Ukraine Energy Security Project, USAID is also dramatically downsizing its presence in Ukraine,” NBC News explained.

This article originally appeared at Antiwar.com.

Trump Approves $3 Billion Weapons Transfer to Israel

(Kyle Anzalone, Antiwar.com) The White House used emergency powers to approve a $3 billion weapons transfer to Israel. The package includes arms that the Joe Biden administration was hesitant to send to Tel Aviv.

On Friday, the Pentagon announced three arms packages for Israel totaling over $3 billion. The first sale is 35,500 MK 84 and BLU-117 bombs, both munitions with 2,000-pound warheads. Additionally, the US will send 4,000 Predator bombs, 2,000-pound bunker busting munitions. The nearly 40,000 bombs will cost over $2 billion.

Tel Aviv has previously used bunker busting bombs as chemical weapons. The IDF found that if it used multiple warheads, a chemical reaction is created that can cause a suffocating gas in the tunnels below the surface.

The second arms package includes 5,000 1,000-pound bombs and 1,500 JDAM kits to turn the munitions into guided bombs. The 1,000-pound bombs and guidance kits are expected to cost $675 million. A third sale is for Caterpillar D9 Bulldozers with a price tag near $300 million.

The White House claims that the arms sale is an emergency, bypassing Congressional oversight. The Biden administration used the same tactic to rush weapons to Tel Aviv after Israel launched the onslaught in Gaza following the October 7 Hamas attack.

However, the Biden administration did restrict the transfer of 2,000-pound bombs and military bulldozers to Tel Aviv. Last month, Trump released a shipment of 1,800 2,000-pound to Israel that Biden paused in May.

Earlier this week, the Trump White House repealed a Biden-era national security memo that required countries to receive US weapons to not violate international law or block humanitarian aid.

While the Biden administration concluded that Israel was blocking aid transfers into Gaza, it continued to send most of the weapons that Tel Aviv requested. $22 billion in arms sent to Israel has been paid for with US military aid.

Since Trump came into office, Hamas and Israel have been under a ceasefire and hostage agreement. That deal was meant to be implemented in three phases. However, the first phase is set to expire on Saturday with no plans for moving onto phase two.

Negotiations about advancing the deal into phase two were scheduled to begin weeks ago but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delayed Israeli participation in the talks. Now, Washington and Tel Aviv are seeking to extend the first phase of the deal for six weeks. Hamas said it rejected the proposal Israel put forward to extend phase one.

Over the first six weeks of the deal, Hamas has complained that Tel Aviv is not upholding its commitment to allow aid into the Strip, a claim backed by Israeli officials speaking with the New York Times.

On Saturday, Palestinian sources reported that Israel was committing significant ceasefire violations by opening heavy fire near Rafah and Khan Younis. Saturday also marks the start of the Muslim holy month Ramadan.

This article originally appeared at Antiwar.com.

Pro-Ukrainian Hecklers Force Vance Family, Including Children, into Hiding

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) The U.S. Secret Service rushed JD Vance to an undisclosed location after pro-Ukrainian hecklers and protesters targeted him and his family during a getaway vacation in Vermont on Saturday. 

While en route to the popular Sugarbush Resort in Warren, Vermont, the Vance family was ambushed by angry demonstrators protesting Vance’s viral rebuke of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during an Oval Office meeting on Friday. 

The vice president, Second Lady Usha Vance and their three young children were confronted by hundreds of demonstrators, some of whom held vitriolic and profane signs, Fox News reported.

“Vance is a traitor, go ski in Russia,” “Tawdry excuse of a president” and “Nazi scum” were among the phrases thrown at Vance and his family.

The left celebrated the heckling:

Other individuals held transgender and Ukrainian flags as Vance’s motorcade made its way through Vermont. 

The day before, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott had warned protesters to respect the Vance family during their vacation. 

“I hope Vermonters remember the Vice President is here on a family trip with his young children and, while we may not always agree, we should be respectful,” Scott said in a press statement. 

Scott’s warnings did little to deter the angry mob from targeting Vance and his children, with some other signs reading, “Trump serves Putin,” “Theocracy is not freedom” and “Stand with Ukraine.” 

The protest came a day after Vance minced no words in condemning Zelenskyy’s baffling behavior during an Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump and other U.S. officials. 

Zelenskyy, who was in the U.S. to sign a minerals deal, repeatedly interrupted Trump and rolled his eyes as he tried to question both the president and Vance. 

Zelenskyy was put in check by Vance: “Mr. President, with respect, I think it’s disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media.” 

He added, “Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to this conflict.” 

After the confrontation, Trump ousted Zelenskyy from the White House and ordered him to return only when ready for peace talks. Zelenskyy’s future as president is now uncertain. 

US Atty Warns Susan Rice After ‘Concerning’ Logan Act Violation

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) A group of former Obama- and Biden-era officials is allegedly calling on Ukraine to reject President Donald Trump’s minerals deal. 

Such acts, critics say, may violate the Logan Act, the law that bans U.S. citizens from negotiating with foreign governments on behalf of the United States without prior authorization. 

Despite these legal restrictions, former Domestic Policy Council Director Susan Rice scolded Trump’s deal as “horrible” because it does not extend security guarantees to Ukraine. 

Rice made these remarks on Friday during an MSNBC interview about her reaction to Zelenskyy’s temper tantrums in the Oval Office. Clips of her comments went viral on social media, with some users affirming her comments violated the Logan Act.

Other officials implicated in the alleged undermining of the deal are former Secretary of State Antony Blinken, former NSC low-level staffer Alexander Vindman and former Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland. Headline USA was unable to verify when or where these condemnations occurred. 

In response, U.S. District Attorney for District of Columbia Ed Martin—recently appointed by Trump—described Rice’s comments as “concerning.” He added, “No one is above the law,” hinting at a potential investigation.  

Martin’s comment was in response to an X post that alleged that, like Rice, Blinken, Vindman and Nuland had urged Zelenskyy to reject the deal. 

Vindman reacted to the rumors by saying, “Of course, the US and Ukraine should have made the deal. Closer economic ties are in U.S. and Ukrainian interest.”

Homan Tells Boston’s Anti-ICE Mayor to ‘Get the Hell Out of the Way’

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Is Boston Mayor Michelle Wu the next target of the DOJ for shielding violent illegal aliens from ICE? White House border czar Tom Homan has a word to say. 

In a Fox News interview on Friday, Homan reacted to Wu’s comments defending illegal aliens ahead of her testimony before the House Oversight Committee. Wu, along with the mayors of New York City, Chicago and Denver, is scheduled to tell lawmakers why she refuses to help ICE in the removal of criminal foreign nationals from the U.S. 

Wu defended her sanctuary law, saying there has been a “mischaracterization of what immigrant communities represent,” and affirmed she looks forward to telling Congress “about what we see here and what we know is real.” 

In response, Homan charged that Wu is shielding dangerous sex offenders by failing to hand them over to federal immigration authorities. 

“You know, when I was at CPAC the other day, what I said was a fact. I stopped counting at nine—nine sexual predators, rapists, most of them children, that are walking the streets of Massachusetts because they don’t work with ICE and don’t honor detainers. Nine,” Homan stated. 

“How many times have these child rapists reoffended from the time they released them from jail and by the time we found them in the streets, in the neighborhoods?” he added.

Homan said the Trump administration is heading to Boston to fulfill President Donald Trump’s promise to the American people to “make the community safer” and decrease illegal alien “crimes to zero.” 

Homan continued, “Boston can help or get the hell out of the way because we’re coming. She is not going to stop us. We are going to make Boston safer.” 

His comments came just days after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi demanding information on whether she is under criminal investigation after holding a webinar on how illegal aliens can best circumvent ICE raids.  

Homan said Ocasio-Cortez’s webinar violated federal immigration law and demanded that the DOJ launch a probe. 

Child’s Suicide Blamed on Immigration Bullying—Until Darker Truth Emerged

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) The tragic suicide of an 11-year-old Texas girl was initially blamed on bullying over her family’s immigration status. However, a new investigation revealed she had faced an even darker reality: sexual abuse. 

The girl, Jocelynn Rojo Carranza, was found unresponsive in her home on Feb. 3 but died five days later in the hospital.

An investigation by the Gainesville Independent School District found that the girl overheard a classmate threatening to summon ICE on a group of Hispanic students.  

The school also determined the girl had said she was allegedly sexually abused by a family member and had expressed thoughts of self-harm months before the immigration threats were made. 

“It was reported by multiple students that [Carranza] told them that she had been inappropriately touched by a family member and wished to keep this a secret to avoid getting them in trouble,” school investigators wrote in a report. 

The school quickly alerted Child Protective Services, which is currently investigating the allegations as there are four other school-age children in Carranza’s home. 

The girl’s mother dismissed the accusations in an interview with Texas channel KXAS-TV, stating that she had hired an attorney. 

“Nothing about that is true,” the mother said of the alleged abuse. “I talk with my daughter about that, always … Nobody can touch your body. Nobody.” 

The school found that on Jan. 30, a classmate had threatened to call ICE on some Hispanic students but did not make the threat directly to Carranza. This student faced disciplinary action the day after. 

The school also said Carranza had expressed thoughts of self-harm to a cousin, who informed the child’s mother but did not tell the school. 

Additionally, Carranza shared concerns about getting in trouble at home and allegedly said a sibling had “called her names.” 

The mother herself authorized Carranza to attend a social-emotional learning group led by the school. Oddly, the mother initially claimed she was unaware of such a class. 

The report and the mother’s claims raise questions about who ultimately failed to protect the child.

A GoFundMe page for Carranza’s funeral has raised nearly $55,000.

White House border czar Tom Homan has repeatedly clarified that the Trump administration does not target children in immigration enforcement. Instead, the focus is on individuals who pose national security threats and convicted felons, including sex offenders, child rapists and gang members. 

Gavin Newsom Launches New Podcast, Gets Annihilated on Social Media

(Maire Clayton, Headline USA) California Governor Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday he was launching a new podcast.

He revealed the title to be “This is Gavin Newsom” and posted a video on social media discussing the new venture.

He claimed it would be “anything but the ordinary ‘politician’ podcast.’”

“I’m talking directly with people I disagree with, people I look up to, and you — the listeners,” he wrote on X. “Egg prices? Tariffs? DOGE? We’re tackling all your big questions.”

This will be the Newsom’s second podcast as he already is a one of the co-hosts on “Politickin” with former NFL player Marshawn Lynch, and sports agent Doug Hendrickson.

Newsom told POLITICO he plans on inviting conservatives on his podcast.

“We already know what our disagreements are with the MAGA movement,” he began. “I want to understand what the motivations are, the legitimacy of those motivations, and just really understand where people are coming from.”

He also said he will be questioning Democrats as well, as their party heads into an unknown direction.

“And so I’m asking the same questions you’re asking of me: Where the hell is the Democratic Party? What are we doing? Who are we? Where are we going? What’s the path back?” he told the outlet.

The Democrat was quickly called out on social media for the move.

“Gavin focusing on yet another podcast while his state circles the drain,” one popular social media user stated.

Conservative commentator Drew Hernandez called out the tone death governor.

“California burns and continues to crumble California,” he began. “Governor: I’m going to start a podcast.”

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy noted the governor should begin with addressing his past actions during COVID.

“Let’s start with why did you throw a party for yourself at the French Laundry with no masks on in the middle of Covid when California had just about the strictest COVID regs in the country and thousands of small businesses were going outta business because of said policies?” Portnoy asked.

Don Lemon Chases after NYC Subway in Bizarre TikTok Video

(Maire Clayton, Headline USA) Ex CNN anchor Don Lemon posted a bizarre video to social media where he attempted to get the attention of passengers on the New York City subway.

He shared the 15-second video with his 1.2 million followers on TikTok.

In the video, the former host tapped on the glass of the subway car to try and get the attention of passengers. The first time he attempted it, he showed a woman a blue tinted meme where the image of Donkey from the film Shrek was combined with Sonic the Hedgehog.

@donlemonLook at this picture…♬ It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Temptation Sensation) [Main Title] – The Theme System

He began to laugh as the train pulled away and showed the person who was filming the meme.

Next, he showed a different passenger a blue-tinted photo of himself and even chased after the train as it pulled away.

He captioned the Thursday post, “Look at this picture…”

Lemon’s followers had a mixed reaction to the odd video.

“I’m here for the unhinged, unfiltered Don,” one user wrote.

Others noted how passages probably just wanted to be left alone. “Don Lemon leave me alone I’m just trying to go to work,” another added.

Someone reposted it to X and the majority of the replies were not in favor of Lemon’s antics.

“Don Lemon gets his rocks off chasing commuters with bizarre pictures of himself and Shrek-Sonic abomination,” the post was captioned. “Not clear if boomer humor or advanced trolling but NO ONE CARES that’s for sure.”

“I think he is going mad,” one X user wrote. “Where is Spiderman when he is needed?”

“I don’t understand why he thinks this is funny. It’s just weird,” another user added.

Lemon was fired from CNN in April 2023 and claimed he was blindsided.