The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps issued &#8220;disease containment preparedness&#8221; guidelines this week outlining the measures U.S. Northern Command is now implementing to prepare for a possible outbreak.
The orders were issued amid <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/test-kits-for-novel-coronavirus-hit-a-snag-in-the-u-s-11581565817">reports</a> revealing that the number of people in the U.S. who have contracted the potentially deadly virus has reached 14, included two currently being quarantined at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, while the number of confirmed cases in China reportedly increased by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-number-of-confirmed-cases-deaths-of-coronavirus-explodes-in-china">nearly 15,000</a>.
As reported by the <a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2020/02/13/us-military-prepping-for-coronavirus-pandemic/">Military Times</a>, service-wide announcements issued Tuesday and Wednesday by the Navy and Marine Corps reveal that the U.S. Northern Command &#8220;is executing plans to prepare for a potential pandemic of the novel coronavirus, now called COVID19.&#8221;
&#8220;An executive order issued by the Joint Staff and approved by Defense Secretary Mark Esper this month directed Northern Command and geographic combatant commanders to initiate pandemic plans, which include ordering commanders to prepare for widespread outbreaks and confining service members with a history of travel to China,&#8221; the Military Times reports.
The service-wide messages cite an executive order directing U.S. Northern Command to &#8220;implement the Department of Defense Global Campaign plan for Pandemic Influenza and Infectious Diseases 3551-13,&#8221; which provides instructions for preparing for a widespread outbreak, the outlet explains.
Military Times reports that U.S. Northern Command said it was directed on Feb. 1 by the Joint Staff to begin &#8220;prudent planning&#8221; for a potential pandemic. As stressed by Navy Lt. Cmdr. Mike Hatfield, the planning in no way &#8220;indicate[s] a greater likelihood of an event developing.&#8221;
&#8220;The current threat of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus has raised concern that this virus could result in a pandemic disease,&#8221; read the guidelines issued by the Marine Corps on Wednesday (full text below). &#8220;In such a scenario, nCoV could spread, infecting U.S. personnel, and threaten the operational readiness of the U.S. Marine Corps.&#8221;
&#8220;An outbreak of a new (novel) coronavirus is rapidly evolving, but currently poses a LOW RISK to personnel located in CONUS [continental United States],&#8221; the guidelines background section states. &#8220;Plan, and take preparatory and precautionary actions to ensure that an outbreak of 2019-nCoV does not incapacitate Marine Corps forces, installations, and facilities,&#8221; the method section reads. &#8220;If 2019-nCoV is introduced on USMC installations and facilities, or within the Fleet Marine Force (FMF), execute plans and procedures to improve Force Health Protection (FHP) and readiness.&#8221;
Below is an excerpt from the &#8220;<a href="https://www.marines.mil/News/Messages/Messages-Display/Article/2081806/us-marine-corps-disease-containment-preparedness-planning-guidance-for-2019-nov/">Disease Containment Preparedness Planning Guidance For 2019 Novel Coronavirus</a>&#8221; issued by the U.S. Marine Corps Wednesday (formatting adjusted):
1. Situation. 
1.A. General. 
1.A.1.  Commanders will take specific actions to review and validate Disease Containment Plans to prepare for and respond to a potential occurrence of the 2019 Novel (New) Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). 
1.A.2. The current threat of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus has raised concern that this virus could result in a pandemic disease.  In such a scenario, nCoV could spread, infecting U.S. personnel, and threaten the operational readiness of the U.S. Marine Corps. 
1.A.3. The Marine Corps’ response to a pandemic outbreak focuses on five major areas:  1) Force Health Protection (FHP); 2) Disease Containment Planning (DCP) and Readiness; 3) Continuity of Operations (COOP); 4) Defense Support of Civilian Authorities (DSCA); and 5) Support to U.S. Government response efforts.
1.B. Background. 
1.B.1. An outbreak of a new (novel) coronavirus is rapidly evolving, but currently poses a LOW RISK to personnel located in CONUS.  The 2019-nCoV is a viral respiratory disease related  to Middle-East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).  Symptoms of 2019-nCoV may include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. 
1.B.2. Chinese health authorities identified 2019-nCoV as the cause of the pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan, China.  There are confirmed cases in over 20 countries, including the United States, with validated cases in Arizona, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Washington State, and Wisconsin, with one reported death of an American citizen in China. 
1.B.3. The U.S. State Department issued a LEVEL 4 DO NOT TRAVEL advisory to China on 30 January 2020.  The World Health Organization (WHO) has categorized risk as VERY HIGH for China, and HIGH globally, and declared that nCoV constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). 
1.B.4. Although the United States Government, in conjunction with private industry, is conducting research to identify protocols that may treat the 2019-nCoV disease, there are no U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved treatments at this time.  Standard treatment for 2019-nCoV includes prompt implementation of recommended infection prevention and control measures and supportive management of complications.  Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a person under investigation for 2019-nCoV infection should be isolated, and healthcare professionals, and local or state health departments, should be notified immediately. 
1.B.5.  Presently, the U.S. Marine Corps is planning, conducting routine surveillance, and commencing engagement activities, to assure and solidify collaborative relationships, and inform all personnel, to be prepared for disease containment operations and support. 
1.B.6.  This MARADMIN aligns with validating Disease Containment and Installation CBRNE Protection Plans IAW references F and J.
2.  Mission.  The U.S. Marine Corps will prepare for potential outbreaks of 2019-nCoV.  If an outbreak occurs, the Marine Corps mitigates, responds, and recovers from the effects in order to maintain force readiness.
3.  Execution. 
3.A.  Commander’s Intent. 
3.A.1.  Method. 
3.A.1.A.  Plan, and take preparatory and precautionary actions to ensure that an outbreak of 2019-nCoV does not incapacitate Marine Corps forces, installations, and facilities.  If 2019-nCoV is introduced on USMC installations and facilities,  or within the Fleet Marine Force (FMF), execute plans and procedures to improve Force Health Protection (FHP) and readiness. 
3.A.1.B.  Planning will address protection of all Marines, government civilian, contract workforce personnel, and military family members. 
3.A.1.C.  Planning will address FHP, both in garrison and during deployment. Per reference E, the following prescriptive measures must be adhered to: 
3.A.1.C.1.  Identify all Marines returning from mainland China after 2 February 2020 and place service members under a 14-day restriction of movement (ROM). 
3.A.1.C.2.  During the 14-day ROM: 
3.A.1.C.2.A.  Restrict Marines to their residence for a 14-day ROM period, starting from the day of departure from mainland China. 
3.A.1.C.2.B.  Marines will be assessed by cognizant medical staff (by phone consultation or in person), as soon as possible, within the first 24 hours of arrival to home station or their final destination, for the development of fever or symptoms of 2019-nCoV. 
3.A.1.C.2.C.  Marines living in open-bay settings, or rooms with shared bathrooms and/or kitchen facilities, will be placed in separate lodging to span the 14-day ROM period.  The command to which the Marine is assigned will arrange for the separate lodging. 
3.A.1.C.2.D.  Marines will be assessed daily for fever and symptoms by cognizant medical staff (by phone consultation or in person).  For all in-person assessments of members, (including those which are asymptomatic), medical personnel should wear appropriate PPE. 
3.A.1.C.2.E.  Marines will separate themselves from other people in the home/dwelling if residing with roommates/family members to avoid sharing personal items, to the extent possible pursuant to existing guidance. 
3.A.1.C.2.F.  Marines may not travel, visit public/crowded areas, or use public transportation and should avoid interaction with pets or other animals, to the greatest extent possible. 
3.A.1.C.2.G.  Medical evaluation and care will be immediately arranged if the Marine displays fever and symptoms consistent with the 2019-nCoV, as per CDC guidance. 
3.A.1.C.2.G.1.  The Marine will call ahead before going to a medical treatment facility (MTF), informing the MTF of his/her symptoms and travel history. 
3.A.1.C.2.G.2.  MTF staff should follow CDC guidance when assessing Marines who display fever and symptoms consistent with 2019-nCoV. 
3.A.1.C.2.G.3.  If a Marine or Sailor is identified as a patient, per previously published guidance, appropriate reporting will be initiated. 
3.A.1.C.3.  Until further notice, it is recommended that civilian employees and contractor personnel, and family members returning from China follow existing CDC guidance.  Key aspects include voluntarily:  remaining at home, avoiding congregate settings, limiting close contact with people and pets/other animals to the greatest extent possible, avoiding travel, self-monitoring, and seeking immediate medical care if symptoms develop. 
3.A.1.C.4.  Potentially affected personnel will be identified in coordination with Federal, State, and local medical planners, healthcare providers, and Public Health Emergency Officers (PHEOs).  Actions will mitigate the spread of 2019-nCoV to unaffected personnel. 
3.B.  End State.  The U.S. Marine Corps is postured to mitigate, contain, respond to, and recover from the effects of a public health crisis, and is capable of conducting assigned missions in a pandemic environment. 
3.C.  Concept of Operations.  The concept of operations in response to a viral disease crisis retains the phased approach structure outlined in NORTHCOM CONPLAN 3551, IAW  reference I. 
3.D.  Tasks. 
3.D.1.  Commanders will: 
3.D.1.A.  Review, update, and validate existing disease containment plans and policies in order to implement procedures for response, isolation, quarantine, restriction of movement, and community-based intervention. 
3.D.1.B.  Restrict travel and movement of personnel to areas experiencing 2019-nCoV outbreaks.  Provide appropriate medical and non-medical screening of, and protection for, personnel returning from affected areas.  Monitoring and screening of individuals potentially exposed to 2019-nCoV should be based on the guidance set forth in reference E. 
3.D.1.C.  Develop measures to contain and treat U.S. service members DOD employees, contract employees, and family members exposed to, or possibly exposed to 2019-nCoV. 
3.D.1.D.  Interim guidance and recommendations for reporting, testing and specimen collection can be found at the CDC website:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/HCP/clinical-criteria.html. 
3.D.1.E.  IAW reference K, report suspected cases of Marines and Sailors meeting the CDC’s definition of a patient or confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV through service and combatant command reporting channels, and to COMMARFORNORTH for tracking and reporting to CDRUSNORTHCOM.  OPREP-3 and/or SIR formatting guidance is contained in reference L. 
3.D.1.F.  Ensure DCP is incorporated into COOP plans, including continuity of essential services. 
3.D.1.G.  Coordinate with MTFs in development and execution of DCP responses. 
3.D.1.H.  Commanders will protect personally identifiable information and protected health information, as applicable, in accordance with U.S Law and DoD regulations and policies. 
3.D.1.I.  Coordinate with Navy Regional Medical Command to request PHEO support. 
3.D.1.J.  Become familiar with authority to declare a public health emergency, restrict movement, quarantine and isolate.  Coordinate with Federal, State, local, and military treatment facilities and public health emergency officials outlined in Section 3 of reference B. 
3.D.1.K.  Validate Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Disease Containment Response Plans for 2019-nCoV that incorporate the requirements of this MARADMIN. 
3.D.2.  Coordinating Instructions. 
3.D.2.A.  The U.S. Marine Corps will follow CDC guidance for healthcare providers at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/clinical-criteria.html.  Additional reference material for protective equipment that may go beyond current CDC guidelines are available at:  https://health.mil/Reference-Center/Policies/2018/09/25/Personal-Protective-Equipment-Policy-Guidance.  Due to the dynamic nature of this outbreak, individuals should frequently check the CDC 2019-nCoV website for additional updates at:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.
4.  Administration and Logistics.  This MARADMIN has been coordinated with HQMC Operations Division, HQMC, Health Services – Preventive Medicine, and HQMC Judge Advocate.
5.  Command and Signal.  A.  Command.  This MARADMIN applies to the Total Force.  B. Signal.  This MARADMIN is effective immediately.

Marine Corps

READ IT: U.S. Military Issues Coronavirus Containment Plan Orders

Coronavirus

Marines

Military

U.S. Navy

During a recent interview with Fox News&#8217; Brian Kilmeade, retired U.S. Navy SEAL Jocko Willink — who was a former commander of the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/navy-seal-jocko-willink-top-lesson-dont-quit-2018-6">most decorated</a> special operations unit of the entire Iraq War — described President Donald Trump&#8217;s recent ordered strike on top Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps–Quds Force general Qassem Soleimani as a &#8220;gamble&#8221; that nonetheless clearly &#8220;paid off&#8221; for the president.
&#8220;Retired Navy SEAL and author Jocko Willink applauded the &#8216;gamble&#8217; taken by President Trump in ordering the killing of top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, which was followed by anti-regime protests that erupted on the streets of Tehran,&#8221; Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/navy-seal-jocko-willink-trump-iran-soleimani-killing">reported</a>.
“When you look at it from that perspective you could say that this was a brilliant move to kill a person that was an enemy of America and an enemy of the Iranian people,” Willink said on “The Brian Kilmeade Show,&#8221; Fox News wrote.
“Was it a risk to do this operation?&#8221; Willink continued. &#8220;Absolutely. And if you were to poll everyone that had knowledge about what the conflict is like over there, &#8216;Hey should we do this or not?&#8217; There would have been mixed feelings.”
Willink then explained how such operations are always a risk, analogizing to the famous Navy SEAL raid in Pakistan to take down 9/11 mastermind jihadist Osama bin Laden of al-Qaeda.
“It was a risk to do this just like it was a risk when Obama sent SEALS in to go kill [Osama] bin Laden. That was huge risk,” Willink continued, as also reported by Fox News. “He’s going into Pakistan, he didn’t tell Pakistan what we’re doing. There was massive risk. You know the whole building could have been bombed. That’s a massive risk to do that operation. Pulled it off. Bravo. Outstanding.”
“We don’t know what could have happened. Trump took a gamble and did this, and you know what? From what it looks like right now the gamble paid off,” Willink said as he wrapped up his remarks.
In a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-the-just-and-proper-strike-of-mastermind-iranian-jihadist-qassem-soleimani">Daily Wire op-ed</a> published the day after President Trump&#8217;s successfully ordered strike of Soleimani, I wrote approvingly of the &#8220;just and proper strike&#8221; of &#8220;mastermind Iranian jihadist&#8221; Qassem Soleimani:
<blockquote>The world has awoken today a safer and more just place. And the unraveling of former President Barack Obama’s pro-Iran regional Middle East realignment, which began with President Donald Trump’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-trump-just-shredded-iran-deal-here-are-5-ben-shapiro">thunderous exit</a>from his predecessor’s pro-ayatollah nuclear capitulation, has now reached its logical conclusion.
The Obama Middle East foreign policy legacy is dead. As is the Islamic Republic of Iran’s infamous jihadist mastermind, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-trump-responds-to-u-s-military-killing-2-top-iranian-military-leaders-involved-in-terrorists">Qassem Soleimani</a>.
Good riddance to both. &#8230;
Qassem Soleimani was a monstrous thug. In addition to the hundreds of Americans killed in Iraq via Iranian-supplied roadside IEDs, Soleimani personally oversaw the jihad-led destabilization of all nations within Tehran’s coveted <a href="https://www.jewishpolicycenter.org/2019/09/03/the-shiite-crescent-and-regional-disaster/">“Shiite crescent”</a> of desired regional hegemony. He likely is responsible, on net, for tens of thousands of deaths. He was a relentless and unceasing foe of Western civilization, more broadly, though he held a special disdain for the mullahs’ “Little Satan” of Israel and “Great Satan” of the United States.</blockquote>
As The Daily Wire&#8217;s Emily Zanotti <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ted-cruz-dares-democrats-offers-senate-resolution-praising-soleimani-mission">reported</a> earlier this month, Iran hawk Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced a formal Senate resolution praising the Soleimani strike. &#8220;Senator Ted Cruz wants Democrats to publicly declare their feelings on the Trump Administration’s mission to kill Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani,&#8221; Zanotti wrote.

President Donald J. Trump Watches Raid On Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s Compound

Retired SEAL: Trump’s ‘Gamble’ On Soleimani Strike ‘Paid Off’

Al Qaeda

Donald Trump

Foreign Policy

Fox News

Iran

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

Middle East

Osama bin Laden

Qassem Soleimani

According to Fox News, at least one U.S. official in Iraq claims the U.S. military had advance notice of Iran&#8217;s tepid and futile <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-multiple-missiles-from-iran-hit-air-base-in-iraq-housing-american-troops-reports-say">missile strikes last night</a> that were targeted at Iraqi military bases hosting U.S. troops.
&#8220;U.S. military officials were warned about Iran’s pending ballistic missile strike &#8216;when the air defense systems went active&#8217; shortly before the attack was launched, a U.S. official in Baghdad told Fox News on Wednesday,&#8221; the outlet <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/us-military-iran-iraq-missile-attack-warning-officials">reported</a>.
&#8220;U.S. intelligence picked up &#8216;chatter&#8221; from Iran and inside Iraq, tipping off American forces to a strike around 1:30 a.m. local time — or 5:30 p.m. ET,&#8221; the outlet continued. &#8220;Soon after, Iran launched more than a dozen short-range ballistic missiles into Iraq, striking military bases housing American and coalition troops.&#8221;
&#8220;That warning was not a surprise to us,&#8221; the U.S. official, according to Fox News. &#8220;We already knew it was coming.&#8221;
Furthermore, according to Fox News, Pentagon officials told the outlet that &#8220;the advance warning of the Iranian missile attack is the reason Defense Secretary Mark Esper held a hasty press conference&#8221; yesterday.
The missile strikes, which Fox News characterizes as &#8220;most brazen direct assault on America since the 1979 seizure of the U.S. embassy in Tehran,&#8221; took place last night. &#8220;U.S. officials confirmed to Fox News on Tuesday that Iran is firing multiple missiles at U.S. bases and targets throughout Iraq in response to the U.S. killing Iranian terrorist leader Qassem Soleimani,&#8221; The Daily Wire&#8217;s Ryan Saavedra <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-multiple-missiles-from-iran-hit-air-base-in-iraq-housing-american-troops-reports-say">reported</a> at the time.
Saavedra quoted Fox News&#8217; <a href="https://twitter.com/JenGriffinFNC/status/1214687328515624962">Jennifer Griffin</a>, who noted that the missile strikes were expected: &#8220;This is something we have been expecting all afternoon. There were situation room meetings as well meetings with top officials here at the Pentatgon. There was a lot of chatter, we were told intelligence suggesting that the Iranians would strike at U.S. bases in Iraq after the that mourning for Qassem Soleimani ended earlier today.&#8221;
President Donald Trump addressed the nation today, in the aftermath of the feckless Iranian strikes last night, as The Daily Wire&#8217;s James Barrett <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-trump-addresses-nation-after-attack-no-lives-lost-iran-appears-to-be-standing-down">reported</a> earlier.
“As long as I am president of the United States, Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump began his speech.
“I am pleased to inform you, the American people should be extremely grateful and happy: No Americans were harmed in last night’s attack by the Iranian regime,” the 45th commander-in-chief continued. “We suffered no casualties, all of our soldiers are safe, and only minimal damage was sustained at our military bases.”
“Last week, we took decisive action to stop a ruthless terrorist from threatening American lives,” Trump added. “At my direction the United States military eliminated the world’s top terrorist, Qassem Soleimani. As the heads of the Quds Force, Soleimani was personally responsible for some of the absolutely worst atrocities. He trained terrorist armies, including Hezbollah, launching terrorist strikes against civilian targets. He fueled bloody civil wars all across the region.&#8221;
Earlier today, Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief Ben Shapiro <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/shapiro-iran-loses-its-showdown-with-trump">wrote approvingly</a> of the president&#8217;s seeming decision not to plan a retaliation for the mullahs&#8217; largely symbolic overnight salvo:
<blockquote>At this point, it behooves the administration to allow Iran to save face. No Americans were killed; the base was not American. What’s more, the Iranians will seek the last word in this latest exchange — which means that unless the United States is truly willing to go to war, we ought to let the Iranians save face with this tepid response.</blockquote>

Defense Secretary Mark Esper And Joint Chiefs Of Staff Chairman Army Gen. Mark Milley Brief The Media At The Pentagon

Official Claims U.S. Had Advance Warning Of Iran’s Missile Strikes, Report Says

Iraq

The United States Army has been forced to clarify how a possible military draft might work after thousands of Americans received a text message warning them that they&#8217;d been drafted to serve in the Army and might be soon shipping out to Iraq.
According to <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2020-01-08/no-draft-and-definitely-no-draft-by-text-message-us-army-warns-of-hoax">U.S. News and World Report</a>, several thousand people received spam text messages earlier this week telling them that their selective service card had been pulled and that they were now required to report to military recruiting as part of a nationwide draft. But there is, of course, no such draft in process.
U.S. military recruiting <a href="https://recruiting.army.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2051787/urgent-news-army-recruiting-discredits-military-draft-texts/">released a statement Tuesday</a> reassuring those who received the message that they do not need to report for duty.
&#8220;A number of fraudulent text messages informing individuals they have been selected for a military draft have circulated throughout the country this week,&#8221; the statement reads. &#8220;U.S. Army Recruiting Command has received multiple calls and emails about these fake text messages and wants to ensure Americans understand these texts are false and were not initiated by this command or the U.S. Army.
&#8220;The decision to enact a draft is not made at or by U.S. Army Recruiting Command. The Selective Service System, a separate agency outside of the Department of Defense, is the organization that manages registration for the Selective Service.&#8221;
&#8220;Fact check: The U.S. Army is NOT contacting anyone regarding the draft. If you are receiving texts, phone calls or direct messages about a military draft, they are not official communications from the U.S. Army,&#8221; the U.S. Army General Command office reiterated on social media.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Fact check: The U.S. Army is NOT contacting anyone regarding the draft. If you are receiving texts, phone calls or direct messages about a military draft, they are not official communications from the U.S. Army <a href="https://t.co/3S32De8ekP">pic.twitter.com/3S32De8ekP</a>
&mdash; U.S. Army CGSC (@USACGSC) <a href="https://twitter.com/USACGSC/status/1214905880732459009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The text message warn the recipient that the U.S. Army has been trying to contact them through other means, but has now resorted to text message, and that the individual receiving the message is &#8220;marked eligible&#8221; for service and must appear at a military recruiting office within a few days for &#8220;immediate departure to Iran.&#8221; The message warns that failing to heed the appeal will result in a &#8220;fine&#8221; and up to six years in prison.
There have been several waves of panic over a possible draft since the United States launched a surgical strike in Iraq last Friday, killing a top Iranian general responsible for fomenting violence against the American military across the Middle East. The United States Selective Service website crashed Friday night after mainstream media outlets and self-described experts fomented concerns about a &#8220;World War III&#8221; on Twitter, and the Federal student financial aid office, or FAFSA, was forced to clarify that &#8220;fine print&#8221; noting that 18 year old males must register for the selective service before they are deemed eligible to receive Federal student loan money is not new and would not be used to mandate military service in exchange for funds.
The United States abolished the draft in 1973 in the wake of the Vietnam War. In order to begin drafting eligible adults for military service again, Congress would have to pass a law reinstating the draft, which the President would then have to sign. Given the current state of the military &#8212; and current tensions between the two parties in Congress &#8212; its unlikely that the Federal government will reinstate the draft any time soon.

US Army

U.S. Army Warns Of Hoax: You Will Not Be Drafted For ‘WWIII’ By Text Message

UPDATE: The Department of Defense has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-pentagon-pushes-back-on-letter-media-says-it-verified-that-claimed-u-s-forces-leaving-iraq">pushed back</a> on the letter from AFP and Reuters.
The United States military has informed Iraq this week that it is preparing to &#8220;move out&#8221; of the country, according to an official letter.
In a letter verified by AFP and Reuters, William H. Seely III, Brigadier General, U.S. Marine Corps, wrote to Iraq&#8217;s Minister of Defense:
<blockquote>Your Excellency,
Sir, in due deference to the sovereignty of the Republic of Iraq, and as requested by the Iraqi Parliament and the Prime Minister, CJTF-OIR will be repositioning forces over the course of the coming days and weeks to prepare for onward movement.
In order to conduct this task, Coalition Forces are required to take certain measures to ensure that the movement out of Iraq is conducted in a safe and efficient manner.
During this time, there will be an increase in helicopter travel in and around the International Zone (IZ) of Baghdad. This increased traffic will include CH-47, UH-60, and AH-64 security escort helicopters.
Coalition Forces will take appropriate measures to minimize and mitigate the disturbance to the public. In addition, we will conduct these operations during hours of darkness to help alleviate and perception that we may be bringing more Coalition Forces into the IZ.
As we begin implementing this next phase of operations, I want to reiterate the value of our friendship and partnership. We respect your sovereign decision to order our departure.</blockquote>
President Donald Trump stated over the weekend that if Iraq forces the U.S. military to leave that it will be hit very tough sanctions.
“We have a very extraordinarily expensive air base that’s there,” Trump <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/05/us/politics/trump-iran-cultural-sites.html">said</a> of Iraq. “It cost billions of dollars to build. Long before my time. We’re not leaving unless they pay us back for it.”
“If they do ask us to leave, if we don’t do it in a very friendly basis, we will charge them sanctions like they’ve never seen before ever. It’ll make Iranian sanctions look somewhat tame,” Trump continued. “If there’s any hostility, that they do anything we think is inappropriate, we are going to put sanctions on Iraq, very big sanctions on Iraq.”
The move comes after Trump last week ordered the U.S. military to take out Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, which is a designated terrorist organization.
Soleimani was killed when an American military drone fired a missile at a convoy that he was traveling in, along with Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes, who headed the Iranian-linked Popular Mobilization Forces, as the convoy left Baghdad International Airport.
In a non-binding vote, the Iraqi parliament voted on Sunday to expel all foreign forces out of the country.
The U.S. and its allies across the region have been embracing for anticipated retaliatory attacks by Iran, which is the world&#8217;s leading state sponsor of terrorism.
Trump has since issued a series of stern warnings to Iran, saying that any retaliatory attacks will be met with severe consequences.
Trump tweeted on Saturday, &#8220;Iran is talking very boldly about targeting certain USA assets as revenge for our ridding the world of their terrorist leader who had just killed an American, &amp; badly wounded many others, not to mention all of the people he had killed over his lifetime, including recently hundreds of Iranian protesters.&#8221;
&#8220;He was already attacking our Embassy, and preparing for additional hits in other locations,&#8221; Trump continued. &#8220;Iran has been nothing but problems for many years. Let this serve as a WARNING that if Iran strikes any Americans, or American assets, we have targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level &amp; important to Iran &amp; the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD. The USA wants no more threats!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&#8230;.targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level &amp; important to Iran &amp; the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD. The USA wants no more threats!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1213593975732527112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
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This report has been updated to include additional information.

Kentucky National Guard Arrives In Arizona

U.S. Forces Preparing Rapid Withdrawal Out Of Iraq In Coming Days, Report Says

U.S. Army

Airstrikes late on Friday night reportedly took out more top Iranian-backed terrorist leaders in northern Baghdad.
The Associated Press reported: &#8220;Iraqi official says airstrike hits cars carrying Iran-backed militia north of Baghdad.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi official says airstrike hits cars carrying Iran-backed militia north of Baghdad.
&mdash; Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZekeJMiller/status/1213241616842014725?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2020</a></blockquote>
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In the early morning hours on Saturday in Iraq, OIR Spokesman Col. Myles B. Caggins III, official military Spokesperson for Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), reported that the International Coalition for Operation Inherent Resolve did not have anything to do with the airstrikes.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
FACT: The Coalition <a href="https://twitter.com/CJTFOIR?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CJTFOIR</a> did NOT conduct airstrikes near Camp Taji (north of Baghdad) in recent days.
&mdash; OIR Spokesman Col. Myles B. Caggins III (@OIRSpox) <a href="https://twitter.com/OIRSpox/status/1213326370572587008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Air strikes targeting Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces umbrella grouping of Iran-backed Shi’ite militias near camp Taji north of Baghdad have killed six people and critically wounded three, an Iraqi army source said late on Friday,&#8221; Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iraq-security-blast-taji/air-strikes-targeting-iraqi-militia-kill-six-army-source-idUSKBN1Z229P">reported</a>. &#8220;Two of the three vehicles making up a militia convoy were found burned, the source said, as well as six burned corpses. The strikes took place at 1:12 am local time, he said.&#8221;
The strike comes only one day after a strike that was authorized by President Donald Trump took out Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.
The strike that killed Soleimani also killed top Iraqi paramilitary commander Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes, the head of the Iranian-linked Popular Mobilization Forces.
The two were killed when an American MQ-9 Reaper drone targeted a convoy that the two men were riding in that was leaving Baghdad International Airport.
Soleimani was responsible for killing hundreds of American soldiers in Iraq dating back to the start of the Iraq war in 2003.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
State Department says Iran responsible for killing 608 U.S. troops during Iraq War. 
Qasem Soleimani led all Iranian and Iranian-backed forces in those operations. 
17% of U.S. troops killed in Iraq from 2003 to 2011 orchestrated by Iran, State Dept. says
&mdash; Lucas Tomlinson (@LucasFoxNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/LucasFoxNews/status/1212922686575382529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2020</a></blockquote>
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On Friday, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-trump-delivers-powerful-remarks-on-killing-terrorist-at-press-conference">said</a> that he ordered the military to take out Soleimani because he &#8220;was plotting imminent and sinister attacks on American diplomats and military personnel, but we caught him in the act and terminated him.&#8221;
&#8220;For years the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its ruthless Quds force under Soleimani’s leadership has targeted, injured, and murdered murder hundreds of American civilians and servicemen,&#8221; Trump continued. &#8220;Soleimani made the death of innocent people his sick passion, contributing to terrorist plots as far as way as New Delhi and London. … Recently Soleimani led the brutal representation of protesters in Iran where more than 1,000 innocent civilians were tortured and killed by their own government.&#8221;
The Department of Defense <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-trump-responds-to-u-s-military-killing-2-top-iranian-military-leaders-involved-in-terrorists">said</a>: “General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region. General Soleimani and his Quds Force were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition service members and the wounding of thousands more. He had orchestrated attacks on coalition bases in Iraq over the last several months – including the attack on December 27th – culminating in the death and wounding of additional American and Iraqi personnel. General Soleimani also approved the attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad that took place this week.”
The Department of State <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ilhan-omar-im-outraged-trump-killed-iranian-terrorist-who-killed-hundreds-of-americans">said</a>: “We can confirm that in the past several days, General Soleimani had been traveling in the Middle East coordinating further imminent large-scale attacks against U.S. diplomats and service members. These threats were highly credible and the intelligence is sound. General Soleimani’s travel also violated the ban imposed by the United Nations Security Council. Recent orders given by General Soleimani dramatically escalated Iran’s campaign of violence and terrorism against Americans and American interests in the Middle East. He orchestrated a series of attacks against American forces in Iraq in the past several months, culminating in the rocket attack on December 27, 2019, which resulted in the death of an American citizen, wounded four American service members, and threatened the lives of many more American personnel. General Soleimani also ordered the assault on the American Embassy in Baghdad. General Soleimani continued to command Iranian supported proxies in Iraq, which posed an escalating threat to the lives of Americans.”
This report has been updated.

IRAQ-POLITICS-DEMO-UNREST

Airstrikes Kill More Top Iranian-Backed Terrorist Leaders In Airstrikes, Reports Say

Terrorism

The head of the House Armed Services Committee, Democratic Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, has made it clear that in 2020 he will push for legislation in Congress to permit transgender troops in the military, a perspective which the Trump administration has generally opposed.
Smith stated, “Even if we know (Senate Armed Services Committee chairman) Sen. Jim Inhofe and Donald Trump won’t change their minds, do we want to take another run at it and how? We’ll be discussing that with a lot of people,” as <a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2019/12/30/new-in-2020-another-battle-about-transgender-troops/">Military Times</a>reported.
In March 2019, the Defense Department approved a policy largely barring transgender troops and military recruits who were transitioning to another sex from joining the military. A United States Court of Appeals had <a href="https://notransmilitaryban.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/doe-v-trump-dc-circuit-ruling-1-4-19.pdf">dismissed a claim</a> by a lower court that the policy implemented by the Department of Defense under former Secretary of Defense James Mattis had constituted a blanket ban on transgenders in the military, noting:
<blockquote>Although the Mattis Plan continues to bar many transgender persons from joining or serving in the military, the record indicates that the Plan allows some transgender persons barred under the military’s standards prior to the Carter Policy to join and serve in the military. The Mattis Plan, for example, contains a reliance exemption that will allow at least some transgender service members to continue to serve and receive gender transition-related medical care.
Also, Plaintiffs contended that the Mattis Plan’s exclusion of transgender persons who have gender dysphoria or who are unwilling to serve in their biological sex constitutes a blanket ban, arguing this case as if all transgender individuals either (1) have gender dysphoria or (2) transition to their preferred gender. They characterized these as “essential” and “defining” aspects of being transgender … Other than perhaps one passing statement by one of Plaintiffs’ experts, we can find nothing in the record to support this definition of being transgender, as all of the reports supporting both the Carter Policy and the Mattis Plan defined transgender persons as “identifying” with a gender other than their biological sex.
… we must recognize that the Mattis Plan plausibly relies upon the “considered professional judgment” of “appropriate military officials,” and appears to permit some transgender individuals to serve in the military consistent with established military mental health, physical health, and sex-based standards.</blockquote>
After the court rendered its decision, Pentagon spokeswoman Jessica Maxwell <a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2019/01/04/circuit-court-backs-dod-transgender-service-policy/">said</a>, “The department remains bound by three other court orders that require continued implementation” of the Obama administration policy that permitted transgender personnel to serve openly. She added that the Department of Defense “is consulting with the Department of Justice on next steps in the litigation. We look forward to continuing to press our case in the courts.”
Military Times noted, “House lawmakers last summer approved language in the <a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2019/12/11/budget-bill-loaded-with-military-personnel-policies-advances-in-house/">sweeping, annual defense budget measure</a> that would have overridden President Trump’s ban on transgender individuals joining in the military. But the proposal was dropped during negotiations, and the final policy bill included only some new studies on the potential impact of allowing them to join.”
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Dem Head Of Armed Services Committee: In 2020 We Will Push For Transgenders In Military

Transgender

South Carolina Democrat State Representative Mandy Powers Norrell issued an apology on Monday for smearing West Point cadets nearly two weeks ago when she falsely claimed that they were flashing &#8220;white power&#8221; signs during a college football game.
In her apology, Norrell called the cadets &#8220;immature&#8221; and demanded that there be sensitivity training at the service academies to educate the cadets because hand signals mean &#8220;different things to different people.&#8221; Norrell also attacked those who had called her out over her false statements as being &#8220;Twitter trolls.&#8221;
Norrell had faced days of intense backlash online after she jumped on the leftist outrage train accusing several cadets of flashing &#8220;white power&#8221; signs during the Army-Navy football game December 14. A military investigation found that was not true — the cadets were playing the circle game.
Norell tweeted on December 14, &#8220;Three separate cadets making the white power symbol on television. Wonder what the culture is like for the cadet in the front. There’s no excuse and he and other minorities there shouldn’t have to deal with such a cruel and disrespectful environment.&#8221;
On December 15, Norrell <a href="http://archive.is/bkBPd">tweeted</a> three more times about the incident and pushed back on those who told her that the cadets were playing the circle game. Norell tweeted:
<blockquote>Update. As of this morning, Westpoint has issued a statement saying it “doesn’t know the intention” of these cadets. I hope they figure it out soon.
The explanation given by many on twitter today is that these cadets are either saying things are “okay” or playing “the circle game” where they can punch someone who looks at their upside down okay symbol. How’s it a game if they’re on TV and can’t see who looks? Context.
More context: “4chan hoaxers hoped media would overreact by condemning a common image as white supremacist&#8230;.By 2019, at least some white supremacists seem to have abandoned the ironic intent and use the symbol as a sincere expression of white supremacy”</blockquote>
Norrell had remained silent as calls grew for her to apologize for her false accusations against the cadets and after multiple media publications reached out to her for comment in recent days.
In her apology letter, which was addressed to Lt. General Darryl A. Williams and Vice Admiral Sean Buck, Norrell wrote:
<blockquote>On December 14, I retweeted a post regarding the racially charged hand gestures displayed by cadets and midshipmen at the Army-Navy game. I publicly expressed my concerns regarding their judgement and intent, as well as the environment at the two military academies. I took down my Twitter post when I realized soon after that the matter was becoming bigger and more volatile than the circumstances seemed to merit. I was pleased to see the findings of the academies&#8217; investigations, showing that the young men&#8217;s conduct was merely immature and not intended to be malicious or racist.
I have written letters to the young men expressing my regret for adding fuel to the firestorm and offering them encouragement as they continue their studies and careers. I request that you forward these letters to them, as I do not know their names. I hope they can learn from this moment — as I have — that words, gestures and symbols matter, and that they may mean different things to different people.
&#8230;
Also, I want to take this opportunity to earnestly apologize to your institutions for some of the words I used in publicly describing the environment surrounding the incident as potentially &#8220;cruel and disrespectful&#8221; to minority members of the service. Though my concerns are sincere, those words were typed in the passion of the moment and without proper reflection.</blockquote>
Norrell want on to claim that the reason she assumed the cadets were flashing &#8220;white power&#8221; signs was because she has &#8220;always held our men and women in uniform&#8221; to &#8220;a higher standard of conduct.&#8221;
&#8220;Ironically,  I now apologize to you and your institutions for me not being more mindful of those same character traits within myself when choosing words to post on social media,&#8221; Norrell later added. &#8220;I am confident that you and your staffs will seize this moment to incorporate the sideways &#8220;OK&#8221; hand gesture into any social awareness and sensitivity orientation your institutions provide.&#8221;
Norrell posted her letter on Twitter, writing, &#8220;Not because of threats and harassment from Twitter trolls, but because it’s the right thing to do:&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Not because of threats and harassment from Twitter trolls, but because it’s the right thing to do: <a href="https://t.co/p9bnXg1htg">pic.twitter.com/p9bnXg1htg</a>
&mdash; SC Representative Mandy Powers Norrell (@MPowersNorrell) <a href="https://twitter.com/MPowersNorrell/status/1209250776285163521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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On Friday, the U.S. Military Academy released, in a series of tweets, the findings of their investigation into the cadets over the hand gestures that they used at the football game.
&#8220;The U.S. Military Academy announced today it has concluded an internal investigation of the cadets who displayed hand gestures during a broadcast of ESPN College GameDay at the Army-Navy game Dec. 14,&#8221; the U.S. Military Academy tweeted. &#8220;The investigating officer concluded that the cadets were playing a common game, popular among teenagers today, known as the &#8216;circle game&#8217; and the intent was not associated with ideologies or movements that are contrary to the Army values.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The investigating officer concluded that the cadets were playing a common game, popular among teenagers today, known as the “circle game” and the intent was not associated with ideologies or movements that are contrary to the Army values.
&mdash; U.S. Military Academy (@WestPoint_USMA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WestPoint_USMA/status/1208091754261430273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Despite playing an innocent game during a college football rivalry game, the U.S. Military Academy <a href="https://twitter.com/WestPoint_USMA/status/1208091757889540096">added</a>, &#8220;based on the results of the investigation, those cadets involved will receive appropriate administrative and/or disciplinary actions.&#8221;

Mandy Powers Norrell

South Carolina Democrat Calls Cadets ‘Immature’ In Apology For Smearing Them, Calls For ‘Sensitivity’ Training, Attacks Those Who Wanted Her To Apologize

White Supremacy

President Donald Trump announced on Friday that his administration had secured a large pay increase for those serving in the U.S. military, and that the accomplishment was &#8220;unprecedented&#8221; since this is the third year in a row that the administration has secured such pay increases.
&#8220;As president, I have been steadfast in my efforts to ensure that the courageous patriots of our Military Forces have the full support of the United States Government,&#8221; Trump wrote in a letter addressed to U.S. service members. &#8220;That is why I fought so hard to secure another pay raise this year for our great troops. Starting January 1, 2020, each service member will see their PAY INCREASE by 3.1% – the largest raise for our Military in more than 10 years.&#8221;
&#8220;While previous administrations allowed military pay to stagnate, my administration has secured pay raises for our Troops in each of the past 3 years – every year of my Presidency,&#8221; Trump continued. &#8220;This is unprecedented. But when it comes to supporting our heroes in uniform, no measure can ever convey the depth of our gratitude or extent of our obligation. This new law continues my Administration’s unwavering support for Goldstar families by repealing the so-called &#8216;Widow’s tax,&#8217; which wrongly prevented certain Military spouses from receiving the full benefits earned by their beloved deceased partners.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
To The Extraordinary Men and Women of the United States Military: <a href="https://t.co/luDyPVKgfY">pic.twitter.com/luDyPVKgfY</a>
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1208220823137505280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The pay increase was included in the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, which also set policies on sanctioning North Korea over its nuclear weapons program, paid family leave for federal workers, holding Saudi Arabia accountable for its human rights violations, sanctioning foreign drug traffickers, and <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/1790">more</a>.
At a signing ceremony on Friday, Trump addressed some of the things that the bill is going to fund, saying, &#8220;this bill authorizes nearly 100 new F-35s; 24 brand-new F/A-18s; 155 Army helicopters, of all different types; 165 brand-new, beautiful Abrams tanks, said to be the best in the world; more than 50 Paladin howitzers; 2 new Virginia-class submarines; 3 new Arleigh Burke destroyers; a Ford-Class aircraft carrier, and two others on their way; and much, much more.&#8221;
&#8220;But as we discussed earlier, our military is getting far more than just new equipment,&#8221; Trump continued. &#8220;For this first time – and I have to say, you know what happened last year? It was a good pay raise, but now you’re getting another pay raise. And this will be the largest pay raise in more than 10 years.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This spending bill doesn&#39;t just provide powerful defense technology—it gives our military their best pay raise in over a decade! <a href="https://t.co/0C2a0MZl5H">pic.twitter.com/0C2a0MZl5H</a>
&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1208454213602336769?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The full text of Trump&#8217;s letter to the U.S. military informing them of the pay increase:
To The Extraordinary Men and Women of the United States Military:
As 2019 comes to a close, the United States is more prosperous and our Military is more powerful than ever before. Your selfless service, noble sacrifice, and unfailing allegiance to duty and Country is what keeps America safe, strong, proud, and free. Your incredible contributions to our Nation are why I am proud to inform you that I recently signed into law major improvements to the compensation and benefits for Federal Employees as part of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. Through hard work and determination, my Administration overcame decades of inaction and gridlock to get this bill to my desk and to deliver these real results for you and your loved ones.
As president, I have been steadfast in my efforts to ensure that the courageous patriots of our Military Forces have the full support of the United States Government. That is why I fought so hard to secure another pay raise this year for our great troops. Starting January 1, 2020, each service member will see their PAY INCREASE by 3.1%&#8211;the largest raise for our Military in more than 10 years. While previous administrations allowed military pay to stagnate, my administration has secured pay raises for our Troops in each of the past 3 years&#8211;every year of my Presidency. This is unprecedented. But when it comes to supporting our heroes in uniform, no measure can ever convey the depth of our gratitude or extent of our obligation. This new law continues my Administration’s unwavering support for Goldstar families by repealing the so-called “Widow’s tax,” which wrongly prevented certain Military spouses from receiving the full benefits earned by their beloved deceased partners.
Our Country is vibrant, dynamic, thriving, and flourishing. Almost 160 million great Americans are working&#8211;more than ever before&#8211;the unemployment rate is at a 50-year low, and wages are up substantially for the first time in decades. Our economy is booming and the Stock Market has that more than 130 record highs over the last 3 years. We have rebuilt our military, which is the unrivaled envy of the world, and we have destroyed the so-called ISIS territorial caliphate&#8211;including killing the savage ISIS leader al-Baghdadi, a vile terrorist who had been sought for many years.
I want to thank each of you for your distinguished service in the past year, and I am excited about what we will achieve working together for the American people in 2020. Our country has never been stronger than it is right now&#8211;and we are just getting started! May God bless you and your family this holiday season. May God bless our Military. And may God continue to bless United States of America of America.
Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!
Sincerely,
Donald J Trump

President Donald Trump

Trump Announces ‘Unprecedented’ Gift For U.S. Military Members

A Marine based at Camp Pendleton in California has been arrested for allegedly smuggling illegal immigrants into the U.S. from Mexico.
NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/military/marine-arrested-cbp-allegedly-smuggling-undocumented-immigrants-u-s-n1095256">reported</a> that the Marine had just finished entry-level training (meaning he had completed boot camp, infantry training, and his military occupational specialty training) when he was arrested by Customs and Border Protection officials.
“The smuggling took place at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the 1st Marine Division told NBC News in a statement,” the outlet reported. The Marine is currently being held in civilian custody and has not been identified. ABC7 <a href="https://abc7.com/marine-arrested-after-bringing-in-undocumented-immigrants-officials-said/5733703/">reported</a> that it was unclear at this time whether this case will be “transferred to the military justice system.”
NBC also reported that this is not the first Marine from Camp Pendleton to be arrested for human trafficking:
<blockquote>This isn’t the first time in <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/two-marines-california-allegedly-smuggled-undocumented-immigrants-across-border-cash-n1027786">recent months</a> Marines from Camp Pendleton, where the 1st Marine Division is based, have been <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/military/16-marines-arrested-human-smuggling-drug-charges-n1034661">detained on suspicion of human trafficking</a>. The Marine Corps said of the 23 Marines detained in July from three separate incidents involving human trafficking, drug distribution and weapons charges, six have pleaded guilty to charges at court-martials.
Thirteen of them have agreed to leave the Marines and the rest are in the &#8220;process of being adjudicated&#8221; according to the statement.</blockquote>
Authorities told the outlet that there is no connection between the current Marine and the previous offenses.
Camp Pendleton is located 38 miles from downtown San Diego, and is described as “the Corps&#8217; largest West Coast expeditionary training facility,” encompassing “more than 125,000 acres of Southern California terrain,” according to the Marine Corps <a href="https://www.pendleton.marines.mil/About/Introduction/">website</a>.
Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/six-camp-pendleton-marines-plead-guilty-to-human-trafficking-drug-charges">reported</a> that 16 of the 23 Marines arrested in July were taken during a Battalion formation. In November, however, a military judge ruled their arrests had been unlawful and that their rights had been violated. It is unclear where in the myriad of case outcomes those 16 fall. The 16 were arrested after authorities learned information regarding their actions from an earlier human smuggling investigation, NBC <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/military/16-marines-arrested-human-smuggling-drug-charges-n1034661">reported</a> at the time.
It was earlier in July when two other Marines were arrested for allegedly transporting illegal immigrants in exchange for money. Those two Marines are among the four still facing criminal charges. The two Marines would allegedly receive the immigrants “at a pickup point about 20 miles east of a U.S. port of entry at Tecate and seven miles north of the border,” NBC reported. The two Marines were also questioned about drug offenses, though those weren’t related to smuggling drugs.
The other five were arrested during a separate incident.
None of the Marines that have been arrested for smuggling illegal immigrants were part of the Southwest Border Support mission, various outlets reported.

Marine Arrested After Allegedly Smuggling Illegal Immigrants Across The Border

Crime

Human Trafficking

Illegal Immigration

The Navy SEAL who killed Osama bin Laden supports President Trump&#8217;s decision to restore the rank of Eddie Gallagher, a fellow SEAL who was demoted after posing with the corpse of an Iraqi civilian.
Robert O&#8217;Neill, the SEAL credited with shooting bin Laden during the 2011 raid on his Abbottabad, Pakistan, compound also slapped &#8220;whiny&#8221; Pentagon officials who are criticizing Trump for stepping into the matter involving Gallagher.
&#8220;Everyone knows Gallagher will always be a SEAL &#8230; they&#8217;ll never be able to take that away from him,&#8221; O&#8217;Neill told The <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/navy-seal-who-shot-bin-laden-rips-pentagon-for-whiny-response-to-trumps-eddie-gallagher-move">Washington Examiner</a>. &#8220;It&#8217;s a special designation. SEALs go through the hardest training in the world &#8230; basically beating you up. It turns you into a special warrior.&#8221;
O&#8217;Neill also ripped the Navy for its &#8220;ridiculous” rules of engagement. “I’ve been saying it for a while now,” he said. “These current rules of engagement are going to get somebody killed.”
Gallagher received two Bronze Stars with V for valor and wears the prized Trident pin, signifying his membership in the elite SEALs unit. And he was unhappy that the Navy was seeking to take back the pin.
“This is all about ego and retaliation,” Gallagher said on <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/ego-and-retaliation-seal-eddie-gallagher-blasts-navy-secretary-for-meddling-in-his-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fox News</a> over the weekend. “This has nothing to do with good order and discipline. They could have taken my Trident at any time they wanted.”
After learning that the Navy wanted to rescind the Trident pin, he offered to give his up, calling Pentagon officials backing the move &#8220;whiny.&#8221;
Trump has reportedly ordered that Gallagher be allowed to keep the Trident pin, which will allow him to retire as a SEAL.
Gallagher was acquitted of murder in the stabbing death of an Islamic State militant captive, but he was convicted of posing with the corpse. After the conviction, he was demoted.
Then Trump pardoned Gallagher.
&#8220;I think what I&#8217;m doing is sticking up for our armed forces. And there&#8217;s never been a president that&#8217;s going to stick up for them and has like I have,&#8221; Trump told reporters in the White House on Monday. “I will stick up for the warriors.”
In defending his pardon, Trump pointed to former President Barack Obama&#8217;s commutation of former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning&#8217;s sentence, and also brought up Beau Bergdahl, who was was dishonorably discharged after being court marshaled for desertion.
&#8220;Some very unfair things were happening. You let Sgt. Bergdahl go. You let others go,&#8221; Trump said.
Navy Secretary Richard Spencer was fired by Trump on Friday after publicly disagreeing with the president.
&#8220;I no longer share the same understanding with the Commander in Chief who appointed me, in regards to the key principles of good order and discipline,&#8221; Spencer wrote in a letter. &#8220;I hereby acknowledge my termination as United States Secretary of the Navy.&#8221;
Gallagher will retire from active duty and will not take part in a review board over his conduct in 2017 while deployed, a Navy spokesman said late Monday, according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/navy-seal-gallagher-to-retire-from-active-duty-no-review-board">Fox News</a>.
“He’s a great guy. He’s a poster image of what a SEAL should be,” O’Neill said. “I’d go to war with him tomorrow.”
&nbsp;

Navy SEAL pin

SEAL Who Killed Bin Laden Backs Trump’s Decision To Restore Eddie Gallagher’s Rank

Vice President Pence Commemorates Veterans Day At Arlington National Cemetery

WATCH: Mike Pence Slams ‘Partisan’ Impeachment: Hurting National Defense

2019 in Washington

2020 Election

Democrats

Mike Pence

Combat veterans have lashed out at 2020 Democratic Party presidential candidate Joe Biden over the last 24 hours after Biden falsely declared that President Donald Trump&#8217;s decision to pardon members of the U.S. Armed Forces &#8220;betrays the rule of law.&#8221;
&#8220;Trump&#8217;s intervention in the American military justice system to pardon service members accused or convicted of war crimes betrays the rule of law, the values that make our country exceptional &amp; the men and women who wear the uniform honorably,&#8221; Biden tweeted. &#8220;He is not fit to command our troops.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Trump&#8217;s intervention in the American military justice system to pardon service members accused or convicted of war crimes betrays the rule of law, the values that make our country exceptional &amp; the men and women who wear the uniform honorably. He is not fit to command our troops.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1196093459486191616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2019</a></blockquote>
Biden&#8217;s claim that Trump&#8217;s decision &#8220;betrays the rule of law&#8221; is categorically false. The president has the power to essentially pardon anyone he chooses, according to Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 of the Constitution, which <a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/article/article-ii">states</a>:
<blockquote>The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.</blockquote>
CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/06/trump-us-presidential-pardons-history-clemency-constitution.html">added</a>: &#8220;So as long as it doesn’t have to do with impeachment, most federal, but not state, crimes are fair game for pardoning.&#8221;
Robert J. O&#8217;Neill, the Navy SEAL who killed Osama bin Laden, responded to Biden: &#8220;You said &#8216;no&#8217; to the bin Laden raid. Then you announced &#8216;SEAL Team Six&#8217; when we did it. I still had my body armor on when you turned my life around. How dare you&#8230;&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
You said “no” to the bin Laden raid. Then you announced “SEAL Team Six” when we did it. I still had my body armor on when you turned my life around. How dare you&#8230; <a href="https://t.co/EveMzo0qUE">https://t.co/EveMzo0qUE</a>
— Robert J. O&#8217;Neill (@mchooyah) <a href="https://twitter.com/mchooyah/status/1196291215844495360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2019</a></blockquote>
Fox News contributor Jessie Jane Duff, who served in the Marines, wrote: &#8220;Thank you for letting ALL of the military know you won&#8217;t stand with them if you send them into war with the most vicious &amp; violent enemies of our nation. The Obama Biden Admin made this very clear for [eight] years &amp; we will NEVER forget the hell you put us through. #VeteransForTrump.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Thank you for letting ALL of the military know you won&#8217;t stand with them if you send them into war with the most vicious &amp; violent enemies of our nation.
The Obama Biden Admin made this very clear for 8 years &amp; we will NEVER forget the hell you put us through. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VeteransForTrump?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VeteransForTrump</a> <a href="https://t.co/D0AOvIb8iX">https://t.co/D0AOvIb8iX</a>
— Jessie Jane Duff (@JessieJaneDuff) <a href="https://twitter.com/JessieJaneDuff/status/1196153914724421632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2019</a></blockquote>
Army Lt. Clint Lorance, who was pardoned by Trump, responded to Biden, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/clint-lorance-trump-pardon-joe-biden">saying</a>: &#8220;With all due respect to the former vice president, that seems to be a partisan answer. That seems to be something that he&#8217;s just toeing the party line on. I highly doubt the vice president, being the patriotic man with a son in the military like he had, I highly doubt that he really believes that. And I think that what he&#8217;s doing is, he&#8217;s toeing the party line. He&#8217;s doing what he thinks his donors and the people that are signing his paycheck are expecting him to do. And I think if you were to sit down with him face to face I think he&#8217;d have an issue saying that&#8230; face to face.&#8221;
Biden&#8217;s comments also ignore history and statistics, as the U.S. Department of Justice reports that Trump has granted by far the fewest number of pardons in history, according to available records.
The DOJ had <a href="https://www.justice.gov/pardon/clemency-statistics#DonaldJTrump">statistics</a> available for all presidents going back as far as William McKinley. The list shows the number of people pardoned by each president from highest to lowest:
<ol>
<li>FDR – 2,819</li>
<li>Truman – 1,913</li>
<li>Eisenhower – 1,100</li>
<li>Wilson – 1,087</li>
<li>Johnson – 960</li>
<li>Nixon – 863</li>
<li>Coolidge – 773</li>
<li>Roosevelt – 668</li>
<li>Hoover – 672</li>
<li>Carter – 534</li>
<li>Kennedy – 472</li>
<li>Clinton – 396</li>
<li>Reagan –393</li>
<li>Taft – 383</li>
<li>Ford – 382</li>
<li>Harding – 300</li>
<li>McKinley – 291</li>
<li>Obama – 212</li>
<li>W. Bush – 189</li>
<li>Trump – 16</li>
</ol>

joe biden

Combat Veterans Slam Joe Biden Over Remarks About Military Justice System

Democratic Party

Joe Biden

Iconic Canadian broadcaster Don Cherry was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-don-cherry-fired-for-telling-immigrants-to-honor-fallen-vets-responds-to-backlash">fired</a> from his job with Sportsnet this week after using his “Coach’s Corner” segment to encourage immigrants to honor fallen troops. Cherry was apparently upset that a diminishing number of people in the Toronto area wear the traditional poppy pins to commemorate Canada’s Remembrance Day. He (not unreasonably) connected this drop off in traditional observance to the increasing number of immigrants in the area. Here’s how he put it:
<blockquote>“You people love — you, that come here, whatever it is — you love our way of life, you love our milk and honey. At least you could pay a couple of bucks for poppies or something like that. These guys paid for your way of life, that you enjoy in Canada.”</blockquote>
The worst thing you could possibly say about these comments is that they’re a little bit gruff. But Don Cherry is 85 years old and 85-year-old men have earned the right to be gruff. Other than this lack of diplomacy, there is nothing remotely offensive or bigoted in his point of view on this issue. He isn’t telling immigrants not to come to Canada. He isn’t saying they are inferior to, or less than, himself. He certainly isn&#8217;t saying anything &#8220;<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/2019/11/11/don-cherry-fired-racist-anti-immigrant-comment/2566800001/">racist</a>,&#8221; as USA Today matter-of-factly put it. He doesn&#8217;t mention race at all and could just as easily be talking about immigrants from a mostly white country. His only point, it seems to me, is to lament a perceived deficit of patriotism and gratitude.
Of course, we live in a time when the only thing more lacking than patriotism is fortitude, so everyone associated with Cherry immediately threw him under the bus and prostrated themselves before the outrage mob. The president of Sportsnet, Bart Yablsey (a fitting name, somehow), announced Cherry’s firing while publicly scolding him for &#8220;divisive remarks&#8221; that &#8220;do not represent our values.&#8221;
The NHL chimed in with its own bit of finger-wagging, accusing Cherry of saying things &#8220;that are in direct conflict with the values of diversity and inclusion that we embrace as pillars of the sport.&#8221; Hockey used to be a game where rough men got their teeth knocked out. Now the National Hockey League delivers lectures on &#8220;inclusion.&#8221; We are truly living in &#8220;Idiocracy,&#8221; except everyone has lost their spines as well as their brains.
<iframe title="Media and Hollywood Rally Behind Convicted Rapist and Murderer | The Matt Walsh Show Ep. 369" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BlehMV5yg8U?start=1366&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Speaking of spineless, Cherry’s longtime co-host, Ron MacLean, who sat and nodded while Cherry was making these comments, tried desperately to keep his job by knifing his friend in the back. MacLean, doing his best to pretend that he understands why people are upset about this nonsense, called Cherry’s remarks &#8220;hurtful, discriminatory&#8221; and &#8220;flat-out wrong.&#8221; He even thanked the whiney masses for &#8220;calling Don and me on that&#8221; and teaching them a &#8220;great lesson.&#8221; Then his skin turned translucent and he morphed into a literal jellyfish on live TV.
I think there are two points to be made about all of this.
First, Don Cherry was correct. It is indeed important to inculcate patriotism and gratitude in all citizens. As for immigrants, it is their responsibility to assimilate themselves to their new country and show a proper respect for the traditions of their adopted home. Cherry’s point is a good one: If you’re immigrating to a country in order to enjoy its freedoms and luxuries, you should appreciate that many people had to die in order to provide you that opportunity. If there is not enough appreciation for that fact, who should we be scolding — Don Cherry, or the people who made his comments necessary in the first place?
Second, let’s pretend for a moment that Don Cherry’s comments really were &#8220;hurtful&#8221; and &#8220;discriminatory,&#8221; like his aquatic broadcasting partner claims. Could they possibly be more hurtful and discriminatory than a blackface costume? And if they don’t &#8220;represent the values&#8221; of Canadians, then does a man who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/blackface-photo-justin-trudeau-surfaces-trudeau-ryan-saavedra">wore blackface multiple times</a> represent them?
The hypocrisy is so blatant that it probably doesn’t need to be pointed out, but I will anyway. There was so much outrage in Canada over opinions expressed by a television host that the host was fired. Yet the prime minister of the country wore blackface and still won re-election. Of course, we Americans have no room to gloat. Megyn Kelly was fired from her job at NBC just for talking about blackface.
It just goes to show that these faux-racism outrages are political and performative. Calling the outrage mob &#8220;sensitive&#8221; or &#8220;snowflakes&#8221; misses the point and gives them too much credit. They aren’t sensitive — they’re just frauds.

Don Cherry

WALSH: Legendary Canadian Broadcaster Fired For ‘Racist’ Comments. But Blackface-Wearing Trudeau Remains In Office.

Canada

Immigration

Political Correctness

Sports

With fires raging constantly in California, no one would reasonably argue to cut the firefighters’ budget. Yet several leading Democratic presidential candidates recently called for cutting American military aid to Israel despite it increasingly acting as the primary bulwark against rising Iranian aggression and instability across the Middle East. Now is not the time to reduce Israeli military capabilities, but to enhance them.
Just three years after President Obama signed the current 10-year military aid package to Israel, saying it would “make sure that Israel has the full capabilities it needs in order to keep the Israeli people safe … and defend itself, by itself, against any threat,” several Democratic presidential candidates are threatening to void that commitment.
Speaking at the J Street National Conference recently, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), an influential leader of the Democratic base and party, blamed Israel for the dire conditions in Gaza. He argued, “If you [Israel] want military aid, you are going to have to fundamentally change your relationship to the people of Gaza,” adding that “it is fair to say that some of that should go right now into humanitarian aid in Gaza.” Gaza is controlled by the virulently anti-Semitic, anti-Israel <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-israel-must-destroy-hamas-once-and-all-josh-hammer">Islamic extremist organization Hamas</a> — which is armed by Iran, is a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, and regularly launches missile attacks against Israeli civilians. Sanders’ position effectively means a permanent reduction in U.S. military aid to Israel while rewarding Hamas for immiserating Gaza.
South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg suggested a U.S. military aid cut if Israel annexed the West Bank. And Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), the seeming Democratic frontrunner, said a couple weeks ago: “It is the official policy of the United States of America to support a two-state solution, and if Israel is moving in the opposite direction, then everything is on the table.”
Yet former Vice President Joe Biden rejected conditioning Israel aid as “absolutely outrageous” and a “gigantic mistake.” His view is obviously important and welcome, but his policy views don’t seem to resonate with the Democratic base; his political position, furthermore, is slipping.
The focus on conditioning Israeli aid is a very recent phenomenon. Elizabeth Warren co-sponsored a security assistance bill declaring it the policy of the United States “to ensure that Israel maintains its ability to counter and defeat any credible conventional military, or emerging, threat from any individual state or possible coalition of states or from non-state actors.” This passed the Senate in August 2018 with no objection from Bernie Sanders.
The new position for conditioning or cutting military aid to Israel based on the Palestinian-Arab situation misunderstands the purpose of the aid.
U.S. aid doesn’t go to the Israeli government for discretionary spending, but to defense contractors that are overwhelmingly U.S. companies — thereby providing jobs for American workers, who then provide the weapons to Israel.
More important, cutting military support for Israel would undermine U.S. interests. America needs a strong Israel to lighten our own military footprint and financial commitment in the Middle East, as the Democratic presidential candidates all claim they seek. We also need a strong Israel to help reduce threats to U.S. interests in the region.
Israel is an asset of growing importance in confronting the Middle East’s twin threatening forces: Sunni radicalism and Iran’s regional and nuclear expansionism.
With its relentless attacks in Syria, as well as increasingly in Lebanon and Iraq, the democratic Jewish state is the only actor effectively rolling back Iran and its proxies in the region. These proxies pose an existential threat not only to the Jewish state, but also to American allies Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan. Israel is working with Egypt to fight ISIS in Sinai and the Muslim Brotherhood (Hamas) in Gaza. It is working with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to protect it from external and internal enemies. The more active the Israeli military is, the less active U.S. soldiers need to be in the region.
America strategically needs a strong Israel now more than ever. Instead of threatening to cut military aid, the U.S. should now be focused on bolstering Israel’s military and deterrent capabilities. For example, accelerating delivery of weapons to Israel, replenishing and updating U.S. weapons prepositioned in Israel, undertaking more joint research and development, elevating Israel’s status for sharing military technology and intelligence with the United States, and concluding a narrowly defined mutual defense pact.
Recently, House Republicans overwhelmingly voted with Democrats to reject President Trump’s policy on Syria. Now congressional Democrats should work with Republicans to reject leading Democratic presidential candidates’ demands to cut aid to Israel, and work with President Trump to bolster Israel’s military and deterrent capabilities.
&nbsp;
Michael Makovsky, a former Pentagon official in the George W. Bush administration, is president and CEO of the <a href="https://jinsa.org">Jewish Institute for National Security of America</a> (JINSA).

U.S. and Israel flags

MAKOVSKY: Calls To Cut Aid To Israel Detrimental To U.S. Interests

Israel

Israel Defense Forces (IDF)

In honor of Veterans Day, Chris Pratt, beloved by middle America as one of the few big names in Hollywood willing to defend traditional values and openly discuss his faith, posted a statement on Instagram on Monday expressing his admiration for his veteran older brother, Cully, and urging his followers to &#8220;look at our veterans for who they are, actual people, with siblings and parents, with children and funny pasts&#8221; and, in doing so, &#8220;approach our relationships to them with compassion and understanding.&#8221;
&#8220;This is my older brother Cully. #happyveteransday,&#8221; Pratt declared on Instagram Monday in a post that includes a picture of his brother in uniform.
&#8220;I always wanted to be exactly like him. We were the same size despite our three year difference in age so as a kid I would wear the same clothes he wore, literally the day after he wore them — picking them up off the floor in his room. What can I say? He knew how to match and I liked the smell,&#8221; continues Pratt, famous for his self-deprecating humor. &#8220;One day his friends started to notice and he kindly urged me to wear my own clothes.&#8221;
&#8220;He is a good big brother,&#8221; writes the &#8220;Jurassic Word&#8221; and &#8220;Guardians of the Galaxy&#8221; star. &#8220;He’s always led with love. Growing up we wrestled for hours every day and smashed every bit of furniture in the house but never actually fought. He taught me everything. He put up with me and my incessant hyperactivity and forced his friends to do the same.&#8221;
&#8220;I say all this to point out that he’s a real person,&#8221; Pratt explains. &#8220;And the more we can look at our veterans for who they are, actual people, with siblings and parents, with children and funny pasts- the more we can approach our relationships to them with compassion and understanding.&#8221;
&#8220;My brother didn’t join the Army because he wanted to be Rambo,&#8221; he continues. &#8220;He joined because it was an opportunity for a hard-nosed kid who couldn’t afford college, somebody who wanted to get the hell out of his small town and probably wanted his own clothes.&#8221;
&#8220;We have the greatest armed forces the world has ever seen,&#8221; Pratt stresses. &#8220;It’s made up of real people who joined for myriad reasons. Brave men and women who sacrifice a whole hell of a lot. Today is their day. So celebrate a veteran today.&#8221;
&#8220;Today I celebrate Cully, as well as my cousin Curtis, Uncle Steve, Uncle Skip, second Cousins, Joey, Ryan and Alex, besties Jared and Jeffrey, all those I’ve fished for hunted with, those who’ve blessed me with their challenge coins as I’ve encountered them on press junkets and in my travels, the many in the film industry working both in front of and behind the cameras,&#8221; Pratt concludes. &#8220;To those currently serving and those out thanks for your service. We appreciate you!&#8221;
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<a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B4ueswlJoLc/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">This is my older brother Cully. #happyveteransday I always wanted to be exactly like him. We were the same size despite our three year difference in age so as a kid I would wear the same clothes he wore, literally the day after he wore them- picking them up off the floor in his room. 🤷🏼‍♂️ What can I say? He knew how to match and I liked the smell. One day his friends started to notice and he kindly urged me to wear my own clothes. He is a good big brother. He’s always led with love. Growing up we wrestled for hours every day and smashed every bit of furniture in the house but never actually fought. He taught me everything. He put up with me and my incessant hyperactivity and forced his friends to do the same. I say all this to point out that he’s a real person. And the more we can look at our veterans for who they are, actual people, with siblings and parents, with children and funny pasts- the more we can approach our relationships to them with compassion and understanding. My brother didn’t join the army because he wanted to be Rambo. He joined because it was an opportunity for a hard nosed kid who couldn’t afford college, somebody who wanted to get the hell out of his small town and probably wanted his own clothes. We have the greatest armed forces the world has ever seen. It’s made up of real people who joined for myriad reasons. Brave men and women who sacrifice a whole hell of a lot. Today is their day. So celebrate a veteran today. Today I celebrate Cully, as well as my cousin Curtis, Uncle Steve, Uncle Skip, second Cousins, Joey, Ryan and Alex, besties Jared and Jeffrey, all those I’ve fished for hunted with, those who’ve blessed me with their challenge coins as I’ve encountered them on press junkets and in my travels, the many in the film industry working both in front of and behind the cameras. To those currently serving and those out thanks for your service. We appreciate you! 🙏♥️🇺🇸</a>
<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" href="https://www.instagram.com/prattprattpratt/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> chris pratt</a> (@prattprattpratt) on <time style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;" datetime="2019-11-11T13:07:38+00:00">Nov 11, 2019 at 5:07am PST</time>
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Pratt also linked to his Instagram post on Twitter:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
This is my older brother Cully. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/happyveteransday?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#happyveteransday</a> I always wanted to be exactly like him. We were the same size despite our three year difference in age so as a kid I would wear the same clothes he wore, literally… <a href="https://t.co/5WSJnRkZEA">https://t.co/5WSJnRkZEA</a>
— chris pratt (@prattprattpratt) <a href="https://twitter.com/prattprattpratt/status/1193877964024360960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Response online to Pratt&#8217;s tribute to his brother has been overwhelmingly positive, many thanking him for taking a moment to honor the service and sacrifice of our veterans.
&#8220;Let’s hope people listen to what you just said sir,&#8221; wrote one fan. &#8220;We all need to respect, love and be eternally grateful for every single man or woman who has ever served our countries. No matter what political party you belong to. We all owe respect, and gratitude for these selfless people.&#8221;
&#8220;Beautifully stated about being real people,&#8221; wrote another. &#8220;My spouse is a police sergeant, and it saddens me how people forget they are humans with lives. Blessings to all the veterans.&#8221;
&#8220;Love it Chris!&#8221; exclaimed another. &#8220;Amazing tribute!&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tv-guide-warns-readers-about-chris-pratts-james-barrett">TV Guide Warns Readers About Chris Pratt’s ‘Problematic’ Offscreen Life</a>

Chris Pratt

Chris Pratt Posts Terrific Tribute To His Veteran Brother

Hollywood

Veterans

Federal prosecutors have accused a New York-based firm of falsely claiming security equipment sold to the U.S. military was made in the U.S. when it was actually produced in China.
The Associated Press <a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2019/11/07/illegally-sold-chinese-surveillance-equipment-installed-at-military-installations-feds-say/">reported</a> that Aventura Technologies Inc., based in Long Island, allegedly “sold tens of millions of dollars in Chinese-made surveillance and other sensitive security equipment to customers, including the U.S. military to use on aircraft carriers, by falsely claiming the goods were manufactured in America.”
U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue is now investigating the company, and said evidence suggested “individuals in China were well aware of what was going on,” though it does not appear as though the Chinese government was directly involved with the purchases.
The equipment was “installed on dozens of Army, Navy and Air Force bases, Department of Energy facilities and, among other places, on Navy aircraft carriers,” according to the criminal complaint reviewed by the AP.
Not only did the company allegedly falsely claim its products were made in America, but prosecutors accuse it of covering up its lies by relabeling merchandise to show U.S. labels. The AP reported that the company “also circulated a photo that an Aventura executive, Jack Cabasso, showed the company’s assembly line, but was actually an image of workers in a Chinese facility.”
In 2018, Cabasso emailed an employee of the Chinese manufacturer and implored him to make sure the products couldn’t be traced back to China. He feared customers would see the Chinese company’s logo on circuit boards. Cabasso asked the company to hide the logos, the AP reported. More from the AP:
<blockquote>The scheme began to unravel after the company sold 25 body cameras to the U.S. Air Force, security analysts discovered downloaded images including a logo of the Chinese Ministry of Public Security on the devices, the complaint said. A software analysis found indications that the camera’s manufacturer in China “had been aware that the U.S. Air Force was the intended end user of the camera.”</blockquote>
Cabasso and six other current and former employees have been charged “with conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud,” the AP reported. Cabasso’s bank accounts have been frozen and his 70-foot yacht has been seized.
The International Business Times <a href="https://www.ibtimes.sg/new-york-firm-sold-chinese-surveillance-tools-us-military-claiming-theyre-made-us-34070">reported</a> that the products sold by Aventura presented a cybersecurity risk for the U.S. government. Donoghue said the company’s actions were of “grave concern” for America’s cybersecurity, since the products carried a security risk.
The outlet reported that Aventura made $88 million since 2010, $20.7 million of which came from federal government contracts.
This criminal complaint comes on the heels of another <a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-air-force/2019/05/30/dod-bought-phony-military-gear-made-in-china-including-counter-night-vision-clothing-that-didnt-actually-work/">military purchasing scandal</a>. This one, from May, also involved a New York-based company. In that case, the company sold the U.S. military counterfeit equipment produced in China, including Multicam APECS Parkas that were supposed to counter night vision goggles, but didn’t.
“The sales were in violation of the Berry Amendment and the Trade Agreements Act, which require goods sold to the military and certain government buyers to be manufactured in either the United States or select countries,” the Military Times <a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-air-force/2019/05/30/dod-bought-phony-military-gear-made-in-china-including-counter-night-vision-clothing-that-didnt-actually-work/">reported</a>.

U.S. Navy Warship

U.S. Military Has Chinese Surveillance Tools Installed Thanks To New York Company Accused Of Lying About Who Made The Products

China

One of the few points of unbounded bipartisan agreement in Washington has for decades been that U.S.-Israel security cooperation is right, good, mutually beneficial, and worth every nickel spent on it. It is well–grounded in facts and has acknowledged benefits to both sides.
However, at the J Street Conference last week, left-of-center political candidates and hostile-to-Israel speakers questioned the utility of American aid to Israel except, perhaps, as “leverage” to force Israel to meet their left-of-center and hostile-to-Israel demands. Candidates were willing to “explore” the issue. But it was left to J Street president, Jeremy Ben-Ami, to get to the heart of the conversation – Ben Ami isn’t interested in “leverage,” but in de-legitimizing the aid. “American aid is not intended to be a blank check. As Israel receives that $3.8 billion in aid, what is it being used for?”
Actually, it’s not, a secret. The United States is Israel’s ally of first choice. And Israel remains the one country the United States can rely upon to defend itself by itself and in coordination with American interests. And most of the money is then spent by Israel in the U.S.
The origins of U.S.-Israel security cooperation are in the Cold War understanding that the United States could not engage all the adversaries of all its allies and friends around the world. It was embraced warily at first — the Americans were unconvinced they would receive anything of value and the Israelis were concerned about continued freedom of action. But it worked. Israel went from being considered a net security consumer to a net security producer, meaning the United States did not have to expend resources to defend Israel. And Israel participated in making the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean regions more secure due to its presence.
The following list of Israeli assets was developed in 1979 as a “quick reference guide” to security cooperation:
<ul>
<li>A secure location in a crucial part of the world</li>
<li>A well-developed military infrastructure</li>
<li>The ability to maintain, service, and repair U.S.-origin equipment</li>
<li>An excellent deep-water port in Haifa</li>
<li>Modern air facilities</li>
<li>A position close to sea lanes and ability to project power over long distances</li>
<li>A domestic air force larger than many in Western Europe and possessing more up-to-date hardware</li>
<li>Multilingual capabilities, including facility in English, Arabic, French, Farsi, and the languages of the (former) Soviet Union</li>
<li>Combat familiarity with Soviet/Russian-style tactics and equipment</li>
<li>The ability to assist U.S. naval fleets, including common equipment</li>
<li>The ability to support American operations and to provide emergency air cover</li>
<li>A democratic political system with a strong orientation to support the United States and the NATO system</li>
</ul>
Added in 1996: Israel’s military research and development capabilities complement those of the U.S. Its intelligence services cooperate closely with ours — to our benefit. And large numbers of American troops train in Israel.
Added in 2006: The establishment of police-to-police counterterrorism training in Israel.
Nothing has ever been removed.
Not a single American serviceperson needs to be stationed in Israel. Aside from training missions, there have been American soldiers stationed in Israel since 2009, only working with the American/Israeli co-designed X-band radar system — a deployment that helps the U.S. and Israel monitor threats from the east.
Israel’s missile defense capabilities — developed and produced in conjunction with American industry — not only protect Israel from Hamas and Hezbollah missiles, but protect the United States from emerging threats from North Korea and Iran. Various branches of the U.S. military have purchased a variety of Israeli-developed systems and participated in joint development of anti-tunnel defenses, the Arrow Missile Program, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Plane, THEL Laser Program, the Advanced Urban Combat Training Facility, as well as Iron Dome.
Israel has been a partner in U.S. and multi-lateral military exercises for years; interestingly, Israel and the United Arab Emirates flew together in one. Combined exercises have taken place on NATO territory, in the U.S., in Israel (where the Luftwaffe flew above Israeli territory, making a few people blink), and the Pacific Ocean. Not a single country has opted out due to Israel having opted in.
The two countries are drawn together by common values and common threats. The bipartisan support of our ally Israel has been a testament to those values, as well as to the practical recognition that the threats require cooperation in intelligence, technology, and security policy.
The volatility of the Middle East is unlikely to be constrained. The United States, desirous of removing its soldiers from the region even as it understands the risk attendant to a resurgent Russia and increasingly desperate Iran, is as much in need of capable allies now as it ever was.  It would be a shame if rampant J Street politicization of the relationship were allowed to do damage.
&nbsp;
Shoshana Bryen is senior director of <a href="https://www.jewishpolicycenter.org/">The Jewish Policy Center</a>. Portions of this article appeared in the Jewish Policy Center magazine, inFOCUS Quarterly.

BRYEN: U.S.-Israel Security Cooperation Is A Win-Win

J Street

National Security

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/who-will-win-democratic-primary-latest-2020-josh-hammer">Leading</a> 2020 Democratic Party presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has come under fire, of late, for her <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-elizabeth-warren-says-shes-open-to-cutting-off-aid-to-israel">suggestion</a> that U.S. foreign aid to our ally Israel could become jeopardized by an oh-so-very obstinate Israeli governmental refusal to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-yes-palestinian-state-far-more-dangerous-josh-hammer">commit national suicide</a> at the jihadist altar of the &#8220;two-state solution&#8221; cartel. &#8220;It is the official policy of the United States of America to support a two-state solution,&#8221; Warren <a href="https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1186052533405528067?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1186052533405528067&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Fwatch-elizabeth-warren-says-shes-open-to-cutting-off-aid-to-israel">intoned</a>, &#8220;and if Israel is moving in the opposite direction, then everything is on the table.&#8221; Similarly, today comes news that fellow 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg <a href="https://twitter.com/merica/status/1191415957731848192">believes</a> that the U.S. must &#8220;take steps to make sure th[at] US taxpayers [are] not contributing&#8221; to policies counter to the much-ballyhooed &#8220;two-state solution.&#8221;
Sounds a lot like a <a href="https://twitter.com/josh_hammer/status/1191416211537616897">quid pro quo</a>, no?
Alas, none of this anti-Israel braggadocio is particularly new for the Left. Many today forget that Likud Prime Minister Menachem Begin&#8217;s thunderous 1982 Zionist vow that he was &#8220;not a Jew with trembling knees&#8221; was issued in <a href="https://www.jewishpress.com/indepth/opinions/menachem-begin-to-joe-biden-i-am-not-a-jew-with-trembling-knees/2015/04/03/">direct response</a> to &#8230; wait for it &#8230; then-Sen. Joe Biden&#8217;s (D-DE) threat to cut off U.S. aid to Israel. Yes, that would be the same purported &#8220;moderate&#8221; now once again seeking his party&#8217;s presidential nomination. Similarly, when ham-handed former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/john-kerry-israel-apartheid-palestine-peace-process-2014-4">dropped the &#8220;apartheid&#8221; word</a> in 2014 to describe the oh-so-very dire possible outcome of failed Israeli-Palestinian <del>capitulation to jihad</del> &#8220;peace talks,&#8221; it seemed obvious that the bumbling Bostonian had in mind a withholding of U.S. aid to Israel as one plausible penalty.
The status quo of <a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RL33222.pdf">mass U.S. aid to Israel</a>, therefore, amounts to a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damocles#Sword_of_Damocles">sword of Damocles</a> that empowers hardened anti-Israel U.S. policymakers to wield U.S. aid as a cudgel toward achieving their leftist, capitulatory, Islamism-empowering policy goals. There is no reason to ever expect this to change: Contra the bemused lecturing of the likes of Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), such quid pro quos and strings attached on foreign aid beneficence are intrinsic to the entire foreign aid edifice itself. The result is to denigrate Israel as little more than an American satrap that must act according to the capricious whims of a foreign superpower. Israeli sovereignty is a casualty — as is Zionism itself.
It therefore ought to make sense that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu <a href="https://www.everycrsreport.com/files/20070425_RL33222_ee97f8a100b2abd96b43a0f4d0cc6848e74efb26.pdf">suggested</a> a reduction and eventual phasing out of U.S. aid (technically just economic aid, but Netanyahu&#8217;s logic also applies to military aid) to Israel during his initial prime minister stint during the 1990s. Caroline Glick — arguably the single most consistently <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Israeli-Solution-One-State-Peace-Middle/dp/0385348061">arch-Zionist</a> commentator of the past two decades — has long <a href="https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Column-one-Time-to-walk-away-from-US-aid-462677">believed</a> in phasing out U.S. aid to Israel, going so far as to call military aid a &#8220;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/carolineglick/posts/i-believe-that-us-military-aid-to-israel-is-a-poison-pill-israel-subsidizes-us-m/859228864147869/">poison pill</a>&#8221; for Israel. Venerable Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby, a longtime stalwart of the pro-Israel community, <a href="https://townhall.com/columnists/jeffjacoby/2016/09/05/israel-doesnt-need-american-foreign-aid-n2213875">agrees</a>. Not only are Israeli self-determination and Zionism itself undermined, but the median American&#8217;s opinion of the morally and strategically indispensable U.S.-Israel alliance is sullied by crass fiscal considerations. To state the obvious, phasing out the largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid from receiving any foreign aid would redound to the interests of U.S. taxpayers.
True, this phasing out cannot happen overnight. True also, there have historically been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/israel-how-bernie-sanders-could-actually-hurt-the-palestinians">real American gains</a> from U.S. aid to Israel. But the reality is that in the long run, contra the more organizationally myopic views of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-what-exactly-current-role-aipac-josh-hammer">powerful organs</a> of the Jewish and pro-Israel establishment, both the United States and Israel alike would benefit from a phasing out and gradual winding down of all U.S. aid to Israel. This conclusion surely strikes many in the pro-Israel community as counter-intuitive, but it is ultimately correct. The integrity of the Zionist project would only be fortified by the Jewish state&#8217;s slowly weaning itself off Uncle Sam&#8217;s fiscal teat.

U.S. Israel flags

HAMMER: The Pro-Israel Case Against U.S. Military Aid To Israel

American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)

It took a dog meme to reveal the full extent of the mainstream media’s decay. The saga began yesterday, when The Daily Wire posted a joke on our social media accounts that depicted President Trump awarding a bronze paw print medal on a two-dimensional blue ribbon to the dog who chased down Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The caption read, “Please, @realDonaldTrump.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Please, <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>. <a href="https://t.co/nYSJSGlJ8L">pic.twitter.com/nYSJSGlJ8L</a>
&mdash; The Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1189241705746386944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The president apparently liked the joke and reposted it, tweeting, “AMERICAN HERO!” 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
AMERICAN HERO! <a href="https://t.co/XCCa2sGfsZ">pic.twitter.com/XCCa2sGfsZ</a>
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1189601417469841409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
The exchange offered a pleasant moment of levity. Even in an age as politically divided as ours, at least we can still come together and laugh at a picture of a goofy-looking dog to celebrate a military victory.
Or so we thought, until the mainstream media decided to take the picture seriously. “A WH official said ‘the dog is not at the WH,’” tweeted CNN&#8217;s Jim Acosta.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
A WH official said &quot;the dog is not at the WH.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/eJLqBMyKna">https://t.co/eJLqBMyKna</a>
&mdash; Jim Acosta (@Acosta) <a href="https://twitter.com/Acosta/status/1189658623431102465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Voice of America’s Steve Herman rushed to fill the gaps in Acosta’s groundbreaking report. “I’ve requested details from the @WhiteHouse on this photo,” he tweeted. “There was no such canine event on today’s @POTUS schedule but there is a Medal of Honor ceremony set here for later today for an active duty Green Beret.” 
USA Today also deemed the tweet newsworthy and described the meme as a “doctored image.” The New York Times assigned not one but two investigative reporters to cover the joke, which it described in its headline as a “faked photo.” Apple News users received a push notification using the same phrase.
<div id="attachment_59649" style="width: 289px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-59649" class="size-medium wp-image-59649" src="https://editorial.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/IMG_2062-279x300.png" alt="" width="279" height="300" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2019/10/IMG_2062-279x300.png 279w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2019/10/IMG_2062-768x826.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2019/10/IMG_2062-953x1024.png 953w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2019/10/IMG_2062.png 1120w" sizes="(max-width: 279px) 100vw, 279px" />(Apple News/Screenshot)</div>
“Fine, just the president of the United States disseminating a doctored image created by a right-wing propaganda site,” wrote S.V. Date of HuffPost, a left-wing propaganda site.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Fine, just the president of the United States disseminating a doctored image created by a right-wing propaganda site. <a href="https://t.co/Ky26zdDaXe">pic.twitter.com/Ky26zdDaXe</a>
&mdash; S.V. Dáte (@svdate) <a href="https://twitter.com/svdate/status/1189602652511965187?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Then The Washington Post published the pièce de résistance. “Trump tweeted a photo of a Medal of Honor recipient — who was edited out and replaced by Conan the dog,” read the headline. 
The Post’s story marked the media’s third distinct attack of the day. The first round of reporting about the dog meme wondered if the image had been an act of deception — fake news from The Daily Wire. The next narrative suggested Trump had unwittingly spread an intentional joke. Neither attack gained traction beyond the widespread mockery of normal people stunned by the humorless press. So The Washington Post settled on the third and strongest charge: Trump had somehow disrespected the actual Medal of Honor recipient in the photograph by mashing up the image with the hero pup.
That attack too fell flat because the hero from the original photo found the dog meme funny. The Washington Post tried and failed to track down 73-year-old Medal of Honor recipient James McCloughlan, but the Times managed to reach him by phone. McCloughlan laughed, assured the reporters he did not take offense, and even applauded public recognition of the dog. “This recognized the dog is part of that team of brave people,” he explained. “They are very courageous.” So much for that angle.
Undeterred, the Post continued to insinuate wrongdoing on the part of the meme-makers. “Jeremy Boreing, the chief operating officer at The Daily Wire, dismissed emailed questions about whether the altered photo originated from his publication,” reported the Post. 
In fact, Jeremy responded directly to reporter Alex Horton’s request that he confirm The Daily Wire had “digitally removed Medal of Honor recipient James McCloughan and replaced him with a dog.”
“Alex,” wrote the Daily Wire COO. “On the record: You’ve got to be f***ing joking. Please quote me on that.” The Post was not joking, and it did not publish Jeremy&#8217;s response.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
So, WaPo asked my business partner, <a href="https://twitter.com/JeremyDBoreing?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jeremydboreing</a>, about our Medal of Honor dog meme. His glorious response is screencapped below. Their report then suggested Jeremy refused to answer questions about the picture. Um, no. We just think you’re being f***ing insane. <a href="https://t.co/pEyOH96hEr">pic.twitter.com/pEyOH96hEr</a>
&mdash; Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) <a href="https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/1189757002408267776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The most dishonest headline of the day came from the Sun: “Donald Trump baffles internet with bizarre Photoshopped pic of him giving medal to hero dog ‘Conan.’”
 Trump didn’t baffle the Internet. He didn’t baffle anyone — other than the mainstream press, which has become so consumed with hatred of the president and his supporters that it can’t recognize an obvious joke.
You can tell fanatics by their lack of a sense of humor, which requires a sense of proportion and reality. An image of a dog receiving a presidential medal is a funny joke. But it&#8217;s not as funny a joke as the fanatical leftists in the press who took it seriously.

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