For decades, Americans have viewed their primary adversaries as foreign nationals or international terrorist organizations. Yet this perspective has proven dangerously naive. Over the past 60 years, socialist and Marxist ideologies have taken root within our own borders, often hiding in plain sight. This internal threat operates not from distant shores but from within.
Recent events only underscore this concern. The arrest of a would-be assassin at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner — reportedly a former “Teacher of the Year” — is deeply disturbing. It raises a critical question: how have individuals entrusted with educating our children become radicalized to such extremes? And more importantly — where is the line when freedom of speech ends and subversion begins?
<h3>Quietly Reshaping Society From the Inside Out</h3>
This enemy is not a shadowy cabal of spies but a network of socialist and Marxist-influenced elites who have methodically gained influence over key pillars of American life: universities, the legal system, media, political parties, and even religious organizations. Operating under the banners of progress, equity, and social justice, they have advanced while many citizens focused on daily responsibilities. The outcome has been a slow erosion of foundational American values and a deliberate division of people along lines of ethnicity, religion, and sexual identity and even splits amongst once close family members. The result is the gradual weakening of the nation’s core institutions and social fabric.
<h3>The Decimation of the Nuclear Family</h3>
One of the most striking impacts appears in the decline of the nuclear family. This trend began prominently in the black community. In the 1960s, roughly 80% of black children lived in two-parent homes. Today, that figure is reversed with 77% of black children born to <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/washington-secrets/693212/77-black-births-to-single-moms-49-for-hispanic-immigrants/">single mothers</a>. The problem has since spread nationwide. Pew Research Center <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2019/12/12/u-s-children-more-likely-than-children-in-other-countries-to-live-with-just-one-parent/">data</a> show the United States has the highest rate of children living in single-parent households among developed nations — 23% of U.S. children under 18 live in fatherless homes, more than three times the global average.
Marriage rates have also hit historic lows, undermining the stable family structures historically linked to prosperity, child well-being, and social mobility. A prosperous country cannot long thrive without strong families as its foundation.
<h3>Academic Excellence Subverted into a Marxist Trojan Horse</h3>
Nowhere is the transformation more evident than in education. In public schools, social justice curricula emphasizing systemic racism, gender ideology, and equity have often displaced core academics. National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores — the Nation’s Report Card — reveal reading and math proficiency at historic lows, with declines affecting students across demographic groups. Resources flow into DEI initiatives and “restorative justice” programs that prioritize emotional outcomes over measurable skills.
The human cost is profound: <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/most-us-would-fail-u-s-citizenship-test-survey-finds-n918961">surveys indicate</a> only about 19% of Americans under age 45 can pass the U.S. Citizenship Test, with many unable to name the three branches of government or explain the Bill of Rights. Older Americans pass at much higher rates (around 74% in some studies), underscoring that this reflects educational shifts rather than inherent generational differences. 
Teachers’ unions have sometimes embraced ideological language. During the 2022 Minneapolis strike, a union leader framed the effort as a fight against “the patriarchy” and “capitalism.”
Universities, once centers of free inquiry, now exhibit stark ideological imbalance. Faculty ratios have shifted dramatically, with liberal-to-conservative balances moving from roughly 2:1 in the mid-1990s to far wider margins today — often 10:1 or higher in many studies, with even greater disparities in humanities and education departments. In the national survey, Departments of Education faculty self-identify as Radical, Activist, Socialist or Marxist. This is especially concerning because they instruct the next generation of public-school teachers.
<h3>Propaganda Masquerading as Journalism and Advocacy</h3>
This academic capture influences media, law, and advocacy. Organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) have faced scrutiny, including allegations in legal contexts of questionable practices while labeling mainstream groups. Media outlets often amplify such frameworks, shaping narratives through selective coverage. In politics, socialist ideas have moved from the fringes to mainstream Democratic platforms.
In November 2025, New York City elected Zohran Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, as mayor — the first Muslim and South Asian mayor of America’s largest city. His administration prioritizes expansive government and redistribution. Similar dynamics appear in Minnesota: Minneapolis City Council includes self-declared Democratic Socialists of America members advancing related priorities amid ongoing challenges with crime and services. The 2020 unrest in Minneapolis, involving organized elements, accelerated “defund the police” experiments rooted in these ideologies.
<h3>Undermining Service to Citizens</h3>
Elected officials advancing such agendas can weaken state capacity and national cohesion. When civic education falters, informed citizenship declines — an outcome aligned with views that see the Constitution as an outdated instrument of oppression.
Religious institutions have also been affected. Some mainline Protestant and Catholic circles have incorporated critiques of “systemic sin,” shifting emphasis toward social justice over personal redemption. Sermons increasingly echo academic and media talking points on privilege and reparations.
<h3>Pattern Recognition and the Path Forward</h3>
This is not paranoia but observable pattern recognition. Socialist and Marxist influences advanced not through overt revolution but via tenure committees, HR departments, grants, and activist networks. They reframed compassion-based concepts like diversity, inclusion, and equity into tools against dissent.
Evidence surrounds us: politicized campuses stifling debate, advocacy groups facing credibility questions, socialist elected officials, schools prioritizing socialist ideology, unions opposing capitalism, coordinated protests and riots, and churches emphasizing liberal politics.
Americans must awaken to this reality. The adversary lectures from podiums, edits content, drafts laws, grades papers, and serves on councils — seldom wearing foreign uniforms. Reclaiming institutions require vigilance: restoring academic excellence and viewpoint diversity in universities, demanding transparency from nonprofits and unions, electing leaders focused on merit and results, and ensuring schools prioritize fundamentals — reading, writing, history, and civics — over grievance.
The republic was not lost overnight but inch by inch. The time to push back is now. Our children’s future and the nation’s character depend on it.
* * *
Kendall Qualls is an Army veteran, business leader, and the leading Republican gubernatorial candidate in Minnesota. TakeCharge is a national nonprofit organization led by Kendall and Sheila Qualls focused on restoring strong families as the foundation for opportunity, dignity, and upward mobility.

Former President Obama Joins NYC Mayor Mamdani On A Visit To Child Care Center

The Quiet Campaign Weaponizing America’s Youth

DW Opinion

Education

Family Values

Gen Z

Leftists

Legacy Media

Minnesota

Propaganda

Teenagers

CNN anchor Jake Tapper and former director of the National Counterterrorism Center Joe Kent traded barbs over media coverage of Operation Epic Fury and Iranian state-promoted propaganda.
Kent, who abruptly left his position in the United States intelligence community over President Donald Trump&#8217;s military operation in Iran, spurred the back-and-forth when he commented on the ongoing rescue mission to retrieve an airman from behind enemy lines in Iran.
&#8220;Praying for the rescue of our downed pilot &amp; the safe return of our Special Operators going in to get him back. USAF PJs &amp; CSAR Air crews are top notch,&#8221; Kent <a href="https://x.com/joekent16jan19/status/2040578006230462496">posted</a>, but also shared a report from Drop Site News that parroted Iranian propaganda that suggested the United States was actively attempting to kill the downed airman rather than rescue him.
<blockquote>Iranian state-linked Tasnim News, citing a military source, claims U.S. forces are bombing areas in southwest Iran where a missing pilot may be located, alleging Washington has “lost hope” of recovery and is attempting to kill him.</blockquote>
Tapper <a href="https://x.com/jaketapper/status/2041125801051967769">pushed back</a> early on Monday, one day after an elaborate rescue mission had succeeded in safely extracting the weapon systems specialist, saying, &#8220;Former National Counterterrorism Center director Joe Kent sharing Iranian state-linked outlet nonsense claiming, falsely, that the U.S. was trying to kill the then-lost U.S. pilot. Aged rather poorly, I think it&#8217;s fair to say.&#8221;
Kent responded by claiming that Tapper was promoting the war and that Iranian media was &#8220;independent,&#8221; and said that anyone &#8220;cheering on wars&#8221; should be questioned.
&#8220;Tapper’s purpose, like the entire corporate media, is to promote this foolish war &amp; attack anyone who points out how this war isn’t in our nation’s interest. Read independent media, Iranian media &amp; US media &#8211; always question those cheering on wars &amp; always pray for our troops,&#8221; he <a href="https://x.com/joekent16jan19/status/2041140400304337063">posted</a>.
The CNN anchor disputed Kent&#8217;s characterization, saying that neither he nor CNN were in the business of promoting any war. &#8220;We cover it, critically.&#8221;
&#8220;Moreover, I wasn’t attacking Mr. Kent. I pointed out that he had promoted false information suggesting the U.S. was seeking to *kill* the missing U.S. pilot. Wild stuff,&#8221; Tapper concluded.
Kent had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/joe-kent-bomb-bomb-bomb-bomb-bomb-iran">previously</a> called for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/joe-kent-circa-2020-i-personally-think-trump-should-have-crushed-their-ballistic-nuke-capes">far more aggressive treatment</a> of Iran, but pivoted and quickly announced his departure from the Trump administration after the president took action.

GettyImages-2251397231-2

Even The Left Calls Out Joe Kent After He Pushes Iranian Narrative

Global Politics

Iran

Jake Tapper

Joe Kent

Media

Military

World

“Wicked: For Good” European Premiere – Arrivals

The Real Reason Hollywood Keeps Turning Villains Into Heroes

actors

Cartoon

Disney

Hollywood

Matt Walsh

Movies

Opinion

Wicked

Woke Culture

Late-night host Stephen Colbert just admitted that shows like his are meant to instruct viewers on how to think.
The host of “The Late Show” was attempting to defend the existence of the late-night genre during a recent <a href="https://www.gq.com/story/stephen-colbert-gq-cover-story-interview-men-of-the-year-2025">interview</a> with GQ.
While speaking on the topic, Colbert said, “Well, we are like your friend who at the end of the day paid attention to what happened today more than you did. And then we curate that back to you at the end of the day.”
“But it’s really more about how we feel about—or I, as the person who is the vehicle for that—how we felt about today. All those things that might’ve made you confused, angry, or anxious or happy or surprised or something like that,” Colbert added. “I share those feelings with the audience and they laugh or they don’t laugh. And there’s a sense of community there.”
The host claimed that “these late-night shows are for millions of Americans a third space to come together and think about the day.”
Social media commenters couldn’t help but notice that Colbert was basically admitting to influencing his audience into certain reactions.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 NEW: Stephen Colbert Says the Role of Late Night TV is to Tell You How to Think About the News
“We&#8217;re like your friend who … paid attention to the news more than you did … and then we curate that back to you at the end of the day. But it&#8217;s really more about how we feel… <a href="https://t.co/w2PNiOL7Gz">pic.twitter.com/w2PNiOL7Gz</a>
— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheChiefNerd/status/1986765425246441743?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“Amazing admission. Basically late night TV is [propaganda.] They&#8217;ll tell you what to think,” one X user <a href="https://x.com/TheChiefNerd/status/1986765425246441743">marveled</a>.
“He said the quiet part out loud,” another person <a href="https://x.com/TheChiefNerd/status/1986767863701524575">wrote</a>.
“Hence his decline into irrelevance. Anyone taking guidance from this narcissist needs to seek immediate help,” a third person <a href="https://x.com/HawkeyePilot/status/1986774581751730592">chimed in</a>.
CBS announced in July that it was canceling “The Late Show” after the upcoming season, which inspired outsized reactions from the Left. The network described the move as a “purely financial decision.” A report stated that the program was losing $40 million annually.
Colbert went off on an expletive-laced tirade during his first monologue following the announcement, blasting President Donald Trump and CBS. Colbert mentioned how the network’s parent company, Paramount Global, paid Trump a $16 million settlement after being accused of election interference.
Other late-night mainstays such as Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon came to Colbert’s defense, saying the reports claiming that “The Late Show” was losing tens of millions were “nonsensical.”

Stephen Colbert

Stephen Colbert Says Quiet Part Out Loud, Admits Late-Night TV Tells You How To Think

Entertainment

Television

U.S.

From State Rep. Melissa Hortman’s murder to Luigi Mangione’s manifesto to Charlie Kirk’s assassination to whatever fresh horror will have meteor-impacted the news cycle between my typing these words and their publication, it has never been clearer that online radicalization is leading to real-world consequences.
My team at <a href="https://usthestory.org/">US the Story</a> last year analyzed just a handful of the most vile posts from 14 of the top full-blown hate accounts on one platform. These 14 posts showed a combined view count of over 50 million. The accounts themselves had a reach of 6,450,000,000 impressions. Engagement — the number of times people actually interacted with the content in total to like, quote, or share — crossed 448 million over the course of roughly 10 months.
These posts, their volume, and their reach create a permission structure for more and more hatred. It’s a quickening descent into violence and chaos; the more it becomes fair game to denigrate and threaten “the other group,” the more blaming and attacking that group becomes normalized.
One way of looking at this is as a network contagion issue. Debates around social-media-facilitated social contagions have raged in the culture wars for years. Young women in particular have been targeted by bots and accounts promoting anorexia, gender dysphoria, and more. Viral events such as the 2023 explosion of bin Laden’s “Letter to America” and widespread <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-04-20/tiktok-effects-on-mental-health-in-focus-after-teen-suicide">messaging encouraging suicidality</a> caused immediate concern in the broader culture. At this point, we shouldn’t be surprised that algos designed to maximize virality for profit at any cost fuel the most toxic, contagious, and sticky topics.
Studies have consistently shown that violent crime follows a Pareto distribution, with 1% of criminals committing up to 60% of crimes. The same is true of hateful content strategically riding the algos in the service of encouraging real-world violence. Do we really want our social media platforms taken over by psychopaths in a full-blown network contagion? And more importantly, what happens if we do?
Most contagions left unimpeded spread enough to damage and threaten the entire system. That’s why many such cases are fueled by foreign PSYOPs.
<div id="attachment_992051" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-992051" class="size-large wp-image-992051" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-1171004713-864x576.jpg" alt="cream_ph. Getty Images. Young hacker working in the dark room and using laptops to steal private information" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-1171004713-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-1171004713-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-1171004713-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-1171004713-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-1171004713-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-1171004713-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-1171004713-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />cream_ph. Getty Images.</div>
The aim of these contagions is never the stated topic at hand. They aren’t actually about trans rights or Jews or vaccinations or immigration. They’re about, first, setting Americans against one another in radicalized tribal conflicts, and, second, making these topics impossible or even dangerous to discuss productively (eliminating sane discussion, an obvious precondition for solving problems). During the Cold War, for instance, the KGB provided financial and logistical support to the Black Panthers while also sending forged menacing letters from the Ku Klux Klan to black leaders in order to stoke racial tensions.
The point is to poison both sides in order to sow maximum chaos to undermine and destroy Western democracies.
It’s nearly impossible to withstand algorithmically-driven content engineered to maximize rage, fear, and anxiety in the service of keeping people glued to their screens. It is indeed a type of mind control. This level of nervous-system hacking and the deluge of toxic messaging can trigger terrible instincts and behavior, especially in young people whose prefrontal cortexes are literally not yet fully developed.
On top of hostile regime influence and outrage algorithms maximized for profit, there are also bad-faith domestic players urging America along its path of destruction. Most of these behind-the-scenes manipulators exhibit the Dark Tetrad traits of sadism, narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. These nefarious individuals are using sophisticated and furtive onboarding techniques to hijack the platforms.
Earlier this year, our team recorded a live conversation on a prominent social media platform between self-avowed neo-Nazis, one of whom has a sizable account with millions of views and reach. The conversation was a strategy session about how to manipulate larger non-ideologically aligned influencer accounts to share Nazi content. The strategy entails using carefully selected words, phrasing, and arguments that may be polarizing but aren’t explicitly antisemitic or racist. They target certain specific influencers and thought leaders’ interests that are political but outside the “Nazi diet.” When another large account interacts with a seemingly benign post by these Nazi accounts, it boosts that account algorithmically so the Nazi account gains followers, views, and increased power to change the culture on the platform and elsewhere. It’s the Nazi equivalent of algorithmic grooming.
The same holds true with radical leftist techniques. An April study by our partner group, <a href="https://networkcontagion.us/">NCRI</a>, found that more than 50% of self-identified people on the left of the political spectrum believed it at least somewhat acceptable to assassinate President Trump. And a whopping 78% of BlueSky users expressed some level of support for Luigi Mangione’s cold-blooded assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The biggest predictor of Mangione support? BlueSky usage.
Heavy social media use is indeed the one constant. Increasingly, when we dissect the social media diet and posts of those onboarded to radicalism, we are finding a toxic blend of ideologies. This is because the aim is not to support liberal or conservative politics. The aim is to get as many (especially young Americans) to arrive where far left and far right meet at the horseshoe of nihilism: the No Lives Matter cohort. Once the conditions are set for, say, a young man’s radicalization, it doesn’t matter to our hostile foreign adversaries whether the next bus he boards is filled with violent trans-Antifa-types or your-body-my-choice groypers.
We have no intention of vilifying the social media platforms (aside from those purposefully running full-blown foreign PSYOPs) or undermining free speech. In our informal engagements with leaders at these platforms, we have found them concerned and receptive to discussing ways to counter this. Vilifying CEOs, big tech, and the workers within these corporations not only forecloses on cooperative progress, but will likely shove them into a defensive posture. There are plenty of good people in tech leadership who have expressed a willingness to address this problem.
<div id="attachment_992053" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-992053" class="size-large wp-image-992053" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-1383963898-1024x576.jpg" alt="Outflow Designs. Getty Images. Technology icons transfer data through programming codes, artificial intelligence concept." width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-1383963898-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-1383963898-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-1383963898-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-1383963898-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-1383963898-2048x1152.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Outflow Designs. Getty Images.</div>
So how might we approach this?
Here are five concrete recommendations to turn down the temperature on destructive social media trends while protecting freedom of speech and steering clear of government overreach and censorship.
<h3>1. Make algorithms transparent.</h3>
Citizens, parents, and the free market (advertisers and content producers) have a right to know if they or their children are participating in platforms feeding suicidality, hate-mongering, violent pornography, anti-American propaganda, or anything else damaging. This is not about control or censorship but about allowing people to know what they are engaging with so they can make informed choices for themselves, their companies, and their children. We aren’t making a demand that the platforms publish their proprietary trade secrets in terms of the algorithms. Rather, we are suggesting to allow independent researchers access to the data required to assess algo impacts in relation to illegal activity and whether the platforms are enforcing their own rules as defined in their terms of service. That is indeed the contract with the user—and the free market.
There is a valid argument too for the right of Americans to explore fringe and even perilous ideas and viewpoints. The world is a dangerous place and neither the government nor corporations should foreclose on the rights of citizens to explore beyond the bounds of what is considered widely acceptable (excluding, of course, illicit materials). But contact with the terrible and extreme should be done knowingly, not as a result of covert algorithms that are optimized for profit and forced into your feed. Ideally, dipping into dangerous arenas should be inoculating, not poisoning.  

<h3>2. Reward those on social media who identify themselves as verified users and stand behind their words in the public square.</h3>
Social media participants who use their real identities deserve to have their opinions elevated above those who post anonymously and have zero accountability. A free marketplace of ideas should privilege a modicum of courage, transparency, and responsibility.
There are certainly arguments to be made for anonymous accounts, with whistleblowers being oft-cited. That’s fair enough. They can still post their information in a second tier of engagement below verified users. It just won’t be elevated to the top along with every anonymously cited conspiracy theory. 

<h3>3. Differentiate freedom of speech from freedom of reach for profit.</h3>
As a vehement free speech advocate, I believe in the right for people to explore what they want and express themselves how they wish. But algorithms pushing hatred, lies, and violence are waging an asymmetric war on the truth. Freedom of speech is one thing. Distortion of speech and covert manipulation of the free marketplace of ideas is another.
Sunlight is indeed the best disinfectant for bad ideas but light of day is insufficient to combat targeted deep-machine-learning computing power designed to elevate lies above all else and compounded by the machinations of psychopathic actors. This level of skew on the playing field makes a competition of ideas nearly impossible. Why hide the truth at the bottom of a cesspool? A hierarchy of values and a hierarchy of information is necessary for any endeavor that hopes to produce anything beyond chaos and ruin. 

<h3>4. Preserve human judgment at social media companies.</h3>
Of course, humans have biases and can fall victim to corruption. But that doesn’t mean that we should eliminate human good from the decision-making process. Shouldn’t we encourage and reward that which moves us toward greater truth and health? Rather than encouraging and rewarding the opposite? Every playing field needs a referee and every company should have stewards of common sense and common decency who assess the automated content moderation systems to ensure they’re not being gamed and to help enforce the agreed-upon rules of the game. Corporations are certainly equipped to encourage free speech, social engagement, and network health while ensuring that the tiny percentage of psychopathic accounts are not rocket-fueled by algos to infect the entire platform.
<h3>5. Identify and combat bot swarms and inauthentic coordinated material.</h3>
Users, advertisers, and the platforms themselves should know whether they are engaging with real accounts and ideas or with manipulative bad actors and swarms of bots from a Saint Petersburg troll farm. Independent research access to the data can bring additional resources to the table when it comes to identifying these threats to users and the platforms themselves. A bigger ecosystem of transparency is to our collective benefit. 
These five concrete recommendations will go a long way toward tamping down chaos, lies, and sadism online and in the real world.
* * *
Gregg Hurwitz is the New York Times #1 internationally bestselling author of 26 thrillers including the Orphan X series. His novels have won numerous literary awards and have been published in 33 languages. Gregg currently serves as the Co-President of International Thriller Writers (ITW). Additionally, he’s written screenplays and television scripts for many of the major studios and networks, and is an award-winning documentary producer. Gregg also wrote comics for AWA (including the critically acclaimed anthology NewThink), DC, and Marvel, and poetry. Currently, Gregg is working against polarization in politics and culture. To that end, he’s penned dozens of Op/Eds and pieces for The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, The Bulwark, Salon, and others, and pieces of creative content which have won numerous industry awards and achieved several hundred million views on digital TV platforms. He also helped write the opening ceremony of the 2022 World Cup.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Join us now during our exclusive Deal of the Decade. Get everything for $7 a month. Not as fans. As fighters. Go to <a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/">DailyWire.com/Subscribe</a> to join now.

Computer hacker coding on keyboard on a background of monitors.

When Algorithms Turn Deadly: Five Fixes For Preserving Free Speech In A System Out Of Control

algorithm

Big Tech

Free Speech

Parents rights

Silicon Valley

Social Media

Social Media Bias

Social Media Censorship

Technology

NBC international correspondent Daniele Hamamdjian went all in on the anti-Israel propaganda as she covered the still-unfolding peace deal between Israel and Hamas terrorists in Gaza.
Hamamdjian claimed — during a segment that ran around 1:30 a.m. ET — that Palestinians were at least able to return to &#8220;their land,&#8221; land she said they had &#8220;fought for — for — for decades.&#8221; She also referred to Palestinian prisoners — some of whom she described as convicted murderers and violent criminals — as &#8220;hostages&#8221; held by Israel.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WATCH: NBC’s Daniele Hamamdjian says at 137am Eastern Palestinians now “have their land” back that “they have fought for — for — for decades” even if “they have nothing [else] to go back to” and will welcome home their own “hostages” from Israeli custody&#8230;
“October 31st, 2023,… <a href="https://t.co/ORB0lntQGo">pic.twitter.com/ORB0lntQGo</a>
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) <a href="https://twitter.com/CurtisHouck/status/1977744406858829922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;October 31st, 2023, I remember distinctly, a UN official already describing Gaza as a graveyard for Palestinian children and here we are two years later, nearly 20,000 children dead and much needed aid,&#8221; she began, parroting the death toll promoted by the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry.
&#8220;They have nothing to go back to, but they have their land. And for Palestinians, boy, that is what they have fought for — for — for decades,&#8221; she continued, and she went on to describe the situation outside Ofer prison, where a number of Palestinian prisoners were set to be released as part of the peace deal brokered by President Donald Trump.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout</a>
&#8220;As part of this hostages for prisoners exchange, we will see 2,000 Palestinians released from prison. Who are they? Let&#8217;s start with right here, 250 security prisoners, convicted murderers serving multiple life sentences,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Some of them will be sent to Gaza. Some of them will be deported to third countries. Some of them will go to East Jerusalem.&#8221;
&#8220;Now, we&#8217;ve seen family members of those hostages trickle in to the city of Bethania, which is where I am, and they don&#8217;t know how long it&#8217;s going to take,&#8221; she said, referring to the prisoners as &#8220;hostages.&#8221;
&#8220;In the past, it&#8217;s taken in some cases hours. And they were released in the middle of the night. In some cases, it&#8217;s happened quite quickly. So it might be a very long day here,&#8221; she explained before pivoting back to attack Israel for holding some of the prisoners.
&#8220;But over to Gaza, 1,700 Palestinians detained in Gaza will be released. They are in some cases minors, doctors, nurses, journalists who have never been charged. It&#8217;s really important for people to remember that they&#8217;ve been held under what&#8217;s called administrative detention. It&#8217;s a controversial practice that allows Israel to detain people for an indefinite period of time without charging them,&#8221; she said. &#8220;These people do not know why they have been detained and so, in the eyes of many Palestinians, you ask them, they consider those people held without charge also as hostages. And Palestinian officials will tell you that they believe Israel has been arresting them, arresting as many as they can to gather to amass as many bargaining chips as possible for these negotiations.&#8221;

Vivendi Universal Entertainment Auction Drags On

NBC Reporter Goes All In On Anti-Israel Propaganda, Refers To Palestinian Prisoners As ‘Hostages’

anti-Israel

Hamas

Israel

Politics

An Office Depot employee from Portage, Michigan, no longer has a job after refusing to print a poster for a local memorial service for assassinated conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, hosted by Michigan Forward.
The employee, a woman who was only ever identified as &#8220;one of the managers,&#8221; explained on camera that the store could not print a poster for the event because it was &#8220;propaganda.&#8221; The poster in question had already been paid for and featured a photo of Kirk along with the following words: &#8220;The Legendary Charlie Kirk, 1993-2025.&#8221;
Michigan Forward shared video of the exchange, along with a caption that read, &#8220;A team member ordered and paid for a poster to be printed at @officedepot so he could bring it to a vigil for Charlie Kirk tonight in Michigan. When he arrived to pick it up four hours later, the employees said they refused to print it, calling the poster &#8216;propaganda.'&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A team member ordered and paid for a poster to be printed at <a href="https://twitter.com/officedepot?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@officedepot</a> so he could bring it to a vigil for Charlie Kirk tonight in Michigan.
When he arrived to pick it up four hours later, the employees said they refused to print it, calling the poster “propaganda.” <a href="https://t.co/WCitioCzZF">pic.twitter.com/WCitioCzZF</a>
— Michigan Forward (@MIForward_Net) <a href="https://twitter.com/MIForward_Net/status/1966636154301669810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;So, we came in for an order earlier,&#8221; one person could be heard saying as he approached the employee. &#8220;To print a poster for a vigil tonight.&#8221;
&#8220;Yeah, we don&#8217;t print propaganda,&#8221; the employee said before he could finish.
&#8220;It&#8217;s not propa—&#8221; he protested.
The employee nodded her head emphatically and assured him, &#8220;It&#8217;s propaganda, sorry, we don&#8217;t print that here.&#8221;
&#8220;All right, so, can we have — what&#8217;s your name?&#8221; the person holding the camera walked closer.
A nearby male employee identified himself as the &#8220;print supervisor&#8221; and the female added, &#8220;I&#8217;m one of the managers, so, I&#8217;m sort of — unfortunately, we do not print —&#8221;
&#8220;So, they say they do not print political propaganda — so this is somebody that passed away,&#8221; the Michigan Forward member protested.
&#8220;That&#8217;s political propaganda, I&#8217;m sorry —&#8221; the manager insisted.
The Michigan Forward member tried a different tack: &#8220;So this is for a prayer tonight. For a prayer vigil —&#8221;
&#8220;MmHmm, it&#8217;s still propaganda,&#8221; she repeated.
A female voice from behind the camera asked the employee to explain what made the poster &#8220;propaganda,&#8221; and the manager claimed that Kirk — who had never run for elected office — was a &#8220;political figure&#8221; and then argued that she did not have to offer any further explanation as to how that made a simple photo of him &#8220;propaganda.&#8221;
The male employee jumped in then, saying that the store manager would be in by Monday.
Video of the exchange quickly went viral, however, prompting a response from Office Depot&#8217;s corporate headquarters.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
To our customers <a href="https://t.co/XYlcFPpInN">pic.twitter.com/XYlcFPpInN</a>
— Office Depot (@officedepot) <a href="https://twitter.com/officedepot/status/1966689535812587608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;We are deeply concerned by the incident that occurred at Store 3382 in Portage, Michigan. The behavior displayed by our associate is completely unacceptable and insensitive, violates our company policies, and does not reflect the values we uphold at Office Depot. We sincerely apologize to the customer affected and to our community for this regrettable situation,&#8221; the statement read.
It went on to reveal that the &#8220;manager&#8221; involved in the confrontation had been let go.

Conservatives Gather In Phoenix For Annual AmericaFest

Office Depot Scrambles After Employee Calls Charlie Kirk Memorial Poster ‘Propaganda’

Charlie Kirk

Retail

Media outlets have employed a photo of an emaciated Gaza child to substantiate claims that Israel is intentionally starving residents of the Hamas-controlled zone.
But the legacy media never reported that the child, now 20 months old, suffers from numerous medical problems — nor that his three-year-old brother looks healthy with no signs of malnutrition, <a href="https://david-collier.com/the-truth-behind-the-viral-gaza-famine-photo/">according</a> to an investigation.
This viral image of a child in Gaza was misreported as proof of starvation caused by Israel. In reality, Muhammad&#8217;s health condition, not hunger, is the issue. It&#8217;s time for the media to correct their misleading coverage. <a href="https://t.co/UnE28pyyrb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://t.co/UnE28pyyrb</a>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) <a href="https://twitter.com/HonestReporting/status/1949768419491913868?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">July 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
Published initially on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DMXyCYCN2CD/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a> with the caption, “A body eated [sic] by hunger, and eyes looking for mercy in a deaf world,” the visuals went viral after The Daily Express <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/2085539/gaza-palestine-muhammad-israel-hamas-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener">showcased</a> them on its front page.
“Within hours, almost every major outlet was using the image to tell the same story,&#8221; investigative reporter David Collier <a href="https://david-collier.com/the-truth-behind-the-viral-gaza-famine-photo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>. &#8220;<a href="https://news.sky.com/story/gaza-faces-mass-starvation-with-supplies-totally-depleted-aid-agencies-warn-13400462" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sky News</a>, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2025/07/world/photos-starvation-in-gaza-intl-cnnphotos/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/23/starvation-in-gaza-is-destroying-communities-and-will-leave-generational-scars" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian</a>, <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14939703/Reduced-skin-bones-Gaza-famine-hell-Horrifying-picture-shows-starving-child-plastic-bag-nappy-lying-exhausted-arms-desperate-mother.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/24/world/middleeast/gaza-starvation.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Times</a>, and The <a href="https://archive.ph/kfN5n" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Times (UK)</a> – they all ran with it, reinforcing the message: Gaza is gripped by mass starvation.&#8221;
“Except this image proves none of it,” he said.
“Wider and unpublished pictures show Mohammed’s healthy brother Joud, who was born on 18 April 2022 and is 3 years old. Mohammed was born on 23 December 2023, just two months after October 7. What we can see from the pictures is that both Mohammed’s mother and his older brother, look healthy and are not suffering from any type of starvation that would be necessary to cause the thinness suffered by Mohammed.
&#8220;This is visible in multiple images we have in our possession,&#8221; Collier continued. &#8220;The published images in all the various news broadcasts and publications have either been deliberately cropped to remove the image of the healthy brother, blurred him into obscurity, or the journalists have only chosen to use photos in which the brother is not visible at all.”
A medical report issued in May 2025 showed Mohammed was diagnosed with cerebral palsy as well as hypoxemia. Collier noted that in a BBC interview with Mohammed’s mother, she admitted he had physiotherapy sessions to help him stand, and the curvature of the spine could well be a result of the child’s cerebral palsy. “In a CNN report published on Saturday, the boy’s mother explained that Muhammad suffers from a muscle disorder,” Honest Reporting <a href="https://honestreporting.com/another-photo-another-lie/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>.
“From everything I’ve learned, Mohammed’s mother is simply trying to find help for her child,” Collier wrote. “She’s not hiding the truth. She tells the full story to anyone who asks. Yet every journalist who has spoken to her has made the same cynical decision: ignore the medical reality, strip the context, and turn her child into a propaganda weapon.”
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also dismissed &#8220;Hamas&#8217;s fake narrative,&#8221; writing on X that &#8220;the lie told by the media &amp; Hamas is itself a tragedy.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Hamas&#8217; fake narrative exposed: Truth about Gazan child who made global headlines. The child’s health is no less tragic but the lie told by the media &amp; Hamas is itself a tragedy. <a href="https://t.co/MdUEPAcO33" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://t.co/MdUEPAcO33</a>
— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovMikeHuckabee/status/1949793740882649521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">July 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
The media also pushed another lie about the Gazan child.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This is what a modern blood libel looks like:
A sick child. A hijacked photo. A lie that spreads faster than truth.
His name is Osama al-Raqab. He has cystic fibrosis, a serious genetic illness.
He’s been in Italy receiving treatment since June 12. Israel enabled his medical… <a href="https://t.co/Sh8UBK3HVh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/Sh8UBK3HVh</a>
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) <a href="https://twitter.com/IsraelMFA/status/1949781081751765052?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">July 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
“Hamas cannot afford to lose <a href="https://x.com/AGHamilton29/status/1948701831040811068" target="_blank" rel="noopener">control</a> over aid distribution – not if it intends to remain the ruling power in post-war Gaza,” Collier posited. “Channeling or controlling aid has always been one of the terrorist group’s most <a href="https://archive.ph/MywhU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reliable</a> sources of income. That’s why it has been essential for Hamas to discredit the US-Israeli <a href="https://www.gov.il/en/pages/gaza-humanitarian-foundation-operational-update" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GHF</a> aid <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/07/1165396" target="_blank" rel="noopener">program </a>and portray it as a failure. This has included an almost <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c20rz63g1zko" target="_blank" rel="noopener">daily</a> pantomime of <a href="https://x.com/mishtal/status/1946619392118210608" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unverified</a> claims that hundreds have been killed in Israeli attacks while queuing for aid. Yet in the most documented conflict zone in history, credible video evidence remains conspicuously absent = despite claims of daily occurrences.”
“There is plenty of publicly available <a href="https://x.com/Aizenberg55/status/1948009090841731308?t=XV2bpG8Dm755IFqW7P6ecw&amp;s=19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">information</a> showing that significant quantities of food are entering Gaza. But with local <a href="https://x.com/AGHamilton29/status/1948701831040811068" target="_blank" rel="noopener">media</a> firmly under the control of Hamas, none of this gets reported,” he stated. “Instead of helping facilitate aid delivery, UN agencies have imposed impossible conditions, <a href="https://archive.ph/XNkGg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stalling</a> convoys and leaving hundreds of trucks abandoned – their contents rotting just a short distance from those in need. &#8230; Let’s call this what it is: The UN, UNRWA and other NGOs are not prioritizing the safety of Palestinian civilians or indeed getting aid to a population they maintain are in desperate and immediate need of food. Instead it seems, they are prioritizing a political agenda that aligns with – and thus ensures – the survival of Hamas. They’re not neutral. They’re enablers.”
Collier’s comments were buttressed by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who told NBC’s Meet The Press on Sunday, that “Israel, since this war began, has supplied over 94,000 truckloads full of food. It&#8217;s enough food to feed two million people for two years, trying to get that into Gaza. But Hamas has stolen the food, a huge amount. In fact in 2024, the numbers are that Hamas profited over $500 million in stolen food aid that was supposed to go to these poor people who needed it. That&#8217;s half of their budget.”

Fake news against white background

Media Share Misleading Images Of Gazan Child To Falsely Accuse Israel Of Mass Starvation

Gaza

Media Bias

Misinformation

Starvation

North Korea announced Wednesday that it would open a new beach resort on July 1, part of Kim Jong Un’s effort to revive the country’s suffering economy with tourism.
The Korean Central News Agency <a href="https://kcnawatch.org/newstream/1750935738-331924234/tourist-attraction-on-east-coast%E2%80%93new-scenic-beauty-of-socialist-cultural-efflorescence-inaugural-ceremony-of-wonsan-kalma-coastal-tourist-area-held-with-splendour/">claims</a> the resort spans four kilometers of coastline in the city of Wosan, and can accommodate 20,000 people. Amenities include “sea-bathing service facilities and various sports, amusement, commercial and public catering facilities.”
“Kim Jong Un, the great artist of creation and construction and the dear father … is ushering in a new era of prosperity and development,&#8221; KCNA said.
The state-run news service reports Kim Jong Un took an active role in the construction of the resort, stating that it was “what he most wanted to do for the people,” and that it was “a prelude to a new era of our country’s tourism.” He reportedly expressed his desire that the resort be “without an equal in the world.”
Attendees of the inaugural ceremony included top North Korean officials, as well as the Russian ambassador Alexander Matsegora and his staff, BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy0w59r54w9o">reported</a>.
It’s unlikely that the resort will actually live up to Pyongyang’s description. The state media consistently praises Kim’s new pet building projects in the highest terms, when in reality, they lack basic functions or are unable to perform basic operations.
In April, Kim announced the completion of a 10,000-unit apartment complex in Pyongyang, calling it a “beautiful and modern urban quarter” heralding “a new era of prosperity.” However, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/19/style/north-korea-hwasong-pyongyang-housing-intl-hnk/index.html">noted</a> during a visit that the elevators were inoperable due to electricity shortages.
In 2014, a new Pyongyang apartment building <a href="https://nypost.com/2014/05/17/kim-jong-un-sat-up-all-night-after-serious-construction-accident/">collapsed</a> due to structural defects.
In May, Kim’s new 5,000-ton naval destroyer, which was supposed to be “North Korea’s most ambitious naval modernization effort in decades,” <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/22/asia/north-korea-destroyer-accident-intl-hnk-ml">capsized</a> during its launch.
It is unclear whether the resort will be open to Westerners. North Korea shut down its borders in 2020, reopening them to Russians in 2023 and Westerners in February 2025 for a short period before closing them again in March.
Currently, the United States prohibits citizens from travelling to North Korea due to the lack of diplomatic relations and “the continuing serious risk of arrest, long-term detention, and the threat of wrongful detention of U.S. nationals.”
This tragically played out in 2016 when Otto Warmbier, a student at Virginia University, travelled to North Korea for a Christmas break trip. North Korea alleges he stole a propaganda poster, and sentenced him to 15 years of hard labor. Though U.S. diplomats tried to get him released, he was returned brain-dead a year and a half into his sentence.
The resort is “unlikely to be a major draw for most Western tourists,” <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy0w59r54w9o">says</a> Rowan Beard, co-founder of exotic tour company Young Pioneer Tours.
&#8220;Key sites like Pyongyang, the DMZ, and other brutalist or communist landmarks will continue to be the main highlights for international visitors once broader tourism resumes.&#8221;

Kim Jong Un

North Korea Praises ‘Great Artist Of Creation’ Kim Jong Un As Beach Resort Opens

North Korea

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council took a page directly from the Baghdad Bob playbook and claimed on Monday that Iranian missiles had &#8220;destroyed the U.S. air base in Al-Udeid, Qatar,&#8221; in response to the targeted American strikes on Iranian nuclear sites that took place on Saturday.
As reported by i24 News Senior Middle East correspondent Ariel Oseran, &#8220;Iran’s Supreme National Security Council: &#8216;Our forces destroyed the U.S. air base in Al-Udeid, Qatar, in response to America&#8217;s attack against our nuclear facilities&#8230; This action does not pose any threat to our friendly and brotherly country, Qatar.'&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council: “Our forces destroyed the U.S. air base in Al-Udeid, Qatar, in response to America&#8217;s attack against our nuclear facilities&#8230; This action does not pose any threat to our friendly and brotherly country, Qatar.” <a href="https://t.co/8DKcT854A8">pic.twitter.com/8DKcT854A8</a>
— Ariel Oseran أريئل أوسيران (@ariel_oseran) <a href="https://twitter.com/ariel_oseran/status/1937199317434933419?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
But Oseran also noted that Qatari officials had reported a different version of events: &#8220;Qatari air defenses shot down 9 out of 10 Iranian missiles launched at the U.S. Al-Udeid Air Base, Qatar’s Al-Araby TV reports. One Iranian missile fell in an open area at the air base.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Qatari air defenses shot down 9 out of 10 Iranian missiles launched at the U.S. Al-Udeid Air Base, Qatar’s Al-Araby TV reports. One Iranian missile fell in an open area at at the air base. <a href="https://t.co/9UVSxt4Pb5">https://t.co/9UVSxt4Pb5</a>
— Ariel Oseran أريئل أوسيران (@ariel_oseran) <a href="https://twitter.com/ariel_oseran/status/1937200155859566667?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari released a statement condemning the attack, but also casting doubt on the Iranian version of events.
<blockquote>We express the State of Qatar&#8217;s strong condemnation of the attack on Al Udeid Air Base by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, and consider it a flagrant violation of the State of Qatar&#8217;s sovereignty and airspace, as well as of international law and the United Nations Charter. We affirm that the State of Qatar reserves the right to respond directly in a manner proportional to the nature and scale of this blatant aggression and in accordance with international law. We are reassured that Qatari air defenses thwarted the attack and successfully intercepted the Iranian missiles. The Ministry of Defense will issue a statement clarifying the circumstances of the attack later.
We also affirm that the continuation of such escalating military actions will undermine security and stability in the region and drag it into situations that will have disastrous repercussions for international peace and security. We call for an immediate cessation of all military actions and a serious return to the negotiating table and dialogue. We emphasize that the State of Qatar was among the first countries to warn against the consequences of Israeli escalation in the region*, calling for the priority of diplomatic solutions, and adhering to the principles of good neighborliness and non-escalation, affirming that dialogue is the only way to overcome current crises and preserve the security of the region and the peace of its peoples.
The base had been evacuated earlier in accordance with approved security and precautionary measures, in light of the tensions currently prevailing in the region. All necessary measures were taken to ensure the safety of the base&#8217;s personnel, including members of the Qatari Armed Forces, friendly forces, and others. He confirmed that no injuries or human losses occurred as a result of the attack.</blockquote>
Multiple reports also claimed that Iran had warned Qatar prior to the attack: &#8220;Iran symbolically needed to strike back at the U.S. but at the same time carry it out in in a way that allowed all sides an exit ramp.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NYT: Iran coordinated the attack with Qatar to minimize casualties.
“Iran symbolically needed to strike back at the U.S.” and “allow all sides an exit ramp” — similar to their response in 2020 following Soleimani <a href="https://t.co/9aM6yEOk8K">pic.twitter.com/9aM6yEOk8K</a>
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1937203513534349649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
President Donald Trump also responded to the attack, confirming that there were no reported casualties.
&#8220;I’d like to thank the Highly Respected Emir of Qatar for all that he has done in seeking Peace for the Region. Regarding the attack today at the American Base in Qatar, I am pleased to report that, in addition to no Americans being killed or wounded, very importantly, there have also been no Qataris killed or wounded. Thank you for your attention to this matter!&#8221; he posted via his Truth Social account.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/y2PfbJGgZY">pic.twitter.com/y2PfbJGgZY</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1937238331009695862?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

TOPSHOT-QATAR-IRAN-US-ISRAEL

Iran Goes Full Baghdad Bob, Claims Attack ‘Destroyed’ U.S. Air Base In Qatar

Qatar

Freedom of speech is under <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/censorship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attack</a>, not just in authoritarian regimes like Russia, North Korea, or Venezuela, but also in Western nations that once championed it. I know because I’ve lived through it before.
I was born and raised in Venezuela, where opposing the socialist regime came at a high cost. From a young age, I spoke out against tyranny. In a country that does not tolerate dissent, that meant facing real consequences. I was expelled from my university simply for questioning communist propaganda in class. Soon after, I was accused of being a “terrorist” for my political beliefs.
Now, living in the United States, I cherish the ability to speak freely. But that appreciation comes with deep concern. I am now witnessing Western nations — once bastions of liberty — embrace restrictions on speech under the guise of fighting hate and misinformation. What’s even more alarming is that many young people in my own generation champion this threat to free speech.
<h3>Thought Police In Action</h3>
In February, CBS <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/germany-online-hate-speech-prosecution-60-minutes/">aired</a> an interview with German officials who openly admitted that the German government is using its power to criminalize &#8220;hate or toxic speech.&#8221; When journalist Sharyn Alfonsi asked whether publishing an insult or a lie was a crime, the German prosecutors <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cbs-claims-free-speech-caused-the-holocaust" target="_blank" rel="noopener">answered</a> without hesitation, &#8220;Yes.&#8221; In Germany, law enforcement raids homes, fines citizens, and even imprisons those whose speech is deemed offensive, controversial, or false.
Sadly, Germany is not the only country to adopt this Orwellian totalitarianism. In the United Kingdom, a nation with a rich history of constitutionalism, common law, and freedom, people are now being <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cev9nxnygzpo">investigated</a> for tweets, and others are being fined or imprisoned for posting memes. Nations that should represent the best of civility and debate are sailing the seas of totalitarianism, where the state dictates what can and cannot be said.
Many Americans might dismiss this as a European problem, convinced such extreme measures could never take hold in the U.S. Nevertheless, the same mindset is creeping into American universities, where ideological obedience is enforced at the expense of free and open debate.
<h3>American Students Are Turning Against Free Speech</h3>
A <a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/college.pulse/viz/2024CollegeFreeSpeechRankings/2024CollegeFreeSpeechRankings?publish=yes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> conducted by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (<a href="https://www.thefire.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FIRE</a>) revealed that most students would reject speakers with different views on some of the most important issues in our society. For instance, only 29% of students would allow a speaker who believes that transgender people have a mental disorder to speak on campus, and just 43% would accept an advocate for the abolition of abortion. In addition, only 37% of students believe it is never acceptable to stop a speaker, and 27% believe that violence may rarely, sometimes, or always be an acceptable response to prevent a talk on campus.
These statistics are shocking. A significant number of young people believe conservatives do not have the right to speak on campus — and some would even be willing to use force to prevent them from speaking. This mindset is a stark departure from the principles upheld by America&#8217;s Founding Fathers, who believed strongly in protecting free speech for even the most controversial opinions.
<h3>Why Free Speech Matters</h3>
The purpose of free speech is not to protect speech that pleases politicians, the government, or the majority. Free speech exists precisely to protect those who say controversial things or want to challenge power. As Thomas Jefferson <a href="https://oll.libertyfund.org/quotes/jefferson-s-preference-for-newspapers-without-government-over-government-without-newspapers-1787">pointed out</a> in 1787: “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”
The danger of adopting the term “hate speech” is that it is completely subjective and can be used as a political weapon. Who defines what is hateful? The answer is clear: those in power. In Venezuela, the Maduro regime branded my views as hate speech — and I’m sure some American progressives would agree. This is exactly why the right to determine what is true or false, right or wrong, must belong to individuals, not politicians.
We often claim that politicians are corrupt liars who only care about their own self-interest. So, why would we give these people the power to decide what we can say? If we truly value free speech, we must resist censorship in all its forms — no matter who enforces it or what justification they use.
* * *
Franklin Camargo is a Venezuelan-born political activist who fled his homeland due to political persecution. Now a proud advocate for liberty, capitalism, and free speech, Franklin is a political science graduate from Liberty University, a former Univision host, co-author of After Socialism, Freedom, and a <a href="https://www.prageru.com/video/franklin-camargo-i-fled-venezuela-to-fight-for-america">PragerU personality.</a>
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Daily Wire.

Sunset behind the illuminated Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor

I Fled Censorship In Venezuela. I Now See It Spreading In The West.

Censorship

Communism

Immigration

Marxism

Socialism

Venezuela

When I studied journalism at the University of Maryland, we were trained to recognize “yellow journalism” — sensational reporting that sacrifices truth for attention. Today, American media has been overtaken by a new, more dangerous trend: “red journalism,” where government propaganda has replaced honest reporting. The reason? The 2012 <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/house-bill/5736" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Smith-Mundt Modernization Act</a>, a law quietly slipped into the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/118/plaws/publ31/PLAW-118publ31.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Defense Authorization Act</a> under President Obama. This legislation lifted bans on U.S.-funded propaganda meant for foreign audiences, allowing government and legacy media to collude on delivering propaganda to the American public. 
Ostensibly designed to counter “misinformation”, this amendment has allowed the government to weaponize our press, turning it from a watchdog into a megaphone for political agendas and false narratives. Once a pillar of democracy, legacy media has become a lap dog of the government, pushing narratives that serve those in power, not the truth.
Under Obama, media outlets went from scrutinizing policies, events, and politicians to uncritically parroting government talking points. When the Affordable Care Act’s rollout tanked, legacy outlets downplayed the issues and glossed over glaring government missteps. This disturbing pattern of sanitizing the news in favor of political spin has continued, feeding Americans one-sided narratives disguised as journalism.
Under Biden, this alignment has intensified. Critical issues like Covid, his cognitive decline, border security, inflation, and disastrous foreign policy decisions are routinely softened, outright ignored or blatantly lied about. The Afghanistan withdrawal, a deadly debacle, saw the press repeating official statements that minimized or ignored the administration&#8217;s failures. Real, investigative reporting was left to independent journalists and international sources.
This propaganda machine is especially clear in election coverage. Legacy media&#8217;s bias has shifted from subtle to brazen. Kamala Harris received glowing, uncritical coverage that boosted her image, while Donald Trump was forced to endure unsubstantiated accusations and dangerous rhetoric. From hiding the Hunter Biden laptop scandal to glossing over President Biden&#8217;s cognitive decline, legacy media has shown they are not just biased but actively complicit in shaping political outcomes to favor the administration. This is not journalism — it’s election interference and public manipulation.
A free press is the bedrock of democracy, a crucial check on government power. When the media stops questioning and starts amplifying the official line, the public loses access to objective information and becomes vulnerable to manipulation. The Smith-Mundt Modernization Act has turned American media from truth-tellers into mouthpieces for those in power, destroying public trust and democracy itself.
<h3><a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE</a></h3>
Moving forward, our new Congress must make it a priority to repeal the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act and hold news outlets legally accountable for factually accurate, transparently sourced reporting. This is not an assault on free speech; it’s a demand for journalistic integrity. Our nation deserves a media landscape free from government influence, and repealing the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012 would be a significant move toward that goal. Congress must seize this opportunity to restore the boundaries that protect a free and independent press and, by extension, preserve the public’s trust in the information they receive.
* * *
Elicia Brand is the founder and president of <a href="https://armyofparents.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Army of Parents</a> in Loudoun County, VA.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Menu