Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) read Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) the riot act after his colleague claimed that it was &#8220;extremely troubling&#8221; to hear a nominee for a federal post claim that rights were given by God, not governments.
The nominee in question was Riley Barnes, who previously worked in the U.S. State Department and has been nominated to serve as Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. Barnes said that he agreed with his boss, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who recently said &#8220;that all men are created equal because our rights come from God, our Creator; not from our laws, not from our governments.&#8221;
Kaine took issue with Barnes&#8217; statement, and argued that only a theocratic government — such as the one in Iran — would attribute the source of rights to God rather than the law.
&#8220;The notion that rights don&#8217;t come from laws and don&#8217;t come from the government, but come from the Creator — that&#8217;s what the Iranian government believes. It&#8217;s a theocratic regime that bases its rule on Sharia law and targets Sunnis, Bahá&#8217;ís, Jews, Christians and other religious minorities,&#8221; Kaine claimed. &#8220;And they do it because they believe that they understand what natural rights are from their Creator. So the statement that our rights do not come from our laws or our governments is extremely troubling.&#8221;
&#8220;I think the the motto over the Supreme Court is &#8216;equal justice under law,&#8217; — the oath that you and I take pledged to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, not arbitrarily defined natural rights,&#8221; Kaine continued.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Our rights don’t come from government or the DNC.
They come from God. <a href="https://twitter.com/timkaine?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@timkaine</a>, I suggest the Dems go back and read the words of our Founding Fathers. <a href="https://t.co/QRmhTcbbOH">pic.twitter.com/QRmhTcbbOH</a>
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) <a href="https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1963299914034663825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Cruz pushed back on Kaine&#8217;s claims a short time later in the hearing, saying that it was the Virginia Senator&#8217;s comments that were of concern rather than Barnes&#8217;.
&#8220;I just walked into the hearing as he was saying that, and I almost fell out of my chair, because that &#8216;radical and dangerous notion&#8217; — in his words — is literally the founding principle upon which the United States of America was created,&#8221; said Cruz.
Quoting former President Thomas Jefferson&#8217;s words from the Declaration of Independence, Cruz added, &#8220;&#8216;We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, and that they are endowed by their Creator&#8217; — not by government, not by the Democratic National Committee, but by God — &#8216;with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.'&#8221;

Senate DCA Crash Hearing

‘Stunning’: Ted Cruz Reads Tim Kaine The Riot Act Over Claim That Rights Aren’t God-Given

'Stunning': Ted Cruz Reads Tim Kaine The Riot Act Over Claim That Rights Aren't God-Given

Congress

Politics

Ted Cruz

Thomas Jefferson

Tim Kaine

Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts tumbled on the Senate floor on Thursday after a desk she leaned on toppled under her weight.
Warren fell awkwardly backwards to sit on one of the Senate’s tiered platforms before being helped back to her feet. The fall appeared to cause quite a commotion, as over half a dozen senators rushed to help Warren after she fell.
GOP Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas was the first to reach Warren’s side. Warren appeared to give him a few pats of appreciation for his assistance. Warren appears to be unharmed.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨WATCH: Elizabeth Warren FELL DOWN on the Senate floor and knocked over a table. <a href="https://t.co/1vF9hOlsLO">pic.twitter.com/1vF9hOlsLO</a>
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) <a href="https://twitter.com/DailyCaller/status/1950992008299864434?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
Video of the fall quickly went viral online as users poked fun at Warren’s ungraceful display.
“This puts the Tip in Tippecanoe. (I’ll see myself out),” conservative sports commentator Clay Travis <a href="https://x.com/ClayTravis/status/1950996091861717345">posted</a>, a veiled reference to Warren’s past claims of Native American heritage.
Dave Rubin, host of “The Rubin Report,” <a href="https://x.com/RubinReport/status/1950990987846705588">posted</a> that “Warren’s Indian name was Falls On A**.”
“Looks like Senator Warren has been hitting the peace pipe,” another user <a href="https://x.com/sean_spicier/status/1950996074430185785">posted</a>.
Warren’s claims to Native American ancestry trace back decades and she has faced criticism for using a thin genetic connection to Native Americans to identify as a Native American on applications. For instance, in 1986, Warren <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/elizabeth-warren-apologizes-for-calling-herself-native-american/2019/02/05/1627df76-2962-11e9-984d-9b8fba003e81_story.html">identified</a> as a Native American on her registration card for the State Bar of Texas.
Seeking to tamp down criticism of her heritage claims in 2018, Warren released a blood test that said she had a Native American ancestor between six and 10 generations back. That would make Warren anywhere between 1/64th and 1/1,024 Native American.
Warren’s use of the blood test to silence her critics earned her a rebuke from the Cherokee Nation, of which Warren claimed to be.
The Cherokee Nation’s then-secretary of state, Chuck Hoskin Jr., <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/warren-faces-ancestry-question-at-town-hall-i-shouldnt-have-done-it-i-am-not-a-person-of-color">said</a> that the use of “a DNA test to lay claim to any connection to the Cherokee Nation or any tribal nation, even vaguely, is inappropriate and wrong … dishonoring legitimate tribal governments and their citizens, whose ancestors are well documented and whose heritage is [proven].”
Warren later apologized for claiming to be Native American. In a town hall in December 2019, she said she “shouldn’t have done it. I am not a person of color; I am not a citizen of a tribe; and I have apologized for confusion I’ve caused on tribal citizenship, tribal sovereignty, and for any harm that I’ve caused.”

Elizabeth Warren

‘Puts The Tip In Tippecanoe’: Elizabeth Warren Tumbles Over Table In Senate

U.S. Senate

While visiting a Middle Eastern nation, I met with a highly placed Muslim official. He leaned toward me and said, “Doctor Youssef, can you tell me why the Muslim Brotherhood is outlawed as a terrorist organization in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt — but is allowed to flourish in America?”
I said, “I can think of no answer except foolishness and ignorance.”
This man saw the Muslim Brotherhood as not only a threat to Western civilization, but to the stability of his own Muslim nation. He couldn’t understand why the United States permitted such a threat within its own borders. It’s time to change that — and you can help.
Here are six little-known facts about the Muslim Brotherhood you need to know:
<h3>1. The Muslim Brotherhood’s Mission Is World Domination</h3>
The Muslim Brotherhood is an Islamist organization founded in 1928 by Egyptian schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna. Frustrated over the decline of Islam in Egypt in those days, he decided it was time to erase all non-Islamic influence from that country.
<div id="attachment_951585" style="width: 920px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-951585" class="size-large wp-image-951585" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-469146782-910x576.jpg" alt="Picture from the 1950s shows Egyptian Gamal Abdel Nasser (R, 2nd row) and next to him his right hand man Abdel Hakim Amer, pray in Cairo with unidentified leaders of the Moslem Brotherhood. Nasser turned against the Brotherhood two years after the 1952 free officers revolution, sending scores of them to prison after accusing them of standing behind the failed attempt against his life. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)" width="910" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-469146782-910x576.jpg 910w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-469146782-300x190.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-469146782-768x486.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-469146782.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px" />AFP via Getty Images</div>
Al-Banna founded the Muslim Brotherhood in Ismailia, a city near the Suez Canal. He began with seven men — himself and six Suez Canal Company workers. He taught them that the key requirement of the Quran and Sharia law is the establishment of a global Islamic caliphate — a world government led by a Muslim ruler.
From this small beginning, the Muslim Brotherhood grew to an estimated two million members by the late 1940s. Today, the Muslim Brotherhood is an international organization with chapters throughout the Muslim world, Europe, and across the United States.
The logo of the Muslim Brotherhood depicts two crossed swords and the command (in Arabic script) Wa-aiidu, “Get ready!” from Quran 8:60, a call to prepare for jihad (armed struggle) against the unbelievers.
<div id="attachment_951587" style="width: 867px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-951587" class="size-large wp-image-951587" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-542362580-857x576.jpg" alt="Emblem of the fundamentalist Islamic movement founded in 1928, Society of the Muslim Brothers, on display during a press conference in their Cairo office. (Photo by Maher Attar/Sygma via Getty Images)" width="857" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-542362580-857x576.jpg 857w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-542362580-300x202.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-542362580-768x516.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-542362580.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 857px) 100vw, 857px" />Maher Attar/Sygma via Getty Images</div>
In 2001, the Muslim Brotherhood’s London publication, Risalat al-Ikhwan (“Epistles of the Brethren of Purity”) featured the slogan “Our Mission: World Domination.” After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the editors removed this slogan from the publication — but world domination is still the mission of the Muslim Brotherhood.
In 2004, the former Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, Muhammad Mahdi Othman Akef, declared, “I have complete faith that Islam will invade Europe and America, because Islam has logic and a mission.”
<h3>2. The Muslim Brotherhood’s History is Drenched in Blood</h3>
In 1939, Hassan al-Banna and the Brotherhood’s inner circle created a military wing called the Secret Apparatus. During World War II, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt worked hand-in-hand with the Nazis. The Brotherhood organized mass demonstrations against the Jewish community in Palestine and helped distribute Arabic-language versions of anti-Jewish writings, including Mein Kampf and The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.
After the War, the Brotherhood’s Secret Apparatus carried out assassinations and terrorism against Jews, Christians, and Egyptian politicians. In December 1948, the Brotherhood assassinated Egyptian Prime Minister Mahmud Fahmi Nokrashi. In response, the Egyptian government ambushed and killed Hassan al-Banna in Cairo in February 1949.
In 1952, the Muslim Brotherhood supported a military coup that overthrew the Egyptian monarchy — but were disappointed when the military junta refused to share power with the Brotherhood. In October 1954, the Brotherhood attempted to assassinate Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser, head of the ruling military junta — but Nasser survived the attempt. As a result, he became more powerful than ever — and many Brotherhood members were executed or imprisoned. Others fled to neighboring countries, especially Qatar.
<h3>3. The Muslim Brotherhood Pretends to Want Peace</h3>
Since the 1970s, the Muslim Brotherhood has been aggressively whitewashing its image. By doing charitable work, the Brotherhood pretends to be a humanitarian agency. The charitable work, however, is camouflage for the Brotherhood’s real mission — undermining Western society, promoting Sharia law, and pursuing global domination.
Though the Brotherhood claims to be a peaceful, democratic organization, it has spawned and inspired many brutal terrorist groups, including Hamas, Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and Egyptian Islamic Jihad. According to the BBC, Al Jazeera — the TV network headquartered in Qatar — serves as an Arabic-language megaphone for the Muslim Brotherhood’s propaganda.
Few Westerners understand the Brotherhood’s willingness to patiently, persistently follow its dream of conquest over a span of generations. Its strategy starts with molding public opinion and influencing government policies — but it doesn’t stop there. The Brotherhood will use any tactic, including subversion and violence, to dismantle Western societies.
<h3>4. The Muslim Brotherhood Should Be Designated a Terrorist Organization</h3>
Texas Senator Ted Cruz has spent over a decade pushing to label the Muslim Brotherhood a foreign terrorist organization. He introduced four previous bills that would have formalized this designation, but critics blocked each bill. The Brotherhood’s powerful allies have argued that, since not every Brotherhood branch is violent, it would be wrong to condemn the whole organization.
On July 16, Senator Cruz announced a new bill, the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act. He was joined by Senators Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), and Dave McCormick (R-Pa.). Representatives Mario Díaz-Balart (R-Fla.) and Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) have introduced companion legislation in the House.
<div id="attachment_951593" style="width: 875px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-951593" class="size-large wp-image-951593" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2224518539-865x576.jpg" alt="WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 10: U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) rides in an elevator outside of the Senate Chambers in the U.S. Capitol on July 10, 2025, in Washington, DC. The U.S. Senate has begun working to complete the business week ahead of returning home for a weekend recess. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)" width="865" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2224518539-865x576.jpg 865w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2224518539-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2224518539-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2224518539.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px" />Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images</div>
<h3>5. The Muslim Brotherhood Hides Its Links to Hamas</h3>
Few Americans have heard of the Brotherhood’s close ties to Hamas. Senator Cruz wants to change that. He said, “The Muslim Brotherhood is a terrorist organization, and it provides support to Muslim Brotherhood branches that are terrorist organizations. One of those branches is Hamas, which on October 7 committed the worst single-day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, which included the murder and kidnapping of at least 53 Americans.”
Cruz added that the Brotherhood “poses an acute threat to American national security interests. American allies in the Middle East and Europe have already labeled the Brotherhood a terrorist organization, and the United States should do the same.”
Senator Cruz’s legislation would not only expose the Brotherhood’s true nature, but would disrupt its financial networks. It would also help counter the spread of anti-Western and Islamist propaganda.
<h3>6. The Muslim Brotherhood Has Many Powerful Allies</h3>
Senator Cruz’s bill will face well-financed opposition. We can expect Qatari-backed think tanks, journalists, university centers, and PR firms to flood the media with claims that the Muslim Brotherhood is a “moderate” and “peaceful” organization. They will call supporters of the bill “Islamophobes.”
For this legislation to succeed, its sponsors need our support. I urge you to tell your friends about the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act. Post a link to this page on your social media. Write to your representatives in Congress and the Senate, and ask them to support the bill. Talk to friends, neighbors, and coworkers. Support organizations that back the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act, such as FDD Action (<a href="https://www.fddaction.org/">https://www.fddaction.org/</a>).
We can all do our part in making America stronger and safer. Start spreading the word today.
* * *
Michael A. Youssef, Ph.D., born in Egypt, is senior pastor of Church of The Apostles in Atlanta and founder of the radio broadcast “Leading The Way,” reaching 190 countries. With degrees from Moore College, Fuller Theological Seminary, and Emory University, he’s authored over 50 books, including “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1496431502/?bestFormat=true&amp;k=the%20third%20jihad%20by%20michael%20youssef&amp;ref_=nb_sb_ss_w_scx-ent-pd-bk-d_de_k0_1_16&amp;crid=385NJPDUXR79B&amp;sprefix=the%20third%20jihad%20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Third Jihad</a>.” He’s appeared on Fox News, CBN, and in The Wall Street Journal. His new book, “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Final-Call-Revelation-Ultimate/dp/1496486374/?_encoding=UTF8&amp;pd_rd_w=GjEWG&amp;content-id=amzn1.sym.0fb2cce1-1ca4-439a-844b-8ad0b1fb77f7&amp;pf_rd_p=0fb2cce1-1ca4-439a-844b-8ad0b1fb77f7&amp;pf_rd_r=133-8344803-2786917&amp;pd_rd_wg=m8gZy&amp;pd_rd_r=251a523a-31f1-47f0-9867-3168baa1d786&amp;ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">God’s Final Call: How the Book of Revelation Pulls Back the Veil on Current Events and Our Ultimate Future</a>” (Tyndale, March 2025), recently released.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Gaza protest in Jordan

Six Reasons The Muslim Brotherhood Must Be Banned In America

Egypt

Islamic Jihad

Muslim Brotherhood

Opinion

Terrorists

Texas GOP Senator Ted Cruz is set to introduce a Senate bill on Tuesday that would formally designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.
The Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act of 2025, which follows repeated attempts to name the group a terrorist organization, differs from previous versions as it calls for a &#8220;bottom-up&#8221; approach, <a href="https://freebeacon.com/national-security/ted-cruz-unveils-bill-to-designate-muslim-brotherhood-a-terrorist-organization-anticipates-bipartisan-support/">The Washington Free Beacon</a> reported.
According to a fact sheet provided by Cruz’s office, the previous attempts failed because “not all Muslim Brotherhood branches are currently violent and wouldn&#8217;t therefore meet the criteria for designation.&#8221; Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates already designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.
The bill urges Secretary of State Marco Rubio to &#8220;catalog Muslim Brotherhood branches that are designated as terrorist groups and designate additional ones that meet relevant criteria—and mandates the designation of the global Muslim Brotherhood for its support to those terrorist groups.&#8221;
That approach mirrors President Donald Trump’s 2017 effort to sanction Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), an effort that designated the IRGC as a foreign terrorist group.
Cruz’s effort is openly supported by GOP senators from Arkansas (John Boozman and Tom Cotton), Florida (Ashley Moody and Rick Scott), and Pennsylvania (Dave McCormick).
“Arab allies also appear ready to back the initiative, with one official telling the Free Beacon in June that ‘any of the countries in the Middle East that have already designated the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization would welcome the United States doing the same,’” the Free Beacon noted.
Cruz’s bill would use three ways to designate the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization: congressional action under the 1987 Anti-Terrorism Act, the State Department recognizing the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, and specific designation as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).
“Secretary of State Marco Rubio has 90 days after the bill passes to submit a report to Congress cataloguing ‘all Muslim Brotherhood branches’ around the globe,” The Free Beacon stated. “The legislation instructs him to designate any identified group that meets the criteria. The bill then authorizes a formal designation for the Muslim Brotherhood’s global operation under the 1987 ATA, creating a ‘primary embargo’ under which Americans are banned from engaging in financial transactions with the group and rendering it services.”
In April, Jordan <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/23/world/middleeast/muslim-brotherhood-explainer.html">banned</a> the Muslim Brotherhood from the country. According to their charter, the terrorist group Hamas is a “wing of the Muslim Brotherhood.” The Muslim Brotherhood assassinated Egyptian president Anwar Sadat in 1981 for making peace with Israel.
“The Muslim Brotherhood’s goal is to turn the world into a theocratic empire,” Stand With Us has <a href="https://www.standwithus.com/factsheets-the-muslim-brotherhood">noted</a>. “The  Brotherhood, founded in Egypt in 1928, is a revolutionary fundamentalist movement to restore the caliphate and strict shariah (Islamist) law in Muslim lands and, ultimately, the world. Today, it has chapters in 80 countries. &#8230; The Brotherhood wants America to fall. In 2010 their Supreme Guide told their followers to be ‘patient’ because America ‘is heading towards its demise.’”

GOP Senate Judiciary Members Hold Press Conference On The Supreme Court

Cruz Introduces Bill To Name Muslim Brotherhood A Terrorist Group

terrorist

President Donald Trump fields questions on tariffs, Ukraine, and Jeffrey Epstein during his sixth cabinet meeting, fallout continues from the Central Texas floods, and the Trump administration rejects amnesty but hints at flexibility for some illegal immigrant workers.
It’s Wednesday, July 9, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<h2>Trump Convenes His Cabinet</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-944393" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MRN-7.9.25-Seg-Head-1-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MRN-7.9.25-Seg-Head-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MRN-7.9.25-Seg-Head-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MRN-7.9.25-Seg-Head-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MRN-7.9.25-Seg-Head-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MRN-7.9.25-Seg-Head-1.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline:  President Trump provided new details on tariffs, support for Ukraine, and Jeffrey Epstein during a wide-ranging cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
Cabinet meetings traditionally take place behind closed doors, but on Tuesday, President Trump spent nearly two hours taking questions from reporters. While many questions addressed the recent flash flooding in Texas, the president also spent a considerable amount of time discussing his plans for new tariffs.
In April, President Trump announced a 90-day pause on his ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs to offer countries a chance to negotiate lower rates — but warned that any country that didn’t come to the table would be hit with massive tariffs on July 9. However, despite early signs of optimism from our trading partners, the reality is that we have yet to see the “90 deals in 90 days” that the White House initially promised. 
To date, the only countries with formal, finalized trade agreements are the United Kingdom and Vietnam. 
The White House insists it is approaching the finish line with the European Union, India, and Cambodia, among others, but the administration clearly needs more time. On Monday, the president signed an executive order extending the tariff deadline to August 1. In an effort to expedite negotiations in the meantime, Trump sent letters to more than a dozen countries, stating that without a deal, they would face enormous tariffs on August 1, and if they raised rates in response, the United States would increase them even further. 
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also announced that the United States government had collected “about $100 billion in tariff income thus far this year” and projected that that figure could rise to well over $300 billion by the end of the year.&#8221;
Meanwhile, since taking office and that disastrous White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Trump administration has significantly cut its military and financial support for Ukraine. Trump said that he was worried Zelensky would avoid peace talks if he knew the United States would send an endless supply of weapons, and there were those in Washington who believed Russian President Vladimir Putin would be more willing to come to the table if support was cut off.
But with Moscow stepping up its attacks on population centers in Ukraine and Putin repeatedly backing out of peace talks, Trump has reversed himself and announced that the United States would resume weapons shipments to Ukraine. Trump later added that he’s seriously considering even harsher sanctions on Moscow.
“We want to put defensive weapons because Putin is not treating human beings right,” Trump told reporters. “We get a lot of bullsh** thrown at us by Putin — you want to know the truth. He&#8217;s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.&#8221;
President Trump also turned heads with his remarks on Jeffrey Epstein – the Trump administration essentially closed its case on Epstein this week, saying there is no evidence that he was murdered, had a client list, or blackmailed powerful individuals. 
That decision has dominated the headlines, but the president seemed irritated, even <a href="https://x.com/9mm_smg/status/1942628135263989932">exasperated</a>, when asked about it.“Are people still talking about this guy, this creep? That is unbelievable. Do you wanna waste the time… I can’t believe you’re asking a question about Epstein at a time like this.”
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<h2>Tensions High In Texas After Flash Floods Kill Over 100 People</h2>
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Topline: While rescue and recovery operations continue in Texas, some are already asking why communities were so unprepared for the natural disaster.
The tragedy that has killed more than 100 people, with many still missing, has left officials to face tough questions. Searches are underway throughout Central Texas. Rains and flash flood warnings have hindered progress, and officials have had to not only look for those missing, but also protect the emergency responders and volunteers that have joined the search crews.
“In the Kerr County area alone, there are 161 people who are known to be missing,” Texas Governor Greg Abbott <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2yquWcGJ9g&amp;t=2938s">said</a> on Tuesday. “We will not stop until every missing person is accounted for. Know this also, there is very likely more to be added to that list.”
Press conferences have started to become testy, however, with local and national reporters pushing officials to answer increasingly pointed questions about their disaster response, including but not limited to, “Was the emergency manager awake?”
Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice defended the decision not to issue an evacuation order before the flooding, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgKRuDsTEyk&amp;t=1303s">arguing</a> that “evacuation is a delicate balance, because if you evacuate too late you then risk putting busses, or cars, or vehicles, or campers on roads into low water areas trying to get them out which then can make it even more challenging, because these flash floods happen very quickly.”
Critics have claimed that recent cuts to the National Weather Service led to the organization being understaffed and less prepared. Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz characterized those allegations as “partisan finger-pointing” and claimed that the local NWS office had surged “additional manpower” in anticipation of possible flooding. The NWS union, which has generally been very critical of the recent cuts, has also said that the reductions did not impact the response.
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<h2>To Deport, Or Not To Deport</h2>
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Topline: The Trump administration is again signaling a shift in how it is addressing illegal immigration in the farming industry. 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been authorized by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to continue worksite raids on farms to sweep for illegal immigrants. That directive was <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/17/politics/homeland-security-immigration-raids-resume">issued</a> in June, shortly after the administration announced a pause on those raids, as well as raids at hotels and restaurants. Since then, the Trump administration has sent additional signals that it is attempting to balance its commitment to deporting all illegal aliens with more immediate economic concerns, including potential workforce shortages.
“We’re going to take care of our farmers and hotel workers, but we&#8217;re working on it right now,” President Trump said. “We have a lot of cases where ICE would go into the farm, and these are guys that are working there for 10 to 15 years, no problem. … The farmers know them. It’s called ‘farmer responsibility’ or ‘owner responsibility,’ but they&#8217;re going to be largely responsible for these people, and they know these people…They can be here legally. They can pay taxes and everything. They&#8217;re not getting citizenship, but they get other things. And the farmers need them to do the work.”
That approach has caused backlash among some of the president&#8217;s more ardent supporters, many of whom favor a zero-tolerance policy towards illegal aliens living and/or working in the United States.
In June, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins <a href="https://x.com/BrookeLRollins/status/1934240461717143696">expressed</a> her full commitment to the America First agenda, but said deportations were being “prioritized” in a way to avoid “severe disruptions to our food supply.” On Tuesday, after being questioned by Daily Wire White House Correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan, Rollins elaborated that the Trump administration will offer illegal immigrants working on farms “no amnesty under any circumstances. Mass deportations continue, but in a strategic and intentional way as we move our workforce toward more automation and toward a 100% American workforce.”
Some reports, mostly out of California, said illegal immigrant farm laborers stopped showing up to work out of fear of deportation, and crops had gone unharvested. One <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/01/ice-raids-crops-california-farms">report</a> cited numerous farm supervisors who stated that the number of workers dropped dramatically since raids began in California; one supervisor claimed that only 80 of 300 people showed up to work, while another saw a drop from 80 workers to 17. Recent estimates by the Department of Agriculture suggest that about <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/farm-labor#:~:text=Roughly%20Half%20of%20Hired%20Crop,unauthorized%20is%20highest%20in%20California.">40-50%</a> of crop farmworkers are either in the country illegally or lack proper work authorization.

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Morning Brief: Trump Says No Amnesty For Illegals & Texas Flood Fallout

brooke rollins

Cabinet

California

Donald Trump

Farming

flooding

Floods

illegal immigrants

Jeffrey Epstein

Media

Morning Wire

Russia

Tariffs

Texas

Trade War

Ukraine

Ukraine-Russia War

weapons

The Daily Beast tried to accuse Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) of vacationing in Athens while Texas experienced massive flooding, despite being told the senator returned to the U.S. as quickly as possible.
&#8220;A bulls*** piece published by a bulls*** rag outlet with no credibility, and with no regard for the tragedy in Texas,&#8221; Macarena Martinez, communications director for Cruz, <a href="https://x.com/macamrtz/status/1942294143365202406">said</a> on social media. &#8220;The Senator is on the ground in Texas and arrived as fast as humanly possible. I explained all of this to their two-faced reporter.&#8221;
By Friday afternoon, Cruz had spoken with President Donald Trump, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and the Texas Division of Emergency Management, the senator said on social media.
By Sunday, Cruz was on the ground in Texas.
&#8220;Texas is grieving right now,&#8221; Cruz said at a press conference today. &#8220;The pain, the shock of what has transpired the last few days has broken the heart of our state.&#8221;
The Daily Beast&#8217;s hit piece comes after multiple outlets have tried to blame conservatives for the flooding in Texas. CNN anchor Dana Bash <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dana-bash-blames-climate-change-donald-trumps-administration-for-texas-floods">said</a> climate change and the Trump administration were to blame for the flooding, and actress Rosie O&#8217;Donnell <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/libs-dragged-for-blaming-texas-flood-disaster-on-trump">said</a> Trump gutted &#8220;early warning systems&#8221; that could have prevented the tragedy.
But meteorologists <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/theres-no-evidence-to-suggest-doge-cuts-caused-texas-flood-devastation-meteorologists-say">say</a> the flooding was caused by rare circumstances, not federal cuts to the National Weather Service.
&#8220;Just looking at the actual warning services that NWS provided during the event, they were solid and provided the level of warning and alerts that the public should expect to receive for an event such as this,” Alan Gerard, a former director of the Analysis and Understanding Branch in the National Severe Storms Laboratory at NOAA, <a href="https://balancedweather.substack.com/p/balancedwx-special-tragic-flash-flooding" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said.</a>
At least 90, including 28 children, have been declared dead from the flooding. Trump has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-shares-plan-to-visit-site-of-texas-flood-damage">announced</a> plans to visit the scene of the tragedy later this week.

Death Toll Rises After Flash Floods In Texas Hill Country

Daily Beast Tries To Use Texas Tragedy To Attack Ted Cruz

WASHINGTON—During a Senate Judiciary hearing Wednesday, Texas Senator Ted Cruz exposed China’s shady efforts to infiltrate the American energy sector and leave the United States dependent on Beijing for so-called green energy.
&#8220;We are witnessing right now a systematic campaign against American energy,&#8221; Cruz said at the hearing. &#8220;There is a coordinated assault by the radical Left, backed and paid for by the Chinese Communist Party, to seize control of our courts, to weaponize litigation against US energy producers all in order to undermine American energy dominance.&#8221;
Cruz in particular <a href="https://statearmor.org/who-is-energy-foundation-china/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">focused</a> on Energy Foundation China, a group with ties to the Chinese Communist Party. The senator cited a report from State Armor, which found that &#8220;To secure U.S. dependence, the CCP has been co-opting the progressive American climate change lobby to push a transition from fossil fuels and other critical inputs…onto &#8216;green&#8217; technologies controlled by China.&#8221;
By funneling money through the foundation, the report claims, the CCP has funded many climate advocacy groups in America, including the Natural Resources Defense Council, which is well known for its litigious character.
&#8220;Their lawsuits are designed to destroy the American energy industry, which happens to perfectly coincide with the political objective of Senate Democrats to destroy the American energy industry,&#8221; Cruz said.
Cruz continued by exposing the Climate Judiciary Project, which claims to be impartial and uninvolved in litigation, but <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/climate-justice-group-deep-ties-judges-experts-involved-litigation-claims-impartiality" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> trains and supports judges presiding over cases of climate litigation.
Cruz pointed out that Energy Foundation China, which is run by former CCP officials, is funding litigation groups working to flood the courts with cases against American energy companies. These cases then come before judges trained by leftist-funded climate advocacy groups.
&#8220;This three-pronged strategy — foreign funding, mass litigation, and judicial indoctrination — is a full-spectrum assault on American energy independence,&#8221; Cruz said. &#8220;And while China drills and digs, we sue and shut down.&#8221;
&#8220;While China prepares for energy dominance, the American Left prepares to attack our own domestic capability.&#8221;
Ranking Member Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) called Cruz’s claims a &#8220;conspiracy,&#8221; arguing that the oil industry’s &#8220;dark money&#8221; schemes were more concerning.
&#8220;The hearing ignores that the fossil fuel industry has, for decades, benefited from secret funding to wage war on the American consumer by making energy more expensive and dirtier,&#8221; Whitehouse said.
Whitehouse also dismissed the claim that China was indirectly providing funds to litigious groups. Energy Foundation China, he argued, seemed focused on addressing Chinese environmental concerns, not advocating for legislative change in the United States.
Whitehouse said, &#8220;Fighting Chinese pollution in China [&#8230;] is a very different thing than having a Chinese conspiracy that funds a litigation group here in the United States.&#8221;
From 2001 to 2020, the EFC has paid out nearly $1.02 billion in grants to hundreds of different organizations seeking climate reform, according to a <a href="https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/energy-foundation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> by Influence Watch. The Climate Judiciary Project paid an undisclosed amount toward its judicial education programs.
Scott Walter, the president of the Capital Research Center, was among those testifying about the role the CCP might play among American climate lobbyists and judges.
Asked about the motives of the CCP officials who founded Energy Foundation China, Walter said he was &#8220;skeptical that former Chinese communist officials are interested in doing anything that would harm their country.&#8221;

Senate Judiciary Subcommittee Examines District Judges v. Trump

Ted Cruz Exposes China’s Plot To Undermine American Energy: ‘A Coordinated Assault’

China

Energy

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on Wenesday blasted conservative commentator Tucker Carlson over his foreign policy stance, saying that the former Fox News host has gone &#8220;bat crap crazy&#8221; in adopting &#8220;hardcore isolationist&#8221; views.
On his podcast, &#8220;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/israel-vs-iran-whos-winning-whats-next-will-america/id1495601614?i=1000713386485">Verdict with Ted Cruz</a>,&#8221; the Texas senator previewed an interview he had with Carlson slated to drop on Carlson&#8217;s podcast on Wednesday. During the discussion, Cruz and Carlson get into a heated debate over Iran and President Donald Trump&#8217;s position on the Middle East conflict.
&#8220;I agree with Tucker on 80% of the issues &#8230; during the idiotic COVID lockdowns, Tucker&#8217;s monologue every night on Fox was the single best thing on television, which I told him at the time, and I agree with him,&#8221; Cruz said after recording the interview with Carlson. &#8220;I will say on foreign policy, Tucker has gone bat crap crazy. He&#8217;s gone off the rails. He is suddenly a hardcore isolationist.&#8221;
Cruz added that he knew going into the interview with Carlson that it would be a &#8220;rough and tumble fight&#8221; over foreign policy, especially after Israel launched an attack on Iran&#8217;s nuclear facilities and military leaders last week.
&#8220;Tucker has spent the last several days attacking Donald Trump,&#8221; Cruz said. &#8220;He&#8217;s blasted Trump as &#8216;complicit&#8217; in this horrible attack, and he keeps saying World War III is going to happen. He&#8217;s just been over the top.&#8221;
The senator said the two-hour interview with Carlson immediately became &#8220;combative,&#8221; with Carlson &#8220;throwing haymakers.&#8221; A <a href="https://x.com/TuckerCarlson/status/1935136085266387417">short clip</a> of the interview posted by Carlson on X shows the conservative commentator asking Cruz about the population of Iran, a question that Cruz couldn&#8217;t answer.
&#8220;How could you not know that?&#8221; Carlson asked.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t sit around memorizing population tables,&#8221; Cruz replied.
&#8220;Well, it&#8217;s kind of relevant because you&#8217;re calling for the overthrow of the government,&#8221; Carlson said.
Cruz shot back, &#8220;Why is it relevant whether it&#8217;s 90 million or 80 million or 100 million? Why is that relevant?&#8221;
Cruz added on Wednesday morning that Carlson criticized Trump throughout the interview and &#8220;spends 20 minutes&#8221; talking about the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and &#8220;how he thinks the AIPAC lobby is dominating American foreign policy.&#8221;
&#8220;It was just unhinged, and I get there are conspiracy sections of the internet that are worried that AIPAC is running the world. It&#8217;s just not reality,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And [Carlson] didn&#8217;t like it when I called him out on it, and I did.&#8221;
The senator also accused Carlson of denying that Iran has attempted to assassinate President Trump, despite the Department of Justice <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-murder-hire-and-related-charges-against-irgc-asset-and-two">charging</a> an Iranian in November who it accuses of being &#8220;tasked by the Iranian Regime with surveilling and plotting to assassinate President-Elect Donald J. Trump.&#8221;
&#8220;He just said, &#8216;That&#8217;s not true. I&#8217;ve never heard anything about it. I don&#8217;t know anything about it,&#8221; Cruz added. &#8220;Well, it happens to be a fact. It happens to be that the DOJ has indicted Iranian hitmen for attempting to murder Donald Trump.&#8221;
Earlier this week, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-lays-into-kooky-tucker-carlson-over-opposition-to-israeli-strikes-on-iran?author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Lays+Into+%E2%80%98Kooky%E2%80%99+Tucker+Carlson+Over+Opposition+To+Israeli+Strikes+On+Iran">called out</a> Carlson over his views on the Middle East conflict, writing on Truth Social, “Somebody please explain to kooky Tucker Carlson that, ‘IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!’”
Later in his podcast, Cruz said that isolationism and interventionism are &#8220;both wrong&#8221; approaches to foreign policy.
&#8220;I&#8217;m a non-interventionist hawk. I am very reluctant to engage in military conflict, just like Trump is,&#8221; Cruz added. &#8220;But I also believe in peace through strength. The best way you avoid war is being strong enough that your enemies don&#8217;t want to stand up to you.&#8221;

Ted Cruz/Tucker Carlson

‘Off The Rails’: Ted Cruz Rips Tucker Carlson For Going ‘Bat Crap Crazy’ On Foreign Policy

Foreign Policy

Iran

Israel

Tucker Carlson

Verdict with Ted Cruz

Leading GOP senators bluntly declared their support for Israel’s strikes targeting Iran on Thursday night, stating that Israel was helping America by attacking the anti-American terror regime that routinely chants, “Death to America.”
“Iran is the world’s worst state sponsor of terrorism, has the blood of thousands of Americans on its hands, and is rushing to build not only nuclear weapons, but also missiles that can strike the United States,” Arkansas senator Tom Cotton wrote on X. “We back Israel to the hilt, all the way. And if the ayatollahs harm a single American, that will be the end of the ayatollahs.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Iran is the world’s worst state sponsor of terrorism, has the blood of thousands of Americans on its hands, and is rushing to build not only nuclear weapons, but also missiles that can strike the United States. We back Israel to the hilt, all the way. 
And if the ayatollahs harm…
&mdash; Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenTomCotton/status/1933339069406232860?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“Proud to stand with Israel,” he added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Proud to stand with Israel.
&mdash; Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomCottonAR/status/1933313887362859140?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Texas Senator Ted  Cruz echoed, “President Trump has been clear that Iran must completely dismantle their nuclear capacity. Iran has given President Trump the middle finger. Israel is acting to defend themselves, and we should stand with them.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
President Trump has been clear that Iran must completely dismantle their nuclear capacity. 
Iran has given President Trump the middle finger. 
Israel is acting to defend themselves, and we should stand with them. <a href="https://t.co/SHNE5vnw6J">pic.twitter.com/SHNE5vnw6J</a>
&mdash; Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) <a href="https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1933342444638159344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“There are two messages that are critical to be heard tonight,” Cruz told Daily Wire co-founder Ben Shapiro. “Number one, America stands unequivocally with Israel. Period. The end. That is critically important. Israel is acting to defend herself, to defend herself against the existential threat of an Iranian nuclear weapon, but number two, and this is equally important, we have a very large number of American servicemen and women in bases in the Middle East that are in harm’s way. And I want to ask every one of your listeners, every one of your viewers, if you’re a person of faith, pray for Israel tonight. Pray for Israel, pray for Jerusalem, and pray for our servicemen and women, the Americans in harm’s way. And a message I think is critically important: I want the Ayatollah to hear: If you attack American military bases, if you kill even a single American serviceman or woman, I am absolutely confident that President Trump will respond with overwhelming force.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;America stands unequivocally with Israel.&quot;
Senator <a href="https://twitter.com/tedcruz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tedcruz</a> joins <a href="https://twitter.com/benshapiro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@benshapiro</a> to discuss the breaking coverage of Israel&#39;s massive attack on Iranian nuclear capabilities. <a href="https://t.co/UCyTXJ0T0o">pic.twitter.com/UCyTXJ0T0o</a>
&mdash; Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1933362460204937590?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“Israel is in a very real sense, doing a favor to America tonight,” Cruz declared. “The Ayatollah regularly, in front of mobs, chants, &#8216;Death to America&#8217; and &#8216;Death to Israel.&#8217; If history teaches anything, it is that if someone tells you they want to murder you, you should believe them.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) wrote, “For too long, the mullahs in Iran have publicly aspired to wipe the only democracy in the Middle East off the face of the map via any means possible: funding and arming terror groups on Israel’s borders, choking off international sea lanes, and multiple barrages of missiles and drones. Just today, Iran was found once again to be in violation of its nuclear non-proliferation obligations, which is unacceptable. Iran must never gain access to a nuclear weapon. Today, Israel has determined that it must take decisive action to defend the Israeli people. The United States Senate stands ready to work with President Trump and with our allies in Israel to restore peace in the region and, first and foremost, to defend the American people from Iranian aggression, especially our troops and civilians serving overseas. Iran should heavily consider the consequences before considering any action against Americans in the region.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
For too long, the mullahs in Iran have publicly aspired to wipe the only democracy in the Middle East off the face of the map via any means possible: funding and arming terror groups on Israel’s borders, choking off international sea lanes, and multiple barrages of missiles and…
&mdash; Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeaderJohnThune/status/1933345748911075637?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham added, “In a contest for their very survival, hats off to Israel for one of the most impressive military strikes and covert operations in Israeli history — which is saying something. I very much appreciate President Trump’s strong statement in support of this Israeli operation and his urging for the Iranian Regime to make a deal to abandon their nuclear enrichment program to avoid further bloodshed. I hope and pray the ayatollah and his henchmen who are still alive will heed President Trump’s counsel. If not, America — the greatest power for good on Earth — should be all-in to help Israel finish the job. Well done to one of America’s greatest allies, Israel.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
In a contest for their very survival, hats off to Israel for one of the most impressive military strikes and covert operations in Israeli history — which is saying something. 
I very much appreciate President Trump’s strong statement in support of this Israeli operation and his… <a href="https://t.co/oLAfF3UuqQ">pic.twitter.com/oLAfF3UuqQ</a>
&mdash; Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) <a href="https://twitter.com/LindseyGrahamSC/status/1933522205142348185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch (R-ID)asserted, “ We stand with Israel tonight and pray for the safety of its people and the success of this unilateral, defensive action. I am also praying for the brave U.S. service members in the Middle East who keep America safe—Iran would be foolish to attack the United States.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
We stand with Israel tonight and pray for the safety of its people and the success of this unilateral, defensive action. I am also praying for the brave U.S. service members in the Middle East who keep America safe—Iran would be foolish to attack the United States.
&mdash; Jim Risch (@SenatorRisch) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorRisch/status/1933348361891123321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote simply, “Israel IS right—and has a right—to defend itself!”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Israel IS right—and has a right—to defend itself! <a href="https://t.co/306CJIHeGx">pic.twitter.com/306CJIHeGx</a>
&mdash; Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1933351802990113091?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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MixCollage-13-Jun-2025-11-07-AM-3746

‘Proud To Stand With Israel’: GOP Leaders Back Israeli Strike On Iran

Tom Cotton

A big tech company refused to work with any organization denounced by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a left-wing group that has been frequently criticized for smearing conservative organizations as &#8220;hate groups.&#8221;
In an email reviewed by The Daily Wire, an employee of Bonterra Tech — which provides customer relationship management software to nonprofits — declined to work with the Ruth Institute, which promotes biblical sexual values, because the SPLC named it a hate group.
“It pains me to say that we cannot move forward with the Ruth Institute. It makes it even harder as I am aligned with the beliefs of your Organization and I think it’s absolutely RIDICULOUS that the SPLC gets to pick and choose who is a hate group,” the email said. “Doesn’t make any sense and they should be shut down. My CEO agrees that you shouldn’t be on there, she took it up to our board and they said that is one rule they will not make an exemption on. If an Organization is on the SPLC list, we cannot work with them.”
This is the latest evidence that Bonterra discriminates against conservatives. In a 2024 report to the Senate Commerce Committee, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/big-tech-company-that-deplatformed-conservative-group-will-comply-with-cruz-investigation">revealed</a> that Bonterra’s terms of service prohibited it from working with clients that denied “rights to the LGBTQ community,” “a woman’s right to reproductive choice,” “racial justice,” or “climate change.” At the same time EveryAction stipulated that nonprofits it worked with could not be “Not Progressive Aligned,” meaning that they “Can’t be a Republican org,” “Can’t go against LGBT+,” and “Can’t be against pro-choice.”
Bonterra also refused to renew contracts with Wisconsin Right to Life, Idaho Family Policy Center, Deaconess Pregnancy &amp; Adoptions, and Stand for Health Freedom.
Cruz believes that Bonterra weaponized its policies to deny conservatives access to its services.
“My committee’s investigation exposed what we long expected: Big Tech companies like Bonterra have used vague, broadly worded terms of service agreements as a political weapon to deny conservatives access to essential business technology,” Cruz told The Daily Wire. “Conservative companies should not be forced to choose between staying silent or potentially shutting down.”
Cruz on Tuesday is introducing the “TERMS Act,” legislation he told The Daily Wire would challenge “the unchecked power&#8221; of &#8220;Big Tech oligarchs and protect the right of free speech for every American business targeted by Big Tech censorship.”
Cruz’s proposal would mandate that online service providers “disclose their acceptable use policies, provide users with written notice before the termination of a user’s account, and publish an annual report detailing actions taken to enforce their acceptable use policies, and for other purposes,” according to a copy of the bill shared with The Daily Wire. 
The bill would mandate that acceptable use policies are publicly disclosed and easily accessible, that customers would be given advance warning of account restriction or cancellation, and post public reports of enforcement of acceptable use policies.
Republican Senators Marsha Blackburn (TN), Katie Britt (AL), Tom Cotton (AK), Mike Crapo (ID), Cynthia Lummis (WY), Jim Risch (ID), Senator Roger Marshall (KS), and Eric Schmitt (MS) are also backing the legislation.
The Southern Poverty Law Center was founded by a former employee of the notorious segregationist George Wallace, who decided opposing white supremacy was a more profitable path. As The Daily Wire has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/left-wing-smear-factory-splc-doxxes-babylon-bee-linked-writers?author=Luke+Rosiak&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Left-Wing+%E2%80%98Smear+Factory%E2%80%99+SPLC+Doxxes+Babylon+Bee-Linked+Writers">reported</a> last year, the group doxxed employees of Not The Bee, a Babylon Bee affiliate site that publishes true stories so absurd that they seem like parodies.
“They did it because they’re left-wing activists masquerading as journalists,” Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon said at the time, calling the group a &#8220;scandal-ridden smear factory.&#8221;

EXCLUSIVE: Big Tech Company Used Southern Poverty Law Center To Deplatform Conservatives

Big Tech

Censorship

Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)

On Tuesday, the GOP-led Senate unanimously passed bipartisan legislation from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) that seeks to make good on President Donald Trump&#8217;s campaign promise for getting rid of taxes on tips.
Axios <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/05/20/senate-dems-attempt-pass-no-tax-on-tips" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> earlier in the day that Senate Republicans were likely to block a request for unanimous consent for Cruz&#8217;s measure by Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) because the GOP-controlled House is working on Trump&#8217;s &#8220;one big, beautiful bill,&#8221; which has its own <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trumps-one-big-beautiful-bill-gets-no-tax-on-tips-and-overtime" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;No Tax On Tips&#8221;</a> component.
However, that opposition did not materialize and Cruz&#8217;s <a href="https://www.cruz.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/no_tax_on_tips_act_2025.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;No Tax on Tips Act&#8221;</a> passed by <a href="https://x.com/SenatePress/status/1924921893066277222" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unanimous consent</a>, which is an <a href="https://www.senate.gov/about/glossary.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">agreement</a> that allows the upper chamber to bypass standard rules to speed up proceedings.
&#8220;President Trump made a promise to the American people that he would eliminate taxes on tips. In Congress, I formed a bipartisan, bicameral coalition to get that done, and in the Senate introduced the No Tax on Tips Act,&#8221; Cruz said in a <a href="https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruzs-no-tax-on-tips-legislation-passes-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.
&#8220;Today, I went with Senator Rosen to the floor to secure Senate passage of the bill,&#8221; he added. &#8220;This legislation will have a lasting impact on millions of Americans by protecting the hard-earned dollars of blue-collar workers, the very people who are living paycheck-to-paycheck. I urge my colleagues in the House to pass this important bill and send it to the President’s desk to be signed into law.&#8221;
According to a Congress.gov <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/129" target="_blank" rel="noopener">summary</a>, the bill, as introduced, allows workers in tip-heavy jobs to deduct up to $25,000 in reported cash tips from their taxes unless they earned over a threshold, which is $160,000 for 2025 and adjusted annually for inflation. It also expands business tax credits to cover payroll taxes on tips from beauty services such as haircare and spa treatments.
Cruz&#8217;s office says the bill &#8220;exempts &#8216;cash tips&#8217; — cash, credit and debit card charges, and checks — from federal income tax by allowing taxpayers to claim a 100% deduction at filing for tipped wages. The updated text includes guardrails to ensure only traditionally tipped employees will benefit from No Tax on Tips.&#8221;
The legislation now heads to the House, which is moving to pass through the reconciliation process a much <a href="https://docs.house.gov/meetings/BU/BU00/20250516/118284/BILLS-119pih.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">larger bill</a> that aims to provide funding for Trump’s domestic priorities, retain tax cuts from 2017, raise the debt limit, and more.
One of the megabill&#8217;s many provisions features a deduction for &#8220;qualified&#8221; tips for individuals who work in &#8220;an occupation which traditionally and customarily received tips&#8221; from 2025 through 2028. It also contains sections dedicated to some of Trump&#8217;s other ideas, including no tax on overtime and no tax on auto loan interest.
Democrats have joined Republicans in supporting the push for &#8220;No Tax On Tips.&#8221; In fact, Vice President Kamala Harris <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kamala-harris-steals-trumps-no-tax-on-tips-policy-proposal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stole</a> Trump&#8217;s proposal as they competed against each other for the White House in the 2024 election.
In a speech on the Senate floor, Rosen <a href="https://x.com/SenJackyRosen/status/1924933653894701465" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that she wanted the legislation from Cruz to succeed rather than &#8220;forcing working families to choose between keeping their healthcare or keeping their tips&#8221; with the more comprehensive &#8220;one big, beautiful bill,&#8221; alluding to efforts by GOP lawmakers to rein in spending on programs such as Medicaid.

Sen. Ted Cruz and Trump

Senate Unanimously Passes ‘No Tax On Tips Act’

Taxes

A high-ranking Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) official confirmed that the hotline between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and the Pentagon became inoperable during the Biden administration in March 2022.
On January 29, American Airlines Flight 5342, which had departed from Wichita, Kansas, with 60 passengers and four crew members on board, collided in midair near the airport with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that had three people on board. Multiple American figure skaters and coaches returning from a training camp were on the flight. There were no survivors.
An internal preliminary report from the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/federal-aviation-administration-faa">FAA</a> said that staffing at the tower was &#8220;not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic,&#8221; <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/01/29/us/plane-crash-washington-dc">according to The New York Times</a>. The newspaper said the controller who was dealing with helicopters around the airport was also instructing airplanes that were landing and departing, tasks which are typically assigned to multiple people.
On Wednesday, Texas GOP Senator Ted Cruz <a href="https://www.commerce.senate.gov/2025/5/faa-reauthorization-one-year-later-aviation-safety-air-traffic-and-next-generation-technology_2">questioned</a> Franklin McIntosh, the FAA Deputy COO of air traffic control, about proper procedures.
“On April 25 for the first time since the January 28 mid-air collision, the army resumed flying in the national capital region,” Cruz noted. “Less than a week later, air traffic control had to command two commercial aircraft on final approach to abort their landing at DCA due to an Army Blackhawk on an apparent training mission at the Pentagon, having wandered far too close to the commercial aircraft flightpath.”
“Shortly thereafter, and just 10 days after having resumed limited flight in the national capital region, the army aviation brigade, suspended operations in the DC area,” he continued. “I’ve been told that prior to the army aviation brigade’s decision to suspend operations on May 5, the FAA was preparing to suspend the letter of agreement between the army and the FAA that gives the army the ability to operate the DC air space without having to first ask for FAA clearance for each flight. Was the FAA prepared to suspend the letter of agreement, and if so, what was concerning enough to justify such a decision?”
“We were extremely troubled by the incident that occurred, especially in light of DCA and the events that led up to the accident,” McIntosh admitted. “We were ready to deploy any option available that we could use or that we felt was necessary to bring safety measures and better behaviors from the DOD in this instance. &#8230; We were ready to do any option available to include what you just spoke to, which was removing the ability to fly.”
“Just to be clear, does that mean the FAA did actually draft an order suspending the army’s ability to fly in the DC area?” Cruz asked.
“I’m not 100% aware if we drafted an order, but we did have a discussion if that was an option that we wanted to pursue,” McIntosh replied. “I do know that the DOD came back and suspended operations on their own based on that event so we’re still working with DOD to improve that process.”
“Is it true that the hotline, the direct line between the Pentagon air traffic control and the DCA tower, has been inoperable since March 2022?” Cruz asked. When McIntosh confirmed that the hotline indeed had been inoperable, Cruz continued, ‘Who maintains that hotline?”
“I believe the DOD maintains that hotline but I think the next question would be why were we not aware of it and insist upon it being fixed? “ McIntosh replied. “We take safety responsibilities extremely seriously in the FAA and those were the questions we were asking and we were not aware, but we became aware after that event and now that we became aware of that event we are were insisting upon that line to be fixed before we resume any operations out of the Pentagon.
“While army flights were ongoing, if the hotline was not operational, how did controllers communicate?” Cruz wanted to know.
“We still have landline abilities; we can make phone calls from the helipad to the operation where the supervisor or the controller in charge can answer so we’re aware of the activity and if there was a departure clearance needed, we’d be able to relay it via that mechanism,” McIntosh answered.
“Is it also true that the air traffic control positions for local traffic and helicopters were combined early just as they were on the day of the mid-air collision?” Cruz pressed.
“Yes sir, it was,” McIntosh confirmed.
Daniel Chaitin contributed to this article.

US-AVIATION-ACCIDENT

Hotline Between Reagan National Airport, DOD Became Inoperable During Biden Admin

Air and Space

Department of Defense

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

Reagan national Airport

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