President Donald Trump made the largest military spending request in history on Friday, with a proposed budget for the 2027 fiscal year of $1.5 trillion in defense spending, of which $1.1 trillion would be allocated for the Department of War and $350 billion specifically for critical munitions.
The record request was announced in January after former Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro’s capture, but before the United States launched attacks on Iran. To pay for the uptick in defense spending, the White House proposes to reduce non-defense spending by 10%.
The White House says the spending request reflects the current global threat environment and restores the readiness and lethality of the United States military. The money would also include a salary increase for all military personnel, with junior enlisted members receiving the largest salary bump at 7%. Mid-level service members, E-6 to O-3, would receive a 6% pay raise, and higher-ranking officers would receive a 5% raise. The White House predicts the increase will help with service member retention and recruiting efforts.
Funds would also be directed to the construction of the United States’ “Golden Dome,” which would be similar to Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system. The Golden Dome would track missiles through launch, in midcourse, and on their descent, potentially using space-based technology to intercept missiles. Unlike Israel’s Iron Dome, America’s Golden Dome would aim to stop long-range missiles and potentially hypersonic weapons, which are a growing concern posed by adversaries like China, Russia, and North Korea. 
The budget would also focus on “making shipbuilding great again,” adding 18 battle force ships and 16 non-battle force ships to the United States naval fleet. By ship count, <a href="https://www.usamm.com/blogs/news/ships-us-navy">China</a> currently has the largest navy, with the United States in second place.
Another large category of investment will be in critical mineral stockpiles. Currently, the United States Department of the Interior lists 60 minerals as critical, of which 15 are rare earth elements. The list ranges from aluminum to zinc, and the push reflects a broader strategy Trump employed in global negotiations. The president pushed to bring steel and aluminum production back to the United States while also taking a stake in MP Materials, which is the only fully integrated rare earth producer in America. Rare earth minerals are used in magnets and batteries, as well as defense applications and AI chips, making them a national security priority.
One of the Senate’s most prominent fiscal hawks, Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), told The Daily Wire: “With total debt approaching $39 trillion, reduced spending in other areas will be required,” and &#8220;aggressively eliminating the $700 billion to $1 trillion in annual fraud would be the primary target.”
Johnson sees the road to getting the president’s request passed before the fiscal year begins on October 1 as challenging.
“Even though defense of our nation is the top priority of the government, Democrats will not support the president’s request,” said Johnson. The senator sees two paths ahead: Republicans voting to end the filibuster or pursuing a reconciliation appropriation process to get Republican votes.
If Republicans take the nuclear option, they would be able to pass bills with a simple majority of 51 votes instead of 60. The reconciliation appropriation process would also be challenging due to the Byrd Rule, which allows senators to block or remove parts of a reconciliation deal. A provision can be stripped out unless 60 senators vote to keep it, and with Republicans holding 53 seats, the road to 60 would be challenging.
President Trump signaled on Wednesday that defense spending is a top priority. “We’re fighting wars. It’s not possible for us to take care of day care, Medicaid, Medicare—all these individual things. They can do it on a state basis. You can’t do it on a federal.”
The federal government currently runs a deficit of $2 trillion. 
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the initial plan was for him to raise the United States&#8217; revenue by $1 trillion and for Elon Musk to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse by spending $1 trillion to balance the budget. Lutnick and Trump launched tariffs to increase revenue and created the gold card, which charges foreigners <a href="https://www.trumpcard.gov/">$1 million</a> for United States residency on the condition of background check approval. Revenues and spending cuts have fallen short of these expectations, creating tensions around increased military spending amid a runaway budget.

USS Nimitz, USS Gridley arrive in Panama on Southern Seas 2026 tour

Why Trump Just Requested The Largest Military Spending Budget In U.S. History

Budget

Defense

Department of Defense

Department of War

National Security

Politics

U.S. Military

A U.S. fighter jet was shot down while flying over Iran on Friday, and the U.S. military has launched a major search and rescue operation.
U.S. officials confirmed that an aircraft was shot down over Iran and that a search and rescue operation had begun, according to multiple reports. The confirmation came after Iranian state media said early Friday morning that Iran&#8217;s Revolutionary Guard Corps shot down a U.S. F-15 fighter jet over the Southern Tehran Province. The regime-controlled media also published photos online appearing to show parts of a jet.
Israeli journalist Amit Segal reported that the United States has <a href="https://x.com/AmitSegal/status/2040047638737809804">activated</a> &#8220;large forces&#8221; as part of a search and rescue operation. According to multiple reports, at least one of the two American pilots has been rescued. The F-15E jet that was shot down is a two-seat fighter that can carry air-to-surface weapons.
President Donald Trump was briefed on the ongoing situation, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told The Daily Wire Friday morning.
The Daily Wire also reached out to the War Department and Central Command, seeking comment on the reports of the downed U.S. fighter jet.
An Iranian state broadcaster told residents of the province to capture the “enemy’s pilot or pilots” and hand them over to Iranian forces for a reward, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/04/03/world/iran-war-trump-oil/f5b5f502-dd94-5c6f-ab83-df7ae611df5e?smid=url-share">reported</a>.
CENTCOM has recently refuted multiple claims that Iran&#8217;s Revolutionary Guard Corps shot down U.S. aircraft. On Thursday, CENTCOM said the Iranian forces have made false claims about shooting down U.S. aircraft &#8220;at least half a dozen times.&#8221; As of Friday afternoon, however, CENTCOM has not addressed the latest reports of an F-15 fighter jet being shot down over the Southern Tehran Province.
If reports are confirmed that Iran was responsible for shooting down the F-15, it would mark the first time a U.S. fighter jet was shot down Iranian forces since President Donald Trump launched &#8220;Operation Epic Fury.&#8221;
This is a breaking story and will be updated.

US Military Aircraft Activity At RAF Base In England

One Crew Member Rescued From Downed F-15, Search For Second Ongoing

Donald Trump

Iran

U.S.

Kid Rock got to show some love to the troops when he got a surprising flyby from United States Army helicopters over the weekend.
In the video posted by Kid Rock on X, the American icon is seen at his home in the Nashville area saluting the choppers as they flew near his pool.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This is a level of respect that shit for brains Governor of California will never know. God Bless America and all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to defend her. 🇺🇸 🙏 <a href="https://t.co/iD5mmkaXv1">pic.twitter.com/iD5mmkaXv1</a>
— KidRock (@KidRock) <a href="https://twitter.com/KidRock/status/2037987671671292134?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2026</a></blockquote>
&#8220;This is a level of respect that sh*t for brains Governor of California will never know,&#8221; Kid Rock captioned the <a href="https://x.com/KidRock/status/2037987671671292134?s=20">video</a> he posted of the helicopters. &#8220;God Bless America and all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to defend her.”
The video has been viewed more than eight million times as of Monday, and it&#8217;s apparently sparking an &#8220;administrative review&#8221; into why the helicopters were hovering around Kid Rock&#8217;s compound.
“The Army is aware of a video circulating online that appears to show AH‑64 Apache helicopters operating in the vicinity of a private residence in the Nashville area,&#8221; Maj. Jonathon Bless, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Public Affairs Officer, told The Daily Wire. &#8220;Army aviators must adhere to strict safety standards, professionalism, and established flight regulations. An administrative review is underway to assess the mission and verify compliance with regulations and airspace requirements. Appropriate action will be taken if any violations are found.&#8221;
In a second video, Kid Rock posted footage of a helicopter facing him as he again cheered on the military personnel inside.
According to <a href="https://www.newschannel5.com/news/newschannel-5-investigates/u-s-army-opens-investigation-into-attack-helicopter-activities-at-kid-rocks-home-no-kings-protest">News Channel 5</a> in Nashville, the helicopters could have been flying over the No Kings protest happening in Nashville, though Maj. Bless added that the 101st Airborne leaders were unaware of any reason the choppers might have done a flyover of the protests, either.
&#8220;Our pilots do regularly fly routes outside the Fort Campbell area,&#8221; the spokesperson said. &#8220;We just don&#8217;t know if it was incidental or if it was deliberate.&#8221;
&#8220;How much did American taxpayers pay for this flyby of Kid Rock&#8217;s house?&#8221; one woman wrote on <a href="https://x.com/TheRealThelmaJ1/status/2038394135556850056?s=20">X</a>.
Kid Rock&#8217;s home is widely known as &#8220;The Southern White House&#8221; as the mansion is modeled after the White House in the nation&#8217;s capital.
The Daily Wire has reached out to Kid Rock for comment.

Credit: Kid Rock/Gary Miller via Getty Images

Kid Rock Sparks Military Review After Wild Stunt At ‘Southern White House’

Kid Rock

News

Tennessee

U.S.A.

In a candid exchange aboard Air Force One on Sunday, President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&amp;v=yIRo7x1pJeE">said</a> that the new 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom is merely the surface layer of a much larger, &#8220;massive&#8221; subterranean military installation.
“Now the military is building a big complex under the ballroom,” Trump stated. “But the military&#8217;s building a massive complex under the ballroom. And that&#8217;s under construction and we&#8217;re doing very well. So we&#8217;re ahead of schedule. That&#8217;s part of it. The ballroom essentially becomes a shed for what&#8217;s being built under the military, including from drones.”
The president’s comments provide the first official acknowledgment of the scale of the underground works. According to Trump, the facility is designed to meet modern security threats and capacity limitations at the aging White House. He emphasized that the site is being outfitted with high-grade bulletproof glass and &#8220;drone-proof&#8221; roofs and ceilings.
&#8220;When we have dignitaries coming, like President Xi of China or anybody else, we have very small rooms; they&#8217;re not big enough to handle the kind of capacity that you need,&#8221; Trump explained, justifying the expansion. He dismissed reports of &#8220;fake windows,&#8221; asserting that the entire structure is built to the highest tactical specifications.
The comments come as the administration battles the National Trust for Historic Preservation in federal court. The Trust <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-white-house-ballroom-lawsuit-national-trust-for-historic-preservation/#:~:text=%22No%20president%20is%20legally%20allowed,the%20opportunity%20to%20weigh%20in.">sued</a> in December 2025, alleging that the administration bypassed mandatory environmental reviews and violated federal statutes requiring &#8220;express authority of Congress&#8221; for new construction on federal grounds. Trump called the lawsuit &#8220;stupid.&#8221;
A central pillar of the legal challenge is the project’s funding mechanism. Trump reiterated on Sunday that it is privately funded.
“We&#8217;re ahead of schedule and under budget. And all of this money, all of the money paid by myself and donors; it&#8217;s all donors. There&#8217;s not one dime of government money going into the ballroom.&#8221;
The fate of the &#8220;ballroom-turned-shed&#8221; now rests with U.S. District <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/02/26/trump-ballroom-lawsuit-technical-ruling/">Judge Richard Leon</a>, who is expected to rule on a request to halt construction. If the injunction is denied, the military’s &#8220;massive complex&#8221; will likely proceed toward completion.

US-POLITICS-TRUMP

Trump Pulls Back Curtain On Secret Complex Under White House Ballroom

White House Ballroom

It is said that the first casualty of war is truth. Perhaps so. But consider the compensating benefit: the humor to be found in the frantic, self-infatuated verbiage that gushes in to coddle the lies and float the narrative.
The propaganda press has been working overtime since February 28, when Donald Trump determined to end the war that Iran started in 1979.
Many connoisseurs of political pathology have commented on the presence of aggravated Trump Derangement Syndrome in the coverage of the war. There is certainly no shortage of TDS in the fabrications that the media have been passing out about the war. But behind the unbridled hatred of Trump is the more abiding hatred of American and Israeli military prowess.
Where to start?
A few days ago, <a href="https://x.com/ishapiro/status/2037167715635404844?s=20">a protest in Philadelphia</a> featured the applause line “For every US soldier who comes back in a casket, we cheer!” Then there are the many “expert” reports claiming that, appearances notwithstanding, America is actually losing the war. We have taken out Iran’s entire leadership, sunk nearly all of its navy, obliterated its air force, crushed its air defenses, exploded more than 90% of its stockpiles of missiles and drones, and leveled most of its war-making infrastructure.
Is The Economist magazine owned by Iran or some other opponent of America? I ask because its surreal, reality-free writing about the war has descended from the tendentious to the preposterous. Just a few days ago, they ran a cover story under the title “<a href="https://x.com/TheEconomist/status/2037126183649689877?s=20">Advantage Iran</a>.” “A month of bombing Iran has achieved nothing,” that once-sober publication whimpered. “Will Donald Trump escalate, or talk? For now, at least, the advantage lies with the Islamic Republic.” Really? Tell that to <a href="https://x.com/davidharsanyi/status/2034973352331268380?s=20">these chaps</a>. Or maybe tell <a href="https://x.com/EYakoby/status/2036987387616628859?s=20">Alireza Tangsiri</a>, head — rather, the late head — of Iran’s Navy. He was checked out just a couple of days ago.
If it were not that unbridled displays of insanity are inherently disturbing, such anti-Trump rhapsodies would be merely amusing. As it is, the element of pathetic mendacity renders them more contemptible than amusing. Consider “<a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/20/us-trump-victory-iran-war-dangers/">Why U.S. Victory in Iran Would Be Bad for Washington—and the World</a>,” a recent column in Foreign Policy by Howard French, a professor at Columbia University. It is not often that one encounters such a confection of blinkered, ideologically driven nonsense. French begins by telling his readers that the political situation in the United States is not “normal.” He does not directly name the source of the putative abnormality, but it soon emerges that the primary cause of our discontents is — yes, you guessed it — Donald Trump. Things are so far out of whack, French says, that both the American public and world opinion “should simply not wish for a U.S. victory in the country’s 3-week-old war against Iran.”
Why is that? Why would you not wish America to win a war against the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism, a misogynistic totalitarian death cult that for forty-seven years, ever since the installation of Khomeini’s lunatic Shia regime, has murdered hundreds if not thousands of Americans while avidly pursuing nuclear weapons and the extinction of Israel?
Instead of offering an argument, French offers a series of sentiments. We should not want victory in Iran because the United States and Israel are engaged in a “senseless war.” What makes it “senseless”? French says that “U.S. President Donald Trump himself has never given a remotely coherent vision of what a victory in Iran would consist of.” But from the very beginning, <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116147082884192486">President Trump said</a> that his aims in the war were to deny Iran the capacity to acquire nuclear weapons, to make it impossible for them to harry their neighbors with drones and ballistic missiles, to dismantle their network of support for terror exporting proxies like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis, and finally to make it possible for the Iranian people to rise up and take back their country from the Mullahs. Those very specific goals define the “sense” of the war.
President Trump and his lieutenants have <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2035102800074432620?s=20">iterated those desiderata</a> early and often. French faults President Trump for failing to have “sought authorization from Congress, as the U.S. Constitution calls for him to do.” Let me introduce Howard French to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Powers_Resolution">War Powers Resolution </a>of 1973, which explicitly authorizes the president to deploy the military for 60 days without congressional approval.
But all this persiflage about process was really just what Kierkegaard called a “preliminary expectoration.” What really bothers Howard French are two things — or rather, two people: Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu. “The far bigger problem that underpins all of these realities,” French says, “is that the United States is governed by a malignant narcissist whose megalomaniacal tendencies have bloomed alarmingly before the world’s eyes during his second term in office.” Oh dear. The TDS is far advanced in this one. So is the NDS. Israel, he says, “has become addicted to permanent war as a substitute for politics and reason in its own region, and thereby empowering and emboldening another malignant politician, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.”
Neither Trump nor Netanyahu is popular in the corridors of Columbia University or the pages of the propaganda press. Ask the Iranian people, though, or Americans uncorrupted by the clarity- and testosterone-sapping virus of elite opinion. French warns about “a future in which Washington has lost most of its other alliances” because of this war. But in fact new allies all over the Middle East are flocking to Washington’s banner. The UAE and Saudi Arabia are among the nations who have <a href="https://x.com/_GlobeObserver/status/2037156692966642016?s=20">refused to consider a ceasefire</a> until the Iranian regime is gone, and both are putting boots where their mouths are, so to speak, promising to send nearly <a href="https://x.com/mitchellvii/status/2037147014383689735?s=20">300,000</a> troops to join battle.
The single worst president in dealing with Iran was Barack Obama, who sent them billions in cash as a bribe but merely accelerated their nuclear program and enabled them to fund their terrorist proxies more lavishly. It should come as no surprise, then, that Howard French holds up Obama as the man whose policies could lead the way forward to “dialogue and mutual reassurances.” What a fool.
Howard French’s embarrassing column proceeds with, “An expert’s point of view on a current event.” His subhead tells us that “the possibility of Trump imposing his personal whims on another nation is even more frightening than U.S. failure.” Some wit on X had the perfect response. It, too, features the rubric, “An expert’s point of view on a current event.” But his subhead gives the game away: “<a href="https://x.com/JTAlexander_/status/2036829710987190705?s=20">Why SPQR Victory in Gaul Would Be Bad for Rome </a>—and the World. The possibility of Caesar imposing his personal whims on another nation is even more frightening than Roman failure.” Touché.
* * *
Roger Kimball is Editor and Publisher of The New Criterion and President and Publisher of <a href="http://www.encounterbooks.com/">Encounter Books</a>.

US-POLITICS-BRIEFING-LEAVITT

The Propaganda Press Cannot Stomach Victory And Its Mendacity Shows

Legacy Media

Middle East

Opinion

Trump Derangement Syndrome

The following is an edited transcript excerpt of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mks-ep-1939-sub?elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">The Michael Knowles Show</a>.
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The war in Iran is in its third week, and the U.S. Army is raising the enlistment age to 42. 
Hearing that news makes me want to pull out the banjo and start playing that old Arlo Guthrie song, &#8220;The Draft Dodger Rag.&#8221; Have you ever heard that song? I actually played it in my little high school band. 
It goes like this:
<blockquote>&#8220;Sarge, I&#8217;m only eighteen, I got a ruptured spleen
And I always carry a purse
I&#8217;ve got eyes like a bat and my feet are flat
My asthma&#8217;s getting worse&#8221;</blockquote>
The whole song is about this guy who doesn’t want to be drafted and is making all these excuses.
How quaint it is now, too. “I’m only 18, I’ve got a ruptured spleen, and I always carry a purse.” The excuse is — “I’m a gay guy.” Under Obama and Biden they were only recruiting gay people. The CIA and the military were putting out commercials about going with your lesbian moms to the pride parade and how that would prepare you for the Army or whatever.
Now the commercials are getting a little tougher. Now they’re going back to just regular old guys — disproportionately white guys, actually — but, you know, just real tough guys.
In any case, they’re raising the age. Why? Does this mean the Iran war will go on for years? Does this mean there’s going to be a draft?
I don’t think that’s what it means. I think it means the world is getting more dangerous.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mks-ep-1939-sub?elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-1054531 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/MK-watch-now-1-1024x171.jpg" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/MK-watch-now-1-1024x171.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/MK-watch-now-1-300x50.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/MK-watch-now-1-768x128.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/MK-watch-now-1-1536x256.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/MK-watch-now-1.jpg 1800w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
From the fall of the Berlin Wall up until September 11, 2001, we had a vacation from history. And even during the global war on terror, only a very small percentage of Americans actually served in the military. The war dragged on forever, but there was no real intense national focus on winning. It wasn’t even clear what the objectives were. They became vague — kind of imperial wars with humanitarian justifications: We need to protect women’s education in Afghanistan.
Now the world is starting to feel a little more real. There’s growing talk of multipolarity, and even the current war in Iran — which has disrupted the Strait of Hormuz — could threaten the petrodollar. The fact that oil is priced and purchased in U.S. dollars gives the United States a massive advantage on the global stage.
You could envision a world — though I’m not betting on it, as Trump still has my full trust — where, if things went south, China steps in, demands that oil be purchased in yuan, and triggers a major shift in global power: multipolarity, or even a China-led order.
All of that means things are going to get more dangerous.
And when things get more dangerous, we raise the enlistment age to 42 — which is a little scary for me. I mean, I barely made the T-ball team — I’m not the most athletic guy in the world. But I just turned 36 — I’m still well within range.
Also, they’re lifting a restriction. Previously, if you had a minor marijuana offense, you weren’t eligible to enlist. Now they’re lifting that restriction. And coincidentally, they’re doing it on April 20th — 4/20 — so clearly someone in the Pentagon is having a little fun with that.
But regardless of whether you can puff a little devil’s lettuce now, what this is telling you — once you sober up — is that the world is getting more dangerous.
The Pentagon is declaring it and we should be listening.

Army Hosts Air Assault Operations Training Exercises At Fort Carson In Colorado

The Army Just Made A Few Changes That Make Me Think One Thing

Marijuana

Michael Knowles

Soldiers

U.S. Army

U.S. Navy

In current foreign-policy debates on the Right, some have pushed for dividing the world into “spheres of influence.” The United States would get the Americas, the People’s Republic of China would be granted sway over Asia, and Vladimir Putin would have carte blanche to intervene in European affairs. Far from being steely-eyed “realism,” splitting up the world in that way might actually not take the national interest seriously enough.
The “spheres of influence” gambit has a superficial logic. By some measures, the United States is a smaller portion of the global economy than it was fifty years ago. It faces growing fiscal burdens. Its industrial infrastructure has withered. Some of its longstanding allies have hit economic and demographic slumps. The growth of other regional powers means that the geopolitical landscape has become more multipolar. Yet withdrawing from much of the globe would hamper the ability of the United States to respond to those changed circumstances and would also undermine the policy aims of American populists. International networks will be critical for renewing American industry and reinforcing national sovereignty.
While some European partners need urgent reforms (from cutting red tape to hiking defense budgets), the continent remains a major global economic hub. The White House’s recent <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025-National-Security-Strategy.pdf">National Security Strategy</a> observed that Europe “is home to cutting-edge scientific research and world-leading cultural institutions” and that it retains robust manufacturing and technology sectors. A full-scale American withdrawal from Europe could close down a crucial market for American industry (including defense sales) and could also threaten regional stability. Ending NATO and shuttering American military bases would create a power vacuum in that continent and also hurt the ability of the United States to project power abroad.
Nor can the United States afford to ignore Asia. Responsible for about half of <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/media-center/cusp-of-new-era-in-asia">global manufacturing output</a>, Asia has become the workshop for the world. The People’s Republic of China is already a manufacturing powerhouse, and it could consolidate industrial dominance if the United States severs its commitments to allies in the Pacific. That is especially the case for the advanced technologies that are the building blocks of the digital economy. A link in countless international supply chains, Taiwan produces about <a href="https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/taiwan-semiconductors-including-chip-design-ai">90%</a> of the world’s most advanced semiconductors. If the People’s Republic of China conquered that island, it would have a chokehold on the American and global economies. It could cut off the chips that are needed for cars, computers, missiles, and phones. Beijing is already trying to use its control of key market sectors to influence policymaking in the United States. Responding to American tariffs and industrial policy, China has floated restrictions on some critical minerals, including those that are essential for <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/chinas-new-rare-earth-and-magnet-restrictions-threaten-us-defense-supply-chains">defense technologies</a>.
Populists have rallied around the claims of national sovereignty, but allowing the Chinese Communist Party to cut off the American economy at a whim is the antithesis of national independence. While building out American domestic semiconductor production is a national-security imperative, that’s also a very long process. The United States cannot afford to surrender economic self-governance for the indefinite future while it waits for some eschaton of economic autarky.
Conversely, coordinating with allies in Europe and Asia can bolster economic agency. For example, the PRC is responsible for over <a href="https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2025/mcs2025-tungsten.pdf">80%</a> of the global annual production of tungsten, which is used for drills, computer chips, aerospace, x-rays, and more. The United States has not even mined tungsten commercially in over a decade. In addition to bringing back domestic tungsten production, American allies could help de-risk the tungsten market. Australia has massive tungsten reserves, and South Korea’s <a href="https://www.mining.com/sangdong-tungsten-mine-in-south-korea-returns-to-production-after-30-years/">Sangdong Mine</a> has returned to production for the first time in decades. Accessing those resources will require keeping Pacific alliances strong — and not surrendering that region to Beijing.
Likewise, allies in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East will continue to be important for American national-security aims. Even as it has stressed the need to reform certain geopolitical arrangements, the Trump administration’s foreign-policy strategy is premised on the United States being a global great-power. Losing the hard power that backs the dollar’s reserve-currency status would cause an immediate economic crisis at home, but a global defense infrastructure also helps target American foes abroad. The Jacksonian tradition of foreign policy — which prioritizes the targeted use of military force to defend the national interest — has achieved a renewed prominence in the Trump presidencies. Jacksonianism could be a way of rebalancing global commitments by keeping America’s rivals off-balance without tying down the United States. International alliances can help optimize such Jacksonian exertions of force.
From its very founding, the United States has prioritized having access to global markets. When the Barbary pirates threatened American ships, Thomas Jefferson sent frigates to Tripoli. To open up Japan, Commodore Matthew Perry brought the United States Navy to Edo Bay. The network of alliances in the aftermath of World War II could be seen as an extension of a long-term strategic imperative: that the Stars and Stripes should be able to move freely throughout the world and that those who live under that banner should be safe from both foreign and domestic threats.
We now face a very different political landscape from 1946 or 1999. Implementing “liberal democracy” in a country is a lot harder than getting an Amazon package there. If policymakers had sought to integrate the world into some post-historical bazaar, their dreams have been sorely disappointed. Great-power competition is back, and populist movements have roiled political establishments on both sides of the Atlantic. Those changes indicate the need to rethink international alliances without abandoning them entirely.
Yes, the United States needs to recognize the limits of power and to try to defer existential conflict with its competitors. It also needs to understand the interests of those competitors. At the same time, the United States needs to understand its own interests. Cutting itself off from allies in Europe, Asia, and elsewhere would squander a major geopolitical advantage and undercut efforts to build a stronger nation at home.
* * *
Fred Bauer is a writer from New England. Find his work at National Review, City Journal, The Atlantic, UnHerd, and The Washington Post. @fredbauerblog

Strategic world map with shipping infographics, flags and dice

The Plan To Split The World Into Spheres And What It Means For America

The Plan To Split The World Into Spheres And What It Could Means For America

China

Economics

Europe

Russia

I don&#8217;t pray to Jesus. I never have. I was raised in a tradition that predates Christianity by a millennium, and when I pray — which I do, regularly, seriously — I do it in Hebrew, facing Jerusalem, according to a liturgy my ancestors carried through exile and persecution for thousands of years.
And I have absolutely zero problem with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth closing a Pentagon press briefing by <a href="https://www.war.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/4438625/secretary-of-war-pete-hegseth-and-chairman-of-the-joint-chiefs-air-force-gen-da/">asking the American people</a> to pray &#8220;on bended knee, with your family, in your schools, in your churches, in the name of Jesus Christ&#8221; for the safety of our troops.
Not an iota of irritation. Not a teaspoon of tumult.
The outrage is a performance — and a particularly threadbare one, conjured in response to perhaps the most banal, good-faith, unambiguously decent request a public official has made in recent memory.
When Hegseth stood at that podium and invoked Christ&#8217;s name on behalf of men and women in harm&#8217;s way, he was drawing on something Americans have done since before there was an America. George Washington is remembered kneeling in the snow at Valley Forge. FDR led the entire nation in prayer on D-Day, asking God for strength and providence as young Americans stormed the beaches at Normandy. Patton once called his chaplain and asked, point blank, for a prayer for good weather. This is the tradition Hegseth reached for — long, deep, distinctly American — the instinct of a nation that has always understood that some moments call for more than a press release.
The critics sputtering this week would have you believe that a cabinet secretary expressing his Christian faith in public is somehow a threat. To whom, exactly — to me? I am one of the people they&#8217;d presumably be defending. I am a Jew in a country that is, by any honest accounting, a majority-Christian nation with a majority-Christian culture and a majority-Christian history. I have known this every day of my life. It has never made me feel like a second-class citizen, because that is not what minority rights actually mean.
Minority rights mean the government cannot compel me to convert. They mean I cannot be prosecuted for my religion, fired from a federal job because I observe Shabbat, or told to leave the country because I don&#8217;t accept the Nicene Creed. They mean I have the full protection of the law and the full dignity of citizenship regardless of my faith. That is the promise of America, and it is a magnificent one — imperfectly but genuinely kept.
What it does not mean is that we all must pretend America has no religious character. It does not mean a Christian official must sand his faith down to a fine, inoffensive powder before speaking in public. It does not mean that mentioning Jesus at a press conference is an act of aggression against anyone.
The conflation of those two things — genuine religious persecution versus a majoritarian culture expressing itself — is doing serious damage to our civic life. Every time a Christian politician prays in public, a certain class of commentator treats it as a prelude to theocracy. This is not only dishonest. It is, as a Jew, a little insulting. It flattens my actual history — a history of pogroms and inquisitions and gas chambers — and asks me to treat a Pentagon official&#8217;s invocation of Christ as a comparable offense. I decline.
There is something else worth saying here. Every Saturday morning, in synagogues across America — certainly in mine — we recite a prayer for the safety of the United States Armed Forces. We do this whether American troops are in active combat or not. We do this because we understand, in the marrow of our tradition, that the soldiers who stand between a free society and its enemies deserve our gratitude and our supplication before God. Pete Hegseth was asking the American people to do what Jews have been doing in shul every week for generations. I recognize the impulse. I share it.
And this: if the worst my government is guilty of is asking faithful Americans to bend their knee in prayer and petition God for the safety of our troops, I will recommit myself to that government every day, and twice on Saturday. More Americans engaging in prayer can only be a positive movement for the nation.
The faith Hegseth expressed — one that asks its adherents to appeal to God on behalf of soldiers who may not come home — is not my enemy. It never has been.
America is a country where Christians pray, where Christian faith shapes public life, where references to Jesus are woven into the culture from the Pledge to the presidency. That is not a grievance. It is simply what a majority-Christian democracy looks like. A proud, observant Jew — or a Muslim, or a Buddhist, or an atheist — can accept that reality without feeling diminished by it. In fact, intellectual honesty requires it.
The capacity to hold both things at once — to cherish the legal protections that shield the minority while accepting the cultural reality of the majority — is one of the more demanding things American pluralism asks of us. It is also non-negotiable. It is the deal.
Hegseth asked people to pray for our troops. I hope they do. I will be saying my own prayers for those soldiers — in my own tradition, as I do each day.
* * *
Daniella Greenbaum Davis is an Emmy-award winning producer and communications strategist. Follow her on X: @DGreenbaum
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Secretary Of War Hegseth And Joint Chiefs Chairman General Caine Hold Briefing On Iran War

I’m Jewish. I Have No Problem With Hegseth’s Prayer.

I'm Jewish. I Have No Problem With Hegseth's Prayer.

Christianity

Jewish

Pentagon

Pete Hegseth

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Combining the staggering delusion of a Napoleonic complex with the moral consistency of Swiss cheese — mostly holes — the tiny Alpine nation of Switzerland <a href="https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/various/federal-council-restricts-arms-exports-to-the-usa-due-to-iran-war/91133406?utm_source=multiple&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_campaign=news_en&amp;utm_content=o&amp;utm_term=wpblock_highlighted-compact-news-carousel">announced</a> it is officially restricting certain arms exports to the United States. 
Why? Because the United States is currently engaged in a conflict with Iran — a regime known for executing dissidents — and the Swiss, in their infinite, mountain-air-induced wisdom, have decided that being &#8220;neutral&#8221; means treating the arsonist and the fireman as equals.
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The hilarity of a country with a population smaller than New York City trying to &#8220;discipline&#8221; the world’s lone superpower via a sudden export cutoff on small-arms parts and fighter-jet components is peak 2026. The Swiss Federal Council, presumably taking a break from counting other people’s money, declared that under their &#8220;War Materiel Act,&#8221; it simply cannot authorize exports to countries involved in &#8220;international armed conflict.&#8221;
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Let’s look at the &#8220;storied&#8221; history of Swiss neutrality. This is the same nation that, during World War II, acted as the primary laundromat for the Third Reich. While the rest of Europe was being reduced to rubble, the Swiss National Bank was <a href="https://www.uek.ch/en/publikationen1997-2000/gold-ez.htm">busy</a> processing roughly 79% of all gold shipments sent abroad by the Nazi Reichsbank. Switzerland didn’t just take the gold; it took the &#8220;victim gold&#8221; — precious metals literally pried from the hands and teeth of those being liquidated by the Nazis.
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Back then, the Swiss argued that accepting stolen Nazi gold was a &#8220;neutral&#8221; act that prevented an invasion. Today, they claim that denying parts to American F-35s is a &#8220;neutral&#8221; act to promote peace. It seems Swiss neutrality always manages to find a way to inconvenience the side fighting the totalitarians.
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The practical impact of this is a comedy of errors. Switzerland is already <a href="https://www.bluewin.ch/en/news/switzerland/federal-council-backpedals-again-on-f-35-fighter-jets-3129280.html">scaling back</a> its F-35 order from 36 to 30 jets because it can’t manage its budget, and now it&#8217;s told the Americans — who actually build the planes — that they are restricting components tied to U.S. defense systems, including F-35-related parts. It’s like a man refusing to sell lug nuts to the guy who built his car while complaining that the car is taking too long to deliver.
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But don’t worry, the Swiss &#8220;experts&#8221; will regularly review existing licenses to ensure they have no relevance to the war against Iran. Because if there’s one thing the Swiss are good at, it’s regularly reviewing things until the bodies are buried and the checks have cleared.
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From laundering Nazi loot to lecturing Washington on &#8220;war materiel,&#8221; Switzerland remains the world leader in one specific export: unearned moral superiority. They might be a tiny power, but their capacity for historical amnesia is truly world-class.
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Swiss Exports as President Karin Keller-Sutter in US to Discuss 39% Tariff

HILARIOUS: World’s Most Expensive Chocolate Shop Restricts Arms Exports To U.S. Over ‘Neutrality’

Switzerland

Don&#8217;t fall for the propaganda: Iran is losing. They are getting scorched. 
One by one, the leaders of the Islamic Republic are being eliminated. Generals, security chiefs, regime powerbrokers. All gone. The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei, was dead on day one.
No biggie, right? The regime had a backup plan. They proclaimed his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, an impotent, likely gay, half-idiot mullah, as his successor. Even his daddy didn&#8217;t want that to happen.
The problem is, he has not been seen in weeks, and he may be in a coma.
Meanwhile, Iran&#8217;s command structure is shattered. The missile capacity has been slashed by 90%. Whatever is left of the regime is throwing a temper tantrum like a toddler.
So the real question isn&#8217;t why Iran is losing. The real question is why so many people in the West are pretending they aren&#8217;t.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2389-breaking-iran-s-next-leader-killed?elementPosition=0&amp;row=6&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974957" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-300x50.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-768x128.webp 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1536x256.webp 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-2048x341.webp 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
Ali Larijani, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, was poised to step in as the new leader. He was walking around Tehran just a couple of days ago.
Last night, Larijani, who you might remember from such banger tweets as “Our leaders have been, and still are, among the people. But your leaders? On Epstein&#8217;s island!”, is no longer among the people, among any people.
Because he&#8217;s dead.
He was killed last night in an Israeli airstrike. In addition, Reza Soleimani, the head of the Basij — the internal Iranian force dedicated to murdering protesters and quashing dissent — was killed by Israel last night, along with other top members of the Basij.
And now, individual Basij checkpoints in Tehran are being struck with Israeli drones. In fact, according to the IDF intelligence head, Major General Shlomi Binder, “Their command structure is shattered; their capability stripped down to the bone. What you&#8217;re seeing launch now is whatever scraps they can still push out. That&#8217;s their ceiling.”
The United States has so severely degraded Iran&#8217;s missile capabilities that the government has been firing off, in rather desultory fashion, individual missiles, like a kid whose tantrum is ending but is still kind of sporadically kicking as he tires himself out and goes down for a nap.
On day one of this war, Iran launched 350 missiles. Today, they are down to barely double digits. Their ballistic missile capacity has been reduced by upward of 90%. How about drone launches? Same story: 800 drone launches day one, down to 75 on day 15, and even fewer yesterday. Their ballistic missile factories have been destroyed, their drone factories have been destroyed, and their nuclear facilities have been destroyed or heavily damaged.
Don&#8217;t believe me? Ask Muhanad Seloom, writing for — wait for it — Al Jazeera.
Yup. There&#8217;s a gigantic piece in Al Jazeera, Qatar&#8217;s propaganda outlet, titled “<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2026/3/16/the-us-israeli-strategy-against-iran-is-working-here-is-why?utm_source=chatgpt.com">The US-Israeli strategy against Iran is working. Here is why</a>,” accurately explaining the toll this war has now taken on Iran. Remember, Qatar is a half-ally to Iran. That alone should tell you just where things stand for the Iranians. 
The Qataris, who play both sides, are now pretty clearly taking America&#8217;s side.
The article points out:
<blockquote>The picture is not one of US failure. It is one of systematic, phased degradation of a threat the previous administrations allowed to grow for four decades. &#8230; The campaign has moved through two distinct phases. The first suppressed Iran&#8217;s air defenses, decapitated its command and control, integrated its missile and drone launch infrastructure.
By March 2, US Central Command announced local air superiority over western Iran and Tehran, achieved without the confirmed loss of a single American or Israeli combat aircraft. The second phase, now underway, targets Iran&#8217;s defense industrial base, missile production facilities, dual use research centers, and the underground complexes where remaining stockpiles are stored. This is not an aimless bombing. It is a methodical campaign to ensure that what has been destroyed cannot be rebuilt.</blockquote>
What about the Strait of Hormuz? We keep hearing about that.
The chances of President Trump allowing the Strait to remain permanently closed are zero. That is not going to happen. And leaving Iran in total control of the Strait, just because Iran has a few drones and the capacity to fire them from the shoreline, is, shall we say, a short-term problem.
Soon, the Iranian government will have much larger problems, because it feels as though all of this is a prelude to action by the Iranian people themselves. President Trump noted that Iranians will soon head out into the streets when they feel more secure.
He said yesterday, “So the women had 250,000, even 500,000 people protesting a year ago, and they shot women right through the middle of the forehead with snipers. And they didn&#8217;t have to do many. About ten went down, bleeding profusely and 250 to 500,000 women went running in the other direction because they can be brave. But they’re not stupid and they have no guns. And they have snipers in buildings specifically for this reason. So a woman goes down, falling, bleeding from the head, and it doesn&#8217;t take long for that to spread. And when that spreads, that crowd dispenses. And nobody else has been able to do that to the extent that these people. These people are violent. They killed a minimum, two weeks ago, 32,000 people. And they put out a notice two days ago, ‘If you protest, if you protest, you will be shot and killed.’”
Something is going to change. The time is coming. Chief rivals to the Iranian people are being individually eliminated. Right now, the Iranian people have the Americans and the Israelis actually flying air cover for them. Yes, of course, they&#8217;re going to have to brave death to take on the regime. They’ve done it before.
But last time they did it, no help was on the way. Then, President Trump said help is on the way.
And then President Trump acted.
What happens next will be in the Iranian people’s hands.

US Using UK Military Bases For Defensive Strikes Against Iran

Don’t Believe The Propaganda: The Mullahs Are Losing

Don't Believe The Propaganda: The Mullahs Are Losing

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Ben Shapiro

Israel

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Team USA is heading to the finals of the World Baseball Classic after a gritty win over a stacked Dominican Republic squad Sunday, and Paul Skenes couldn&#8217;t be happier leading the charge for his country in what he calls his &#8220;proudest&#8221; moment.
&#8220;The proudest I’ve ever been wearing a jersey is the USA jersey,&#8221; Skenes told <a href="https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/paul-skenes-talks-representing-usa-rare-interview-a-rod-its-different-level">Alex Rodriguez</a> in a sit-down interview ahead of the win over the DR. &#8220;You’re playing for a whole lot more. It’s great to play for a city, great to play for Pittsburgh in the regular season, but playing for your country, it’s a different level.&#8221;
Skenes is arguably a generational baseball talent, and while he shines on the diamond, he&#8217;s never shied away from his love of country.
The Pittsburgh Pirates ace once thought he would be flying fighter jets in the United States Air Force. The Cy Young winner, an award for the best MLB pitcher, was fresh out of high school when he took an oath to put his life on the line for our country. Even after Skenes was the overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, the MLB Rookie of the Year, and already a Cy Young award winner, he says taking that military oath is still &#8220;one of the highlights&#8221; of his life.
&#8220;I got the chills reciting that pledge just from how proud I am of this country,&#8221; Skenes penned in a letter published by <a href="https://www.theplayerstribune.com/paul-skenes-mlb-baseball-pittsburgh-pirates-wbc-usa">The Players&#8217; Tribune</a> ahead of the international baseball tournament. &#8220;I’m actually getting chills right now remembering back to that time. Because when you love something so much that you’re willing to lay down your life for it? It’s pretty meaningful stuff.&#8221;
He played the first two years of his college career at the Air Force Academy before transferring to LSU, where he won a National Championship. But during his time wearing both an Air Force serviceman uniform and baseball uniform, Skenes said he developed the skills that have made him into the pitcher and person he is today.
&#8220;I truly believe that regardless of what you’re doing, if you want to accomplish great things and be the best version of yourself, you’re going to have to work extremely hard — be disciplined, focused,&#8221; Skenes said. &#8220;I’m pretty sure that if I hadn’t put in that time at the Academy, I probably would&#8217;ve spent a lot more time in the minors than I did. So I’m incredibly grateful.&#8221;
His military background is why playing on Team USA is such an honor.
&#8220;I was never deployed myself, but I know how much pride those individuals take in wearing that uniform with your name on the right side of your chest and the U.S. Air Force or Army lettering on the left side … because that’s what you put over your heart,&#8221; Skenes said, adding that the players putting on the red, white, and blue aren&#8217;t doing it for the fame or money, but to simply represent their country.
&#8220;Our team, we’re not cadets or anything like that. (These hairstyles would never fly). But everyone on this team … we all understand that when you put on those colors, you’re not just playing baseball, you’re representing something deeper,&#8221; Skenes said. &#8220;When you’re watching us in this tournament, we hope you feel that too.&#8221;
Skenes set the all-time record for most strikeouts at seven by a Team USA pitcher at the World Baseball Classic in his first appearance in the tourney. In the biggest test of the WBC, Skenes went 4.1 innings and gave up one run, a first-inning homer to Junior Caminero. Skenes got two strikeouts in the win over the previously undefeated Team DR filled with MLB all-stars including Juan Soto, Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Skenes, aside from his Players&#8217; Tribune letter, is a man of few words — still after Sunday&#8217;s win, Skenes explained the significance of the semi-final victory, calling the Team DR lineup &#8220;the toughest lineup&#8221; he&#8217;s ever faced.
Now Team USA awaits the winner of Monday&#8217;s semifinal between Venezuela and Italy before taking the field one last time on Tuesday in the WBC Final.
Team USA entered the tournament as the favorites to bring home the hardware, and entering the finals, Skenes&#8217; mindset isn&#8217;t focused on adding another trophy to his case — but winning to honor the real heroes of the United States.
&#8220;Our servicemen and women don’t have the luxury of losing, it’s not really an option for them,&#8221; Skenes said. &#8220;We’re not going to war, but [this] is what we do in America: we fight and we win. That’s our responsibility.&#8221;

Credit: Daily Wire Staff/Kelly Gavin/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images

‘The Proudest I’ve Ever Been Wearing A Jersey Is The USA Jersey’: Paul Skenes Is America’s Ace

Baseball

General

Sports

Team USA

World Baseball Classic

Critics of the War Department&#8217;s purchase of steak and lobster have largely fallen silent in the face of overwhelming evidence that this is standard practice for troops about to deploy. But while they were going, they were loud — and they were all Democrats.
 Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) blasted War Secretary Pete Hegseth on social media and accused him of wasting taxpayer money on luxuries such as “fruit baskets, Herman Miller recliners, ice cream machines, Alaskan king crabs, and a Steinway &amp; Sons grand piano.”
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Hegseth spent $93 billion in one month – roughly the cost of extending the ACA tax credits for THREE YEARS.
But instead of lowering American’s healthcare costs, Hegseth used millions of taxpayer dollars on fruit baskets, Herman Miller recliners, ice cream machines, Alaskan… <a href="https://t.co/bdCHRWip3P">https://t.co/bdCHRWip3P</a>
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer/status/2031497646892872011?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2026</a></blockquote>
California Governor Gavin Newsom similarly circulated a <a href="https://x.com/GovPressOffice/status/2031441496801529864">viral post</a> accusing the Pentagon of blowing through $93 billion in spending during a single month.
By now, countless commentators have pointed out that there&#8217;s nothing unusual about serving steak and lobster to troops on the verge of deploying. Military leaders have <a href="https://www.army.mil/article/284118/food_connects_us_nutrition_community_important_for_service_members">frequently emphasized</a> that small comforts can have an outsized impact on morale, particularly for troops stationed overseas or serving in stressful environments. And, according to a recent analysis from government watchdog group <a href="https://openthebooks.substack.com/p/pentagon-should-focus-on-defense">Open the Books,</a> the War Department purchased much of its steak and lobster towards the end of the last fiscal year, when federal agencies often accelerate purchases before budgets reset.
Faced with all this evidence, critics have been eating crow. But perhaps they should also eat fungus.
In 2024, the Biden Defense Department awarded nearly $1.5 million to The Better Meat Company, a California firm that develops alternative protein products using fungal roots grown in bioreactors. The company’s process feeds water and nutrients to the fungus in a fermentation tank, producing a gray semi-solid material that can be processed into protein ingredients.
Pentagon officials at the time insisted the project was not intended to place synthetic meat substitutes in soldiers’ Meals Ready-to-Eat (MREs). Instead, a Pentagon spokesman said the funding supported a facility for producing shelf-stable protein ingredients that could help sustain troops deployed around the world.
“Where was the outrage when the Biden administration wanted to force-feed franken-meat to America’s military heroes?&#8221; Jack Hubbard, executive director of the watchdog Center for the Environment and Welfare, said. &#8220;&#8216;Ick&#8217; factor aside, there are no long-term health studies on the effects of lab-grown meat. Our armed forces deserve better.”
Hegseth has made combating the Biden administration&#8217;s woke policies central to his mission at the helm of the War Department, saying that doing so boosts morale and makes the country safer.
“We became the woke department. But not anymore,” Hegseth said during a 2025 <a href="https://www.war.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/4318689/secretary-of-war-pete-hegseth-addresses-general-and-flag-officers-at-quantico-v/">address</a> to generals and flag officers. “This administration has done a great deal from day one to remove the social justice, politically correct, and toxic ideological garbage that had infected our department, to rip out the politics.”
Hegseth added that the effort included eliminating programs he said distracted from the military’s core mission.
“No more identity months, DEI offices, dudes in dresses. No more climate change worship. No more division, distraction, or gender delusions,” he said. “As I&#8217;ve said before and will say again, we are done with that sh*t. I&#8217;ve made it my mission to uproot the obvious distractions that made us less capable and less lethal.”

US-IRAN-CONFLICT-DEFENSE

FLASHBACK: Dems Outraged Over Surf And Turf For Troops Were OK Feeding Them Fungus

Chuck Schumer

Food

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