Anyone who is familiar with my opinion pieces knows how much I love this country. I proudly served in the U.S. Navy and would do anything for our nation. 
Thanks to a combination of work and vacation, I recently found myself traveling outside of the United States for seven of the past eight weeks. These trips have only served to reinforce why I believe America is the greatest country in the history of the world and will continue to reign over the rest of the world for the foreseeable future.
First of all, we have the best toilet paper in the history of mankind. I don’t know what kind of sadists designed the toilet paper in places like China, Germany, or France, but they did so with pain and suffering in mind. Who thought that sandpaper was a good idea for cleaning down there? When I am master of the universe, Charmin Ultra Soft or Quilted Northern Ultra Plush will be required in every bathroom both far and wide.
And while we are in the bathroom, what is the deal with European showers and the half glass shower curtain? All that does is focus the water into a specific spot on the floor, creating puddles and leaks. Not good.
Next, let’s discuss air conditioning. In Europe, if there is air conditioning, it is just there to trick you into thinking that, eventually, your hotel room will cool off. Nope. You can try to adjust the temperature and the fan speed, but it is only there for aesthetic value. Even China understands air conditioning. Let’s go, European Union — it’s cool to be cool.
Speaking of cooling things down, why can’t I get a drink with the proper amount of ice in it anywhere in the world, other than the United States? Ask a waiter in Paris, Hanoi, or Mexico City for a drink with ice, and you will get a hot drink with one ice cube, which is 90% melted before it reaches you. Please bring me a cold drink, with ice, with a side of ice.
Lastly, I cannot believe how long it takes to check into and out of international hotels. I understand they need to make a copy of my passport, but last I checked, that takes like, oh, I don’t know, ten seconds, and that is if you don’t know what you are doing. Why the ten-to-fifteen-minute marathon to check in? Checking out? Forget about it. Why do you need my credit card again, if you ran it just two days ago? Why can’t I simply leave like I do in the States, and get my bill emailed to me the same day?
Now, before you accuse me of being an American apologist, there are a number of things we would do well to steal from our friends overseas.
First, I say we implement the American Autobahn. We need to do some work first, because it wouldn’t work today. Too many Americans pass on the right-hand side, drive slowly in the left lane, with the blinker on, or simply do not pay attention. Let’s implement punitive fines on these people so they can’t drive any longer and those of us who can follow the rules can tool along at 125 miles per hour.
Next, let’s end tipping. I don’t have to tip in Asia, South America, Africa, or Europe. Why do I have to give a neck-tattooed, lip-pierced, failed gender studies major 25% of my dinner bill just for doing his job? Heck, in Chicago, I am even asked by the self-check-out machine at my local grocery store if I want to leave a tip. No more tipping (and we can still support no tax on tips).
Finally, perhaps it is time for hotels in the United States to embrace the customs of European, South American, and Asian hotel lounges – provide free dinner and drinks for elite travelers. Why is it that in Shanghai, I can drink free Johnny Walker Black while eating potstickers and dumplings, but in the States, a glass of wine in the lounge costs me $17.00?
America, as we prepare for our 250th birthday in 2026, we have a lot of work to do. But we are still the best damn country on the planet – no one else is even close.
* * *
Jim Nelles is a Navy veteran and supply chain consultant based in Chicago. His articles have appeared in the Washington Examiner, Newsweek, Foxnews.com, and The Daily Wire. He has served as a chief procurement officer, chief supply chain officer, and chief operations officer for multiple companies.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Busy airport terminal at sunset

Seven Weeks Abroad Made Me Love America Even More

Air Travel

Europe

Hotel

Humor

Opinion

United States

President Donald Trump is threatening to slap a steeper 35% tariff on products from Canada beginning August 1 unless steps are taken to curb the flow of fentanyl over its shared border with the United States.
Trump warned Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114831716625825473">letter</a> on Thursday that the United States would hike the rate up from 25% – and possibly more. Still, Canada could avoid some or all of the added tariff, he suggested.
“If Canada works with me to stop the flow of Fentanyl, we will, perhaps, consider an adjustment to this letter. These Tariffs may be modified, upward or downward, depending on our relationship with your country,” the president wrote.
A White House official <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/trump-threatens-35-tariff-on-some-canadian-goods-d1306890" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> The Wall Street Journal that goods in compliance with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement would at least for now be exempt from the 35% tariff rate — as they had been with the 25% penalty Trump implemented earlier this year.
Canadian goods that are “transshipped,&#8221; or products sent to the United States via another country first to evade the tariff on Canada, would still be subject to the heightened rate.
Trump, who noted the larger penalty would be &#8220;separate from all Sectoral Tariffs,&#8221; railed against Canada’s trade policies. He said they &#8220;cause unsustainable trade deficits against the United States&#8221; and placed a focus on dairy farmers.
“Canada charges extraordinary Tariffs to our Dairy Farmers — up to 400% — and that is even assuming our Dairy Farmers even have access to sell their products to the people of Canada. The Trade Deficit is a major threat to our Economy, and, indeed, our National Security!” the president wrote.
Trump also mentioned in his letter how Canada previously &#8220;retaliated&#8221; with its own tariffs rather than &#8220;working with&#8221; the United States.
The escalation in the tariff fight with the United States’ neighbor to the north comes as the president has <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-tariffs-inflation-hasbro-ukraine-patriot-missiles-nato-russia-rcna218125">prepared</a> an increased blanket tariff for a slate of countries that have either not been notified of increased tariffs yet or have already agreed to a framework of a trade deal with the United States.
“We’re just going to say all of the remaining countries are going to pay, whether it’s 20% or 15%. We’ll work that out now,” Trump told <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-tariffs-inflation-hasbro-ukraine-patriot-missiles-nato-russia-rcna218125">NBC News</a> on Thursday.
“I’d like to do it today,” Trump said of his plan to send letters laying out new tariff schedules. “I’m talking European Union, which is, as you know, many countries, and Canada. We’ll be putting them out over the next couple of hours.”
In recent days, Trump has posted a number of letters warning of new tariff rates. 
On Wednesday, Trump posted one of his steepest threats, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/trump-hits-brazil-50-percent-tariff-citing-ex-president-jair-bolsonaro-rcna217859">warning</a> Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva that Brazilian products could face a 50% jump in tariffs over the government’s treatment of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who is facing charges related to the 2022 election.
“This is nothing more, or less, than an attack on a Political Opponent — Something I know much about!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114812490799920916">post</a> defending Bolsonaro.
“The Great People of Brazil will not stand for what they are doing to their former President. I’ll be watching the WITCH HUNT of Jair Bolsonaro, his family, and thousands of his supporters, very closely. The only Trial that should be happening is a Trial by the Voters of Brazil — It’s called an Election. LEAVE BOLSONARO ALONE!” he wrote.

Mark Carney, Donald Trump

Trump Threatens 35% Tariff On Canada Over Fentanyl Trafficking

Canada

Donald Trump

Mark Carney

Tariffs

Trade War

The Pentagon is cutting bureaucratic hurdles to unleash “American drone dominance” and outcompete hostile powers such as China and Russia.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a slate of reforms to jolt U.S. production of drones and equip U.S. service members with the skills to use them effectively. The Department of Defense posted a video on social media Thursday of Hegseth signing orders delivered by drone.
“While our adversaries have produced millions of cheap drones before us, we were mired in bureaucratic red tape. Not anymore,” Hegseth said. 
After noting that President Donald Trump signed an executive <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/06/president-trump-signs-executive-orders-on-drones-flying-cars-and-supersonics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">order</a> in June to energize the drone industry in the United States, Hegseth said, &#8220;Today, I&#8217;m rescinding restrictive policies that stifle production. And this will unleash American manufacturing and the ingenuity of our war fighters.”
The Pentagon’s newest drone strategy has three main pillars, according to Hegseth. First, the Department of Defense will prioritize buying American-made drones to help expand drone-making on the domestic front.
Second, Hegseth said the military would leverage the United States’ &#8220;world-leading engineers and AI experts&#8221; to arm combat units with drones. And third, the secretary plans to stamp out a risk-averse mindset that he suggested has held back senior military staff from innovating with drones.
“We&#8217;re going to train as we expect to fight,” Hegseth said. “Senior officers must overcome bureaucratic risk aversion in budgeting, weaponing, weaponeering, and training.”
“This is the future. We&#8217;re in the fight. We&#8217;re in the fight to win it. And we’re never going to back down,” he concluded.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Unleashing U.S. Military Drone Dominance <a href="https://twitter.com/DOGE?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DOGE</a> <a href="https://t.co/ueqQPc7rKI">pic.twitter.com/ueqQPc7rKI</a>
&mdash; Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef/status/1943401411431026977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Hegseth’s orders will allow for the first time commanders with the ranks of colonel or captain to obtain and test drones that meet national security standards, according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hegseth-tears-up-red-tape-orders-pentagon-begin-drone-surge-trumps-command">Fox News</a>, which first obtained the memos signed on Thursday. The orders also cut through a series of approval processes so that the drones may be tested immediately.
The orders reclassified drones from being durable military assets to consumables, taking them out of bureaucratic tracking systems and allowing faster acquisition. The orders also directed military officials to coordinate with the Federal Aviation Administration on expanding range restrictions where needed and setting up sites for military training in drone use.
Drones have recently played major roles in the Ukraine-Russia war and in the Middle East. 
Ukraine and Russia used drones to attack and hamper each other’s forces. Israel employed drones as part of its &#8220;Operation Rising Lion&#8221; to damage Iran’s military command structure and nuclear program.

Pete Hegseth

Hegseth Unleashes U.S. Military ‘Drone Dominance’

U.S. Military To Unleash ‘American Drone Dominance’ To Compete With China, Russia

Drones

Pentagon

The United States is imposing sanctions on United Nations Human Rights Council special rapporteur Francesca Albanese over a “campaign of political and economic warfare” against the United States and Israel.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the sanctions on Wednesday in a post on X. Albanese is the UN rapporteur on Palestinian rights and has a long history of downplaying Palestinian terror and mischaracterizing Israeli military and defense operations.
“Today I am imposing sanctions on UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese for her illegitimate and shameful efforts to prompt [International Criminal Court] action against U.S. and Israeli officials, companies, and executives,” Rubio wrote.
“Albanese’s campaign of political and economic warfare against the United States and Israel will no longer be tolerated. We will always stand by our partners in their right to self-defense,” he continued. “The United States will continue to take whatever actions we deem necessary to respond to lawfare and protect our sovereignty and that of our allies.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Today I am imposing sanctions on UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese for her illegitimate and shameful efforts to prompt <a href="https://twitter.com/IntlCrimCourt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IntlCrimCourt</a> action against U.S. and Israeli officials, companies, and executives. 
Albanese’s campaign of political and economic…
&mdash; Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio/status/1942998936874054046?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Last week, Albanese released a <a href="https://www.un.org/unispal/document/a-hrc-59-23-from-economy-of-occupation-to-economy-of-genocide-report-special-rapporteur-francesca-albanese-palestine-2025/">report</a> on “the corporate machinery sustaining Israel’s settler-colonial project of displacement and replacement of the Palestinians in the occupied territory.” The report, titled “From Economy of Occupation to Economy of Genocide,” identified nearly 50 corporate entities that it accused of war profiteering for working with the Israeli government.
Last month, Albanese <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/vicious-anti-israel-un-special-rapporteur-calls-for-un-to-expel-israel">called</a> for Israel to be expelled from the United Nations after Israeli forces bombed the headquarters of the UNRWA in Gaza City. Israel carried out the strike after learning that Hamas had set up a military base inside the headquarters after it had been evacuated.
Over the course of the war, close links between Hamas and the UNRWA have been revealed, including members of the UNRWA taking part in the October 7 attack and also being members of Hamas.
Albanese has been a supporter of the antisemitic Boycott, Divest, Sanction (BDS) movement targeting Israel. She has also been an outspoken opponent of Israel’s military operation in Gaza. In February, Albanese <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/un-official-duped-by-fake-rabbis-invite-to-speak-on-morality-of-intifada-at-anti-israel-protest">said</a> that Israel did not have the “right” to invade Gaza after Hamas militants and Palestinians killed around 1,200 people and took hostage hundreds more in the October 7 terror attack.
“It didn’t have the right to act in self-defense, meaning waging a war because it couldn’t wage a war against the people it maintains under occupation,” Albanese told an audience of students at Harvard University. “What Israel had to do was to repel the attack on its own territory, arrest and detain and treat humanely the people who had been arrested and ensure justice.”
Albanese has also appeared to benefit from her close ties to Palestinian groups. In 2023, Albanese took a trip to Adelaide, Australia, that was funded by a cohort of Palestinian groups, including The Australian Friends of Palestine Association and Australia Palestine Advocacy Network.
The trip sparked concern from a watchdog group, UN Watch, that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/anti-israel-un-official-takes-expensive-trip-funded-by-palestinian-lobby-groups-report">sent</a> a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calling for Albanese&#8217;s removal. In the letter, UN Watch pointed out that “independence and impartiality are basic requirements for UNHRC Special Procedures under Article 3 of the <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/HRBodies/SP/CodeOfConduct.pdf">Code of Conduct</a>, which requires them to be ‘free from any kind of extraneous influence … either direct or indirect.’”

Francesca Albanese

Rubio Sanctions UN Official Waging ‘Political And Economic Warfare’ Against U.S., Israel

Israel

Marco Rubio

United Nations

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed Monday that he has nominated President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Netanyahu presented Trump with a letter the Israeli leader sent to the Nobel committee recommending the president to win the lauded peace prize. The prime minister handed the letter to Trump during a meeting at the White House.
“I want to express the appreciation and admiration, not only of all Israelis, but of the Jewish people and many, many admirers around the world for your leadership, your leadership of the free world, your leadership of a just cause, and the pursuit of peace and security, which you are leading in many lands, but now, especially in the Middle East,” said Netanyahu. “The president has an extraordinary team, and I think our teams, together, make an extraordinary combination to meet challenges and seize opportunities.”
“But the president has already realized great opportunities. He forged the Abraham Accords. He&#8217;s forging peace as we speak in one country, in one region after the other,” he continued. “I want to present to you, Mr. President, the letter I sent to the Nobel Prize Committee. It&#8217;s nominating you for the Peace Prize, which is well-deserved, and you should get it.”
Trump accepted the letter, responding that “coming from you in particular, this is very meaningful.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presents President Trump with a letter nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize <a href="https://t.co/JUzpU2ZPYz">pic.twitter.com/JUzpU2ZPYz</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1942366276329914397?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The two leaders met at the White House to discuss developments in the Middle East just weeks after the two worked together to take down Iran’s nuclear program.
Israel hit numerous military and nuclear program-related targets around Iran during what the White House later called the “12-Day War.” Trump ordered a strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities that targeted Iran’s fortified facility built underground at Fordo, as well as two other sites. The ordinance delivered by U.S. B-2 bombers and submarines finished off the strikes against Iran’s nuclear program.
Last month, Pakistan <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-mentum-from-iran-to-big-beautiful-bill-prez-scores-landmark-victories-in-past-two-weeks">nominated</a> Trump to receive the Nobel Peace Prize “in recognition of his decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership during the recent India-Pakistan crisis.”

Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu

Netanyahu Nominates Trump For Nobel Prize: ‘Well-Deserved’

Benjamin Netanyahu

White House

As we celebrate July 4, it’s important to go back a few weeks and recall what happened on June 14. On that day, we saw one portion of our country take time to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of our nation’s army, and a different portion protest what they seem to believe is a rising monarchy in our nation’s capital.
Now, there have always been differences of opinion among Americans. It’s one of the characteristics of a functional democracy. Over the past five years, however, we have experienced a fundamental division in our nation that must be confronted.
About 30 years ago, Jerry Porras and Jim Collins wrote a book called “Built to Last,” chronicling their research on organizations that thrive and survive over long periods of time. One of the most important durability-inducing elements they cite is the adherence to a small set of core values, inviolable traits that define the principles and behaviors around which the company’s founders built the organization. To reject or violate those values is to advocate for the organization’s demise.
While a country is not synonymous with a company, I am convinced that the same concept can be applied to a nation that wants to thrive and survive. I’m also convinced that a difficult conversation about America’s core values is long overdue.
It’s worth noting that core values are not the drivel that some companies produce using marketing jargon and wordsmithing to come up with a list of sugary, generic adjectives that will be palatable to just about everyone. Core values are the authentic principles that underlie the character of an organization — or a nation — over time.
For the better part of the past 50 years, the U.S. has been struggling with an increasing sense of confusion around its core values. Recently, however, that confusion has morphed into a serious and dangerous division, calling to mind Abraham Lincoln’s reference to the words of Christ, reminding Americans that “a house divided against itself cannot stand.”
More and more people, like me, are concerned that our country will not be able to stand if we remain so divided. We cannot continue to go forward simply agreeing to disagree, or worse, not even acknowledge our disagreements and allow ourselves to be torn apart. It’s time that we, as a nation, face and answer a few basic questions before it’s too late.
What are those questions, the ones that underlie our values? Here are the most obvious ones.
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Are we founded upon Judeo-Christian values and dependent on God’s providence, or are we a nation that is essentially agnostic, removing faith in God from public life, education, and the military? It can’t be both.
Do we believe in freedom of speech, press, and religion, or are we willing to allow elected and unelected influencers to determine what are and are not acceptable words and beliefs? Again, these are incompatible.
Do we believe in a limited central government, or do we prefer a powerful, singular federal provider of rules and services? Pick one.
In light of these questions, I see two ways to move forward.
First, we can go back and honestly embrace the core principles that the founders believed would hold us together and keep us united, and then recommit to those principles, without apology. It’s as simple, and sometimes difficult, as that.
Or, second, we can dismiss the ideals of our founders and decide, after 249 years, to create a new country. We can roll the dice and bet that we can conceive of a better model than Adams, Hamilton, Jefferson and the others did.
What we can’t do, and what we’ve been doing for too long, is avoid these questions and let our core principles, and an entire nation, die a slow death as we drift further and further apart while the media, academia, and creative judges determine what America really is. We are a democracy, still, and we must choose our own path, or it will be chosen for us.
Now, there are many differences between companies and countries, not the least of which is the inability of countries to “fire” their own citizens, or even simply facilitate their departure. An organization’s CEO, on the other hand, can say to employees who don’t want to adhere to its core values that it’s time for them to work somewhere else. A nation cannot do that, and rightly so. However, if that nation wants to survive, it also cannot overly accommodate or apologize to those who oppose its values.
It’s worth noting that this challenge we face today existed at the very beginning of our nation, though to a lesser extent. Even then, there were those who had sided with the British or who would have preferred a monarchy, perhaps one led by George Washington. They were not all forced to leave the country, but they were required to come to terms with the principles of this experimental nation if they wanted to stay.
So, if we decide to recommit to our founders’ ideals — and I’m certainly in favor of that path — then we must politely and unequivocally say to citizens who dislike the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, or any foundational aspect of American life: “You don’t have to believe what we believe, practice any particular faith, or even celebrate the freedoms upon which we are founded. You don’t. But you do have to make peace with the reality of our core values and ideals, which are based on those things. Or you can make plans to live somewhere better suited to your preferences.” 
That is neither intolerant nor snarky; it is clear. And clarity is kind.
We must stop allowing people to pretend that the nation’s values are something other than they are, because there is nothing kind about that.
It&#8217;s ironic that the nations in the world today that have the most intolerant and unkind values are the ones that won’t even let people opt out and leave. Just look at North Korea and Cuba, though there are others. This is, of course, absurd.
But for a free nation like ours to bend over backward to accommodate those who hate what we stand for is equally absurd. So let’s make a decision so that we can reverse the trend toward divisiveness and disunity, and get back to rebuilding a nation around the values that have served us for 250 years.
* * *
Patrick Lencioni is one of the founders of The Table Group and is the pioneer of the organizational health movement. He is the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/Patrick-M.-Lencioni/author/B001ILFMB2?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2&amp;qid=1751571498&amp;sr=8-2&amp;isDramIntegrated=true&amp;shoppingPortalEnabled=true&amp;ccs_id=3de65105-8f38-4be0-90f1-d7c66bb8daa2">author of 13 books</a>, which have sold over 10 million copies and been translated into more than 30 languages.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Fireworks on the Fourth of July, Washington, D.C.

Can We Still Agree On America’s Core Values? A Nation Divided On Independence Day

Books

Democrats

Founding Fathers

Leftists

Liberals

Republicans

As the United States prepares to celebrate her 249th birthday, a growing number of Americans say they’ve noticed a marked decline in patriotism.
More specifically, 44% of respondents in an <a href="https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/5379913-44-percent-say-us-becoming-less-patriotic-survey/">Economist/YouGov survey</a> published this week said they believe the U.S. is becoming less patriotic. In comparison, a much smaller 14% said they think the nation is becoming more so.
Jesse Parks, a former U.S. Army Sergeant who served in Afghanistan, has noticed this shift in attitude.
“[Seeing] flags being burnt and seeing protests being more frequent,” Parks told the Daily Wire, “it tears down the country.”
Born into a military family, Parks said he was inspired to follow in the footsteps of those who came before him.
“All my uncles, dad, older brother, served. Everybody,” he said.
Parks initially applied to serve in the United States Marine Corps, but his application was rejected. Undeterred, he enlisted later in the United States Army, where he was accepted and rose through the ranks.
When asked why he enlisted, Parks said, “I think you join the military to fight for your country. It opens up a lot of doors, but in the end, you fight.”
He was deployed to Afghanistan in December 2010, where he said his unit’s primary mission was to train and advise the Afghan National Army Basic Training Command Teams, alongside the British and French Armies. He later became an infantry fire team leader.
Parks said that patriotism was a major factor in his decision to join the armed forces. He described it as “a love of your country put into action, whether that&#8217;s military, that&#8217;s political, or that&#8217;s civil service.”
But what is “patriotism” anyway?
“Patriotism” <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patriotism">is often defined</a> as a “love for or devotion to one’s country.”
Yet, a growing number of Americans say they don’t see a shared sense of admiration for the country they call home. Lightning rod political issues ranging from abortion to illegal immigration, along with a major political realignment that has seen the Democratic Party lurch harder to the left and the Republican Party lurch harder to the right, have revealed a simmering disunity.
“[Patriotism is] a big part of what allows us to progress,” Parks said. “It is what kind of helps us progress as a society. We don&#8217;t all have to have the same views, but as long as we have patriotism, which is different than nationalism, as long as it&#8217;s there, it allows us to progress.”
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While Parks has an expressed love of country, his may not be a shared passion: only 67% of people claim to be extremely or very proud to be American, down from 91% in 2004, according to a 2024 <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/646655/american-pride-remains-near-record-low.aspx">Gallup</a> survey.
A separate <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/646655/american-pride-remains-near-record-low.aspx">Marist</a> poll likewise found a majority of Americans have noticed this shift, with 52% of respondents stating that the country seems less patriotic than it was just a few years ago.
The disunity and decline may feel all the more evident with the recent riots and attacks on first responders.
“[T]here has been a perversion of patriotism,” Parks told the Daily Wire.
“Groups like Antifa seem like they don&#8217;t care about this country and want to tear it down,” he said. “January 6 was similar; it was a movement to dismantle the country. It is seen on both sides.” 
Rather than being complicit in this division, Parks said, groups such as Antifa should “consider the opportunity they have in this time in history to affect the country’s direction, and to act accordingly in a constructive manner.”
Despite all of this, the Army veteran sees hope for the future.
“There is a lot of talk about division in the country at the moment, but I don’t think that is anything new,” Parks said. “I hope people will get involved over the issues they think are important.”
Participation “will increase their sense of pride and reignite a love for their country.”
* * *
Simon Olech is a reporter studying journalism at the National Journalism Center in Washington, D.C.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Hands holding American flag in a wheat field at sunset. Independence Day, 4th of July.

Americans Say Patriotism Is Fading. One Army Veteran Is Pushing Back With Steely-Eyed Optimism

4th of July

Fourth of July

interview

U.S. Army

U.S. Military

Read The Entire First Chapter Of Ben Shapiro’s Upcoming Book: ‘Lions And Scavengers’

Read The Entire First Chapter Of Ben Shapiro's Upcoming Book: 'Lions And Scavengers'

Ben Shapiro

Bible

Daily Wire Shop

Rome

Western Civilization

After his five-year-old daughter fell overboard, a father dove off a Disney Dream cruise ship in a dramatic rescue, officials said.
The four-night cruise was returning to Fort Lauderdale on Sunday after making a trip to Disney’s Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point in the Bahamas. 
The father&#8217;s name has not been publicly released, but passenger Gar Frantz said he was on the fourth-floor deck when the incident occurred. He said he saw a child sitting on the railing of the cruise ship while a man took a picture, then the child fell overboard.
“We watched it, you could see two little things. &#8230; It was crazy, it was horrific,” Frantz said of seeing the tragedy unfold, per <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/disney-dream-overboard-rescue-rcna215994">NBC News</a>.
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Another passenger, Gail Merrick, told the outlet that she saw and heard the commotion and noticed a yellow lifeboat in the water. 
“We came to find out that it was a child and then the father had gone in after the child, so we were watching with bated breath basically waiting for what would happen,” Merrick said.
A witness on the ship described the sound of the child hitting the water, per <a href="https://people.com/disney-cruise-passenger-describes-moment-dad-jumps-overboard-after-daughter-11764056">People</a>. “It sounded like hitting pavement, nothing like if you jump into a pool, it was so loud,” the woman, identified only as Chandler, told the outlet. “Then this awful scream from what I assume is the mother and then this massive splash.” 
She also uploaded <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@lifeofchandler/video/7521737117475573047?_r=1&amp;_t=ZT-8xe4AJfSHTT">footage</a> of the rescue to TikTok.
Disney confirmed that the cruise ship crew “swiftly rescued two guests from the water.”
“We commend our Crew Members for their exceptional skills and prompt actions, which ensured the safe return of both guests to the ship within minutes,” a statement from the company said. “We are committed to the safety and well-being of our guests, and this incident highlights the effectiveness of our safety protocols.”

Disney Dream cruise ship

Hero Dad Leaps From Disney Cruise To Save Daughter In Daring Ocean Rescue

Father Jumps Off Disney Cruise Ship To Save Daughter Who Fell Overboard: Report

Atlantic Ocean

Disney

Iran launched an attack at a U.S. military base in Qatar on Monday, firing a barrage of missiles after the United States bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend, Axios <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/06/23/iran-retaliation-trump-israel-war">reported</a>.
Explosions were heard near Qatar&#8217;s capital city of Doha on Monday night local time, and the United States told citizens in the country to shelter in place until further notice, according to Reuters. Iran issued a statement through its state media announcing its attack on a U.S. military base in Qatar, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/06/23/world/iran-trump-israel-news/11cfa03e-588d-5ff5-ba20-9f9369cb6b38?smid=url-share">according</a> to The New York Times.
The Trump administration was given a &#8220;good advance warning&#8221; of the Iranian attack, a source &#8220;familiar with the matter&#8221; told Axios. Iran also <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/06/23/world/iran-trump-israel-news/82bf4cc2-e1b6-52cf-be4f-18c58b88975c?smid=url-share">reportedly</a> gave its ally Qatar an advanced notice before launching the missiles at the American base. Qatar closed its airspace before the Iranian missile barrage, and the U.S and British governments warned citizens in Qatar to shelter in place.
&#8220;The base that was targeted in the attack by the powerful Iranian forces was far from urban facilities and residential areas in Qatar,&#8221; Iran&#8217;s Supreme National Security Council said in a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/06/23/iran-retaliation-trump-israel-war">statement</a>. &#8220;This action did not pose any threat to our friendly and brotherly country, Qatar, and its noble people.&#8221;
President Donald Trump was scheduled to meet with his National Security team at the White House at 1:00 p.m. As the Iranians fired missiles at the U.S. base, Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan &#8220;Razin&#8221; Caine and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were monitoring the attack in the Situation Room, CNN <a href="https://x.com/kaitlancollins/status/1937191275272257726">reported</a>.
The White House and Department of Defense are aware of, and closely monitoring, potential threats to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, a senior White House official <a href="https://x.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/1937191022863266201">told</a> Daily Wire White House Correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan.
Trump previously warned Iran against any retaliation, saying it &#8220;will be met with force far greater than what was witnessed.&#8221;
Many of the personnel and aircraft at the Al Udeid Air Base, the largest military base in the Middle East, were evacuated in recent days as tensions rose in the Middle East. The base is also fortified by air defenses, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/06/23/world/iran-trump-israel-news/68ad47d2-2786-5d78-bdd1-bf35a98dcff6?smid=url-share">reported</a>.
Videos posted on social media showed missiles being intercepted over Qatar.
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US defenses intercept Islamic Republic of Iran missiles in Qatar. <a href="https://t.co/EkLxXt0oWT">pic.twitter.com/EkLxXt0oWT</a>
&mdash; Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) <a href="https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1937193695356551560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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This is a breaking story; refresh the page for updates.

Iran-Missiles-Display-44th-Anniversary-War

Iran Attacks U.S. Military Base

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President Donald Trump “has more spine” than any president in decades, according to Daily Wire editor emeritus Ben Shapiro.
Shapiro praised the president on Sunday in a special episode of “The Ben Shapiro Show” covering the United States’ strike on Iran over the weekend that targeted three of Tehran’s nuclear facilities, including the underground fortress-like facility at Fordo.
“Now, let me be 100% clear, President Trump has more spine, more intestinal fortitude, more cojones than any president of my lifetime by far. It&#8217;s not close,” said Shapiro. “This of course is a historically courageous man. If that was not clear from the moment he stood up during the last campaign, shaking his fist, and yelling ‘fight, fight, fight’ after being shot in the ear, President Trump is a man who has courage.”
To accomplish the strike, Trump overcame significant domestic opposition from both sides of the political aisle. He has also sparked a seismic shift in the power dynamics in the Middle East where Israel is now a regional power backed by the United States and, diplomatically, the Abraham Accords are much more likely to gain signatories, according to Shapiro.
“He said for decades Iran would not have a nuclear weapon, and then he kept his word, and keeping your word is unbelievably rare,” he added before reciting promises made by former presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran.
Trump’s action to destroy, or at least severely set back Iran’s nuclear ambitions has made the president “a seminal figure in both American history and in world history,” according to Shapiro.
In the United States, Trump “faced down a lot of haters” in his decision to drop bombs on Iran, from critics in the Democratic Party, some of whom are now <a href="https://x.com/AOC/status/1936600627221565468">calling</a> for the president’s impeachment, to isolationists on the right, some of whom are also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-lays-into-kooky-tucker-carlson-over-opposition-to-israeli-strikes-on-iran">calling</a> for Trump’s impeachment.
Critics on the right said that the United States close relationship with Israel and the Trump administration’s backing of Israeli action against Iran would pull the United States into a wider war, possibly launching a third world war.
“Anyone who told you that was going to happen (a United States war with Iran) was lying to you because President Trump lives in the world. He lives in the world of reality, and he played this absolutely perfectly. It is not possible for a president to have played this better,” said Shapiro.
Trump allowed Israel to knock out Iran’s anti-air defenses and the top echelon of its military while offering Tehran repeated chances to negotiate in good faith over the end of its nuclear program. When negotiations failed and Israeli military pressure did not force Tehran into talks, Trump greenlit the strike on Iranian nuclear facilities over significant domestic opposition.
“In the face of those who believe both left and right that American involvement in the world is somehow the prime evil, the great driver of world suffering, that the world is somehow better off in the hands of the Chinese and the Russians and Iran going nuclear, he stood up,” Shapiro said.
“He stood up to the morons like AOC on the left who proclaimed that Trump himself is a Hitlerian threat to the world by standing up to a true Hitlerian threat to the world,” said Shapiro. “He stood up to the dolts on the right who thought that they could somehow claim the movement Donald Trump built, the Make America Great Again movement, for themselves, painting a Howard Zinn-America hating turd with a coating of MAGA language and then trying to pass it off as filet mignon. He stood up to all of them, and he proved that America is great again.”
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Thank you, Mr. President, for restoring Peace Through Strength! There has never been a president in my lifetime with <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>’s spine. <a href="https://t.co/kAcaLB6pPz">pic.twitter.com/kAcaLB6pPz</a>
&mdash; Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) <a href="https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/1936926784202650037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Ben Shapiro: President Trump ‘A Historically Courageous Man’ For Preventing Nuclear-Armed Iran

Seven B-2 bombers that took off from an air base in Missouri early Saturday morning returned home just before noon on Sunday after conducting a bombing run over Iranian nuclear facilities.
The B-2 pilots touched back down at Whiteman Air Force Base after a roughly 36-hour flight to Iran and back. The mission, dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer, involved decoys and multiple in-flight refuelings for the strike team to get to Iran and back, Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine explained at a Sunday press conference.
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NEW VIDEO: B-2 bombers land back at Whiteman Air Force Base today in Knob Noster, Missouri, after about a 36-hour flight to strike targets in Iran. 
Seven B-2s took off from Whiteman just after 12 a.m. on Saturday. The first bombers back landed just before 12 p.m. Sunday. <a href="https://t.co/g7IbwWD6NH">pic.twitter.com/g7IbwWD6NH</a>
&mdash; Matt Evans (@MattEvansKMBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattEvansKMBC/status/1936858341910733208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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As the bombers crossed the Atlantic and resumed flight over land, a team of fighters joined to cover the bombers on their entry into Iranian airspace.
“As the Operation Midnight Hammer strike package entered Iranian airspace, the U.S. employed several deception tactics, including decoys, as the 4th and 5th generation aircraft pushed out in front of the strike package at high altitude and high speed, sweeping in front of the package for enemy fighters and surface to air missile threats,” said Caine.
The bomber team appears to have entered Iranian airspace and reached their targets without alerting Iran’s military.
“As the strike package approached Fordo and Natanz, the US protection package employed high-speed suppression weapons to ensure safe passage of the strike package with fighter assets employing preemptive suppressing fires against any potential Iranian surface to air threats,” Caine continued. “We are currently unaware of any shots fired at the US strike package on the way in.”
The bomber struck targets at Fordo and Natanz beginning around 6:40 p.m. ET. Tomahawk missiles fired from a United States submarines hit Isfahan moments later. The entire attack took place within a 25-minute window between 6:40 p.m. and 7:05 p.m. ET.
“Following weapons release, the midnight hammer strike package exited Iranian airspace, and the package began its return home. We are unaware of any shots fired at the package on the way out. Iran&#8217;s fighters did not fly, and it appears that Iran&#8217;s surface-to-air missile systems did not see us. Throughout the mission, we retained the element of surprise,” Caine said.
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Chairman Caine just laid out the PERFECT execution of Operation MIDNIGHT HAMMER. <a href="https://t.co/11NpibQhbi">pic.twitter.com/11NpibQhbi</a>
&mdash; DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DODResponse/status/1936768363306307763?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/warriors-read-hegseths-full-statement-to-america-regarding-strike-on-irans-nuclear-facilities?author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=11&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=%E2%80%98Warriors%E2%80%99%3A+Read+Hegseth%E2%80%99s+Full+Statement+To+America+Regarding+Strike+On+Iran%E2%80%99s+Nuclear+Facilities">praised</a> the strike team and others involved in the operation after its success.
“I want to recognize pilots who flew those bombers; who flew those fighters; who flew those refuelers: Warriors. I want to recognize the sailors, on those destroyers, in those subs. on those carriers: Warriors. All of them. I want to recognize our soldiers doing air defense, base defense, QRF: Warriors. All of them,” Hegseth said in a statement after the strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. “Every American involved in this operation performed flawlessly.”

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B-2 Bombers Arrive Back In Missouri After Hammering Iranian Nuclear Sites

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