The founder of a charitable organization has been accused of fabricating a story about homeless <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/veterans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">veterans</a> being kicked out of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York</a> hotel rooms to make room for migrants.
State Assemblyman Brian Maher <a href="https://www.timesunion.com/hudsonvalley/news/article/unhoused-veterans-displaced-migrants-fake-18107182.php?cmpid=115195&amp;sid=60b3cad7deeb000c01434b3d&amp;ss=A&amp;st_rid=5d9dfe65-3d22-4599-8bfa-e660828db683&amp;utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=headlines&amp;utm_campaign=altu%20%7C%20daily%20headlines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the Times Union this week that he had been misled about a situation purportedly involving homeless veterans, adding that he was “devastated and disheartened” as the story unfolded.
The initial <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/05/12/homeless-vets-are-being-booted-from-ny-hotels-to-make-room-for-migrants-advocates/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a>, from the New York Post, featured claims from Sharon Toney-Finch, CEO of the Yerik Israel Toney Foundation, who said that 20 homeless veterans were told they would need to end their stay early at hotels not far from New York City and find somewhere else to go.
After publication, the story earned widespread attention and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/critics-pile-on-over-reports-of-homeless-vets-getting-kicked-out-of-ny-hotels-to-accommodate-migrants" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bipartisan condemnation</a>, with Republicans and Democrats in New York calling for investigations. Now, with allegations coming out that the whole story was false, Maher has asked the attorney general of Orange County, where the expulsions allegedly took place, and New York’s district attorney to investigate potential misconduct by the Yerik Israel Toney Foundation.
“This is something I believe hurt a lot of people,” Maher said, who explained that he had spoken with individuals he believed to have been veterans displaced by migrants and someone who was said to have transported the migrants from the hotels they were staying at.
Maher said he was left waiting for three hours at a bank to meet up with Toney-Finch to verify that the foundation had paid for shelter for the veterans. A receipt that was purported to be from the organization that had previously been given as proof appeared to have been altered, according to state lawmakers who spoke with the Times Union.
The claim was also <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/05/18/advocate-lied-about-vets-getting-kicked-out-of-ny-hotels-for-migrants-pol/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disputed</a> by several of the hotels that were implicated in the initial report, saying that Toney-Finch’s narrative was not true. Todd Solloway, an attorney for Crossroads Hotel, <a href="https://www.timesunion.com/hudsonvalley/news/article/unhoused-veterans-displaced-migrants-fake-18107182.php?cmpid=115195&amp;sid=60b3cad7deeb000c01434b3d&amp;ss=A&amp;st_rid=5d9dfe65-3d22-4599-8bfa-e660828db683&amp;utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=headlines&amp;utm_campaign=altu%20%7C%20daily%20headlines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a Wednesday letter that there “are not now, and never were, any group of veterans at the hotel and certainly none were kicked out to make way for migrant asylum seekers.”
“My client and their staff are receiving serious threats — including death threats — from all over the county as a result of his false accusation,” he added. “And, this morning, the staff at the Hotel were forced to call 911 to seek protection against someone who was menacing the staff at the hotel, claiming he was looking for the veterans.”
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According to Maher, he has worked with Toney-Fitch, an Iraq War veteran who received the Purple Heart, and her foundation several times over the last few years. He <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/05/18/advocate-lied-about-vets-getting-kicked-out-of-ny-hotels-for-migrants-pol/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that he asked for her to provide evidence several times in multiple phone calls as he began to believe he may have been lied to.
“Shortly after that, when I asked her why she would make something like that up, she said, ‘I had to help the veterans,’” he told the New York Post.
“Their gross misrepresentation of the facts surrounding our homeless veterans is appalling,” the lawmaker added in a statement.

Migrants Continue To Arrive In New York City, Being Bussed From Other States

‘Gross Misrepresentation’: New York Lawmaker Says He Was Lied To About Homeless Veterans Being Displaced By Migrants

'Gross Misrepresentation': New York Lawmaker Says He Was Lied To About Homeless Veterans Being Displaced By Migrants

Homelessness

Media

Migrants

New York

U.S.

Veterans

Editor&#8217;s note: The CEO of the non-profit support group has been accused of misrepresenting the events described in this story.
There is growing outrage <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/homeless-veterans-kicked-out-of-hotels-to-allow-migrants-to-move-in-support-group-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">over reports</a> of nearly two dozen homeless veterans being removed from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York</a> hotels to make room for migrants.
Democrats joined with Republicans to voice their dismay in response to reports about the evictions taking place as migrants started to get bused north out of New York City — which is already <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/23/nyregion/nyc-hotels-homeless-shelters.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spending millions of dollars</a> to house thousands of migrants — into towns in Orange County in anticipation of a possible surge with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mayorkas-says-border-patrol-encounters-down-by-half-since-title-42-expired" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Title 42 expiring last week</a>.
&#8220;This is bulls***. 20 veterans lost their housing tonight because of incompetence by [the] New York City government,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/PatRyanUC/status/1657181293875023873" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a> Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY) on Monday. &#8220;I am doing everything I can to ensure these service members have a bed to sleep in tonight. Let me be clear. This will not be tolerated.&#8221;
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) condemned New York City Democratic Mayor Eric Adams, who last week began transporting migrants <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/11/nyregion/title-42-nyc-migrants-orange-rockland.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">roughly 60 miles north</a> of the Big Apple to Orange County with a plan to house them for <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/05/us/nyc-tent-housing-migrant-surge/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">up to four months</a>.
“It is absolutely outrageous that homeless veterans would be displaced to alleviate New York City&#8217;s migrant crisis. That Mayor Eric Adams would choose to endanger the welfare of our veterans speaks volumes to what a debacle this has become,” Lawler <a href="https://lawler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=329" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement.
&#8220;These veterans served their country, taking an oath to put themselves in harm’s way if need be,&#8221; David R. Riley Sr., American Legion Department of New York commander, <a href="https://nylegion.net/news-events/#:~:text=New%20York%20State's%20American%20Legion,Department%20of%20New%20York%20commander." target="_blank" rel="noopener">said in a statement</a>. &#8220;They deserve better. We owe them. Our country, our state, our citizens owe them.&#8221;
Concerns began to mount after Sharon Toney-Finch, CEO of the Yerik Israel Toney Foundation, <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/05/12/homeless-vets-are-being-booted-from-ny-hotels-to-make-room-for-migrants-advocates/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told the New York Post</a> that 20 homeless veterans were moved out of hotels in Newburgh and Middletown to create space for migrants. Toney-Finch, herself a disabled military veteran, said the homeless veterans had been moved to another hotel.
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Adding to the controversy were reports about <a href="https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/immigration/border-coverage/new-york-homeless-vets-hotels-migrants/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wedding parties</a> losing hotel reservations as asylum-seekers were being relocated from New York City. Leaders in Orange County as well as Rockland County <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/orange-county-joins-rockland-declaring-state-of-emergency-over-mayor-adams-plan-to-bus-asylum-seekers-to-suburbs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have declared emergencies</a> and <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/13/us/new-york-city-migrants-orange-county/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sued over the migrant program</a>.
&#8220;New York City has cared for more than 65,000 migrants — sheltering, feeding, and caring for them, and we have done so largely without incident,&#8221; said Fabien Levy, a spokesperson for Adams. &#8220;Right now, we’re asking Orange County to manage less than one-quarter of 1% of the asylum seekers who have come to New York City, with New York paying for shelter, food, and services.&#8221;

Immigrants leave the Port Authority Bus Terminal

Critics Pile On Over Reports Of Homeless Vets Getting Kicked Out Of NY Hotels To Accommodate Migrants

Eric Adams

Immigration

New York City

Editor&#8217;s note: The CEO of the non-profit support group has been accused of misrepresenting the events described in this story.
Homeless <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/veterans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">veterans</a> are being kicked out of several <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York</a> hotels as officials brace to take in more migrants from the southern border, according to a group that works with U.S. military veterans.
Sharon Toney-Finch, CEO of the Yerik Israel Toney Foundation, <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/05/12/homeless-vets-are-being-booted-from-ny-hotels-to-make-room-for-migrants-advocates/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the New York Post that 20 homeless veterans were told they would need to end their stay early at hotels not far from New York City and find somewhere else to go. 
“Our veterans have been placed in another hotel due to what’s going on with the immigrants,’’ said Tony-Finch. She said that 15 veterans were kicked out of Crossroads Hotel in Newburgh and five others were moved from a Super 8 and a Hampton Inn and Suites in Middletown.
New York City Mayor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/eric-adams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eric Adams</a> has been moving migrants, many of whom crossed illegally into the U.S. and are awaiting court dates, to Orange County, where both Middletown and Newburgh are located, because the Big Apple has seen such an influx of migrants. 
Tony-Finch, whose <a href="https://www.yitfoundation.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">foundation</a> works with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/homelessness" target="_blank" rel="noopener">homeless and low-income</a> veterans, said she received calls from some of the veterans after she said they were told they would need to move out. Veterans allegedly moved out include those who fought in Vietnam and Afghanistan. 
“He [one veteran] told me he had to leave because the hotel said the extended stay is not available. Then I got another call. We didn’t waste any time,’’ Tony-Finch told the Post. “That’s when we started on Monday to organize when and where to move them all.”
Tony-Finch said that they were in the process of finding permanent housing for the veterans, who she arranged to move to a hotel in Hudson Valley, but that the veteran’s trust in the foundation was damaged because of the move. “Now we have to work from ground zero. We just lost that trust,” she said. 
One reason the veterans were moved out, according to Tony-Finch, is that the hotels get paid more by New York City to house migrants than by the foundation to house vets. “That’s so unfair, because at the end of the day, we are a small nonprofit, and we do pay $88 a day for a veteran to be there,” she said.
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State Assemblyman Brian Maher said that America’s veterans should be respected and that they should get priority over migrants. 
“Whether you agree with asylum-seekers being here or not, we can’t just ignore these veterans that are in our charge that we are supposed to protect: the New Yorkers and Americans,” Maher, who represents Orange County told the Post. “We need to put them first.”

MIGRANTS

Homeless Veterans Kicked Out Of Hotels To Allow Migrants To Move In, Support Group Says

Illegal Immigration

A senior Biden administration official spent her time in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/white-house" target="_blank" rel="noopener">White House</a> briefing room speculating on what specific programs or funding Republicans might be willing to cut — and with no pushback from the reporters in attendance, she claimed they&#8217;d cut veterans&#8217; benefits and cancer research.
Shalanda Young, who is currently serving as Biden&#8217;s director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), took the lectern on Thursday and began to rant about Republicans just wanting to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gop-led-house-passes-mccarthys-plan-to-raise-debt-limit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cut spending</a> without really thinking or caring about where the funding they were cutting was going to go.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
OMB Director Shalanda Young speculates Republicans might be willing to cut *cancer research* under the guise of cutting government spending and trimming debt.
Just insane. Pure rhetorical terrorism.
But the liberal media don&#39;t care. They protect this White House at all costs. <a href="https://t.co/jnzBAzWGom">pic.twitter.com/jnzBAzWGom</a>
&mdash; Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) <a href="https://twitter.com/CurtisHouck/status/1654191455911530520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Something tells me, those toplines in that bill, there are many Republicans who could not vote for bills that actually told the American people by line item what it means,&#8221; Young began, arguing that Republicans wanted to pass a bill that would &#8220;cut spending&#8221; without being forced to admit which spending might be cut.
&#8220;We&#8217;ve talked a lot about veterans, and people get nervous about those veterans cuts, and they decide not to do that,&#8221; she continued, &#8220;What&#8217;s next, cancer research? You zero out the highway money in the transportation bill?&#8221;
Young went on to say that it was just business as usual, claiming, &#8220;We&#8217;ve done this before. Republicans have done this before. &#8230; Because those cuts hurt communities whether you&#8217;re represented by a Democrat or a Republican.&#8221;
She went on to say that people should withhold judgment until the appropriations process had time to work so that people could see where the money was going before they voted to cut any of it.
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As the debt ceiling fast approaches — Treasury Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/yellen-warns-of-debt-default-as-early-as-june-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Janet Yellen</a> has warned the United States could default as early as June — Democrats have been adamant about passing a clean bill to raise the debt ceiling and avoid default. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) submitted his own proposal, which includes spending cuts to a number of the Biden administration&#8217;s green energy initiatives — and in the days since, Democrats have worked overtime to claim that McCarthy&#8217;s proposal would result in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-freedom-caucus-chairman-responds-as-white-house-lobs-spurious-claims-at-spending-cut-proposal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nothing short of disaster</a>.

Shalanda Young

‘What’s Next, Cancer Research?’: Senior WH Official Speculates About GOP Spending Cuts In Unhinged Monologue

Senior WH Official Speculates About GOP Spending Cuts In Unhinged Monologue

Cancer

Executive

Kevin McCarthy

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

In recent years, the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-military" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. military</a> has been plagued by lackluster recruitment across the board as it struggles to attract a new generation of soldiers to serve in the armed forces, and if called on, to go to war. 
What is driving the military’s recruitment woes? While both the lack of patriotism among young Americans and the growing obesity among the country’s youth are contributing factors, much of the recruitment problem is likely self-inflicted. In recent years, military leadership has alienated key recruiting demographics by instituting vaccine mandates, promoting anti-white sentiments, and pushing other woke initiatives. 
Here are six of the contributing factors to the military’s falling recruitment numbers: 
<h2>Vax Mandate</h2>
Under President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a>, the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pentagon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pentagon</a> instituted a COVID vaccine mandate across all branches of the military, which <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/10/pentagon-drops-covid-19-vaccine-mandate-for-troops-00077364" target="_blank" rel="noopener">led to the expulsion</a> of over 8,000 service members. While this mandate was eventually revoked, the armed forces are still reeling from the mandate, which likely deterred many young and healthy Americans to choose a different career path.
Young men, of whom make up the bulk of the active duty service members, may have been especially hesitant to get the jab because of<a href="https://www.heart.org/en/news/2022/09/06/myocarditis-from-covid-19-booster-rare-but-risk-highest-among-teen-boys-young-men" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> data indicating</a> that the shot could be associated with myocarditis in their demographic.
Other potential recruits may have had religious, medical, or ethical objections to taking the jab. 
“If you are sitting in the state of Georgia or Texas and you see they are putting 40,000 members out, you are going to scratch your head a bit and say, ‘why would I join up?’” a <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/07/27/lawmakers-pentagon-military-recruiting-00048286" target="_blank" rel="noopener">former senior</a> Department of Defense official said back in September. “And if you don’t want to get vaccinated, you are certainly not going to join.”
<h2>Anti-White Sentiment</h2>
In recent years, statements from military leadership appear to show  a growing animosity toward white people. This presents a problem, not just because it&#8217;s morally wrong to judge someone based on skin color, but because <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/214869/share-of-active-duty-enlisted-women-and-men-in-the-us-military/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">about</a> 70% of active duty military men are white, according to recent statistics.
This disdain is seen in comments from top military brass, including Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff Mark Milley who infamously said he wanted to study “white rage.”
The Department of Defense’s former top DEI officer for education, Kelisa Wing, also took aim at white people in comments on social media before she decided to resign months after the comments emerged.
&#8220;I&#8217;m exhausted with these white folx in these [professional development] sessions,” <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/woke-department-defense-equity-chief-writes-anti-white-posts-exhausted-white-folx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">she said</a> in June 2020. &#8220;[T]his lady actually had the CAUdacity to say that black people can be racist too… I had to stop the session and give Karen the BUSINESS… [W]e are not the majority, we don&#8217;t have power.”
&#8220;I am exhausted by 99% of the white men in education and 95% of the white women. Where can I get a break from white nonsense for a while?” another social media post from Wing said.
According to Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), dozens of servicemen <a href="https://www.defenseone.com/policy/2021/06/hundreds-troops-complain-about-woke-racism-extremism-training-cotton-claims/174672/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have also</a> complained about training emphasizing white privilege, systematic racism, being an “anti-racist,” and police brutality. It was also <a href="https://www.govexec.com/media/gbc/docs/pdfs_edit/memorandum_for_recordv2jb.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> that the phrase “all lives matter” was frowned upon.
In light of this, potential recruits have to ask themselves if they are willing to fight for an institution that appears to judge them based on their skin color.
<h2>Sexual Identity Politics</h2>
In addition to stoking racial division, the military  has also moved to fully embrace the sexual revolution.
Examples of the military’s adoption of sexual identitarian politics include: an Air Force base in Germany <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/air-force-base-cancels-drag-queen-story-hour-event-after-public-outcry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scheduling (and later canceling)</a> a drag queen story hour, an aircraft carrier <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/18/politics/gilday-defends-non-binary-sailor/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">having</a> an LGBTQ spoken word night, and the full-fledged embrace of transgender ideology by certain segments of the military.
During the so-called “Trans Day of Visibility” last month the<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/navy-urges-americans-to-be-an-ally-as-biden-admin-promotes-transgenderism" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Naval Sea Systems Command criticized</a> states that have banned sex change surgeries for kids and urged Americans to be an “ally” of trans-identifying people. Also in March, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pentagon-doctors-back-child-sex-changes-blast-red-states" target="_blank" rel="noopener">two Pentagon doctors backed</a> child sex changes in an article for the American Journal of Public Health.
On top of pushing radical gender ideology, the military announced <a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2023/02/16/military-cover-travel-costs-and-offer-leave-troops-seeking-abortions-fertility-treatment.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">it would pay</a> for abortion tourism for women in the military. Currently, the Veterans Affairs administration <a href="https://townhall.com/tipsheet/rebeccadowns/2023/04/20/tuberville-resolution-on-va-abortions-n2622193" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is fighting</a> Republicans over whether Veterans Affairs clinics can provide abortions.
Asking young men and women from America’s heartland to sign on to these progressive cultural policies as a condition of their service may be a bridge too far.
<h2>Shoddy Treatment of Veterans</h2>
The Veterans Affairs administration has long been dogged with accusations of corruption, ineptitude, and mismanagement. These criticisms have been especially potent as the suicide rate among veterans has remained sky-high coupled with the fact that thousands of veterans are now homeless.
According to various reports, many veterans have been <a href="https://www.kare11.com/article/news/investigations/kare-11-investigates-veterans-denied-care-and-benefits-after-misdiagnosis/89-8241f99b-52d5-4f50-874f-3cdb790c94f0">denied care</a>, even as federal investigators have found that the VA has <a href="https://osc.gov/News/Pages/20-07-VA-Wasted-223-Million.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wasted</a> millions of taxpayer dollars. While incompetence seems to be a theme of the department meant to care for the nation’s veterans, an <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/washington/testimony/2022/t20220615.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">estimated</a> 17 veterans commit suicide every day.
While the VA struggles with scandals and meets with<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/navy-urges-americans-to-be-an-ally-as-biden-admin-promotes-transgenderism" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> trans-identifying activists</a>, <a href="https://www.va.gov/homeless/pit_count.asp#:~:text=end%20of%202021.-,The%20January%202022%20PIT%20Count,full%20PIT%20Count%20was%20conducted." target="_blank" rel="noopener">there </a>are thousands of homeless veterans. A recent estimate from about a year ago put this number at over 30,000. Those willing to die for their country should be ensured that they will be taken care of when they return home. 

<h2>Denigration of American History</h2>
Pentagon leaders have also shown a growing disregard for American history, one that has begun with a purge of anything linked to the Confederacy. Some are concerned the purge is likely to expand to the Founding Fathers.
Back in October, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3259966/dod-begins-implementation-of-naming-commission-recommendations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed off</a> on the recommendations of an independent naming commission to completely remove any reference to any person or idea linked to the Confederacy.
This includes the removal of a large bronze monument tucked away in Arlington National Cemetery known as the Confederate Monument. The monument, which was designed by a prominent Jewish American sculptor, is at the center of the graves of Confederate soldiers. It was widely seen as a <a href="https://www.dailysignal.com/2023/01/18/removing-the-confederate-memorial-from-arlington-cemetery-what-would-lincoln-and-grant-think/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">symbol of reconciliation</a> in a war that took the lives of over 600,000 Americans on both sides and left the South in ruins.
To signify its meaning of peace, the monument references Isaiah 2:4, which talks about turning swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks, a powerful message for a nation recovering from the trauma of war. Up to the present day, many presidents, <a href="https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Explore/Monuments-and-Memorials/Confederate-Memorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">including Barack Obama</a>, had sent flowers to the monument on Memorial Day.
However, this symbol of peace, in a far corner of Arlington, must go and taxpayers will pay for the removal. It may only be a matter of time before the military decides that the bodies around the monument must go too (see <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/city-digs-up-remains-of-confederate-general-after-taking-down-statue" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Richmond’s treatment of A.P. Hill</a>). 
In similar fashion, the Navy <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/navy-removes-name-of-oceanographic-pioneer-from-ship-over-confederate-ties" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently announced</a> that it would be renaming a ship named for oceanographic pioneer Matthew Fontaine Maury because of Maury’s ties to the Confederacy during the later years of his life.
Despite being more known for his innovations in oceanography than ties to the Confederacy in the final years of his life, Maury, known as the “Pathfinder of the Seas,” also needed to go.
All these changes and more will cost taxpayers over $60 million.
This approach to our nation’s history is off-putting to many young Americans who expect those in leadership to honor our shared, albeit imperfect past.
<h2>Questioning The Mission Of The U.S. Military</h2>
Another element likely contributing to the recruiting crisis is an increasing lack of confidence in what kind of wars the U.S. will be engaged in. The war in Afghanistan, which lasted over 20 years, resulted in thousands of Americans dying or being severely handicapped, and seemed to bring little result after Biden’s hasty retreat.
Was the war about democracy or fighting radical Islamic terrorism? The goals seemed to shift and the ultimate objective appeared to be vaguely defined. In 2021, the Taliban quickly took back the country and seemingly erased in a matter of days the work that American soldiers had bled for over 20 years. 
Today, there are questions about whether the U.S. will expand its role in the war between Russia and Ukraine or if tensions with China will escalate into a shooting war. Recruits should be asking themselves whether they would be willing to die for Ukraine or Taiwan.
With the increasing lack of confidence in American institutions, many potential recruits, disillusioned by the Left-wing takeover of the military, will be less likely to sign up to serve leaders they see as corrupt.
UFC fighter Bryce Mitchell likely summarized the position of many Americans when he <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/03/09/ufc-fighter-bryce-mitchell-says-evil-has-taken-over-america-and-we-aint-afraid-of-it/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Tucker Carlson in March 2022 that while he wouldn’t fight in the Russia-Ukraine war, he would defend his state. “I’m just not wanting to go waste my life fighting for some of these battles that I don’t even believe in,” Mitchell said. “I believe our leaders, a lot of these elites are guilty of treason. What they’ve done is just treasonous.”
If war came to Arkansas, Mitchell said his response would be dramatically different. “I will dig my boots in the ground, and I will die for everything I love. And I will not retreat,” he said. 
None of this is meant to denigrate the millions of Americans who have honorably served in the military over the last 250 years, but military brass should be held accountable for its kowtowing to the Left on issues from racial prejudice to sexual politics, only alienating those it needs to attract to protect the nation.

United States Marine Corps

Obesity Isn’t The Only Factor Keeping Young People From Military Service

Pentagon

Readers Pass

Transgender

U.S. Army

U.S. Military

U.S. Navy

Vaccine Mandate

White Privilege

White Supremacy

Hundreds of Americans swarmed the funeral of Herman Schmidt, a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/veterans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">member</a> of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-navy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Navy</a> who was killed during the attack on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/world-war-ii" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pearl Harbor</a> but whose remains were only recently identified, after some were concerned no one would appear to honor the deceased sailor.
Schmidt, who hailed from Sheridan, Wyoming, was killed at the age of 28 during the surprise Japanese assault on American forces in Hawaii. He served as a gunner on the USS Oklahoma, which sustained multiple torpedo hits and barrages from enemy aircraft that resulted in the deaths of 428 other crewmen. President Franklin D. Roosevelt subsequently called the Pearl Harbor attack a “date which will live in infamy” and asked Congress to declare war on Japan, officially entering the United States into World War II.
Navy officials recovered the remains from the deceased crew members between December 1941 and June 1944; they were initially able to identify only 35 men from the USS Oklahoma, but advances in DNA technology recently allowed officials to identify Schmidt’s remains, according to a <a href="https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/News-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/2725504/uss-oklahoma-sailor-accounted-for-from-world-war-ii-schmidt-h/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a> from the Defense POW/MIA Agency.
Schmidt had left behind a wife and an infant son, Michael Schmidt, as he departed to serve his country in Hawaii. Now 82 years old and in poor health, Michael Schmidt indicated that he was unable to attend the February 23 funeral at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., as the father he never knew would be buried with full military honors.
“I have mixed emotions,” Michael Schmidt said during an <a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/feb/21/we-never-forget-navy-bury-sailor-killed-pearl-harb/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with The Washington Times. “I thought it was fantastic that they did it.”
Andrea McCarren, a former journalist for WUSA-TV and the chief communications officer of PenFed Credit Union, shared on social media that there was concern no one would attend Herman Schmidt’s funeral. She announced on Thursday afternoon, however, that more than 500 strangers arrived at Arlington to pay their respects for the World War II hero. Schmidt was also <a href="https://twitter.com/GovernorGordon/status/1628776549637066754" target="_blank" rel="noopener">honored</a> in his home state as Gov. Mark Gordon (R-WY) ordered flags to be flown at half staff on Thursday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
ANYTHING is possible when people work together. More than 500 strangers attended funeral of WWII hero Herman Schmidt, whose only survivor is in poor health. There was fear that no one would show up. Schmidt left behind a wife &amp; newborn baby. His remains were recently identified. <a href="https://t.co/wMFeNgDplx">pic.twitter.com/wMFeNgDplx</a>
&mdash; Andrea McCarren (@AndreaMcCarren) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndreaMcCarren/status/1628865167252418560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Defense Department <a href="https://www.defense.gov/Multimedia/Experience/POW-MIA/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">estimates</a> that the remains of more than 80,000 service personnel are missing from previous conflicts and that 38,000 are estimated to be recoverable. When officials from North Korea turned over 55 cases containing the remains of American service members killed during the Korean War in 2018, for instance, the cases were transported to a DNA analysis facility in Hawaii.
Some 99% of soldiers from the Korean War and earlier conflicts, however, do not have DNA on file, according to a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/27/health/american-troops-remains-identification-process/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from CNN. The Veterans of Foreign Wars, therefore, <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2018/7/vfw-urges-mia-families-to-provide-dna-samples" target="_blank" rel="noopener">urged</a> families of Korean War veterans to submit DNA samples to the Defense Department.
The successful identification of missing service members’ remains can often serve as solace for family members. “From Belleau Wood to the Battle of the Bulge, Korea to Vietnam, Afghanistan to Iraq, and around the world, American patriots have dared all, risked all, and given all to defend our Nation and protect our liberties,” President Joe Biden remarked in a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2022/09/15/a-proclamation-on-national-pow-mia-recognition-day/#:~:text=Now%20and%20always%2C%20we%20honor,members%20still%20missing%20in%20action." target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> ahead of the most recent National POW/MIA Recognition Day on September 16. “Now and always, we honor their service, valor, and sacrifice. We also continue the righteous work of bringing home our heroes who remain unaccounted for.”

Arlington National Cemetery

Hundreds Swarm World War II Navy Gunner’s Funeral After Some Worry No One Would Attend

Hundreds Swarm Veteran's Funeral After Some Worry No One Would Attend

Military

Pearl Harbor

World War II

Severe reductions to federal expenditures would be required in order to attain a balanced <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/budget" target="_blank" rel="noopener">budget</a> while keeping intact critical programs such as Social Security, according to a new analysis.
Policymakers must enact 26% across-the-board spending cuts in order to balance the budget within the next decade, according to an <a href="https://www.crfb.org/blogs/what-would-it-take-balance-budget" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. In order to balance the budget but also exempt programs such as defense, veteran benefits, Social Security, and Medicare from cuts, all other federal spending would have to be reduced 85%.
“Due to continued borrowing over the past several years, the desirable fiscal goal of budgetary balance has become much more difficult to reach, and it is highly unlikely it could be achieved in a decade or less, particularly if revenue, defense, and other parts of the budget are excluded from the solution,” the analysis said. “We recommend Congress adopt an aggressive but achievable fiscal goal in its budgets and any fiscal deals.”
Keeping veteran and defense spending intact would require 33% spending reductions for all federal programs, including Social Security and Medicare. The average annual benefit for a new retiree would decrease by as much as $13,000, while as many as 25 million recipients of Medicare would lose eligibility. Between 1.1 million and 1.4 million federal employees would be dismissed.
Another alternative is keeping defense, veterans, and Social Security expenditures intact while enacting cuts to Medicare and all other federal programs. Such a course would require 51% spending reductions for affected agencies.
“Wanting to balance the budget is an admirable and desirable goal. However, the path to get to balance within ten years is likely infeasible, and it is virtually impossible if major parts of the budget and tax code are exempt from change,” the analysis remarked. “Policymakers should set aggressive but realistic fiscal goals, should keep all areas of the budget on the table, and should put forward policies to begin reducing deficits. The first step, of course, is to avoid actions that would worsen our already unsustainable fiscal situation. Policymakers should agree not to pass legislation that calls for any new borrowing. We commend the adoption of a specific and realistic fiscal target.”
The analysis from the conservative think tank comes after Republican lawmakers <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/here-are-the-concessions-house-speaker-kevin-mccarthy-gave-to-republican-holdouts-to-win-their-support" target="_blank" rel="noopener">struck a deal</a> with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) under which the party’s new majority will introduce a budget that refrains from increasing the debt ceiling, an artificial limit on federal obligations imposed by Congress. Several Republican lawmakers initially hesitant to hand the gavel to the leader of their caucus had expressed concern about excessive federal spending.
The national debt is currently nearing $31.5 trillion even as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/interest-payments-on-the-national-debt-on-pace-to-surpass-military-spending" target="_blank" rel="noopener">maintenance costs</a> soar due to a higher interest rate environment. An <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/government-must-raise-taxes-40-or-cut-spending-30-to-achieve-fiscal-balance-study" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> from economists at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School recently found that a 30% decrease in spending or a 40% increase in taxation would be necessary to handle current spending and future obligations.
“Just like all individuals and businesses, the federal government is subject to a budget constraint: it must fund all expenditures, current and future, from its tax and non-tax receipts over time,” the economists said. “By construction, the fiscal imbalance must be zero for a fiscal policy to be sustainable without future changes.”

U.S. Capitol Building

Federal Spending Must Be Cut 26% To Balance Budget, Even More To Keep Core Social, Defense Programs Intact: Analysis

Budget

Department of Defense

Economy

Medicare

National Debt

Social Security

On Friday, a woman was sentenced to three years in a New Jersey state prison for participating in a scam that brought in over $400,000 on a GoFundMe campaign. 
“This sentencing brings to a close a case that defrauded more than 14,000 people whose decency and compassion for others elicited a tremendously heartwarming response to assist someone they believed was truly in need,” Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw <a href="https://burlpros.org/third-defendant-in-402k-gofundme-scam-sentenced-in-superior-court/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. 
“With the new year comes new hope for a better world, and our wish is that prosecutions like this will serve to deter criminals from such deceitful actions, but not discourage individuals from caring about those who are in crisis as a result of a tragedy, or simply need a helping hand after experiencing a hardship or setback,” Bradshaw added.
Katelyn McClure, a 32-year-old woman from Burlington Township, New Jersey, worked with her former boyfriend, Mark D’Amico, to make a GoFundMe campaign in November of 2017. The funds were allegedly being raised for Johnny Bobbitt, and the fundraiser claimed that he was a homeless veteran living in Philadelphia, prosecutors <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/08/nyregion/katelyn-mcclure-gofundme-scam-sentenced.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. 
McClure and D’Amico said on the platform that Bobbitt had given McClure money when she had run out of gasoline, which prosecutors said was a fabrication. The couple said they were aiming to bring in $10,000 for Bobbitt, but they ended up getting $402,000. They didn’t give all of the funds to Bobbitt, however, and instead splurged on a BMW, gambling, Louis Vuitton merchandise, and a vacation. 
The sentencing lands her in a state prison, but she is already serving out a federal sentence of 366 days and wasn&#8217;t at the sentencing because she is in federal prison. The state sentence will be carried out at the same time as the federal sentence.
Bobbitt <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/01/07/1147706326/gofundme-bogus-fundraising-sentence-3-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sued</a> the two of them, saying that he hadn’t gotten all of the money. However, officials said he had described a similar encounter with a woman on his Facebook page in 2012. In 2019, he <a href="https://burlpros.org/third-defendant-in-402k-gofundme-scam-sentenced-in-superior-court/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pleaded</a> guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Theft by Deception, Second Degree. 
A spokeswoman for GoFundMe said in a statement that “we take the misuse of our platform very seriously.”
“While the overwhelming majority of people use our platform every day to help others, we are aware that bad actors do exist and will attempt to take advantage of people’s generosity,” the statement said. It also said that for this event, GoFundMe “refunded 100 percent of all donations through our GoFundMe Giving Guarantee and, as we always do, we worked closely with law enforcement to ensure justice was done.”
The couple also has to completely pay back GoFundMe.

gold-trimmed wooden judicial gavel

Woman Sentenced To Three Years In State Prison Over GoFundMe Veteran Scam

Crime

New Jersey

Houston police have released a dashcam video of an Army Reserves veteran driving an uber who escaped after two passengers attacked him with one holding a gun to the vet&#8217;s head.
The police are hoping that releasing the video to the public will help them to find the suspects.
“They put the gun to my head, behind me, and shouting like, ‘Get out of the car,’” the Uber driver Dovran, who reportedly served seven years in the U.S. Army Reserves, told <a href="https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2023/01/03/get-out-before-i-kill-you-video-shows-terrifying-armed-robbery-of-rideshare-driver-in-west-houston/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KPRC 2</a>.
The incident occurred on October 18, at roughly 11 a.m. Dovran said a pickup request came from a man named “MJ” in a parking lot behind a McDonald’s. The initial plan was for Dovran to make the drop-off near a Walmart, but then was changed to an apartment complex, Houston police stated. Dovran said that when the Uber approached the drop-off site, one man pulled out a gun and put it to Dovran’s head, demanding Dovran get out of the car, snapping, “&#8217;Get out before I kill you. Get out before I kill you. I&#8217;m going to kill you. Get the f*** out the car. Get the f*** out the car!”
“Luckily, he didn’t shoot me,” Dovran said.
The Dashcam video caught one suspect exiting the rear passenger door in order to open the driver’s side door to yank Dovran out. “I was holding my seatbelt so they failed,” Dovran recalled.
The ensuing struggle with the suspect who had left the car left him on the ground along with Dovran’s phone, prompting Dovran to try to drive away. “I was thinking, ‘Okay, if I drive off, at least one guy will be behind me because he was outside. Luckily, the guy who was in the driving seat, he just jumped out,” Dovran told <a href="https://abc13.com/rideshare-robbery-caught-on-video-dashcam-shows-passengers-hold-driver-at-gunpoint-houston-crime-stoppers-uber-threatened-with-a-gun/12646712/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC 13</a>.
As Dovran drives away, the video shows the suspect with the gun insisting, “I&#8217;m gonna shoot you! I&#8217;m gonna shoot you!” before apparently jumping out of the car.
“I was shocked, you know. I was thankful to God like, he didn’t shoot me,” Dovran admitted. “Thankful. I’m lucky.”
Uber released a statement regarding the incident. &#8220;The actions of the riders shown in the video were chilling to watch and we are grateful the driver wasn’t injured,&#8221; the statement read. &#8220;We removed the rider’s access and have reached out to the driver to offer support. We look forward to assisting police in identifying those responsible.&#8221;
Police have asked anyone who can identify the suspects to call Crime Stoppers of Houston.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yFWGGwOH7F4" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Car Driver with GPS

Dashcam Video: Army Reserves Vet Driving Uber Escapes After Suspect Holds Gun To His Head

Houston

Uber

Disabled veteran Congressman Brian Mast (R-FL) took issue with fellow Congresswoman <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/democrat-sheila-jackson-lee-claims-that-biden-did-not-really-make-bigoted-you-aint-black-remark/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sheila Jackson Lee</a> (D-TX) over the way she chose to transport her American flag while she was moving from one office to another.
Mast, who lost both legs and his left index finger in 2010 when he stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED) while clearing a path for the Army Rangers in Kandahar, Afghanistan — was clearly unimpressed when he saw that <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/report-rep-sheila-jackson-lee-retaliated-against-emily-zanotti/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jackson Lee</a> had placed a rolled up American flag in a trash can in the hallway with instructions detailing where it was to be moved.
&#8220;Today’s rescue mission: saving Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee’s American flag from the garbage can,&#8221; Mast tweeted a photo of the offending trash can along with a short video. &#8220;@JacksonLeeTX18, anytime you’d like a lesson on flag etiquette, let me know. It’s one of the first things we’re taught in basic training.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Today’s rescue mission: saving Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee’s American flag from the garbage can. <a href="https://twitter.com/JacksonLeeTX18?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JacksonLeeTX18</a>, anytime you’d like a lesson on flag etiquette, let me know. It’s one of the first things we’re taught in basic training. <a href="https://t.co/dZljLi41GA">pic.twitter.com/dZljLi41GA</a>
&mdash; Rep. Brian Mast (@RepBrianMast) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepBrianMast/status/1600966553281105920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;So, this is a W-T-F moment here in the House of Representatives,&#8221; Mast began, adding, &#8220;People moving offices and this is apparently where Representative Sheila Jackson Lee keeps her American flag, her POW flag, in the garbage can, in the trash.&#8221;
Mast panned the camera to show the trash can in the hallway, clearly labeled with a sign saying where it was to be moved.
&#8220;That&#8217;s her idea of appropriate for moving the American flag. WTF. What the — what the hell is wrong with these people?&#8221; he asked.
Some critics quickly pointed out that Jackson Lee was only moving the flag and did not likely mean for it to remain in the trash can, but Mast himself acknowledged that — and his argument appeared to simply be that even just transporting a flag in a trash can was disrespectful.
And according to the <a href="https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title4-chapter1&amp;saved=%7CZ3JhbnVsZWlkOlVTQy1wcmVsaW0tdGl0bGU0LXNlY3Rpb244%7C%7C%7C0%7Cfalse%7Cprelim&amp;edition=prelim" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. Flag Code</a> (4 U.S. Code Ch. 1), Mast makes a reasonable point:
<ul>
<li> §8 (b) &#8220;The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.&#8221;</li>
<li>§8 (e) &#8220;The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.&#8221;</li>
</ul>

Flag

Disabled Vet Congressman Torches Colleague For Putting American Flag In Trash Can

Disabled Vet Congressman Brian Mast Torches Sheila Jackson Lee For Putting American Flag In Trash Can

American Flag

Congress

Sheila Jackson Lee

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/chris-pratt">Chris Pratt</a> and other cast members from “The Terminal List” took the time Friday to thank those who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/veterans">served</a> in the military in honor of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/veterans-day">Veterans Day</a>.
The official Twitter account for the series shared a brief message Friday. 
“Hey, I’m Chris Pratt. I play James Reece in ‘The Terminal List,’” the video begins. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
For your sacrifice, we thank you. Today and every day. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VeteransDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VeteransDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/DzmcpH6Oik">pic.twitter.com/DzmcpH6Oik</a>
&mdash; The Terminal List (@TerminalListPV) <a href="https://twitter.com/TerminalListPV/status/1591083335203291136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“I want to take a moment to appreciate our armed forces today,” Christina Vidal, who plays Mac Wilson, says next. “Thank you so much for your service,” Taylor Kitsch (Ben Edwards) continues. “Thank you for keeping us safe,” Tyner Rushing, who plays Liz Riley, adds. 
Pratt concludes the message saying, “God bless you.” 
“For your sacrifice, we thank you. Today and every day. #VeteransDay,” the Twitter post caption reads.
“The Terminal List” resonated strongly with audiences thanks to what many claim is a realistic portrayal of the military. The series follows Navy SEAL commander James Reece, portrayed by Pratt, as he embarks on a mission to find out who killed his platoon and get revenge.
Though it became the most-watched video on Amazon Prime with 1.6 billion minutes of streaming during one week in July, the drama was largely panned by critics, leading some fans to accuse them of being unfairly critical to non-woke entertainment.
Pratt even <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chris-pratt-mocks-woke-critics-of-the-terminal-list-by-touting-audience-stats-1-6-billion-minutes-streamed-so-far">shared the link</a> to a Daily Mail article with the title, “The new Yellowstone: Chris Pratt’s new Navy thriller The Terminal List defies woke critics’ scathing reviews to shoot up ratings chart with 1.6 BILLION minutes of streams.”
He followed that with a photo of Dr. Evil from the “Austin Powers” franchise with the caption, “One point six BILLLLLLLLLION minutes.”
This isn’t the first time Pratt went public with his appreciation for veterans. In 2019, he penned a lengthy tribute to his older brother Cully, who served in the military. 
He wrote in part on the Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B4ueswlJoLc/">post</a>, “We have the greatest armed forces the world has ever seen. It’s made up of real people who joined for myriad reasons. Brave men and women who sacrifice a whole hell of a lot. Today is their day.”

“The Terminal List” Los Angeles Premiere – Arrivals

‘God Bless You’: Chris Pratt And ‘Terminal List’ Cast Honor Military On Veterans Day

Chris Pratt And 'Terminal List' Cast Honor Military On Veterans Day

Celebrities

Chris Pratt

Entertainment

Veterans Day

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/north-carolina" target="_blank" rel="noopener">North Carolina</a> Superior Court judge ordered a prospective juror to spend 24 hours in jail after he refused to wear a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/face-mask" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mask</a> in the courtroom.
Judge Charles Gilchrist is the only judge in the courthouse who enforces a mask mandate after North Carolina Democratic Governor Roy Cooper <a href="https://governor.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2021/05/14/following-new-cdc-guidance-face-coverings-governor-cooper-lifts-many-covid-19-restrictions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lifted</a> a statewide mask mandate for most indoor settings over a year ago. Gilchrist found 47-year-old Gregory Hahn of Harnett County in contempt of court for his refusal to follow the judge’s mask order, WRAL News <a href="https://www.wral.com/mask-dispute-lands-potential-harnett-county-juror-in-jail/20520640/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
“The irony of all this is the judge was talking to me without a mask,” said Hahn, a Navy veteran who <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/north-carolina-judge-sends-prospective-juror-jail-for-refusing-wear-mask-mask-optional-courthouse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> served on the President&#8217;s Honor Guard at Arlington National Cemetery. “If safety was such a concern, I go to jail [with] no mask requirements with inmates.”
Clerk of Superior Court Renee Whittenton said in a statement that each of the prospective jurors were told of Gilchrist’s mask rule when they checked in, and the court provided them with masks if they did not have one, but Hahn said he was not made aware of the mandate, and it was not listed on Hahn’s court summons. The courthouse does not have any signs that state masks are required.
“You can go in any district courtroom without a mask, you can come into superior clerk court without a mask and the [district attorney’s] office without a mask, but with Judge Gilchrist he has a mandate that you must wear a mask,” she said.
A joint order by Harnett and Lee counties from March stated that masks are optional in hallways, foyers, restrooms, meeting rooms, and similar areas, but the order allowed presiding judges to decide whether they wanted a mask mandate in the courtroom.
The Navy veteran and single father said Gilchrist asked him twice if he was refusing to wear a mask, and Hahn said he was. The judge then reportedly ordered Hahn to spend 24 hours in jail, and he was handcuffed and taken away minutes later. Hahn said he asked Gilchrist if he could call his son who was at home, but the judge refused his request.
&#8220;I never thought this could happen in this country,&#8221; Hahn said.
&#8220;I&#8217;m jailed for doing my civic duty and not doing anything,&#8221; he added. &#8220;It&#8217;s mind-boggling.&#8221;

Gavel and Mask

A Navy Veteran Showed Up For Jury Duty. The Judge Sent Him To Jail For Not Wearing A Mask.

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