Vorschau ansehenPresident Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni talk during a break at the G7 summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Daniel Torok/Wiki Commons)
Meloni lacks courage, says Trump.
As the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is ongoing, and the fragile US-Iran ceasefire still holds, Donald J. Trump keeps fighting the PR-social media war with guns blazing, never leaving an attack, a slight, or an affront unanswered.
This time, his target was Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, once an ally.
Meloni has just weathered a defeat in an important referendum on Judicial reform, and is now toeing the public opinion line very carefully, leading her to strive to keep away from the Iran confrontations, and to defend Pope Leo’s interference in political issues, denouncing Trump’s criticism as ‘unacceptable’.
So, today, Trump told an Italian newspaper that he was ‘shocked’ by Meloni’s behavior.
Trump said that he expected her to be more courageous, delivering scathing criticism to Meloni.
Trump blasts Meloni:
Does the Italian public like the fact that your prime minister isn’t giving us any help in getting the oil?
Do people like it? I can’t imagine they do.
I’m shocked by her. I thought she had courage—I was wrong.
“Trump responded in an interview with Corriere della Sera, saying Meloni was ‘very different from what I thought’ and denouncing her for refusing to help re-open the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blocked by Iran.
‘I’m shocked by her. I thought she had courage. I was wrong’, he is quoted as saying in the Italian-language article posted online.”
When criticizing her for failing to back US efforts in the Middle East, Trump said Meloni wanted America ‘to do the job for her’.
“Asked about her condemnation of his comments on Pope Leo, he said: ‘She is the one who is unacceptable, because she does not care whether Iran has a nuclear weapon and would blow Italy up in two minutes if it had the chance’.”
Trump:
“Iran would blow up Italy in two minutes if it had the chance.”
“’They (Italy) pay the highest energy costs in the world and are not even ready to fight for the Strait of Hormuz… They depend on Donald Trump to keep it open’, Trump said.”
President Trump has now revealed why he deleted a post allegedly depicting himself as Jesus Christ on Truth Social, as he continues to fire back at criticism from even his own supporters.
As The New York Post reported, Trump told CBS News last night that, while he normally would double down on such a post, he felt he needed to make an exception because his supporters were so befuddled.
“Normally, I don’t like doing that,” the President explained. “But I didn’t want to have anybody be confused.”
“People were confused.”
Trump also responded harshly to conservative women’s rights activist Riley Gaines, who had some choice words for him over the meme on X:
Why? Seriously, I cannot understand why he’d post this. Is he looking for a response? Does he actually think this?”
Either way, two things are true
1) a little humility would serve him well
2) God shall not be mocked
Why? Seriously, I cannot understand why he’d post this. Is he looking for a response? Does he actually think this?
Either way, two things are true.
1) a little humility would serve him well
2) God shall not be mocked https://t.co/GViHqWeDEr
“I didn’t listen to Riley Gaines,” Trump told CBS News. “I’m not a big fan of Riley, actually.”
The Gateway Pundit previously reported that Trump took heat from the media and even some allies after posting an AI-generated image that critics rushed to label “blasphemous.”
The controversy erupted after Trump shared an image on Truth Social showing himself in flowing robes, appearing to heal a man, imagery that many in the media immediately framed as “Christ-like.” The president later deleted the post without explanation.
Here’s the image:
After a national uproar ensued, Trump explained during a news conference that he believed the meme depicted him as a Red Cross doctor.
“Well, it wasn’t depicted—it was me. I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor and had to do with the Red Cross, as a Red Cross worker there, which we support,” Trump said. “And only the fake news could come up with that one.”
“So I had—I just heard about it, and I said, ‘How did they come up with that?’ It’s supposed to be me as a doctor making people better. And I do make people better—I make people a lot better.”
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel was beaming when disgraced Democrat Eric Swalwell announced his bid for California governor on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
After troubling revelations about Swalwell have unfolded, Kimmel has been notably quiet.
Instead of addressing the numerous, disturbing allegations against Swalwell, the partisan Kimmel instead continued his attacks on Republicans.
Fox News reports that during Monday night’s show, Kimmel focused on President Trump’s social media posts, his “No Tax on Tips” event at the White House, the Iran negotiations, and first lady Melania Trump’s remarks about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
On Monday, the House Ethics Committee on launched an investigation into Swalwell amid allegations of sexual assault.
The Manhattan District Attorney has also launched an investigation into Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell over serious allegations of sexual assault.
Four women have come forward on Swalwell so far with allegations of sexual assault.
One woman told CNN that Swalwell raped her in 2024 after he sexually assaulted her in 2019.
Another Swalwell accuser will appear at a press conference in Beverly Hills on Tuesday with her attorneys.
Martin Shkreli and Jack Posobiec shared disturbing videos exposing Swalwell’s bizarre hotel room antics with an alleged sex worker.
On Monday, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) dropped bombshell new details that have emerged that could send the serial scandal-plagued congressman straight to prison.
During an appearance with Fox News host Jesse Watters, Luna claimed that new forensic evidence and witness accounts suggest the now-viral hotel room video allegedly involving Swalwell is not only authentic but may involve an underage individual behind the camera.
For now, only silence from Kimmel.
Hey @jimmykimmel are you going to condemn Eric Swalwell?
Another Swalwell accuser came forward and spoke at press conference in Beverly Hills on Tuesday morning.
The 5th Swalwell accuser to come forward, Lonna Drews, is represented by attorney Lisa Bloom.
“I represent a brave Eric Swalwell accuser. Her disturbing story is forthcoming. We call upon him to resign from Congress and the governor’s race, and we will cooperate with authorities in their investigation,” Lisa Bloom (Gloria Allred’s daughter) said on Monday evening before the press conference.
Lisa Bloom also disclosed that three other women have contacted her in the last 24 hours with accusations against Eric Swalwell.
Lonna Drews recounted how Eric Swalwell drugged and raped her in 2018 and choked her to the point of unconsciousness in a West Hollywood hotel room.
“In 2018, while I was living and working as a model in Beverly Hills, and I also owned a fashion software company, I had contact with Eric Swalwell on three separate occasions,” the alleged sexual assault victim, Lonna Drews, said.
“I knew he was married at the time and that his wife was pregnant. He was my friend. On the third occasion, I believe he drugged my drink,” she said.
Lana Drews said Swalwell drugged her drink and violently raped her.
“He raped me, and he choked me. And while he was choking me, I lost consciousness. And I thought I died. I did not consent to any sexual activity,” she said threw tears.
“I would never have engaged in a consensual sexual encounter with Eric Swalwell,” she said.
WATCH:
WATCH LIVE: Swalwell accuser speaks at press conference after Dem resigns from Congress. https://t.co/akai7zIuLz
Lisa Bloom absolutely shredded Swalwell during the press conference.
Bloom called Swalwell’s statement about sexual misconduct a “slap in the face to the victims.”
Attorney Bloom said she will be filing police charges against Swalwell.
WATCH:
BREAKING: Attorney Lisa Bloom rips Eric Swalwell while sitting beside one of the disgraced congressman's alleged victims, calling the Democrat's recent statement about the sexual misconduct accusations levied against him a "slap in the face to the victims." pic.twitter.com/bqMHTTpHSB
Rasmussen Reports released polling results showing that 82% of American voters believe the “weaponization” of government is a serious threat to our Republic. Rasmussen shows that Americans are waking up … Read more
“North Korea conducted another test of strategic cruise missiles and anti-warship missiles on Sunday as part of operational efficiency trials of its destroyer Choe Hyon, state media KCNA said on Tuesday.
Leader Kim Jong Un observed the test alongside senior defense officials and naval commanders, the report said.”
North Korea 2nd TEST fire of missiles from its NEW naval DESTROYER ‘Choe Hyon’ pic.twitter.com/c7xpEvHk7r
“Two strategic cruise missiles and three anti-warship missiles were fired to check the warship’s integrated weapons command system, train crews in missile-launch procedures and verify the accuracy and anti-jamming performance of upgraded navigation systems, KCNA said.”
North Korea test-fired 5 missiles from its new 5,000-ton Choe Hyon-class destroyer off the west coast
The launch included 2 strategic cruise missiles and three anti-ship missiles
All missiles hit their targets with Kim Jong Un personally observing the test pic.twitter.com/siGJx5PFeS
Leader Kim was briefed of two additional destroyers under construction, the third and fourth vessels of the Choe Hyon class.
“Kim said strengthening what he called the country’s nuclear war deterrent remained a top priority, and called for improving strategic and tactical strike capabilities and rapid-response readiness, the report said.”
This was the second test-fire of weapons on the Choe Hyon, after the first one in April 2025.
The ongoing sexual assault allegations surrounding now-former Congressman Eric Swalwell (D-China) have now caught the attention of FBI Director Kash Patel.
As The Gateway Pundit previously reported, Swalwell is facing explosive accusations of sexual misconduct from several women, including a former staffer who claims he raped her twice.
The allegations of the former staffer, who was the first to come forward, were initially reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.
These accusations come just weeks before California’s June primary and prompted immediate calls from Democrat leaders, including Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff, for Swalwell to drop out of the race.
Seeing no way out of the crisis, Swalwell abruptly resigned from Congress last night.
“I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,” Swalwell said in a statement.
“However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make,” he said.
Following Swalwell’s resignation, Patel released a statement calling on him to sit down with the FBI and share his story.
The FBI Director also called on others to come forward with relevant information on the sexual assault allegations surrounding the now former congressman.
“@EricSwalwell has maintained that none of the allegations against him are true, and now that he’s resigned, we would welcome him to sit down with the FBI and share any information he has”, Patel wrote.
“We also encourage and welcome any person with relevant information to any of these matters to speak with us,” he added. “Door is open to all.”
.@EricSwalwell has maintained that none of the allegations against him are true, and now that he’s resigned, we would welcome him to sit down with the FBI and share any information he has.
We also encourage and welcome any person with relevant information to any of these…
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) April 14, 2026
If charged and convicted, Swalwell is likely facing years behind bars.
And he should be especially worried because his own party has deemed him a damaging burden. Democrats tend to give their own the Mafia treatment when things go south for them.
The DC Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday voted 2-1 to end Judge James Boasberg’s criminal contempt inquiry related to the Trump Administration’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act.
The three-judge panel ordered Boasberg to end his “intrusive” contempt probe of the Trump Administration.
Judge’s Rao (Trump) and Walker (Trump) ordered Boasberg to end his inquiry.
Judge Childs (Biden) dissented.
Last March Boasberg granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop the Trump administration from deporting thousands of Venezuelan nationals believed to be members of Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang under the Alien Enemies Act.
Boasberg then threatened to hold Trump officials in contempt for not bringing some of the world’s most vicious killers, criminals, and rapists back to the United States.
Judge Boasberg said he found probable cause to hold the Trump Administration in criminal contempt of court for defying his order to turn around planes carrying dangerous Venezuelan gang members.
In a 46-page opinion, Judge Boasberg said the Trump Administration showed willful defiance that amounts to criminal contempt.
In December Boasberg made it clear that he was not backing off from his planned contempt hearings and threatened to pierce through attorney-client privilege in his order denying the government’s motion to reconsider.
Last year, a three-judge panel on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily halted Boasberg’s contempt hearings.
Judges Rao (Trump), Walker (Trump) granted an administrative stay pending further order of the court.
Judge Childs (Biden) would have denied the motion for an administrative stay.
Boasberg recently took the next step toward ‘contempt prosecution’ after he revived his criminal contempt inquiry against President Trump over Alien Enemies Act deportations.
The Justice Department recently disclosed that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem greenlit the deportation flights in March despite Boasberg’s emergency order.
Vorschau ansehenNew Swalwell accuser Annika Albrecht. Credit: CBS News screenshot
A new Swalwell accuser has broken her silence for the first time, revealing how she luckily escaped the now-former Democrat congressman’s attempts to seduce her.
As The Gateway Pundit reported, Eric Swalwell (D-China) is facing explosive accusations of sexual misconduct from several women, including a former staffer who claims he ra*ed her twice.
The allegations of the former staffer, who was the first to come forward, were initially reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.
While speaking with CBS’s Nancy Cordes on Tuesday alongside fellow Swalwell accuser Ally Sammarco, Annika Albrecht revealed her own harrowing experience with the former congressman.
Albrecht explained that while she was in college, Swalwell offered to stay in touch and mentor her after meeting with her student group in Washington, DC.
“That was an incredibly generous offer that I felt very lucky to have,” she said.
Swalwell then created a group chat on Snapchat with all the students and later added Albrecht as a friend on the messaging app.
Confused, Albrecht then asked the other students if Swalwell added them as friends, and they said no. Even more creepily, she was the only woman in the meeting.
Swalwell started out talking politics to her, but then his messages turned seductive and dark.
“Ultimately, it reached a point where he invited me to a hotel to meet him,” Albrecht said. “It was very clear what the connotation was.”
“At that point, I completely stopped responding.”
WATCH:
Two women who have accused Rep. Eric Swalwell of sexual misconduct, Ally Sammarco and Annika Albrecht, exclusively told CBS News’ @nancycordes that they “have served justice for his future victims” by coming forward: “I think we just prevented another 30 to 40 years, potentially,… pic.twitter.com/ceT2GxMYbb
“What I keep thinking back to is lucky I am that I didn’t go to that hotel,” Albrecht said.
“For me, justice won’t be until he can’t ever harm a woman ever again, and he has faced the consequences for the women that he has harmed,” she added.
Justice may soon be on the way. TGP notes that both the House Ethics Committee and the Manhattan District Attorney have launched an investigation into Swalwell.
In an attempt to avoid accountability, Swalwell abruptly resigned from Congress Monday night.
But he should remain worried, especially because his own party has deemed him expendable.
DNI Tulsi Gabbard’s Press Release on the conspiracy to impeach President Trump used by Congress. It was all built on lies. DNI Tulsi Gabbard is attacked because she is getting … Read more
(Note: Thank you for supporting businesses like the one presenting a sponsored message below and working with them through the links below which benefits Gateway Pundit. We appreciate your support!)
by Lindsey Hough
For the past two years, AI has been trapped inside our computers…
Chatbots like ChatGPT. Image generators. Voice assistants.
All impressive… but all confined to our digital screens.
That’s about to change in a big way.
Jeff Brown — the tech veteran who spotted Tesla and Nvidia years before they exploded — says AI is about to make its “great escape” into the physical world.
And it’s happening as soon as April 22.
“This isn’t just another software update,” says Jeff.
“We’re witnessing AI take physical form for the first time in history.”
And this former senior executive who helped grow THREE $50+ billion tech companies believes this “AI exodus” will create massive returns for early investors who position themselves now.
In fact, he’s found one stock that is 168 times SMALLER than NVIDIA…
But is ultimately responsible for bringing “Manifested AI” to life before our very eyes.
Vorschau ansehen‘My mental state is collapsing. My spirit is breaking’: Harvey Weinstein told the judge in January
Former Hollywood power player and alleged serial rapist Harvey Weinstein is back on trial in New York.
Again? Yes. The situation with the Harvey Weinstein trials, retrials, mistrial, convictions and acquittals can be quite confusing, so here’s a quick rundown:
Weinstein has been convicted in California in 2022 for three sex crimes, committed in 2013, against an unidentified Italian model and actress: Forcible rape, Forcible oral copulation and Sexual penetration by a foreign object.
For the crimes in this California trial, he was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
So far, it’s simple to understand. But then, there are the New York trials.
Today, Weinstein faces a THIRD New York trial on the rape charge involving hairstylist and actress Jessica Mann.
His original 2020 conviction was overturned by New York’s highest court in 2024 due to improper admission of testimony from uncharged accusers, which would have prejudiced the jury.
So, Weinstein had a 2025 retrial, in which prosecutors charged him with crimes against three women: the jury convicted him of one criminal sexual act count (involving Mimi Haley), acquitted him on another (involving Kaja Sokola), but was deadlocked on the Jessica Mann rape charge — leading to a mistrial.
Prosecutors chose to retry the unresolved Mann count alone, with jury selection now starting today.
After falling from the heights of Tinseltown fame to the depths of infamy, Weinstein has been locked in a prison cell for the last 8 years, since his arrest in May 2018.
“Jury selection is set to start as early as Tuesday in the onetime movie mogul’s latest retrial, where jurors will weigh — for the third time — whether he raped hairstylist and actor Jessica Mann in a Manhattan hotel in 2013.
But ‘it’s not going to be a mirror image of the last trial’, new Weinstein lawyer Marc Agnifilo told Judge Curtis Farber last month.
This time, jurors will weigh only one charge based on one accuser, rather than the array of allegations that were aired at Weinstein’s previous trials in New York and Los Angeles. The Oscar-winning producer denies all the accusations and declared in court this winter that he had ‘acted wrongly, but I never assaulted anyone’.”
Weinstein has been behing bars for the last eight years
Weinstein is now being defended by Marc Agnifilo, who recently spearheaded the defense of now-incarcerated former rap mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.
“His sexual assault conviction involving [Mimi] Haley carries the potential for up to 25 years in prison; no sentencing date has been set. In this case, the yet-to-be-decided rape charge is a lower-level felony punishable by up to four years behind bars.”
The Gateway Pundit has been warning for years that the European Union is run by ideologues who hate Western civilization, capitalism, and basic common sense. Now, even they can’t hide the sheer insanity anymore.
The EU: “Open the Strait of Hormuz because the world needs the oil and gas.”
Also the EU: “Let’s cement the gas wells in the Netherlands, flood the coal mines in Germany, ban shale gas exploration everywhere in Europe, because we don’t need the oil and gas.”
Europe is led by… pic.twitter.com/okZMFBf21u
1. The entire planet runs on fossil fuels — and the EU knows it
The global economy, transportation, manufacturing, heating — everything — still depends overwhelmingly on oil, gas, and coal. Nuclear helps too, but the EU is busy shutting that down as well. When push comes to shove, even Brussels admits the obvious: the world needs fossil energy. That’s why they’re suddenly begging for the Strait of Hormuz to stay open. Without it, energy prices would explode higher than they already have.
2. Yet in Europe, the same bureaucrats are actively destroying their own fossil fuel infrastructure.
They’re cementing gas wells shut in the Netherlands. They flooded working coal mines in Germany. They’ve banned shale gas exploration across the continent. Nuclear plants? They’re decommissioning them too. All in the name of their insane “Green Deal” fantasy that has zero basis in reality or economics.
3. The result?
Europe is forced to buy fossil fuels from abroad at four times the price.
Instead of producing cheap, reliable energy at home, the EU now begs and pays premium prices to foreign suppliers — many of whom laugh at them while filling their coffers. Russia, Qatar, the United States, and yes, even Iran-linked sources get richer while Europeans freeze and factories close.
4. This is deliberately destroying European industry and condemning millions of families to poverty
Energy-intensive industries are fleeing the continent. Jobs are vanishing. Energy bills have skyrocketed. Families are choosing between heating their homes and putting food on the table. This isn’t “climate policy” — it’s economic suicide by design.
And here’s the part the mainstream media will never tell you: this isn’t stupidity. It’s ideological. We are talking about cultural Marxism in its purest, most destructive form.
Cultural Marxism
This is the legacy of the Frankfurt School and especially Herbert Marcuse (1898-1979). Faced with the total economic and intellectual collapse of classical Marxism, a new strain of “critical Marxism” emerged. It argued that the West isn’t dominated just through economics, but through culture itself. The goal? To tear down Western institutions, capitalism, and traditional values from the inside.
Marcuse — the closest thing the world of ideas has to a clinical psychopath — took it further. He mixed Marx with Freud in a toxic brew that claimed any “right-wing” opinion must be criminalized. Dissenters should be beaten, imprisoned, banished — eliminated.
This “kitchen Marxism,” stripped of any rational coherence but boiling with pure hatred for capitalism and the West, now dominates EU circles, especially the European Commission and its ideological twin, the European Court of Human Rights.
There is no grand conspiracy here — just a bunch of true believers, often unconsciously, marching to the same distorted ideological drumbeat. They hate fossil fuels not because they’re “dirty,” but because they represent energy independence, industrial power, and Western prosperity. Destroying those things is the entire point.
That’s not a joke. That’s the future they’re building: a weakened, impoverished, de-industrialized Europe fully submissive to globalist ideology and foreign energy masters.
Europe is transitioning to misery
Europe isn’t transitioning to “green energy.” It’s transitioning to poverty, dependency, and third-world status — all while lecturing the world about saving the planet.
The cultural Marxists in Brussels don’t care about the millions of European families freezing this winter or the factories shutting down. They care about destroying the West. And they’re succeeding.
Vorschau ansehenMilitary analysis shows that Russia holds a decisive advantage over Europe in a war without U.S. backing. Photo courtesy of TASS.
President Trump has been talking about withdrawing the U.S. from NATO since his first term and has refused to get deeply involved in the Ukraine war. Recently, U.S.-European ties were further strained because Europe declined to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, even though European oil supply was directly at stake.
Some European leaders have been insisting the continent can defend itself without American help, while simultaneously criticizing the U.S. for leaving Europe unprotected. At the same time, Viktor Orbán lost the election in Hungary, removing the last major European voice against escalation of the Ukraine war. As a result, Europe is now closer to open conflict with Russia than at any point in the last three decades, and likely without U.S. backing.
A detailed analysis of the overall warfighting capabilities of both sides reveals how dangerously unprepared Europe is for that confrontation.
According to SIPRI data, Europe, including the UK, currently fields approximately 1.47 million active-duty military personnel against Russia’s 1.32 million. On paper, Europe holds a narrow manpower advantage. In practice, that advantage is negated by the most consequential asymmetry in the entire comparison: combat experience. Russia’s 1.32 million active personnel are drawn from a force that has fought a large-scale conventional war for over three years, encompassing combined arms operations, mass artillery, drone warfare, electronic warfare, and urban combat at a scale not seen in Europe since World War II.
Virtually every Russian soldier currently serving has either fought in Ukraine or replaced someone who did. Furthermore, Russia’s entire military is under a single command structure while European troops are distributed across more than two dozen separate national armies with no unified command, no shared doctrine, and vastly different readiness levels. A CSIS assessment concludes that Europe’s problem is not one of headline scale but of readiness, coordination, and the ability to deploy quickly.
Russia demonstrated in 2022 that it can rapidly expand its force by drawing on conscript veterans and reserves, generating hundreds of thousands of additional soldiers within months. Most European nations have allowed their reserve and conscript systems to atrophy over the post-Cold War decades. Only a few European nations still have conscription, and the period has been greatly reduced over the past 30 years. Furthermore, countries such as Germany have very liberal requirements, which allow conscripts to select alternative civilian service instead.
The combat experience gap is the single most important asymmetry that raw personnel numbers do not capture. Russia has spent three years fighting a peer conventional war involving massed artillery, coordinated air defense suppression, drone attrition at industrial scale, and combined arms maneuver under fire. Russia’s professional officer and NCO corps has been largely preserved relative to overall losses, with the proportion of officer deaths declining from around 10 percent of total fatalities in early 2022 to between 2 and 3 percent by late 2024, as the burden of frontline casualties shifted to volunteer infantry.
This means the experienced leadership cadre that trains and commands Russian forces has survived the war largely intact.
In terms of hardware, Russia currently maintains around 3,460 operational tanks, including 620 T-90M, 350 T-80BVM, 470 T-72B3/B3M, 1,000 T-72 variants, 600 T-62M/MV, and 120 T-55A, with over 2,100 additional older tanks in storage. Production has kept pace with attrition throughout the Ukraine war. Russia’s defense sector increased T-90 production from approximately 90 to 110 tanks per year in 2020 and 2021 to 280 to 300 in 2024, effectively tripling output, and the number of T-90M tanks grew from approximately 50 to 200 units between 2022 and late 2025.
Between 2026 and 2036, Moscow plans to build at least 1,783 T-90M and T-90M2 tanks, with 1,118 slated for completion between 2027 and 2029, suggesting Russia will enter any future conflict with a larger and more modern armored force than it had in 2022.
On the European side, Turkey leads with 2,381 tanks, though most are older M48 and M60 variants. Poland has emerged as the most operationally capable armored force on the continent, rapidly fielding Leopard 2, South Korean K2 Black Panther, and US M1A2 Abrams tanks. Greece fields 1,385 tanks including Leopard 2A6 variants, with Germany, Romania, and Spain following.
Europe’s aggregate tank count exceeds Russia’s operational inventory, but that total is fragmented across more than twenty national armies with differing maintenance standards, logistics chains, ammunition types, and doctrine. Russia fields a single integrated force under unified command.
Russia’s total aircraft strength stands at 4,237, including 861 fighters, 698 dedicated attack aircraft, and 1,643 helicopters of which 556 are attack variants. Europe fields more total airframes in aggregate, with advanced platforms including the Eurofighter Typhoon, Rafale, F-35A and F-35B, and Gripen giving it a qualitative edge in individual aircraft. Russia’s frontline consists primarily of Su-35S, Su-34, Su-30SM, and MiG-31 variants, with very limited Su-57 fifth-generation aircraft in service. Despite Europe’s platform quality, Russia retains a decisive advantage in integrated air defense, with layered S-400 and S-500 systems that European air forces would need to suppress at enormous cost and risk before achieving meaningful air superiority over Russian territory.
Europe also lacks the high-altitude ISR platforms, space-based targeting networks, and strategic enablers that underpin any major air campaign, capabilities that European air forces currently cannot replicate without US support.
Europe’s naval advantage on paper is severely undermined by chronic readiness failures. As of early 2026, both HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales are out of action. Only three of the six Type 45 Daring-class destroyers are available for service, just six of the eight Type 23 frigates can operate, and only one in five Astute-class submarines is in the water.
Of the total Royal Navy fleet of 63 ships, only about half are available for duty, leading Former First Sea Lord Admiral Lord West to describe the situation as a disgrace. HMS Queen Elizabeth’s docking period in Rosyth is several months behind schedule, while HMS Prince of Wales, though on five days’ notice to sail as of March 2026, is not deployed.
The actual European carrier picture in April 2026 is therefore a maximum of three serviceable carriers: France’s nuclear-powered Charles de Gaulle, Italy’s Cavour capable of operating F-35Bs, and Spain’s Juan Carlos I in a dual carrier and amphibious role. The two most capable European carriers, both British, are simultaneously non-operational. Italy also operates the Trieste, a 33,000-ton amphibious assault ship that entered service in 2024, and France operates three Mistral-class helicopter carriers.
France plans to begin construction of a next-generation nuclear carrier in 2026 at an estimated cost of €10 billion, with sea trials not expected until 2036 or 2037. Russia has no operational aircraft carrier, with the Admiral Kuznetsov remaining in extended refit. Russia never depended on carrier power; its naval strategy is built around submarines, long-range missiles, and land-based aviation.
In submarines, France operates four Triomphant-class ballistic missile submarines providing continuous at-sea nuclear deterrence, plus a growing force of Suffren-class nuclear attack submarines, with the third Suffren-class SSN Tourville entering operational service in July 2025 and three more due by 2030. The UK nominally operates four Vanguard-class SSBNs plus five Astute-class nuclear attack submarines, with the sixth and seventh Astute-class SSNs entering service in 2025 and 2026, but with only one in five Astute boats currently at sea, the operational reality falls far short of the nominal inventory.
Germany operates six Type 212A conventional submarines with air-independent propulsion. Norway, the Netherlands, Greece, and Turkey field additional conventional submarine fleets. Russia’s submarine force, centered on the Northern Fleet, remains fully intact and formidable, despite losing 29 naval vessels in the Ukraine war including 2 submarines and suffering severe Black Sea Fleet degradation.
Russia holds an overwhelming advantage in Arctic capability that has no European equivalent. Putin confirmed Russia operates 34 diesel icebreakers and 8 nuclear-powered icebreakers, with additional nuclear vessels under construction, and Russia is the only country in the world that builds and operates nuclear-powered icebreakers. Russia’s fleet of 42 icebreakers includes 8 nuclear-powered vessels, with five more planned including the Rossiya, a 71,380-ton Leader Project vessel.
The Lider-class nuclear icebreaker under construction at the Zvezda shipyard will be the most powerful ever built, with 150 MW output and no global equivalent, expected by 2030.
European NATO members collectively have 45 icebreaking-capable ships, 12 fewer than Russia. France’s only icebreaker is a Polar Class 2 vessel capable of operating only in moderate ice conditions. Finland maintains a sizeable fleet primarily for Baltic use, and Sweden’s icebreakers are also Baltic-focused.
Russia’s Arctic dominance enables it to ensure year-round navigation through the Northern Sea Route, support military movements to Arctic bases, maintain submarine operations under Arctic ice, and deny Europe any ability to contest the High North.
Russia has over 5,500 nuclear warheads, with the Federation of American Scientists estimating Russian non-strategic tactical nuclear warheads alone at 1,912. Europe’s independent nuclear forces consist solely of France and the UK. France has approximately 290 nuclear weapons and the UK has 225.
In March 2026, President Macron announced a significant shift, ordering an increase in France’s nuclear arsenal beyond 290 warheads, ending public disclosure of stockpile figures, and moving toward a concept of forward deterrence placing French nuclear forces at the heart of European security.
France will maintain a full nuclear triad of SSBNs, nuclear cruise missiles, and air-launched capabilities. Britain is currently dependent at any one time on a single SSBN on patrol. The asymmetry is stark: Russia’s 1,912 tactical nuclear warheads vastly outnumber anything Europe can field independently, and Russia’s doctrine explicitly contemplates first use of tactical nuclear weapons to de-escalate a conventional conflict.
On direct military hardware, Russia holds decisive advantages where they matter most. Its ground forces are battle-hardened at a scale Europe cannot match. Its armored production is outpacing losses and accelerating toward a larger future force. Its submarine fleet threatens European Atlantic supply lines from an intact Northern Fleet.
Its Arctic dominance is essentially uncontested. And its tactical nuclear arsenal dwarfs anything Europe can independently field, with Russia explicitly reserving the right to use those weapons first to halt a conventional conflict going against it.
Europe has more tanks on paper and more total aircraft, but paper inventories obscure readiness failures, fragmented command structures, and a near-total absence of peer conventional warfare experience. Europe’s carrier advantage exists only on spreadsheets: in April 2026, both British carriers are simultaneously non-operational, leaving Europe with three serviceable carriers against a Russian naval strategy built around submarines and long-range missiles that remain fully intact.
In short, without the US, Europe stands very little chance in a war with Russia.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton possesses two skills in an abundance: dishonesty and self-promotion.
Add to these her lingering, palpable bitterness over her loss to President Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election and you have the recipe for her comments about the Iran war Monday on MS NOW’s “Morning Joe.”
“You know, Joe, let me just say this,” Clinton said in a clip posted to the social media platform X.
Throughout the 37-second clip, co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski listened while Clinton lied and touted her own experience.
“When I was secretary of state and beginning the then-secret negotiations with Iran to try to reach a nuclear weapons deal to prevent them from ever having a nuclear arsenal,” Clinton added, “it was a very slow, deliberative process.”
Needless to say, an aversion to truth runs in the Clinton family. In this case, the former secretary of state lied when she used the word “ever.”
Indeed, according to the liberal-leaning Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, the most common criticisms of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — the Iran nuclear deal forged under President Barack Obama — involved the agreement’s “sunset provisions,” which remained in force for only ten or 15 years, depending on the provision.
At best, therefore, JCPOA merely delayed Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Thus, when he terminated U.S. involvement in JCPOA in May 2018, Trump cited this act of kicking the can down the road as partial justification for his decision.
Still, Clinton wanted credit for the negotiations that led to that 2015 deal.
“This is hard work,” she continued, her voice betraying bitterness and resentment. “You don’t just show up in Geneva or Islamabad, talk for a bunch of hours, and go away. This is hard, disciplined effort that has to go into diplomacy to reach any result.”
Hillary Clinton brags about helping Obama with their disastrous Iran deal, where they sent $1.7 billion to terrorists. pic.twitter.com/OtZ6fAqz9z
Trump, of course, spent years criticizing not the Obama-era diplomats’ efforts, but the results they produced.
In fact, in the May 2018 announcement terminating JCPOA, the president insisted that “the deal gave the Iranian regime too much in exchange for too little.”
For instance, the Iran nuclear deal “foolishly gave the Iranian regime a windfall of cash and access to the international financial system for trade and investment” — money which, according to Trump, the Iranian regime then redirected to “its terrorist proxies, such as Hizballah and Hamas.”
According to the CACNP, the 2015 Iran nuclear deal freed up approximately $50 billion in frozen Iranian assets. Then, another $1.7 billion went to Iran from the U.S. as part of a settlement.
In short, Clinton wanted credit for a deal that gave Iran access to tens of billions of dollars. At the same time, that deal merely delayed the development of Iran’s nuclear program.
Reasonable conservatives may disagree — in some cases vehemently — over the wisdom of Trump’s ongoing military operations against Iran.
That does not mean, however, that Clinton sounded any less ludicrous when she touted the horrible Iran nuclear deal. If anything, JCPOA merely created this current mess.
A man allegedly linked to “white supremacist movements” has now pleaded guilty to a disturbing series of crimes, including firebombing a nonprofit using a napalm-style device and attempting to assist the foreign terrorist organization Hezbollah.
28-year-old Regan Darby Prater of Tullahoma, Tennessee, stood before a federal judge in Knoxville and copped to one count of arson and one count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
According to the Department of Justice, Prater admitted he drove from his home to the Highlander Research and Education Center in New Market, Tennessee.
“Regan Darby Prater, 28, currently of Tullahoma, Tennessee, entered a guilty plea to one count of arson and one count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Prater pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Sentencing has been set before U.S. District Judge Thomas A. Varlan for Sept. 9, in Knoxville.
Prater faces up to 20 years in federal prison, along with related fines, restitution, and a term of supervised release to be served after he is released from custody. As part of his agreement, Prater waived indictment by a Federal Grand Jury and agreed to plead guilty to the aforementioned charges.
Court documents establish that Prater used a so-called “sparkler bomb,” i.e., a napalm-based incendiary device ignited by a common sparkler, to destroy facilities maintained by the Highlander Center, a school for grassroots leaders and social movements in New Market, Tennessee. As part of his guilty plea, Prater admitted that he drove from his home in Tullahoma to the Highlander Center, ignited the sparkler bomb, and destroyed a building, ultimately causing over $1.2 million in damage.
Before he detonated the bomb, Prater spray-painted the symbol of the Iron Guard, a 1930s-era paramilitary arm of the Romanian Nazi Party, in the Highlander Center parking lot. This same symbol was engraved on the rifle used in the terrorist attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand, just two weeks prior to the arson. Prater acknowledged that he committed the arson at the Highland Center due to his white-supremacist ideology and as a response to the Highlander Center’s faith-based educational priorities and its association with the Civil Rights Movement.
Separately, Prater also admitted that, in 2019, he attempted to provide material support to Hizballah, also known as “Hezbollah,” which the United States has recognized as a Foreign Terrorist Organization since 1997. Specifically, Prater obtained a document purporting to contain personally identifiable information of over 35,000 individuals purportedly affiliated with the government of Israel. He then provided that document to an individual he believed to be associated with Hizballah, stating, among other things: “Start the hunt.””
The 30-year-old creep caught on camera terrorizing a California family, screaming “Where’s your daughter?!” while kicking down their door and ripping off their doorbell, has now been hit with additional felony charges for “annoying or molesting a child under 18.”
Jason Thomas Nichols became an internet sensation for all the wrong reasons after a chilling home invasion in Fairfield, California.
Doorbell footage showed Nichols pacing outside a family’s home, demanding to know “Where’s your daughter?” while threatening violence and attempting to force entry.
At one point, the suspect bizarrely claimed to be “Harry Dresden,” a fictional wizard detective before escalating into outright terror.
Moments later, he forced entry through a sliding glass door, with a woman and child inside, triggering a violent confrontation with the homeowner, who rushed back and defended his family.
WATCH:
Scary encounter captured on Ring camera as man demands, “Where is your daughter?” … I’m trying to learn more about the situation and if any arrests were made. pic.twitter.com/vabWa9PqUc
The video depicts a resident of the 1700 block of Burbank Court using a shovel to battle the intruder on Tuesday before police arrived.
Police praised “the actions of the homeowner, who worked to protect his family while officers were responding to the scene.”
A man later identified as 30-year-old Jason Nichols attempted to break into the residence occupied by a woman and child by kicking the front door, police said. When that failed, he gained entry through a sliding glass door.
“The homeowner’s husband, who was away at the time, observed the suspect through a home security camera and immediately returned to the residence,” police said.
As the suspect entered the home, the homeowner “armed himself with a shovel, and confronted Nichols,” police said.
“A physical altercation ensued, during which both the homeowner and Nichols sustained head injuries,” police added.
According to Fairfield Police, the new charges stem from a disturbing April 5, 2026, encounter – just two days before the viral home invasion on April 7.
A witness contacted police on April 12 to report an incident involving Jason Thomas Nichols and the witness’s child.
Update Regarding April 7, 2026 Incident – Fairfield Police Department Statement
On April 12, 2026, a witness contacted the Fairfield Police Department to provide information regarding an encounter involving 30-year-old Jason Nichols and the witness’s child on April 5, 2026. Based on the investigation, officers determined there was probable cause to arrest Nichols for additional crimes. While Nichols remained in custody for the previous incident, he was additionally booked for one count of 647.6 PC, annoying or molesting a child under 18.
Fairfield Police detectives are actively investigating this incident. Due to the sensitive nature of this case and the involvement of a minor, no further information will be provided. The Fairfield Police Department remains dedicated to ensuring the safety of our community and supporting those affected by these crimes.
Vice President JD Vance, a man who converted to Catholicism as an adult and has repeatedly proven himself one of the most devout and principled Catholic voices in American public life, just delivered a stinging message to Pope Leo XIV: Stick to matters of morality and leave American public policy to the President of the United States.
Pope Leo has doubled down, condemning war and warning against using religious messaging to justify violence, insisting he will “continue to speak loudly” for peace.
Vance, speaking on Fox News with Brett Baier, didn’t mince words as the radical left and their Vatican allies continue their latest meltdown over President Trump’s America First agenda.
Bret Baier: Do you think that when the president says it’s hurting him very badly—going catering to the radical left—that it’s hurting the Catholic Church? Do you agree with the president there?
JD Vance: Well, look, I think the president has the prerogative to set American foreign policy. He’s got the prerogative to set American immigration policy. He has to look out for the interests of the United States of America. And that inevitably means that when the Vatican comments on issues of public policy, sometimes there’s going to be agreement—of course—and sometimes there’s going to be disagreement.
I think that’s a reasonable thing, Bret. Again, I don’t think that it’s particularly newsworthy, but I certainly think that in some cases it would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality—to stick to matters of, you know, what’s going on in the Catholic Church—and let the president of the United States stick to dictating American public policy.
But when they’re in conflict, they’re in conflict. I don’t worry about it too much, Bret. I think it’s a natural thing. I’m sure it’ll happen in the future, and it’s not that big of a deal that it happened in the past.
WATCH:
Fox News’ Bret Baier: “Do you think that when the president says it’s ‘hurting him very badly,’ ‘catering to the radical left’ is hurting the Catholic Church?’ Do you agree with the president there?”
Vance also addressed the media firestorm surrounding Trump’s viral AI-generated image. Vance dismissed the outrage as media-driven hysteria.
WATCH:
JUST NOW — JD VANCE on Trump’s deleted post after religious backlash: “He doesn’t send everything through a communications professional.”
“The president was posting a joke and of course he took it down because he recognized that a lot of people weren’t understanding his humor… pic.twitter.com/oFiRV6ry1d
Disgraced California Rep. Eric Swalwell was caught on video looking completely bleary-eyed and wearing nothing but a robe while partying with a rotating crew of young “yacht girls” during a luxury blowout off the coast of St. Tropez.
According to a report from New York Post’s Page Six, the video shows Swalwell aboard a luxury yacht surrounded by a group of young women, described by sources as a rotating cast of mostly British and American guests, during what insiders called a “hush-hush” getaway.
The video was shared on Instagram by Nik Richie, CEO of Warrior Network Agency, a full-service public relations and marketing firm based in Newport Beach, California.
Sources familiar with the trip told the news outlet that the week-long excursion was alcohol-fueled and chaotic, with jet skiing, partying, and a constant flow of guests cycling on and off the vessel.
The yacht, reportedly a 200-foot luxury vessel chartered in the French Riviera, hosted a small group of men alongside numerous young women, many of whom allegedly did not know each other prior to arriving.
The attendees were allegedly told to keep Swalwell’s presence quiet.
Sources tell us that in early September 2022, two of Swalwell’s pals jetted by private plane from Las Vegas to the French Riviera town where they chartered the 200 ft Arience yacht, and called Swalwell to come join them.
We’re told the now-former Congressman arrived by commercial flight and joined them by tender on the stunning luxury craft.
We’re told there were some four or five men on the boat, including Swalwell, and a group of beautiful young women.
According to our source, one of the women, a Brit believed to be in her late teens, appeared to be romantically involved with one of the men in the group. But the five or six other women, a mix of Brits and Americans who were a little older (apparently in their 20s), seemed otherwise unacquainted both with the group or with each other.
“The people on the boat were told to keep it hush-hush about Swalwell being on the trip,” said a source familiar with the week-long excursion around the French Riviera. “They were told everything stays on the boat.”
[…]
“It didn’t seem like a politician,” said a source familiar with the antics aboard, “More like president of a frat house.”
We’re told some of the women seemed to be shipped back to shore, never to return, while others arrived to “replace them.”
Bombshell new details have emerged that could finally send the serial scandal-plagued congressman straight to prison.
As The Gateway Pundit has been reporting for days, Martin Shkreli and Jack Posobiec dropped the bombshell videos exposing Swalwell’s bizarre hotel room antics with an alleged sex worker.
On Monday, Luna wrote on X that more “disgusting” information about Eric Swalwell is expected to be released within the next 24 hours. She also issued a warning to Swalwell regarding the person who recorded the video.
“I am being told there will be more disgusting stuff coming out on Swallwell in the next 24 hours. For the members of Congress who are concerned about optics on expelling Swalwell, I think after the information drops you will be thinking otherwise. Eric, why dont you tell us a little about who was filming the video of the female sex worker.”
I am being told there will be more disgusting stuff coming out on Swallwell in the next 24 hours. For the members of Congress who are concerned about optics on expelling Swalwell, I think after the information drops you will be thinking otherwise.
Following this threat, Swalwell resigned from Congress and suspended his gubernatorial bid amid the avalanche of allegations, but the hits just keep on coming.
During an appearance with Fox News host Jesse Watters, Luna claimed that new forensic evidence and witness accounts suggest the now-viral hotel room video allegedly involving Swalwell is not only authentic, but may involve an underage individual behind the camera.
Anna Paulina Luna: So what I will say is that many people on the Hill knew about this. Many reporters have come forward—even in talking to me—saying that they had heard stories about this. But I do think that he has serious criminal problems on his hands, and I do think that he might end up in jail, Jesse.
And if I could just share with you for a moment—not only did I receive forensic reporting showing that that infamous video of him in the hotel room was indeed him, and that it was not AI-generated—but I’m also being told that: A) more stuff is going to be dropping in the next 24 hours; and B) potentially, the individual who recorded that video in that hotel room, Jesse, was a female—and she was underage.
Jesse Watters: Oh, just so the audience is aware, there’s a video that’s circulating. Fox hasn’t confirmed it yet. It appears to show Swalwell on a bed, maybe another guy, making out with a girl. That’s it—that’s all we know.
But if what you’re saying is true—and we don’t know—but if that’s true, that is very, very, very bad news.
WATCH:
Based on a forensic report I’ve seen, Eric Swalwell could be facing jail soon. He did the right thing by resigning but his troubles aren’t over yet. pic.twitter.com/1TgwscDG4k
Iran’s radical Muslim President Masoud Pezeshkian has rushed to praise and defend Pope Leo XIV after the Chicago-born pontiff launched yet another attack on President Donald Trump for standing up to the bloodthirsty Iranian regime.
As The Gateway Pundit reported, Trump delivered a blistering takedown of Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pontiff, slamming the Vatican leader as weak on crime, disastrous on foreign policy, and far too cozy with the radical left.
Trump also noted that he recently hosted the Pope’s brother, Louis, at the White House, a man who actually understands the MAGA movement.
When asked by the Associated Press about Trump’s post, Pope Leo XIV refused to back down. He stated that he is sharing the message of the Gospel and suggested that Trump had no clue of its meaning.
“I’m sorry to hear that (from Trump)…I do not look at my role as being political or a politician. I don’t want to get into a debate with him; I don’t think the message of the Gospel is to be used in the way some people are doing,” Pope Leo told reporters.
“And I will continue to speak loudly against war and to promote peace, dialogue, and multilateral relationships among states.
“Too many people are suffering in the world today. Too many innocent people are being killed, and someone has to stand up and say there’s a better way.”
Critics, however, note that the pope has remained silent on atrocities committed by the Islamic regime.
Now, the leader of a terrorist-sponsoring, nuclear-obsessed Islamic theocracy, one that executes women for defying hijab laws, has killed tens of thousands of its own citizens for protesting, bankrolls Hamas, Hezbollah, and other proxies, and routinely chants “Death to America,” is now sending “glory by Allah” to the Pope for bashing Trump’s America First foreign policy.
Pezeshkian took to X on Monday to publicly condemn President Trump’s fiery response to Pope Leo’s meddling:
“His Holiness Pope Leo XIV (@Pontifex), I condemn the insult to Your Excellency on behalf of the great nation of Iran, and declare that the desecration of Jesus, the prophet of peace and brotherhood, is not acceptable to any free person. I wish you glory by Allah.”
His Holiness Pope Leo XIV (@Pontifex), I condemn the insult to Your Excellency on behalf of the great nation of Iran, and declare that the desecration of Jesus, the prophet of peace and brotherhood, is not acceptable to any free person. I wish you glory by Allah.
This is the same regime that has driven thousands of Christians out of Iran, persecuting them, imprisoning them, denying them the ability to worship freely, and in some cases subjecting them to torture or death. Now that same regime wants to posture as a defender of Christianity and weigh in on Church matters?
As we’ve reported here at The Gateway Pundit, this isn’t the first time the new Pope has waded into U.S. politics to undermine Trump.
From migration to the Iran conflict, Leo XIV has shown himself to be far more interested in left-wing globalist talking points than in the traditional defense of Western civilization and Christianity.
The radical Left in Sacramento has finally done it.
In a move straight out of a totalitarian playbook, the California Assembly Judiciary Committee voted 11-2 on Monday to advance AB 2624, the so-called “Stop Nick Shirley Act,” a disgusting Democrat power grab designed to make it illegal for brave citizen journalists like Nick Shirley to expose the rampant fraud bleeding American taxpayers dry in immigrant service centers.
This is nothing less than an all-out assault on the First Amendment by the radical left in the People’s Republic of California.
The bill, authored by far-left Assemblywoman Mia Bonta (wife of Attorney General Rob Bonta), would slap investigative reporters with massive civil sanctions starting at $4,000 minimum if a fraudster from one of these “immigrant service centers” decides they don’t want to be caught on camera committing their scams.
The crook can then run to court for an injunction banning the journalist from filming or exposing them on camera for up to four years.
And if the journalist refuses to take down the original video? Triple the damages, $12,000, just for telling the truth!
In the worst cases, if the journalist is accused of “doxxing” or creating an “imminent threat” by simply reporting the facts, they could face criminal charges and $10,000 fines.
The bill classifies legitimate investigative journalism as “harassment” when it targets these so-called “immigrant service centers” you know, the fake Somali daycares and Los Angeles hospice operations that Nick Shirley has been courageously exposing.
What a disgrace! This is Democrats in action: protecting fraud artists over the American people.
California State Assemblymember Carl DeMaio is among those raising urgent concerns about the legislation, warning that AB 2624 (Bonta) represents a dangerous escalation in government efforts to control investigative reporting.
CA State Assemblymember Carl DeMaio is slamming state Democrats for voting to advance a controversial new law (AB 2624) to silence citizen journalists and shield taxpayer-funded organizations from public scrutiny.
DeMaio has gone as far as dubbing AB 2624 the “Stop Nick Shirley Act” for the chilling effect it will have on free speech.
AB 2624 comes as independent journalists like Nick Shirley have used viral videos to expose fraud and abuse in government-funded programs using on-the-ground footage and firsthand documentation.
AB 2624 claims to be about protecting immigrant organizations from “threats of violence,” when in fact the legislation would apply to any left-wing group that claims to provide any services to legal or illegal immigrants. For example, under AB 2624 entities like the Somali “Learing” Daycare centers would all be covered if they operated inside California.
During a recent Assembly committee hearing, DeMaio directly confronted the bill’s author, Mia Bonta, over language that would allow individuals affiliated with certain organizations to demand the removal of video recordings — even if taken in public — and even impose costly financial penalties against those who publish the videos online.
DeMaio warned the bill would be used to block investigative reporting and intimidate journalists, watchdog groups, and members of the public documenting wrongdoing.
Assemblymember Carl DeMaio’s Full Statement on AB 2624:
“California Democrats are trying to intimidate citizen watchdog journalists and protect waste and fraud happening in far-Left-wing NGOs. AB 2624 can only be described as the ‘Stop Nick Shirley Act’ — a bill designed to silence citizen journalists exposing fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars.
Instead of fixing the fraud problems being uncovered, Sacramento politicians are trying to shut down the people exposing them.
AB 2624 would allow activists and taxpayer-funded organizations to demand the removal of video evidence — even if it captures misconduct in plain view — and threatens journalists with massive financial penalties.
That’s not about public safety — it’s about protecting powerful interests.
If this bill becomes law, the message is clear to every journalist in California: expose corruption and you will be punished. AB 2624 is an unconstitutional direct attack on transparency and the First Amendment – and it needs to be defeated.”
Nick Shirley blew the lid off over $110 million in Somali daycare fraud in Minnesota back in December 2025, empty facilities billing taxpayers while kids were nowhere to be found.
He faced death threats and doxxing for his work, which we reported on extensively. Then in March 2026, Shirley dropped another bombshell: $170 million in similar fraud in California daycares and hospices, with ghost operations registered to empty lots and strip malls.
Tyler Robinson’s legal team is bringing in expert witness Dr. Bryan Edelman, who played a significant role in securing a change of venue in the Bryan Kohberger murder case in 2024.
Robinson, 22, has been charged with murder for allegedly assassinating conservative commentator Charlie Kirk back in September 2025 on Utah Valley University’s campus during a Turning Point USA event.
Edelman is a co-founder of the trial consulting group “Trial Innovations” and will give expert testimony at the April 17 evidentiary hearing about cameras in the courtroom, The Post Millennial reported.
A defense motion stated that Edelman believes “the modern internet and social media ecosystem — especially algorithmic curation and personalization — has fundamentally altered how news is consumed and makes local, high-profile publicity substantially harder to avoid for residents of the locality where the events giving rise to the case occurred and the case is being tried.”
He will also reportedly testify about polling results related to the case and speak to the demographics of Utah County’s adult population, from which the jury pool will be drawn.
Robinson’s defense team claimed that modern online content can “bias juror judgments, increase the likelihood of guilty verdicts in experimental settings, and contribute to memory and source-monitoring errors, including misattributing pretrial information as trial evidence.”
As for Edelman’s resume, he testified in favor of a change of venue for Kohberger, who was ultimately sentenced to life in prison after killing four University of Idaho students in 2022.
Edelman’s testimony did, however, help Kohberger secure a change of venue with the case being moved to Ada County.
“People here have demonstrated they would experience fear, stress, panic in this community,” he testified in the case, according to The Post Millennial. “There’s significant rumors and misinformation that have been spread and people have been exposed to in this community. There’s a feeling of pressure to convict.”
Edelman is based in California and holds a Ph.D. in social psychology.
He also conducted a telephone survey for the defense team before reporting his findings on March 13, per Fox News.
Robinson’s attorneys — Kathryn Nester, Michael Burt, Richard Novak, and Staci Visser — have argued that the pretrial publicity affects potential jury pools, resulting in more guilty verdicts.
Recently unsealed records revealed letters and messages between Robinson and his roommate, Lance Twiggs, in which he mentioned “an opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk.”
“If you are reading this per my text, then I am so sorry. I left the house this morning on a mission, and set an auto text. I am likely dead, or facing a lengthy prison sentence. I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I took it,” he wrote.
“I don’t know if I will/have succeeded, but I had hoped to make it home to you,” Robinson continued.
“I wish we could have lived in a world where this did not feel necessary. I wish I could have stayed for you and lived our lives together.”
Scott Jennings of CNN recently spoke at the Texas Public Policy Foundation Summit and gave a speech that deserves attention.
He begins by saying that he wants to tell you ‘something that you must understand about the left’ and then launches into some basic truths that must be repeated.
He talks about the left’s basic world view, the way they look at America, and then transitions seamlessly into the subject of Charlie Kirk.
“Here’s something that you must understand about the left,” Jennings said. “They hate success. They hate it when people make it on their own. They hate it when you don’t need them.”
“Think about what they teach our kids. That America was founded on racism. That our country is rotten at its core. That capitalism is evil. That hard work is for suckers. That merit is a dirty word. That the nuclear family is oppressive, especially to women. That faith is for idiots and rubes for people who are from Kentucky and Texas,” he continued. “They run people for the United States Senate who think there are six genders. And that we can solve the climate crisis by taking away all of your bacon. Is it any wonder that Charlie spent his life on college campuses trying to reach young people? He saw what was happening.”
“I think when that shooter pulled the trigger and killed my friend in Utah, he thought he was ending a movement,” Jennings said. “He thought if he killed Charlie Kirk, he could kill what Charlie stood for. That the rest of us would get the message. That we would heed the warning. Silence yourselves, or we will do it for you. I think that’s what he thought. Certainly, what the people who cheered on the assassination thought. And make no mistake, there were thousands who cheered it on.”
“But in trying to silence one voice, I think they created thousands,” he said. “In trying to end a conversation that day, I think they started millions. And that is the thing we learned about faith and freedom. You can’t kill them. You can try to suppress it, and you can try to silence it. But it always finds a way. Like water finding cracks in a dam.”
Today on CSPAN, former house speaker Nancy Pelosi was asked if she or other Democrats had any advanced knowledge of Eric Swalwell’s behavior or the things he has been accused of.
The host framed it as an accusation that Republicans are making, rather than pointing out that people all over the country are now admitting that Swalwell’s issues were an open secret for years.
Pelosi denied the whole thing, saying it is “absolutely not true.”
Here’s the clip:
A flustered Nancy Pelosi denies that Democrats knew what Swalwell was doing and turned a blind eye:
Pelosi’s comments are in direct conflict with a new report from ABC 7 in California (emphasis is ours):
U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell has suspended his campaign for California governor following sexual assault allegations, announcing the decision Sunday as scrutiny intensified around the Democratic primary race.
In a statement, Swalwell said he would step aside to address the claims.
“To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past. I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made – but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s.”
The suspension immediately reshaped a closely watched contest in which Swalwell had held a narrow lead among Democrats.
Criticism of Swalwell has circulated in Washington for years, according to former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who spoke on ABC’s “This Week.”
“Every member in Congress knows not to let any young staffer around Swalwell or Matt Gaetz, it’s not a secret there,” McCarthy said.
Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown said the allegations were not unexpected, citing longstanding talk among Democratic leaders.
“No, I’m not surprised frankly because there have been rumors after rumors after rumors, his colleague in Washington pretty much said that. That’s what Adam Schiff said, that’s what Nancy Pelosi said,” Brown said.
Of course, Nancy Pelosi would never lie, would she?
Tom Friedman of the New York Times just admitted something that is true about countless people in media and Democrats. They do not want the effort in Iran to succeed because they simply don’t want it to be a win for Trump.
At least Friedman was honest enough to come right out and say it.
This is just another example of people on the left hating trump more than they love the country.
FRIEDMAN: Yes, there’s been some leadership change. Obviously, certain people have been killed. But this is the Iranian regime. It goes right down to the mayoral level. All the institutions are the same.
Yes. I find myself, Michael, in a situation where I really want to see Iran defeated militarily because this regime is a terrible regime for its people in the region. And nothing would improve the region more than the replacement of this regime in Iran with one was focused on enabling its people to realize their full potential and integrating peacefully with other countries and stop occupying Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen.
So I’m all for that. The problem is I really don’t want to see Bibi Netanyahu or Donald Trump politically strengthened by this war because they are two awful human beings. They are both engaged in anti- democratic projects in their own countries. They’re both alleged crooks. They are terrible, terrible people doing terrible things to America’s standing in the world and Israel standing in the world.
And so I really find myself torn. I want to see Iran militarily defeated, but I do not want to see these two terrible people strengthened.
Here’s the video:
Don’t want Iran to lose if it means Trump wins. @TomFriedman of @NYTimes really wants “to see Iran defeated militarily because this regime is a terrible regime for its people and the region,” but on CNN’s @Smerconish he fretted “the problem is I really don’t want to see Bibi… pic.twitter.com/rgPngGXkGc
They are incapable of setting aside their pathological hatred of Trump, even in matters of national security. They rise and sleep seeing themselves in competition with Trump and seethe at any perceived win on Trump’s part.
Do they not realize that they lost already in November?
Like many people in media, Brian Stelter has an inflated sense of the worth of mainstream journalists. We are used to this fact about him, but sometimes, even we are surprised by the lengths he will go to heap praise on his broken industry.
Today on the air, Stelter gave journalists the credit for ending Eric Swlawell’s bid for governor of California.
This is amazing when you consider the fact that people are coming out of the woodwork now, claiming that Swalwell’s behavior has been an open secret among Democrats and the media for years.
And by the way, don’t his victims who have come forward deserve more credit than the media?
CNN’s chief media analyst is applauding the mainstream media for exposing sexual misconduct allegations against the top Democratic candidate for California governor, including an alleged rape, and now faces the wrath of online critics.
California Rep. Eric Swalwell had a tenuous lead above the other Democrats, but he has suspended his campaign in the wake of allegations of sexual assault from a former staffer and accusations from others about sexual misconduct. He has denied the claims.
On Monday, Brian Stelter of CNN said the report was a victory for journalism while ignoring that many had looked the other way for a decade about rumors of the allegations.
Stelter said it was a “testament to the power of investigative reporting” and credited CNN and the Chronicle for ending Swalwell’s gubernatorial hopes.
Watch the video of Stelter below:
Eric Swalwell ending his bid for California governor is, among other things, a testament to the power of investigative reporting pic.twitter.com/4xzUg944dt
And all it took was seven terms in Congress and about a half-dozen victims for investigative journalists to break the news of behavior apparently everyone knew about.
10 years late. Imagine how many people might have been saved from Swalwell had the media done its job at the start, rather than covering for a fellow Democrat.
I realize you're tying to take a victory lap here but why couldn't anyone investigate this story before last week? Apparently lots of people knew for years. Echoes of Joe Biden coverage all over again.
A new report revealed that American officials believe China is helping Iran in the war with the United States and Israel.
According to The New York Times, U.S. intelligence agencies believe China sent shoulder-fired missiles to Iran. The weapons can be used to down low-flying planes.
The report said the intelligence has some uncertainty, and it is also not clear if Chinese missiles were used in Iran’s recent attacks on U.S. or Israeli targets.
The report said American officials believe China, which heavily controls its private sector, is allowing chemicals, fuel, and parts for weapons to be sent to Iran.
If this report about CCP supplied missiles through Pakistan to Iran is true, this is an act of war and China (and Pakistan) should be put on notice immediately and the CCP should NOT be allowed to send another 500K students to attend our U.S. colleges and universities, never… https://t.co/tPK8Kbwlpb
The report noted that sending missiles to America’s foe “would be a significant escalation and an indication that at least some of China’s leaders are working actively to bring about an American military defeat in a war that has engulfed the Middle East.”
A CNN report indicated that China is planning to send the missiles to Iran, and will route them through a third-party nation to cover up the shipment’s origin.
“The intelligence also underscores how Iran may be using the ceasefire as an opportunity to replenish certain weapons systems with the help of key foreign partners,” CNN reported.
A representative of the Chinese embassy said, “China has never provided weapons to any party to the conflict; the information in question is untrue.”
“As a responsible major country, China consistently fulfills its international obligations. We urge the U.S. side to refrain from making baseless allegations, maliciously drawing connections, and engaging in sensationalism; we hope that relevant parties will do more to help de-escalate tensions,” the representative said.
U.S. intelligence sources say China is preparing to send air defense systems—MANPADS—to Iran. Some believe a MANPAD shot down our F-15E on the 3rd of this month. President Trump should impose his 50% additional tariff on Chinese goods now.
China is not alone. Russia has sent the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps satellite information to help it attack American ships and installations. Russia, however, has not sent Iran any weapons, The New York Times said.
Although China is publicly neutral, it has been sending dual-use parts to Iran that are destined for weapons. By virtue of sending goods with civilian applications, China can claim it is not fueling Iran’s war effort.
The New York Times report noted that although China needs the Strait of Hormuz open in order to get the oil it needs, the war offers the chance to weaken the U.S.
China is heavily dependent on oil that passes through the Strait of Hormuz, and it is keen not to do anything that extends the war, according to American officials. At the same time, at least some Chinese officials are interested in supporting Tehran in a war that is seen as weakening American standing and strength.
China is Iran’s largest oil buyer and its largest economic partner.
The reports about China’s activities come as President Donald Trump prepares for a trip to China next month to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trump:
JUST NOW — JD VANCE on Trump’s deleted post after religious backlash: “He doesn’t send everything through a communications professional.”
(@BrentHBaker) 
