Keys to the Kingdom

Entertainment 4 Minutes

Barron Trump played a pivotal role in his father’s reelection last year, but not a lot is known about the youngest son of Donald Trump.  His parents, particularly his mother Melania, prefers to guard him closely.  Will he follow in his father’s footsteps, inheriting the keys to the kingdom?  Who knows.  But he is already influencing events and drawing attention.  I found this article about him on Biography.com.

From Biography.com:

Growing up, Barron learned to speak English and Slovene, the language of his mother’s home country, Slovenia. He is fluent in both tongues and also speaks French.

Barron was raised inside his father’s New York City high-rise Trump Tower, where he had an entire floor to himself. Accordingly, Barron has always known a life of luxury. In an interview with Parenting, Melania revealed Barron really liked planes and helicopters when he was little and that, as a hands-on mom, she cooked his breakfast and prepared his lunches. She also believed in encouraging his creativity—even when he would draw on the walls. “His imagination is growing and important,” she said. “If he draws on the walls in his playroom, we can paint it over.”

Although it’s unclear if he’ll follow his family into the real estate business, Barron did like to build cities and airports using Lego bricks and Magna Tiles growing up. He also has his own aesthetic. “He likes clean and white,” Melania told Parenting. “He builds big projects. He has a big imagination, and it’s very impressive. He loves to build something and tear it down and build something else. He is very detailed at drawing. We travel often, and he remembers everything he sees.”

Melania also told the magazine she calls Barron “Little Donald” because his personality is so similar to that of his father. “He is a very strong-minded, very special, smart boy. He is independent and opinionated and knows exactly what he wants,” she said.

She also noted that Barron spent a lot quality time with his father, mostly at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, where they played golf, ate dinner together, and enjoyed family time.

Donald Trump’s election to the U.S. presidency in 2016 brought a new level of exposure to the family, already well-known for Donald’s real estate holdings, reality TV series, and other business ventures. But Barron didn’t immediate follow his father to Washington D.C. after the inauguration. Instead, the boy stayed at Trump Tower with his mother for almost the first five months of his father’s presidency in order to finish his studies at the Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School on the Upper West Side. He and his mother moved into the White House on June 11, 2017, and Barron began attending St. Andrew’s Episcopal, a prep school in Maryland.

Barron became the first son of a president to reside in the White House since John F. Kennedy Jr. in 1963. Although he stayed out of the spotlight for the most part, he did turn up for some of the White House’s holiday-themed events in 2017, including the annual Easter Egg Roll in April, where he joined his parents in signing cards for members of the American Armed Forces. He also supported his father’s pardoning of the turkeys before Thanksgiving and, soon after, stepped out with his mom on the North Portico to receive the official Christmas tree from Wisconsin, which went up on display in the White House’s Blue Room.

On October 14, 2020, Melania confirmed that, like her and Donald, Barron tested positive for COVID-19. Although Barron initially tested negative, the first lady revealed that her “fear came true when he was tested again and it came up positive.” Melania continued: “Luckily he is a strong teenager and exhibited no symptoms. In one way, I was glad the three of us went through this at the same time so we could take care of one another and spend time together. He has since tested negative.”

After leaving the White House in 2021, Barron moved with his mother and father to Mar-a-Lago. In August 2021, it was announced that Barron had enrolled in private school at the Oxbridge Academy in Palm Beach, Florida. Both of his parents attended his graduation in May 2024.

Soon after, his father said in an interview that Barron was still considering multiple schools to obtain his undergraduate degree. “He’s applied to colleges and gets into everywhere he goes. He’s very sought after from standpoint,” Donald said. According to People, a source said it’s possible that his mother, Melania, “will follow him wherever he goes to school.” Barron ultimately selected New York University and is studying in the Stern School of Business. He began classes there in September 2024 and reportedly lives off-campus. He commutes to campus from nearby Trump Tower.

Barron towers over both of his famous parents and, according to his father, stands at 6 feet, 7 inches tall. Donald has attributed Barron’s impressive frame to all the food his late grandmother Amalija Knavs cooked for him. He has also remarked about Barron’s potential future in sports. “I said you’re gonna be a basketball player. He said, ‘Well, I like soccer, dad, actually,’” he said at a 2024 campaign event. “I thought… at your height, I like basketball better, but you can’t talk them into everything.”

Barron’s 18th birthday in March 2024 led to debate about how the media should cover him now that he is a legal adult. However, Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, has defended Barron, saying he has a right to privacy. “I think he’s a private citizen. I feel so strongly that if you are a private citizen, you have an unimpeachable right to privacy, and I think the media should leave him alone,” she said.

In May 2024, news broke that Barron had been selected to serve as an at-large delegate for the state of Florida at the Republican National Convention later in July, which would have marked his first foray into the political realm. However, the office of Melania Trump announced two days later that he “regretfully declines to participate” at the convention because of prior commitments.

SOURCE: BIOGRAPHY.COM

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Published by pat frederick

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114 thoughts on “Keys to the Kingdom”

  1. Morning All!
    our trip to walmart was fairly uneventful except, as hubby noted, there were a lot of blue haired women there. (and not the feint blue haired older ladies either–these were college aged girls–all with blue hair.)
    egg prices haven’t declined at this walmart–$4.97 a dozen still AND when i checked the cartons, several in the top cartons had broken ones. a younger man saw me checking the eggs and asked what i was doing (a customer not a worker) and i told him. making sure none were broken. then he opened the one he was holding and sure enough –2 were broken in his. he closed it up, thanked me and took another.

    we went to KFC drive thru on the way home to get take out and they didn’t have ANY “original” breasts at all–this was at 5:40–the dinner hour wasn’t even over yet. smh…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Good morning, Pat! IDT that’s a bad price for a carton of eggs but I haven’t even looked since I don’t use them up quickly enough. But from what I recall, they were always $3-4/dozen in the store. I almost never see anyone with blue hair, young or old! LOL – living in flyover country does have it’s advantages! Then again, when I only leave the house a couple of times a month, what do I know???

      Bright, sunny day, cold @ 24 & Wheezer was waiting again. This time as I was petting him he reached out and took a swipe at me – no claws, thankfully. Ungrateful pissant! Thankfully, the wind has dropped so I could put the feeders back outside.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Morning Filly!

        to be fair, this walmart IS in a college town.

        eggs previously were $2.89-3.49 a dozen so this is an increase.

        the last time i tried to get eggs at this walmart–they had none and we went into NY to get some. they were $15-$16 something for 3 dozen and they were wrapped together so you had to take them, there were at least 4 that were cracked in the carton that i didn’t use.

        Liked by 1 person

  4. Charlotte99
    March 20, 2025 1:07 am

    BREAKING: Anti-Trump FBI Agent Arrested For Disclosing Classified Information – Feds Nabbed Him as He Was About to Board International Flight

    An anti-Trump FBI agent was arrested and charged for disclosing classified information.
    Johnathan Buma allegedly disclosed internal classified documents and text messages to associates.
    Court documents revealed that Johnathan Buma had printed 130 files from the FBI’s internal network, with many of the documents marked with warnings that the information is confidential.
    Buma shared a draft of a book he was writing about his career in the FBI with colleagues, and it contained sensitive information, the charging documents said.
    According to ABC News, the feds nabbed Johnathan Buma just as he was about to hop on an international flight on Monday.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/03/breaking-anti-trump-fbi-agent-arrested-disclosing-classified/

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Charlotte99
    March 20, 2025 1:32 am
    Reply to Charlotte99

    JFK files reveal CIA’s extensive global operations, listing 34 secret field bases across Africa, Europe, Asia, and Latin America

    JFK FILES : CIA’S GLOBAL WEB EXPOSED — 34 SECRET BASES MAPPED FROM JOHANNESBURG TO TOKYO

    A stunning declassified document reveals the CIA’s vast operational footprint, listing secret field bases across Africa, Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

    https://t.co/D8waHh8bYK pic.twitter.com/fEjbiZYz5t

    — Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) March 19, 2025

    Liked by 1 person

  7. oh my goodness! just chased and i mean CHASED a little red squirrel from the deck. this thing could have been maybe 6-7 inches long INCLUDING the tail. and definitely red. hubby was laughing as i chased it around and around. Normally they jump off and hit the ground running…not this one. he didn’t even run down the stairs…finally i chased him to the ramp where he ran off into the woods.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Winston
    Winston
    March 20, 2025 9:07 am

    Incredible. The idiots don’t even know what they’re talking about.

    LAWFARE: Judge Falsifies USAID Origins in Anti-Trump Order Rebuking ‘Unconstitutional’ Foreign Aid Freeze
    18 Mar 2025

    https://thenationalpulse.com/analysis-post/lawfare-judge-falsifies-usaid-origins-in-anti-trump-order-rebuking-unconstitutional-foreign-aid-freeze/

    A federal judge, in a ruling aimed at restoring the core functions of the defunct United States Agency for International Development (USAID), appeared either to not know or, indeed, falsify how the agency was created. The bizarre error will now call into question the validity of his ruling Tuesday, which even seeks to reopen building access for dismissed USAID employees.

    U.S. District Court Judge Theodore D. Chuang, who serves on the Federal District Court of Maryland bench and was appointed by former President Barack Obama, claims that Congress created USAID and, therefore, it cannot be shut down solely through presidential authority. However, this is not the case.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. “Democrats in Congress Drive Luxury Cars on Taxpayer Dime — Rep. Jasmine Crockett billed taxpayers $11,996 in 2024 for a fresh set of wheels”

    Free Beacon, Andrew Kerr, March 20, 2025

    Jasmine Crockett speaks during rally against Elon Musk (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for MoveOn)

    EXCERPT: “Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D., Texas) declared in February that the government is “not in the business of giving out money” to taxpayers. But when it comes to the simple luxuries in her own life, the firebrand lawmaker is happy to let the public foot the bill.

    That includes her taxpayer-funded car. Crockett has billed the public $999.96 every month since she assumed office in January 2023 to pay for a “vehicle lease,” according to House disbursement records reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon. It’s unclear the make and model of Crockett’s publicly financed whip—lawmakers are not required to disclose that information and her office did not return a request for comment—but it’s enough to pay for a Tesla Model S, Elon Musk’s luxury sports sedan, which leases for $998 per month.

    Crockett obtained her taxpayer-funded vehicle through a little-known fringe benefit that allows representatives to bill the public for a fresh set of EPA-approved wheels to traverse their congressional districts. Some 42 lawmakers participated in the program in 2024, including 15 Republican participants who represent geographically expansive districts that average 18,100 square miles each. The Republican participants primarily leased economy vehicles from American manufacturers, with several of their offices telling the Free Beacon that leasing a vehicle is a far more cost-effective way for the lawmakers to traverse their massive districts as opposed to paying for airfare or using their personal vehicle at the IRS reimbursement rate of 67 cents per mile.

    But the same can’t be said for many of the 27 Democratic participants in the program, several of whom used taxpayer funds to lease vehicles from luxury brands including Tesla, Lexus, and Volvo. And 15 of those Democrats, including Crockett, represent dense urban districts that are smaller than 500 square miles.

    Crockett’s district in Dallas, Texas, for example, is only 335 square miles in total. The firebrand Democrat could have used public transportation or her personal vehicle to traverse her district in 2024, but she instead billed taxpayers $11,996 for “vehicle lease” payments to Credit Union Services. Crockett didn’t have to worry about paying for her Washington, D.C., living expenses either, thanks to another little-known fringe benefit available to members of the House. Crockett billed taxpayers $20,301 in 2024 to cover her “lodging” expenses, and an additional $2,670 to pay for her meals when Congress was in session, House disbursement records show…..”

    https://freebeacon.com/democrats/democrats-in-congress-drive-luxury-whips-on-taxpayer-dime/

    Liked by 1 person

  12. MaineCoon

    March 20, 2025 9:42 am

    Well, this is probably where some of the “lost billions” in Ukraine is going….I am sick and tired of hearing about Corrupt Ukraine!!!

    FTA: “THE FIRST ALL-SEASON MOUNTAIN RESORT IN UKRAINE WITH AN INTERNATIONAL FORMAT, A HOLISTIC CONCEPT AND THE BROADEST PALETTE OF IMPRESSIONS, SERVICES AND ATTRACTIONS”The war in Ukraine has left the nation utterly insolvent, almost entirely reliant on foreign aid. President Zelensky claims he cannot account for billions in aid, urging world leaders to send more rapidly as he must prevent Russia from invading all of Europe. Peace is not an option as “the worst conflict since World War II” rages on with no end in sight. In the meantime, Ukraine spent £1.2 billion ($1.5 billion) to improve its tourism sector by building a massive luxury ski resort.The luxury resort will span 2,965 acres, feature 25 hotels with 5,5000 rooms, with 41 ski slopes spanning 46.6 miles. The GORO Mountain Resort project was supposed to begin in 2022, but was delayed due to the obvious. OKKO Group, Ukraine’s largest network of gas stations, suddenly changed plans and believes now is the time to begin building the project that will take an estimated 15 years to complete.

    As a bonus, GORO Mountain Resort will be located in Lviv, adjacent to Ukraine’s border with Poland. Poland’s defense budget has multiplied as it rushes to fight off Russian aggression at its own border. Donald Tusk has demanded that every male in Poland undergo military training, and he plans to expand the nation’s 200,000 army to one boasting 500,000 troops, which would make it the third-largest military force in NATO behind the United States and Turkey. In November 2024, 55% of Poles said they supported ending the wareven if Ukraine was forced to surrender territory. The people do not want war but those at the helm will send them off to die under the guise of protecting national sovereignty.

    Meanwhile, Ukraine has threatened neighboring nations like Poland with untold repercussions if they fail to strangle their own agricultural sector by extending Ukraine’s duty-free trade deal. Ukraine has warned that Eastern European nations will suffer the worst of the consequences.

    Yet, the GORO Mountain Resort boasts easy access to those neighboring nations, with direct train travel from “Vienna, Budapest, Kyiv, Dnipro, Odesa, Kharkiv, and more, with the Slavsko station (5 km from the resort).”

    Ukraine claims that Russian gas may not pass through its nation as it does not its foe to receive a single euro. Zelensky and others do not care that their allied neighbors like Hungary and Slovakia desperately need the gas line reimplemented in order to provide their nations with essential energy. Perhaps the Ukrainian government could suggest an alternative through a company such as OKKO Group.

    It was a known fact that Ukraine was a corrupt nation before the war began and the government rebranded itself as a delicate victim that simply wants the best for its people—its people who have been sent off to die while those in charge refuse to negotiate with Russia. Zelensky has also said that the war will last for many years to come, yet his war-ravaged nation plans to build a billion-dollar resort near its border with Poland to attract tourism. Greed and corruption will be the end of Ukraine. In fact, based on our computer model, there will be no Ukraine in 15 years when this facility is set to open.

    https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/world-news/corruption/ukraine-invests-in-eastern-border-1-5b-ski-resort/

    Like

  14. Libs of TikTok
    @libsoftiktok
    Meet Jeanette Vizguerra, the Left’s newest hero. She was just arrested by ICE in Colorado.

    Jeanette is in our country illegally, had multiple ICE detainer requests, was convicted of forged instrument possession, and was convicted of failure to display proof of insurance and driving without a license.

    She also posted this photo hoping for Trump to be kiIIed.

    Democrats and the media are claiming she’s just an innocent mom with no criminal history.

    They’re lying.

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Good! Get her out and take her anchor babies with her!!!! They are NOT US citizens!!!

    Liked by 1 person

  16. Personally, I don’t have a problem with leaving NATO!

    “Top GOP lawmakers ‘will not accept’ Trump’s plan for changes to military command structure”

    American Wire News | March 20, 2025 | Frieda Powers

    EXCERPT: “President Donald Trump’s administration triggered some Republican lawmakers who declared they “will not accept” reported plans for restructuring military commands. In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, the GOP chairs of the House and Senate Armed Services committees pushed back against the proposed changes to the combatant command structure and other modifications without “coordination” with Congress.

    “U.S. combatant commands are the tip of the American warfighting spear. Therefore, we are very concerned about reports that claim [the Defense Department] is considering unilateral changes on major strategic issues, including significant reductions to U.S. forces stationed abroad, absent coordination with the White House and Congress,” read the statement from Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

    “We support President Trump’s efforts to ensure our allies and partners increase their contributions to strengthen our alliance structure, and we support continuing America’s leadership abroad,” they continued.

    “As such, we will not accept significant changes to our warfighting structure that are made without a rigorous interagency process, coordination with combatant commanders and the Joint Staff, and collaboration with Congress. Such moves risk undermining American deterrence around the globe and detracting from our negotiating positions with America’s adversaries,” Rogers and Wicker said.

    NBC News cited two unnamed defense officials familiar with the plans and reported that five of the “military’s 11 combatant commands could be consolidated under the plan being discussed.”

    The changes could also include consolidating the U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command into one command that would be based in Stuttgart, Germany, and combining the U.S. Southern Command headquarters in Florida with U.S. Northern Command.

    “Combining the commands would allow the military to save money by reducing staff with overlapping responsibilities, according to officials familiar with the planning. If all of the changes being considered are implemented, up to $270 million could be saved in the first year, according to a Pentagon briefing reviewed by NBC News,” the outlet noted.

    The restructuring could end the role of NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) which is currently headed by Commander General Christopher G. Cavoli in a position established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

    “For the United States to give up the role of supreme allied commander of NATO would be seen in Europe as a significant signal of walking away from the alliance,” retired Adm. James Stavridis told NBC News.

    “It would be a political mistake of epic proportion, and once we give it up, they are not going to give it back,” said Stavridis, who served as SACEUR and head of European Command from 2009 to 2013. “We would lose an enormous amount of influence within NATO, and this would be seen, correctly, as probably the first step toward leaving the Alliance altogether.”

    Liked by 1 person

  18. Trump Approves Egypt’s Gaza Reconstruction Plan — Under Two Conditions

    Green Light from Trump: A Palestinian source told Sky News Arabia on Tuesday that the Trump administration has given initial approval to Egypt’s plan for Gaza’s reconstruction. However, the approval is contingent upon Hamas being removed from power in Gaza, and the strip being disarmed.

    According to the source, the Trump administration has inquired with Egypt about its ability to facilitate Hamas’s ouster from Gaza. The source added that Washington is pressuring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a proposal in which a Palestinian committee – backed by Arab nations and the international community – would govern Gaza.

    Later this month, Egypt and the US are expected to hold discussions on developing operational mechanisms and timelines for the reconstruction initiative.

    Egypt’s plan, which is projected to span five years and exceed $50 billion in costs, outlines an initial phase focusing on clearing debris and constructing temporary housing for the Gazan population. Simultaneously, rubble removal will begin. In its more advanced phases, the plan includes the construction of an artificial island, public institutions, a seaport, an airport, and additional infrastructure projects. – Israel Hayom

    Our Take: This article cites Sky News (Arabia), and was published on Monday, meaning we have had two White House Press Conferences since then – and no reporter has asked about it. Not one.

    Assuming this story is true – and I believe that it is – it would certainly explain why Bibi Netanyahu resumed the war in Gaza with such haste… but perhaps also why Trump chose that same day to attack the Houthis. Trump’s Houthi strike completely drowned out the news about a Gaza proposal being accepted, as no mainstream outlet in the west has yet to report it.

    Why would President Trump do this?

    Well, it would align with my running theory that Trump is intentionally leaning into the “Zionist Puppet” label he has been assigned by his detractors, so that when he (and Putin) publicly turn on Netanyahu and the radical Zionists, he will have full narrative shielding (h/t: Burning Bright) against all accusations of antisemitism.

    After years of persevering through nearly every form of slander a public figure can endure, President Trump is now inoculating himself from the original branding that was first given to him the day he announced his candidacy: “Literally Hitler.” – GhostofBasedPatrickHenry

    Liked by 1 person

  19. Just The News: “An American abducted and held hostage by the Taliban for more than two years in Afghanistan was released Thursday. George Glezmann was taken by the Taliban in 2022 while traveling through the Middle East as a tourist. He is the third hostage to be released by the Taliban since January.

    The State Department said his release was brokered by U.S. and Qatari negotiators, according to The Associated Press.

    Glezmann is being accompanied back to the U.S. by Adam Boehler who is in charge of hostage negotiations under the Trump administration.” 

    Liked by 1 person

  20. EXCERPT: “At this point it’s not too much to say that the federal judiciary has plunged us into a constitutional crisis. The fusillade of injunctions and temporary restraining orders issued by district court judges in recent weeks against the Trump administration — on everything from foreign aid to immigration enforcement to Defense Department enlistment policy to climate change grants for Citibank — boggles the mind.

    More nationwide injunctions and restraining orders have been issued against Trump in the past month that were issued against the Biden administration in four years. On Wednesday alone, four different federal judges ordered Elon Musk to reinstate USAID workers (something he and DOGE have no authority to do), ordered President Trump to disclose sensitive operational details about the deportation flights of alleged terrorists, ordered the Department of Defense to admit individuals suffering from gender dysphoria to the military, and ordered the Department of Education to issue $600 million in DEI grants to schools.

    On one level, what all this amounts to is an attempted takeover of the Executive Branch by the Judicial Branch — a judicial coup d’état. These judges are usurping President Trump’s valid exercise of his Executive Branch powers through sheer judicial fiat — a raw assertion of power by one branch of the federal government against another.

    But on another, deeper level, this is an attempt by the judiciary to prevent the duly elected president from reclaiming control of the Executive Branch from the federal bureaucracy — the deep state, which has long functioned as an unelected and unaccountable fourth branch of the government. This unconstitutional fourth branch has always been controlled by Democrats and leftist ideologues who, under the guise of being nonpartisan experts neutrally administering the functions of government, have effectively supplanted the political branches. Unfortunately, to large extent the political branches have acquiesced in the usurpation of their authority.

    Trump, with a strong mandate from the American electorate, has resolved to wrest control of the government from the deep state. The deep state in turn has been forced to fall back on its last line of defense: the courts.

    What we’re seeing, in other words, is the return of the political (in the classical sense) to American governance. The political never really went away, of course. The idea of a neutral, nonpartisan class of experts and bureaucrats was always a fiction, a thinly-veiled scheme for implementing the Democrats’ agenda and neutralizing the effect of elections on actual governance. The voters could elect whomever they liked, but it would not much change what the bureaucracy did. This scheme has been the greatest scandal of modern American government, and the crisis unfolding now is a direct result of Trump’s efforts to dismantle it…..”

    https://thefederalist.com/2025/03/20/the-judicial-insurrection-is-worse-than-you-think/

    Liked by 1 person

    1. PDJT is caught between a rock and a hard place so it seems. ignore the unconstitutional judicial orders and be impeached or go along and be impeded. i’m sure he’ll figure a way out.

      Liked by 1 person

  21. “Government Gone Rogue: Sen. Joni Ernst Asks OMB To Crack Down On Bureaucrats Ignoring Taxpayer Waste Laws — Ernst says enforcement is key to stop bureaucrats from blowing millions of taxpayer dollars on wasteful and efficient projects.”

    The Federalist, By: Jordan Boyd, March 20, 2025

    ENTIRE ARTICLE: There are numerous U.S. laws that aim to rein in the bureaucrats who blew millions of Americans’ hard-earned money. According to Senate DOGE Caucus Chairwoman Joni Ernst, those guardrails are not being enforced properly — if at all.

    In her latest letter to Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought, Ernst wrote that despite legislators’ attempts to renew and expand reporting requirements for taxpayer-funded projects, regulations have done little to prevent government departments, agencies, and subagencies from wasting tax dollars. The letter serves as a follow-up on Vought’s confirmation hearing commitment to “definitely abide by the law and make sure the spirit of the law is executed as well.”

    After years of investigation, the Iowan determined that “not a single agency or department appears to be abiding by the law.” “During my time in the Senate, I authored a number of laws intended to do just that, none of which have been implemented,” Ernst wrote. “Apparently, unelected bureaucrats have granted themselves a veto over any laws they don’t like.”

    Ernst played a role in beefing up the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Water Resources Development Act of 2022 to ensure that taxpayer-funded projects not only reported their spending but did so efficiently. Instead, projects like California’s high-speed rail project are still at an effective standstill while costing Americans $1.8 million a day. Reports about other expensive projects that are behind, Ernst said, are also years late.

    “Going millions or billions of dollars over budget and falling five years or more behind schedule should never be accepted as standard business practices, much less subsidized with blank checks from taxpayers. Likewise, compliance with the law is not optional,” Ernst wrote.

    The Republican said the same lack of urgency plagues the Department of Defense (DOD), which is required under the National Defense Authorization Act starting in 2021 to publicly disclose taxpayer costs but has yet to do so.

    “Failure to enact these legal requirements isn’t without consequences. The lack of transparency is impairing the ability of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to identify wasteful spending and complicating congressional oversight. It also allows biased media to spread disinformation, which can only be countered with the facts, currently being hidden or suppressed by government agencies and bureaucrats,” Ernst warned.

    A 2019 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report requested by Ernst confirmed that the Department of Labor, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Education all failed to comply with transparency and accountability laws mandating they disclose federal funding properly.

    “Putting a public price tag on all taxpayer-funded projects eliminates confusion by making it clear which agency sponsored a project along with its cost,” Ernst wrote.

    Yet agencies such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) use workarounds such as claiming national security exemptions to disguise secret slush funds funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars to literal pet projects. The latest round of USAID spending discovered by Ernst’s staff included $24,000 to a “bakery roadshow in China,” a $121,000 breathalyzer “for the U.S. embassy in Ukraine,” $124,000 for a car wash in Pakistan, and $35,000 for a “traveling circus in California.”

    “Secret spending schemes in which tax dollars were being steered to sketchy organizations by government agencies, including the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), compelled Congress to establish USAspending.gov twenty years ago. Despite this requirement to publicly disclose where the money is going, USAID continued withholding spending information from both the public and Congress,” Ernst continued, noting that criminal charges could loom for USAID violators.

    “I am proposing legislative fixes, but the real problem is agencies refuse to respect the law,” Ernst concluded. “I appreciate your commitment at your confirmation hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to make agencies adhere to these laws. I am following up to learn when and what guidance will be issued to ensure compliance.”

    According to Ernst, “Taxpayers shouldn’t have to play a game of hide-and-seek to find out how their money is being spent.”

    “To stop waste, we first need to see it, and sunlight is the best disinfectant,” Ernst told The Federalist. “Americans should not have to jump through hoops to figure out how Washington is spending, and often misspending, their money. By shining a light on every dollar spent by government, we will finally put a stop to the circus that has put our nation $36 trillion in debt.” 

    Liked by 1 person

  22. EXCERPT: “…..Americans have done much to drag ourselves to hell over the last 50 years, but judges have often pulled us there kicking and screaming. It would be forgiven Americans of the last 50 years if they thought all they could actually decide is tax rates. Despite the Supreme Court overturning bad decisions in recent years, the general trend is still deeply negative and unsustainable — the damage is already done, and no court will repair it.

    Break the Shackles of Judicial Tyranny

    President Trump is already a historical, once-in-a-lifetime, president. He’s clearly intent on reshaping America for decades to come. The last president like this — FDR — comes to mind. If he lost a ruling that could have plunged the nation into deeper depression, he was prepared to ignore the Supreme Court. The president before FDR who fit the same mold, Abraham Lincoln, was of the same bent. He argued, “If the policy of the government … is to be irrevocably fixed by decisions of the Supreme Court … the people would have ceased to be their own rulers.”  The courts in each of these eras represented the old, broken system that needed to be replaced.

    The Boasberg decision and the Tren de Aragua deportation is an opportunity to upend the status quo. Ignoring the courts, at least for the first time, on a cultural or economic issue would likely end badly for President Trump. But Boasberg has given Trump the perfect test case.

    Blatantly ignore the court. Send out another flight of Tren de Aragua members, and tell Boesberg to try and stop it. If the case goes to the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Court rules against the administration, ignore the Supreme Court. Send another flight, and dare the Supreme Court to stop it. Let them enforce their own ruling.

    Let Democrats and D.C. Republicans get on camera and tell the American people why we really should be keeping Tren de Aragua in the U.S., simply because unelected judges say so. Dare them to die on this hill. The country, even many Democrat voters, will side with Trump. And we’ll start to break the chains of judicial tyranny.”

    https://thefederalist.com/2025/03/19/yes-trump-should-ignore-rogue-judges/

    Liked by 1 person

  23. Liked by 1 person

  25. “Supreme Court lined up to consider case that could kill ‘one of the most reviled decisions in recent decades’ — ‘It is simply wrong to let the government take one person’s property away in order to hand it to another private owner with more political power’”

    WND, By Bob Unruh, March 19, 2025

    (Pixabay)

    ENTIRE ARTICLE: “An often-criticized precedent from the Supreme Court 20 years ago that gives local governments permission to literally confiscate a landowner’s property and give it to someone else who may have more political influence could be overturned through a new case pending before the justices. It is the Institute for Justice that has been fighting on behalf of Bryan Bowers, a New York landowner whose property was “seized” by a local government agency. It was then given to his competitors.

    The precedent that soon could be doomed is the Kelo decision from 2005 in which the court redefined “public use.” That’s the standard that courts must use to determine whether governments can take over private property without the owner’s consent, and it often is associated with the construction of roads and bridges and such.

    In Kelo, a single-vote on the court claimed that creating jobs or increasing tax revenue was just that “public use.” Dissenters, including a left-leaning Justice Sandra Day O’Connor warned that now the government “has license to transfer property from those with fewer resources to those with more.” The IJ described the Kelo precedent as “one of the most reviled decisions in recent decades.”

    The new case will be presented to the court in a conference in the coming days.

    “State legislatures, state high courts, and American voters amending their own state constitutions have all rejected Kelo because it is simply wrong to let the government take one person’s property away in order to hand it to another private owner with more political power,” said IJ Deputy Litigation Director Bob McNamara. “This case gives the Supreme Court the opportunity to say the same.”

    The case earlier was considered at the court’s Feb. 21 conference, when the justices told the New York state court to provide the record on appeal. That now has been provided.

    The IJ noted, “Bowers’ case was supported by a brief from the Cato Institute and George Mason University (Scalia Law School) Professor Ilya Somin and a brief from the Buckeye Institute. Cato and Somin write about the widespread confusion Kelo created in lower courts while the Buckeye Institute shined a light on the injustices of eminent domain and frequently failed promises of redevelopment.”

    The out-of-sync ruling in 2005 triggered 45 states to change their own laws to prevent what the 5-4 Kelo decision said could be done to property owners. Bryan Bowers and his business partner Mike Licata purchased property across the street from a new hospital in Utica, New York, but then lost it when the Oneida County Industrial Development Agency took it by eminent domain and handed it over to their potential competitors to be used for parking.

    The Fifth Amendment allows private property to be taken for “public use” with “just compensation” and in addition to roads, has been used for schools and other infrastructure.”

    Liked by 1 person

  34. “‘Tesla Takedown’ is a full-fledged domestic terrorism movement: Prosecutors on the state and federal levels must take action.”

    Jordan Schachtel, Mar 20, 2025

    ENTIRE ARTICLE: “Violent disruptions targeting Tesla have been occurring across the United States, driven primarily by opposition to CEO Elon Musk’s influential role in the Trump administration, mainly through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk’s DOGE initiatives have resulted in the slashing of thousands of federal bureaucrat jobs and the dismantling of federal agencies. This move has been cheered by the president’s supporters and has unsurprisingly enraged proponents of the unaccountable administrative state.

    The anti-Musk protests, often organized under the “Tesla Takedown” movement, aim to impact Musk financially by targeting Tesla dealerships, showrooms, and charging stations, encouraging boycotts, and urging shareholders and owners to divest. In a not-so-subtle way, organizers are also encouraging violence and the destruction of public property.

    Investigators look over the scene at a Tesla Collision Center after an individual used incendiary devices to set several vehicles on fire and spray painted the word
    Ethan Miller/Getty Images

    The demonstrations vary widely in scale and nature. They have taken place in dozens of cities—including New York, Seattle, Portland, and Palo Alto—with hundreds of participants at times, chanting slogans like “Elon Musk has got to go” and accusing Musk of “undermining democracy” (despite his efforts to make democracy more accountable through DOGE) and federal services.

    The protests have seen plenty of violent incidents in recent days. Vandalism and arson have been reported, such as gunfire at a Tigard, Oregon dealership on March 13, Molotov cocktails damaging charging stations in South Carolina on March 7, and fires set to Cybertrucks in Kansas City on March 17. In Las Vegas, five Teslas were torched on March 18, with “RESIST” painted on the storefront. These acts have prompted investigations by local police and the FBI. President Trump has also threatened to classify such vandals as domestic terrorists.

    Photo: Las Vegas Review-Journal

    Organizers are funded by a broad network of leftist dark money groups, and they have urged action to pressure Musk by hurting Tesla’s brand and stock value.

    Yes, some of these angry leftists believe they are going to succeed in financially handicapping the world’s wealthiest man. But I think this campaign exists with a much more nefarious objective.

    Political Consultant Rick Wilson says it’s time to “Kill Tesla.”

    Tesla has struggled this year but has a market cap of roughly $740 billion. Musk controls a little over 20% of the shares. It does the company no favors for it to become a political football. Nonetheless, the leftist sabotage efforts have inspired a new customer base to pick up the slack.

    Say the “Tesla Takedown” effort succeeds in further bringing down the share price. Let’s take a look at the rest of Musk’s portfolio:

    SpaceX, the premier space company in the world with no peer competitors, last opened up a tender offer valuing the company at $350 billion. X is now valued at $44 billion. xAI is accumulating new funds at a valuation of $75 billion. Lastly, Musk owns Neuralink and the Boring Company, which are multi-billion dollar endeavors.

    So even if the “Tesla Takedown” movement succeeds beyond the wildest imaginations of its organizers and deals a significant blow to Tesla, Elon Musk will in no way be strapped for cash anytime soon. The man has effectively hacked capitalism, and he will never in his lifetime find himself with limited access to his own or outsiders’ capital.

    The more imaginative “Tesla Takedown” organizers know they will never deprive Elon Musk of wealth. So, what’s the real goal here?

    The goal of “Tesla Takedown” is to employ domestic terrorism through the use of violence, fear, and intimidation to achieve its political objectives. The movement aims to coerce the Trump Administration into conceding to its demands by amplifying the psychological impact of their actions beyond the immediate victims to create widespread disruption.

    The Trump Administration and state governments are right to label this movement as much more than a protest movement. Hopefully, prosecutions on both the state and federal levels will ramp up dramatically in the weeks and months to come.”

    Liked by 1 person

  35. LUCY! You got some splaining to do!!!

    Mortgage fraud?

    FTA

    My recent revelations in The Gateway Pundit demonstrated that New York Attorney General Letitia James obtained a federal government HAMP loan in 2011 to refinance her apartment building based on false unit information and a highly questionable hardship claim.

    In her loan documents, James claimed her multi-family apartment building at Lafayette Avenue in Brooklyn had only four units, even though the official Certificate of Occupancy indicates five apartments.

    This may seem a minor point, but James’s false claim helped her obtain a 2.7% government-backed HAMP loan unavailable to landlords with more than four apartments in a given building. James also claimed financial hardship to qualify for the loan, despite an income of over $126,390 in 2011.

    There seems to be a pattern of possible mortgage fraud in regard to Letitia James. New questions have now arisen about a home Letitia James purchased with her father, Robert James.

    In the Spring of 1983, Letitia James was 24 and living in Brooklyn with her parents. She had graduated from CUNY’s Lehman College in 1981. She would not begin law school at Howard University in Washington, DC, until the fall of 1984.

    According to New York City Department of Finance records, on May 20, 1983, Letitia James and her father, Robert James, took out a real estate loan from Kadilac Funding Ltd. for $30,300 as “husband and wife.” For the record, Letitia James’ mother is Nellie James.

    Meanwhile, the deed for the property, executed on the same day, has a different designation. On the top, it says the property is being purchased by “ROBERT JAMES AND LETITIA JAMES, his daughter.”

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/03/mortgage-fraud-alert-did-letitia-james-marry-her/

    Like

  36. WeThePeople2016

    WeThePeople2016

    March 20, 2025 2:50 pm

    Fredericks will be at the WH today as part of the Press pool when Trump signs the EO dismantling the DOE.

    Dismantling the Department of Education

    HISTORIC: Today at 4pm, President @realDonaldTrump is signing an executive order that will dismantle and gut the Department of Education. While Congress will have to pass legislation to eliminate the agency completely, this executive order will stop almost all agency functions.

    Video:

    https://truthsocial.com/@jfradioshow/114196114484658592

    Like

  37. “An LGBTQ activist in Washington state got a fiery lecture from an outraged mayor after she tried to lecture him about veteran and Pride flags being flown at City Hall. A woman named Jen spoke during public comment during the Newcastle City Council meeting where her short-sighted attempt to compare the Pride flag to a Prisoner of War/Missing in Action flag lit a fire under Mayor Robert Clark.

    The activist called attention to Clark’s move last year to prevent the Pride flag from being flown in June, saying she hoped the mayor would support the rainbow-colored flag “in proclamation this year” because of his “new-found appreciation” for flags. She declared that flying the POW/MIA flag for “100 days a year is a political stunt.”

    “My research shows that there have been 82,000 Americans who are registered as POWs or MIAs, which is atrocious and horrible, and it should never happen to any American, but there [are] 20 million minimum LGBTQ members,” Jen told the council.

    “I think that your approach to trying to trick people out of having to fly the pride flag in June by making sure that the POW/MIA flag was flown is really disgusting. Again, it is not impartial in any way, and I think that you should be ashamed. I definitely am,” she concluded.

    The incensed mayor did not let the woman get away with her insult. “It’s not common that I respond to public comment, but I will not sit here and have somebody tell me that veterans are a political stunt. How dare you,” he told Jen as some of those in the audience could be heard clapping.

    “This country was founded because veterans lost their lives. Hundreds of thousands of people died for this country so that you could fly your Pride flag,” Clark said. “Man, I am pissed. Sorry, this is out of line and perhaps my councilmembers will censure me for this,” he continued, warning, “Do not ever disparage veterans in my presence.”

    “Those 82,000 people who never came home will never have a chance to have a family or grow up while you can fly your pride flag,” he said. “They sacrificed their lives all over the world for America and for freedom around the world.”

    “I tolerate your comments which are always on the attack, and your libelous comments on Facebook,” the mayor continued. “I tolerate because you probably can’t help yourself, but don’t ever disparage veterans in front of me.”

    The Newcastle City Council voted last year to allow the Pride flag to be flown after initially voting against it before a public outcry. At the time, Clark had argued the American flag represented everyone.

    “Do you want a Hamas flag flying over the City of Newcastle? Or a MAGA flag? How about a Trump flag or an Antifa flag? We’re not going there folks,” he said. “Everybody is equally represented by the American flag.”

    His scathing rebuke of the activist this week earned him plenty of support on social media.”

    “Finally some common sense from a politician, the Pride flag is not equivalent to a Prisoner of War-Missing in Action flag. The mayor is right to call out this absurd comparison, it’s about time someone stood up for what’s truly important. Free speech is alive and well in Washington state, and I’m glad to see it.”

    “Wow…That’s Mayor Robert Clark from Newcastle WA, a proud Navy veteran who served 10 years in the US Navy. Mayor Clark is also an electrical engineer and in his spare time is active in the VFW and American Legion, and serves as part of the honor guard at Tahoma National Cemetery. Mayor Clark should run for Governor next go around.”

    “Finally, someone said what needed to be said.”

    Liked by 1 person

  38. Maybe some common sense in NY???

    TheDailyBS: “Liberal judges on New York’s highest court sided with conservatives Thursday to reject a law that would have given noncitizens the right to vote.

    The law, passed by the New York City Council in December 2021, would have enabled nearly 800,000 “lawful permanent residents” to vote in local elections. The New York Court of Appeals ruled 6-1 to strike it down.

    “[I]t is plain from the language and restrictions contained in Article II that ‘citizen’ is not meant as a floor, but as a condition of voter eligibility: the franchise extends only to citizens whose right to vote is established by proper proofs and who vote by ballot,” Chief Judge Rowan Wilson wrote in the ruling.

    This is a breaking news story and will be updated.“

    Liked by 1 person

  40. Liked by 1 person

  45. Natalie Winters Profile picture
    Natalie Winters
    @nataliegwinters
    1h • 6 tweets • 3 min read •
    Read on X
    EXC: The daughter of Anti-DOGE judge Beryl Howell works at a British nonprofit belonging to a USAID-funded group.

    She’s worked with organization receiving over $1.3 billion from USAID.

    She also attended the 2017 Women’s March with her sister.

    🧵🧵🧵 Image
    Alina Rosenfeld is a Principal Consultant for Social Development Direct, a “provider of innovative gender equality and social inclusion consultancy and research.”

    It’s part of the Inclusive Futures consortium which states it was “previously funded by USAID until January 2025.”

    Her sister Calla posted a picture of Alina at the 2017 Women’s March with an anti-Trump signed captioned “My nasty sister <3.”
    Image
    Alina Rosenfeld also worked at OxFam Great Britain and the American Red Cross.

    The Red Cross has received $1.2 billion in USAID funds.

    OxFam had received over $130 million in USAID grants.

    She was also the Head of Safeguarding at WarChild UK, which has repeatedly opposed the Trump administration/DOGE’s USAID cuts.

    @threadreaderapp unroll

    Liked by 1 person

  49. Travel in Monochrome Portfolio; Baragoi, Northern Kenya

    Simbu Province, Central Highlands, Papua New Guinea

    Paro monastery, Bhutan

    South Sudan

    Mundari people rest their cattle at camp in South Sudan

    Liked by 1 person

  50. Mount Bromo, Jawa Timur, East Java, Indonesia

    Northern Chad, Saheli transition zone between the African savannah and the Sahara desert

     Jardines de la Reina, Cuba

    New York City

    Ontario, Canada

    Liked by 1 person

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