Townhall Review | Conservative Commentary On Today's News

In an age of fleeting stories fed by a constant conveyor belt of crisis and frenzy, keeping us all in a common state of agitation, with little ability to focus on the meaningful, let us do exactly that as we prepare for Memorial Day, coming up in another weekend. The great historian Wilfred McClay once wrote “Without memory, and without the stories by which our memories are carried forward, we cannot say who, or what, we are.  Without them, our life and thought dissolve into a meaningless, unrelated rush of events.” The commemoration of those who—in the words of James Garfield—“made immortal their patriotism and their virtue” in defending this country gave us the greatest lessons in who and what we are, and with the greatest of meaning.  Who and what we are matters—thus the memory of them and what they did for us matters.  They are antidotes to meaninglessness. We can celebrate 250 years of our country’s life because of those we reflect on this Memorial Day.  Thank God for these heroes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the background of Russia's invasion and ongoing war against Ukraine, recently this astounding headline from the BBC: “Putin says he thinks Ukraine conflict coming to an end.” Now for perspective: Just consider last weekend's annual Victory Day parade in Moscow. It commemorates the end of World War II What's notable this year is not what happened, but what didn't happen. Russia couldn't afford to hold the parade as usual because Ukraine, as it turns out, has been so ingenious and so aggressive with its use of drones that Putin couldn't afford to hold that kind of military parade in Moscow. It would've been one giant magnet for a massive undertaking and attack by Ukraine. This is a game changer. Russia has now lost 350,000 men. If you're a strong man, an autocrat in this kind of system, you have to appear strong and invincible. You can't be a political strongman and a leader that gets into this kind of quagmire. Putin is running out of time. Russians know it and Vladimir Putin knows it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump finally got his response from Iran. Will he act on it? Last week, Trump had sent a 14-point framework to mediators in Islamabad for reaching a peace accord with Iran. Trump insisted that the IRGC surrender its highly enriched uranium, agree to verifiably end its pursuit of nuclear weapons, and stop attacking international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran demanded that the US recognize the strait as Iranian sovereign territory and pay war reparations. Trump responded by calling the IRGC’s terms as “stupid” and “totally unacceptable.” Yet Trump also insisted that a deal could be reached with the regime. That is an unfortunate illusion—something Trump maintains despite all evidence to the contrary. Iran violated its terms almost immediately in the Strait and Iran continues to threaten the strait.  The ceasefire is dead. Trump has to either follow through on consequences or cut bait and walk away with Iran’s regime nearly as dangerous as ever. The decision point has arrived.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Trump administration has launched an investigation into Smith College—one of the seven historical all-women colleges in the American Northeast. Why the investigation? Well, Smith College is and has been since 2015—admitting biological males. The “seven sisters” have been granted an exemption, going all the way back to the 1970’s to Title IX legislation. They were allowed to be restrictive as women’s colleges. The Trump administration’s basically saying you can’t have it both ways—that is: claim this historic exemption or you can admit biological males. President Trump made the point very clear point in his second inaugural address: He said: “As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female.” I will argue that was one of the most important and courageous statements a President of the United States has made in recent years. To his credit, he’s been pushing this through. It’s a necessary step towards the restoration of cultural sanity and for that clarity.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since the battle with Iran began on February 28, there’ve been so many reports of “deals” with the rump regime atop the ruins of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that it seems almost silly to respond to another one. But I trust Israeli journalist Amit Segal. On Wednesday, Segal summed up the supposed framework. The most salient part is said to include—and I quote: “Negotiations are still underway on the duration of the uranium enrichment freeze. Three sources said the freeze would last at least 12 years, and one source estimated the final outcome would be 15 years.” That—in and of itself— makes this a terrible proposed “deal,” one that would draw fierce criticism from the GOP’s Iran hawks who want President Trump to “finish the job”, no enrichment of uranium period and finish the job in dramatic fashion. President Trump doesn’t surrender leverage. He’s got it. We have to hope he uses every ounce of it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Talking politics with your average young male these days, chances are you will hear all kinds of odd theories coming from the Pied Pipers of Podcastistan. You will hear them mentioning “experts” nobody heard of until about 10 minutes ago or until they were discovered by these podcasters because of their contrary, and often, conspiratorial thinking. Young men, especially, are attracted to this novel “wisdom,” and they are so prone because, as they will tell you, mainstream institutions have been untruthful over the years. But because some institutions that we used to rely on and respect have been taken over by partisanship and been wrong doesn’t mean that all normative thinking and scholarship is a lie or cannot be trusted, or that people nobody have ever heard of are the replacements of true wisdom. We dismiss and ignore this fallacious thinking at our collective peril. The task of the serious is to be able to discern truth from fiction and greatness from mediocrity. In these critical times, that task has never been more important than now.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today’s Democrats seem to be trying a new take on the “Extreme Makeover” reality show. Their offshoot: I’d call it “Extremist Makeover.” And we see it in their likely candidate for Senate in Maine. It looks pretty close to certain Democrats be nominating oysterman Graham Platner in the Pinetree state. He is not a "liberal." Platner is not even a "leftist." He’s an extremist. For years, he had a tattoo of a death head worn proudly by the Nazi era SS, Hitler’s worst of the worst. It was—and remains—a vile symbol worn by guards at the concentration-extermination camps. Maine’s current and—I trust—future Senator is Susan Collins. Collins and Platner could not be more different. It’s rare to have a Susan Collins represent your state from a position of power and influence do so with class and humility. To trade that in for a death’s skull and online bigotry It doesn’t seem like a bet Mainers are going to make.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s an age-old question: God or Mammon? What leads to a happier, more fulfilling life — religion, or money? Now, it seems we have an answer. According to the General Social Survey, church attendance predicts happiness more strongly than wealth does. In fact, poor Americans who attend church regularly are happier than wealthy Americans who never attend at all. Prominent behavioral scientist William von Hippel has observed, “Money buys a fair bit of happiness, but connection gives you more bang for the buck.” He’s right. But let’s be clear about what “connection” really means. It matters to connect with friends and neighbors — and church offers the opportunity to do that every week, and often more. But more important still is our connection to God: our Father, our Creator, and the source of every good and lasting bond.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many predictions about the midterm elections in the United States are dire for the GOP: a wipeout in the House, perhaps losing the Senate majority as well. The GOP could weather the electoral storm that almost always chastens the party of a president finishing his sixth year in office. But they got to do stuff. To do that weathering: Every candidate in every partisan race has to make the case, which is easy to make: The Islamic Republic of Iran is an evil regime that cannot have nukes. It seems certain that President Trump is not going “to go wobbly” in the battle with Iran. Similarly: The GOP better not go wobbly either. Americans have lost the muscle memory of victory. It will quickly regain an appreciation for resolve once the conflict is over. GOP candidates must loudly and persuasively argue that the battle with Iran was long past due and is well worth winning. There is no winning for the GOP in November without demanding and defending victory in this battle with Iran.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With its decision in Louisiana v. Callais, the Supreme Court took the United States one step closer to the race-blind, color-blind equal opportunity society envisioned by our Constitution. The ruling shifts voting rights law from judging maps by racial outcomes, toward a simpler question: whether lawmakers intentionally discriminated. This is as it should be. Today, there are a record 58 minority members of Congress. Most were elected from plurality white districts. America twice elected an African American president. These aren’t the marks of a nation closed to candidates of color. Ending racial gerrymandering encourages leaders to focus on ideas and results rather than skin color. By rejecting racial line-drawing, the Supreme Court affirmed a vital truth: In twenty-first century America, skin color isn’t what defines us. Our convictions — and our character — do.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the wake of the third assassination attempt on President Trump in a period of less than two years, the President correctly concluded: “He was probably a pretty sick guy.” That came from his interview Sunday night on “60 Minutes.” In looking for a cause the president pointed to the changes we’ve all been living through: “The internet, maybe more than anything else, has radicalized some people. It’s made them mentally sick,” President Trump said. He’s right, of course. But how, more specifically, does that happen? The tempting, all-purpose answer for busy people is simply to do what the president did: point at the internet. But: What dots have never been connected about factors in the upbringing of the actors that tip them, the unbalanced, into the land of the "statement" would be killers or killer? For the good of the nation, we need quality research to fill that very specific gap.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our First Amendment is a cherished guarantee. Every American has the right to criticize elected officials — even in harsh terms — so long as there’s no incitement to imminent violence. But having a right to say something doesn’t necessarily make it right to say. And too many in our cultural elite have normalized reckless rhetoric about President Trump. Among others, ABC host Jimmy Kimmel recently “joked” about the First Lady becoming an “expectant widow.” Congressman Dan Goldman called for Trump to be “eliminated” from public life. Former President Biden urged putting Trump “in the bulls-eye.” None of that is illegal, nor are they responsible for a criminal’s actions. But after three attempts on President Trump’s life, left-wing elites should ask themselves whether flirting with assassination rhetoric is morally defensible — even if they have every right to engage in it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The nation narrowly avoided a horrific tragedy Saturday night—and history will record it as just that. The scene at the Washington Hilton looked more like a motion picture, it wasn’t. It was reality: Someone intending to assassinate the President of the United States and as many cabinet officials as possible made it past the first round of security. There was enormous attention to this particular dinner—the White House Correspondents Association dinner. This was the first of these dinners that Donald Trump, as President, was planning to attend. Every time something like this happens however, everyone has to learn new hard lessons. I am confident of this: There will now be a new protocol for the security for the President and Vice President of the United States, and perhaps for others in the line of succession. History often records how close we have come to disaster. And though on the other side of it, everything has to change in a moment. Perhaps we need to learn some very constructive lessons from a near miss.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

America has once again descended into an era of political violence. And once again, the political violence originates from the American Left. This weekend, the third assassin in less than two years attempted to kill Donald Trump. The would-be assassin left behind a manifesto explaining his rationale. It echoes the Left’s “resistance” rhetoric used for the last eleven years. His argument could have easily been a monologue on late-night television or on cable channels like MSNOW. The mainstream Left and the media have demagogued Trump to the point where violent reaction is now the norm. This began from the riot in DC on Trump’s first inauguration day through the 2020 George Floyd riots, to the riots in Los Angeles and Minneapolis over immigration enforcement, to these assassination attempts.  Despite efforts by the Southern Poverty Law Center and Joe Biden’s DOJ to falsely depict conservatives as dangerous, the violence comes from one direction: The left. And all who demagogue over a duly elected president’s legitimacy share responsibility for it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

America has once again descended into an era of political violence. And once again, the political violence originates from the American Left. This weekend, the third assassin in less than two years attempted to kill Donald Trump. The would-be assassin left behind a manifesto explaining his rationale. It echoes the Left’s “resistance” rhetoric used for the last eleven years. His argument could have easily been a monologue on late-night television or on cable channels like MSNOW. The mainstream Left and the media have demagogued Trump to the point where violent reaction is now the norm. This began from the riot in DC on Trump’s first inauguration day through the 2020 George Floyd riots, to the riots in Los Angeles and Minneapolis over immigration enforcement, to these assassination attempts.  Despite efforts by the Southern Poverty Law Center and Joe Biden’s DOJ to falsely depict conservatives as dangerous, the violence comes from one direction: The left. And all who demagogue over a duly elected president’s legitimacy share responsibility for it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

California is governed by people whose moral sanity must be questioned. Christopher Rufo, the City Journal recently published a piece with this headline: “California provides sex-change procedures to homeless illegal aliens” The report looked like satire. Rufo and his co-author stated: “We discovered not only that the shelters were housing illegal immigrants but also that they were apparently housing a population of male-to-female ‘transgender’ illegal aliens, who had hoped to obtain ‘gender-affirming care.’ And, to our shock, they wrote “state and local governments are providing it.” Providing it ... as in: paying for it. It’s no accident that “a group of Hondurans who identified as transgender” end up in the same San Francisco homeless facility. Clearly: The words getting out. The main point in all this is that the transgender ideology is marching onward, unabated It’s yet another piece of evidence pointing to the great moral conflict of our age.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump’s decision to extend the ceasefire with Iran created some frustration among those who support the war. Iran has never been a reliable negotiating partner, so why keep offering more chances for a deal? Trump would likely take a deal if he could verify compliance, especially one that transfers the “nuclear dust.” However, Trump understands that air strikes are less likely to produce his real objective in the war—regime change—than the blockade of Iran.  The Iranian regime spent 47 years attempting to immanentize their peculiar, apocalyptic eschaton. The mullahs pursued nuclear weapons to start an apocalypse that would produce the messianic Twelfth Imam and spread their tyranny across the globe. Trump is now trying to immanentize the regime’s eschaton by forcing the cracks between its factions to produce a collapse. The blockade may well provide the best catalyst for regime change, which is the only real guarantee for security and peace in the region. Trump can afford to wait out the IRGC and let economic strangulation take its course. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Americans must worry that something akin to Munich 2.0 looms. Munich, of course, refers to the summit on the eve of World War II when European leaders appeased Hitler and British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain returned from that summit, boasting infamously about, “peace in our time.” 2026 cannot become as infamous as 1938. The whole world knows what a victory over Iran looks like. President Trump should settle for nothing less than: Iran’s abandonment of enrichment forever the return of the so-called “nuclear dust” an end to ballistic missile production an end to support for the terror proxies—Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and: The people of Iran must have their basic human rights restored President Trump’s place in history depends upon his resolve right now, as does stability for the entire region. Please hear me on this: It’s not too much to say that the next many decades for the whole world depend upon the president’s resolve this week and next. We cannot have another Munich.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In her new book titled “Alito” Mollie Hemingway offers revealing insights — not just about the Supreme Court justice — but on how the left’s take-no-prisoners mindset has infected the high court. Hemingway recounts an episode before the release of the Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade. With major security concerns including—you may remember—death threats, Justice Alito asked the liberal justices to expedite their dissents.  Instead, tensions boiled over. Obama appointee Justice Elena Kagan lashed out at Justice Stephen Breyer, suspecting he might cooperate with the majority. No timeline for finishing the dissents was ever provided The left often warns that institutions have declined under Trump. But this troubling account is instructive. It’s a stark reminder: The left is willing to destroy any institution it doesn’t control.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A recent poll illustrates something profound about the ideological divide in America:  81% of Liberals see the 250th anniversary of America as a time “to reflect on the country’s shortcomings.” That’s a direct quote. So: Are we to celebrate a massively important anniversary about the greatest country the world has ever known or host one big Festivus party with an airing of grievances and processing of resentments? From the liberal/left/progressives in America, now we have the answer.  For those paying attention, it’s been obvious for some time.  Liberal America has backed Marxist organizations like BLM and has allowed the Socialist party to take over broad swaths of the Democratic party. It has featured a well-known Marxist-Leninist at Democratic party rallies and elected Democrats routinely go on his podcast. It’s all the result of an education system that has churned out tens of millions of students who are propagandized against American achievement and our true history—and a party that now views this country as a blight rather than a blessing. We must take back our education system—and fast.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The practice of manufacturing collisions between the Vatican and President of the United States, has continued with Pope Leo XIV because he is new in the job. And President Donald Trump, of course, always provides copy. Take an unknown and mix in the very well-known, and a thousand columns are launched. The best commentary on this situation actually came from Vice President JD Vance more than a year ago. “It’s very hard to fit a 2,000-year-old institution into the politics of 2025,” Vice President Vance told me in March of last year. He added, “I try not to do that.” Reporters ought to be taking heed to that as they cover the pope and the president: Tell us what these principals said or posted if done specifically with the other party named. Don’t overlay prior points of view. That’s as silly as playing mind-reader. A suggestion: Whenever you hear or read a reporter asserting what a public figure “thinks” or “feels,” change your feed or at least turn on your misinformation shield.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Too many parents have faced the dilemma of how to help a child struggling with gender confusion. They’re often told anything short of affirming a new gender identity risks psychological harm—even suicide. New, comprehensive research from Finland contradicts that claim. It finds that mental illness isn’t caused by resisting transition. Rather, children who believe they were ‘born in the wrong body” are more likely to have underlying mental health issues. What’s more, those struggles don’t ease after efforts to “transition”: in fact, they intensify. Rates of mental illness rose from around 10 to 60 percent in boys seeking to become girls, and from roughly 20 to 55 percent among girls transitioning to boys. We’re not helping vulnerable children by denying reality. The transgender experiment has come at a steep cost, and it needs to end. Now.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Congressman Eric Swalwell suspended his campaign for governor of California. Then, the very next day, he abruptly resigned from Congress. This followed a cascade of accusations involving sexual assault, misconduct, and unwanted, inappropriate messages.  Clearly, the Democratic establishment wanted Swalwell out. The entire episode unfolded in a matter of days. But what’s most striking is that, by all accounts, people in political circles knew about Swalwell’s behavior for quite some time. Political insiders, journalists and left-wing influencers admitted this much on X. It was, apparently, an open secret. And yet, no powerful Democrats acted until Swalwell’s candidacy became a liability in the governor’s race. Then, suddenly, his candidacy was done. And then he was gone from the House. All in a matter of days. What a complete failure of moral, professional, and ethical responsibility — all the way around.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In recent days we’ve watched the NASA Artemis II mission that successfully sent four astronauts around the dark side of the moon. Human beings have now traveled a greater distance from the earth than ever before in history. Period. We’re talking about a distance greater by thousands of miles. As we watched the mission unfold, it was interesting to note the language coming from the astronauts—language filled with wonder that at least implies a creator. And then we saw the photographs—new, high-quality images of earth in our own time. It had been more than 50 years since the first photographs. I don’t know how a person can look these images and think, “What an interesting cosmic accident.” Of course, we know: There are many scientists absolutely determined to believe it so, consistent with a naturalistic understanding of the entire universe. But here’s the thing worth highlighting: It is very difficult to look at these images and say, “What a beautiful accident.” The entire picture points to a creator. It points to God. Remember that.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Iranians had one reasonable chance to negotiate an end to the war. Donald Trump sent J.D. Vance, reportedly a skeptic of military action, to Islamabad to lead the American delegation. The Pakistan government urged the Iranians to take this seriously. Instead, the IRGC junta refused to negotiate at all on the main points of the conflict, especially their pursuit of nuclear weapons and claims of sovereign control of the Strait of Hormuz. Then: Trump ordered a blockade of all Iranian shipping through the Strait—a move that will cost Iran’s regime $450 million dollars a day in lost sales and eliminate their only reliable method of resupply during the war. The Iranians threatened to escalate, but Trump has his own escalation options too. As military analyst Sascha Bruchmann told a German news program, the Battle of Hormuz is a game of chicken, and “it is dangerous to play a game of chicken against Donald Trump.” That’s the lesson the world ought to be learning. It’s a lesson we need to see through to the end in Iran.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Iranians had one reasonable chance to negotiate an end to the war. Donald Trump sent J.D. Vance, reportedly a skeptic of military action, to Islamabad to lead the American delegation. The Pakistan government urged the Iranians to take this seriously. Instead, the IRGC junta refused to negotiate at all on the main points of the conflict, especially their pursuit of nuclear weapons and claims of sovereign control of the Strait of Hormuz. Then: Trump ordered a blockade of all Iranian shipping through the Strait—a move that will cost Iran’s regime $450 million dollars a day in lost sales and eliminate their only reliable method of resupply during the war. The Iranians threatened to escalate, but Trump has his own escalation options too. As military analyst Sascha Bruchmann told a German news program, the Battle of Hormuz is a game of chicken, and “it is dangerous to play a game of chicken against Donald Trump.” That’s the lesson the world ought to be learning. It’s a lesson we need to see through to the end in Iran.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ceasefire in Iran will be a big win for President Trump if the Strait opens and stays open—and we’ll know over the course of the two weeks whether or not that happens. If it does: The world’s oil supply will surge a bit and the remnants of the Iranian regime will have a chance to inventory the destruction that has rained down on their forces for five weeks. If the Strait doesn’t reopen—or the attacks on Israel or our Gulf allies don’t cease—another round of the third Gulf war will soon commence. President Trump issued his ultimatum. His never-evolving critics denounced his language though it got through to whomever is running the bunkers in Iran. The war is far from over, but long conflicts never resolve in a month, and this one is 47 years old. Fundamental things are afoot in the Middle East, most of them very good indeed. Freedom for the long-suffering Iranian people and stability in the Middle East has never been closer since 1979..See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Trump has done what seven presidents before him would not: he demolished the leading state sponsor of terrorism’s leadership, military, and nuclear abilities. For this, alone, the Nobel Peace Prize seems not quite enough. We shall see if the temporary cease-fire holds; perhaps it is a moment of calibration that may require further military action, as President Trump has shown his mettle in doing with Iran before. And for those who have chosen to ignore or forget Iran’s 47-year war against the United States and the West—slaughtering and maiming untold thousands of Americans and other innocents, including assassination plots against the President—if Iran fully breaks this ceasefire, they will teach the world again who they are and what they do. Meanwhile, critics blame Donald Trump for his rhetoric—of course having said nothing about the routine calls of genocide from Iran’s leadership or, for that matter, hundreds of thousands who take to the streets shouting, “From the river to the sea.” This is a moment to thank President Trump, not condemn him.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

King Charles of Great Britain has sparked outrage and made one of the great unforced errors of recent UK history. After hosting an iftar at Windsor Castle last year and delivering messages for the Muslim holidays of Eid and Ramadan this year, he refused to offer an Easter message. The decision is striking. As King, Charles is the head of the Christian Church of England. And his country is deeply polarized amid rising extremism, as well as reports of the government’s years-long institutional failure to investigate and prosecute sexual abuse of young girls by Islamist gangs. The modern monarchy wields no political power. It exists only to provide a national symbol of unity, stability, and continuity. If it no longer serves that purpose, the taxpayers who subsidize it are justified in asking: What, exactly, is it for?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

March the 1st marked the death of one of the most infamous murderers in American history. Abortionist Kermit Gosnell died in prison custody at the age of 85. Dr. Gosnell went to prison for committing the most heinous abortionist murder imaginable—he delivered babies who were born alive and then killed those babies. He inserted scissors into their spinal column and labeled their deaths as abortion. One trial witness said that a baby killed by Dr. Gosnell had “made noises, a whine, like my baby.” Let’s just understand how the law is operating right now. It is unlikely that those legal consequences would ever have come if Dr. Gosnell had used some other technique where his evil was not so obvious, where it was not so well-documented. The moral urgency of abortion, and even late-term abortion, is more apparent and horrific than any of us would want to see. That’s why we must press on in the fight for life. Human dignity depends upon that defense all the way from fertilization until healthy birth.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a story that fills you with a very American kind of pride. In a risky and costly operation, the US rescued the missing pilot who had been shot down over Iran. The operation involved hundreds of intelligence and military personnel, Navy SEAL Team Six, Army Delta Force, CIA operatives who carried out a deception campaign, even the destruction of two damaged aircraft, all to find one man. Some questioned why America would go to such extraordinary lengths just to recover a single pilot. Of course, we wanted to deny Iran a propaganda victory and access to any intelligence the pilot possessed, but there’s more to it than that. We come from a Judeo‑Christian worldview. We believe every life is precious. We honor our fighting men and women, and we don’t leave any of them behind.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Washington Post, and others, are upset that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is hosting monthly worship services at the Pentagon.  Unconstitutional, they say … Upending of norms … Breaking cohesion. Are they kidding us?  First, I want my soldiers—especially in a time of war—being reverent and prayerful.  Second, just how timid and weak are these Pentagon employees that they have to go off the record and run to the Washington Post to complain about this? One employee said, “If troops are trained to believe that ‘God is on our side,’ what precludes us from doing anything we want to win?”  I don’t know—ask Lincoln, or Franklin Roosevelt, who led the largest public prayer in history on the cusp of D-Day.  Ask Dwight Eisenhower who issued a prayer to the soldiers in World War II.  Or, maybe, know that a great deal of just-war theory comes from famous religious leaders of yore. Journalists today just have no sense of history or context.  Even the Unknown Soldier was known only to God. I’m Seth Leibsohn.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Sunday is Easter, Resurrection Sunday, a great celebration day for Christians marking the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead. The Christian church bears a mandate to proclaim the truth that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, and that’s an indispensable truth claim of Christianity. The resurrected Lord gave the church a sacred commission to take the gospel, the message of Christ’s victory over sin and death to all the world. So: As the Christian church gathers to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Christians look back in thankfulness to that empty tomb and forward to the fulfillment of Christ’s purposes in us. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the promise of our resurrection from the dead and of Christ's total victory over sin and death. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is at the very center of the Christian gospel. The empty tomb is full of power. I hope you’ll celebrate Christ’s work on our behalf this weekend. Happy Easter. Happy Resurrection Day to all. May the joy of the resurrection be yours.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Trump is on the cusp of a historic achievement. If the President oversees the toppling of the ruling regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran, his achievements will rank with the greatest of those of any post-World War II president. That’s just an objective fact. If you don’t understand that fact, you haven’t been paying attention for more than 40 years. Iran is as evil a regime as exists on the planet. It is run by religious fanatics with a peculiar theology, rooted in end-times eschatology and “resistance” up to and especially including martyrdom. It cannot be allowed to have weapons of mass destruction or an arsenal of conventional weapons sufficient to deter normal regimes from stopping it from obtaining WMD, especially obtaining nuclear weapons. The result needed in the war has not yet been achieved. But if President Trump delivers it, only his critics incapable of basic objectivity will deny the significance of his order to take down the regime that has bedeviled the world for almost a half century.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of the holiest week in the Christian calendar. But for Christians in Syria and Nigeria, it was a day marked by bloodshed and tragedy. In Syria, sectarian attacks in a Christian town damaged homes, shops and cars—as men on motorcycles from a nearby Sunni Muslim town terrorized the community into the early morning hours. In Nigeria, the violence was even more horrific. Muslim gunmen attacked a university community, killing at least 30 people and injuring many more. Yet coverage of this violence was scant. Instead, there was widespread media outrage when Israel briefly paused public prayer gatherings due to Iranian missile threats—before quickly reversing course. There’s a very clear double standard. And it raises serious questions about whether Western media outlets are intimidated by Islamism. They certainly have not shown courage.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Those of us of a certain age will remember America’s 200th birthday well. It was a year-long celebration with pageantry and even commercials celebrating our patriotism everywhere.  Now, months away from the date of our 250th birthday, all seems rather quiet on the Western civilizational front. Our Founders weren’t so sure we’d last anywhere near this long—and yet, here we are 250 years later.  What changed in the last 50 years?  The media and the academy, both of which have trained millions of pupils and teachers and citizens to view America as a down-market commodity.  History professors literally sneer at efforts to restore and remind about the very field they supposedly care about: teaching American history.  And a great socialist effort to undermine the exceptionalism of America, and pride in it, has taken over an entire political party. The great Czech writer Milan Kundera, put it that “The first step in liquidating a people is to erase its memory.”  And that’s been the progressive effort here.  We must know of it, we cannot let it prevail.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The United States has allies in this battle with Iran, though you’d be hard-pressed to prove it from coverage in mainstream media. Israel has fought valiantly beside us, absorbing the blows that the enemy wishes it could rain down on our country. We in America ought to at least bring their stories forward. Israel has been at war with Iran since its proxy Hamas launched the attack on October 7, 2023, and the massacre that followed. Right now: The American and Israeli militaries are methodically smashing the military that the Iranian radical regime has built up over 47 years. If it was a boxing match, the referee would stop the fight. But it’s a war, and the target list is long and it’s not done. This battle is the story of this decade, and its outcome one of those very few-and-far between hinge points of history that are obvious as they occur, such as the fall of the Berlin Wall. Our legacy outlets ought to be telling the story. The whole story.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We learned in recent days that Leo Radvinsky, the owner of the vast website known as OnlyFans, had died at age 43 of cancer. OnlyFans is one of the most significant purveyors of pornography in all of human history. Through Radvinsky’s leadership, the site exploded to 377 million users, bringing in more than $7.2 billion in revenue in a single year. It’s not really possible to comment on this adequately without reference to theological terms: What we see here is the power of sin, the power of human depravity matched with human ingenuity. The OnlyFans platform was—and it is—a deeply diabolical plan and strategy. And—obviously—at least in financial terms, it works. But we know: It doesn’t work. It is sin and depravity and lust coupled with manipulation and oppression and enslavement. This week’s headlines give us the opportunity to state the truth and to say that what I hope are clear and unequivocal terms.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some four weeks into the war with Iran, a couple of things have become clear—and both worth highlighting. First, in undertaking this mission, President Trump fully restored the American deterrent that was forfeited by President Biden’s collapse in Afghanistan. President Trump demonstrated again the remarkable power of the American military and solidified the most important relationship with America’s most important and powerful ally — Israel. And second, with all that clarity comes one more impossible-to-deny truth: With America involved in a battle with a terrorist regime, Democrats have repeatedly chose in vote after vote to keep the Department of Homeland Security shuttered and unfunded. That is ridiculous and wildly irresponsible. The spectacle of the Democrats risking America to make talking points for MS-NOW audience should leave an enduring impression: The Republicans are the party of security at home and abroad. Democrats couldn't care less.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The essence of parenthood is the right—indeed, the duty—to raise children according to one’s deepest values. That includes teaching them religion. In Europe, that right is under attack. Since 2022, the Samson family has been fighting to regain custody of their daughters. The Swedish government took the girls, citing the family’s religious faith.  The saga began when the oldest daughter, upset about being denied makeup and a smartphone, made a false abuse claim she quickly retracted. The police found no evidence of abuse. But the state took both girls, claiming “religious extremism” because the family attended church three times a week and raised their daughters in a strict religious home. The girls want to go home but the government plans to put them up for adoption. It’s a sobering reminder: religious liberty should never be taken for granted. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

.Portland, Oregon has just made itself ground zero for polyamory. Polyamory is the word that Americans are going to have to recognize more frequently. It refers to different kinds of love, different kinds of relationships. It can refer to same sex or heterosexual relationships. It can be between three, four, five. Well, you count them people. Portland has just decided to include legal protection for polyamorous relationships and what they call polyamorous families. How's that for an oxymoron? Now, I don’t think there's going to be a mad dash to polyamorous situations in most of the country. I think what you’re seeing here is the deliberate destabilization of marriage itself. This is part of a bigger strategy of those on the left who want to subvert a biblical view of marriage as central to our own civilizational project. They want to destroy any commitment to marriage as the union of a man and a woman. They want to destabilize the family. They want to do all of this, period. What starts in Portland ... It doesn't stay in Portland.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suspects charged an alleged ISIS inspired attack near New York City's Gracie Mansion. Deadly Old Dominion University shooting probed as an act of terrorism. Suspect in Michigan synagogue attack had lost family and Israeli strike on Lebanon. These are just a few of the many headlines and recent stories that ought to have our attention. A clash of worldviews sometimes comes down to something just this horrifying. The Islamist agenda is so transparent in these stories, we're talking about the now undeniable links to Islamic terrorist organizations clear in these attacks. And if military intelligence is accurate, we can expect there may very well be more of these coming. This is not Iran. This is not the Middle East. We're talking about New York City, Virginia, Michigan. You wonder if Americans are even paying any attention to what's going on in our own country.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Writing about our nation’s last greatest Republican president, Ronald Reagan, George Will wrote: “at a turbulent moment…Reagan became the great reassurer, the steadying captain of our clipper ship. He calmed the passengers, and the sea.”  At the rate things are going, President Trump may very well outdo Reagan. Yes, Reagan ended the “long twilight struggle” against Soviet communism.  The war Iran has waged against us for 47 years has gone on longer than that long struggle. Donald Trump has decided to end that war—decisively.  He’s already taken out the communist dictator of Venezuela, and there is every reason to believe “Cuba Libre” will be more than a chant or a drink but a reality by the end of the year. Killing off regnant communism in this hemisphere, and the head of the snake of Islamism the world-over, regardless of political considerations here at home, is the kind of thing we used to call heroic statesmanship.  These ambitions and accomplishments have no equal. Trump may well be ushering us to freedom’s finest hour.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the past two weeks, four terrorist attacks have struck the United States — in Texas, Michigan, Virginia, and New York.  With the war in Iran, Americans have been warned to be vigilant. So it’s astonishing that Democrats still refuse to fund the Department of Homeland Security. Without funding, airport security is strained, and resources for thousands of federal law enforcement officers, including the U.S. Coast Guard, are cut. This weakens both border and maritime security. The shutdown is because Democrats want to block support for ICE. But refusing to fund Homeland Security sends a troubling message: that opposing immigration enforcement—and giving Trump a “loss”—matter more than protecting the American people. Political fights are inevitable, but they shouldn’t come at the expense of Americans’ safety. Our nation’s security demands seriousness, not partisan posturing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The United States and Israel are winning this battle with the Islamic Republic of Iran — decisively. Our Gulf allies are standing strong. The cost has already been high. With at least U.S. and IDF forces paying the ultimate price. But of course, some hard-left partisans hate the prospect of either President Donald Trump or the United States as a whole, winning an important, indeed crucial battle.  The left in America refuses to come to grips with how evil the Iranian regime is and for how long it has been so. The collapse of moral clarity among American elites on the left is complete. Democrats are defeated, appeasers, antisemitic in some cases or simply deranged by their hatred of President Trump: You keep speaking up too. We want to hear you say all these crazy things. History will record your positions. The Republican Party should boldly proclaim that, even after 250 years, our country still knows what’s right from wrong and will defend the right.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump has an opportunity to go for the jugular in his war with the Iranian terror regime—and the IRGC has provided a perfect pretext for it now. During the first phase of the war, both sides kept the oil flowing through the Strait of Hormuz. As Iran’s other deterrents have failed, they have decided to attack shipping in the Persian Gulf to pressure Trump into retreat. A sharp rise in oil prices have panicked the media and some of our allies. Trump has instead signaled that any further interference will result in either seizure or full-scale demolition of Kharg Island. Iran exports 96% of its oil through this facility, mainly to China and India. It is their only connection to hard currency, and it continues to operate. Trump reportedly is considering an occupation of Kharg Island, now that the US has decimated its defenses. This would checkmate the regime while preserving the facilities for a successor government in Tehran. It’s time to go for the jugular.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Americans recently learned that Rama Duwaji, the wife of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, “liked” some vile Instagram posts. Seventy of them.  One described the New York Times’ reporting on the sexual violence during the October 7 attacks as a “mass rape” hoax the newspaper supposedly “fabricated.” Another accused Israel of a “vile land grab.” Yet another charged Israel with genocide.  Rather than denying his wife liked the posts, the mayor simply claimed she is a “private person.” But that’s not true. Rama Duwaji lives in Gracie Mansion at taxpayer expense and accompanies the mayor to ceremonial events. She recently sat for a cover story in “The Cut” – New York Magazine’s fashion and lifestyle site. When someone in her position applauds the barbarism of October 7, she helps normalize Jew hatred in a way that should repel us all.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Trump is realigning the global order—and the consequences are massive. I’m referring most immediately, of course, to the ongoing military action in Iran. The U.S. and Israel are involve. But the Gulf States are now involved as well—and their increasingly aligned directly with the United States. Iran is an ally of both Russia and China—part of the BRICS Coalition, started out with Brazil, Russia, India, and China, now been expanded to 10 members. It’s basically an alternative to NATO. The New York Times ran an article very revealing here’s the headline, “As Trump Out-Putins Putin, Russia’s Global Influence Erodes.” In the words of the article “Mr. Putin is also grappling with the arrival of a new world of unbridled American power under President Trump, which is checking Russia’s global influence….” Notice – China’s watching, too. Trump is realigning the global order and It’s going to be very, very interesting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

School children used to be taught about the dangers of yellow journalism, a practice where the media would falsify stories to inspire support for war, as in “you furnish the pictures, I’ll furnish the war.” Today, the practice is back, stronger than ever—but now it’s on the side against us. When Ayatollah Khamenei was confirmed dead, the New York Times labeled him “avuncular and magnanimous,” complemented with a story picturing mourning Iranians.  This would be news to the overwhelming majority of Iranians who celebrated the end of their tyrant’s life—a mass murderer of innocents across the globe.  CNN aired a story on Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon, not once mentioning the precipitating cause: Hezbollah showering rockets into Israel. Elite outlets also deliberately obfuscated just who threw IEDS into a crowd in New York City this weekend—making it look the real “bad guys” were anti-Islamist protestors when it was, in fact, American Islamists. If you get your own news from mainstream media, the simple truth is this: you’ll be misinformed and uninformed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the world marked International Women’s Day, an international incident reminded us what real repression looks like — and how silent many so-called “feminists” have become. As their bus left Australia for a flight back to Iran, members of Iran’s women’s soccer team flashed “SOS” hand signals pleading for help. Iranian state media had branded them traitors for refusing to sing the regime’s national anthem before a match. It’s easy to see why they were afraid to go home. Under Iran’s Islamist theocracy, women possess few rights and defiance carries brutal consequences. As the Australian government dithered, President Trump urged officials to act and offered asylum in America. For years, American feminist groups have called the president sexist. Yet when real women risked everything for freedom, he moved quickly to protect them — while the so-called feminists did nothing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.