Townhall Review | Conservative Commentary On Today's News

This week, the USA turns 250. It comes at a time when our nation has become more sharply divided than any other in living memory.   One man’s wisdom calls to us from an even more bitterly divided moment in American history. Six weeks before his assassination, Abraham Lincoln spoke to the bitter divisions of his day and how the American soul could look to the Lord for grace to heal them.  “With malice toward none with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right let us strive on to finish the work we are in to bind up the nation's wounds,” Lincoln wrote in his 1865 second inaugural address. He sought to work for a “just and lasting peace” through faith—first in the Lord, and then in the potential of the American spirit to prevail. Events vindicated Lincoln in his prayer for America. We must cling to our faith with no less strength in these times.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As America celebrates its 250th birthday, it’s worth honoring our glorious Constitution—the longest-surviving written charter of national government in world history. Rarely have so few gotten so much so right. The Constitution protects our inalienable rights, reflecting the truth that our freedoms come from God, not government. It enshrines the principle of “We the People,” affirming that power belongs to citizens, not rulers, and that government exists to serve the people, not the other way around. Because the Framers understood the temptations of power, they divided authority among three branches of government, each designed to check the others. They also balanced the powers of the federal government and the states. Our Constitution ensures that Americans live under the rule of law, not the rule of men. May it ever be so.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Americans celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday, we’ve received a special and quite unexpected gift: a spontaneous outpouring of affection from the rest of the world. Visitors from across the globe are attending World Cup matches here, and many are posting videos expressing their delight with what they’re finding, and what we so often take for granted. Our safe streets and parks. Our barbecue. Ranch dressing. The wonders of LongHorn Steakhouse. Unlimited refills. But above all, the kindness and friendliness of the American people. Too often, tourists fly into New York or Los Angeles and assume they’ve seen America. Now they’re discovering America’s heartland, and the enormous heart of its generous, welcoming people. At 250 years old, America is still inspiring admiration, gratitude, and affection around the world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just recently, Ken Paxton secured the nomination for the GOP looking to represent Texas in the US Senate. Paxton will be facing a state senator and Presbyterian seminarian James Talarico. The question is, as the New York Times put it, are Texans ready for Talarico's kind of Christianity? Ruth Graham and David Goodman begin by talking about Talerico's pastor, Jim Rigby at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Austin. The article begins, "Jim Rigby, a pastor who rarely uses the word God, is a key to understanding the Senate candidate trying to pull off something unusual in Texas." Later, the reporters refer to a sermon where Pastor Rigby refers to "the creative impulse of the universe, which can be called God, but doesn't have to be called God." I do not think that the majority of people in Texas understand the Bible in those terms.  What we're talking about here is light years outside of biblical orthodoxy. So let's ask the question. Is Texas ready for that?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we celebrate our 250th anniversary as a nation, it is worth reflecting on what got us here and has kept us going, living as we do under the longest-lasting constitution in world history. From the Declaration of Independence to the Constitution, our country’s Framers set about establishing this most successful of political governing structures because they understood a few truths. Given low polling about American pride these days, they are truths about which we may need to ask: are they still self-evident? We began this experiment declaring a recognition of something higher than man— “the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God” and a Creator—endowing us with a right to self-government and a recognition that we human beings are all equal, especially in our inequality before God.  Rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” are not given or tolerated by government or man, but God. Our founding authors all understood and enshrined this for us. But, too many here have forgotten or unlearned this.  Sadly, just now, we need a great re-learning.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new poll from NBC reveals another low percentage of Americans who feel proud of their country. One NBC reporter put it that we are seeing “a steady 21st century decline.”  The disappointment in these and similar results is exacerbated by the timing of our birthday as a nation, when national affections should be at their height. If only more Americans would listen to our foreign visitors.  Ever since Marquis de Lafayette, many a foreigner has come here to show and remind us of our greatness.  In fact, it was another Frenchman—Alexis de Tocqueville—whose two-volume book about us in the 19th Century, still taught today, gave us the best explanation of our politics and our culture.  Now, we’re seeing reminders from soccer fans coming here—with social media posts and titles like, “World Cup fans embrace American culture.” They’re reminding us not least of Thomas Paine’s words, “What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly.”  Let us hope this sinks in.  Too many here still have a lot to learn.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just recently, Ken Paxton secured the nomination for the GOP looking to represent Texas in the US Senate. Paxton will be facing a state senator and Presbyterian seminarian James Talarico. The question is, as the New York Times put it, are Texans ready for Talarico's kind of Christianity? Ruth Graham and David Goodman begin by talking about Talarico's pastor, Jim Rigby at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Austin. The article begins, "Jim Rigby, a pastor who rarely uses the word God, is a key to understanding the Senate candidate trying to pull off something unusual in Texas." Later, the reporters refer to a sermon where Pastor Rigby refers to "the creative impulse of the universe, which can be called God, but doesn't have to be called God." I do not think that the majority of people in Texas understand the Bible in those terms.  What we're talking about here is light years outside of biblical orthodoxy. So let's ask the question. Is Texas ready for that?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Iranian regime has waged war against the United States for nearly 47 years. The president clearly thought that we had sufficiently weakened the regime—and he’d be able to strike a deal. Indeed, he spent 60 days trying. But the shootdown of our Apache helicopter may have changed things. The Iranian regime has given Trump plenty of reasons to walk away from the negotiating table, starting from the very first hours of the so-called ceasefire in the Persian Gulf. Vahidi violated the agreement from the very start, imposing an extortionate "fee" system for sailing through the international waters of the Strait of Hormuz and firing on commercial vessels that refused to comply. Trump has invested a lot of his credibility and trust in the IRGC's negotiations. Now, however, Trump sounds as though he suddenly woke up to the Sunk Cost Fallacy, saying they’ve taken too long and “now they will have to pay the price!!!” I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: This war has to be fought to the finish.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is approaching quickly. The document—as I often point out to my listeners—is, to quote Abraham Lincoln, an “apple of gold” protected by the “frame of silver” that is the Constitution he borrowed from Psalms there. All Americans—indeed all the free world—have a lot to celebrate in this our 250th year of independence. The Declaration asserted the existence of "rights" of individuals that exist before any government — no matter the form of that government— comes into being: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The great day of the fourth is, from beginning to end, about love of our country because our country defends our individual rights, rights derived—back to the Declaration— from “the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God.” It is quite a gift that we have been given—a gift that needs to be defended.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ronald Reagan used to ask: “if no one among us is capable of governing himself, then who among us has the capacity to govern someone else?”  But to have self-government, we must depend on many things, foremost among them: Trust. Over the past decade, credibility in major institutions has plummeted. Given the delays and changing results in the recent California elections, we have another exhibit of the growing distrust in our elections. Alleging fraud in seeing Spencer Pratt sink to third place after the now-second place finisher had previously conceded her loss is said to be paranoid. But here comes the New York Times, with a headline: there is “a lack of evidence of any widespread fraud.”  The word “widespread” carries a lot of water in suggesting at least some fraud, no? Voting day needs to be voting day, not month. ID must be required; ballot harvesting, stopped; mailed ballots, postmarked.  Nothing could undermine our experiment in self-government more than distrust in the legitimacy of our elections.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the past couple of weeks, President Trump has shifted pressure for ending the war from Iran to Israel. He pressed for a ceasefire in Lebanon to incentivize the IRGC to make a deal. Hezbollah refused to comply, continuing to launch missile attacks on Northern Israel. That escalated over the weekend, with Iran launching missiles at Israel and the IDF responding. Trump insists the attacks are distracting from a deal that—for two months—he’s promised is close to completion. Thus far, though, the IRGC refuses to comply with the terms of the current ceasefire. Israel has waited for 20 years for Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah and for the terrorist proxy to comply with the ceasefire brokered last year. Trump’s current pressure strategy is misplaced. Israel is not an obstacle to peace in the region. Trump needs to apply pressure to the regime in Iran, and to Hezbollah and Hamas as well to comply with the agreements they have already made. Until they do, what value is there in negotiation?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Maine primary is this Tuesday. Why is it that Democrats are sticking with their deeply flawed, Nazi-tattoo-wearing Graham Platner? Drip, drip, drip come the revelations, but Democrats are standing proudly behind the deeply troubled candidate. On Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was pressed by reporters about his backing of Platner after the latest batch of awful headlines about Platner’s increasingly chaotic campaign. “I met with Graham Platner today. We will beat Susan Collins and take back the Senate.” Shumer went on to repeat that refrain four more times before ending the interview. “Sunk costs” have crippled many a business and life decision, and they plague politics too. Sunk costs are expenses or investments that have already been incurred and cannot be recovered. Rational decisions focus on future costs and benefits, not past expenditures. Sunk costs can lead to emotional decisions in business and personal finances. And politics. Both politically—and morally: Democrats are sinking in Maine.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The next few months are anniversary-heavy for our nation. Before the fireworks of the 250th Fourth of July begin, try with family and friends to agree on what we are celebrating. Try as well to articulate how we defend what our country has long been committed to. We’re also only three months away from the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks by Al Qaeda. The great and the awful anniversaries are connected by that which the first proclaimed and which the second attempted to end: freedom. We ought also to spend part of this celebration in reflecting on admiration for the courage of not just those who voted “yes” on the Declaration, but also to who had the courage to actually sign their names to it on August 2, 1776. This brace of anniversaries should remind every American that ours is a unique and enduring commitment to human liberty. May we all renew our commitment to the country’s first principles.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we close in on our nation’s birthday, more and more data give us cause for great concern. As Abraham Lincoln put it in his time, so too is it true today: “At what point is the approach of danger [to us] to be expected? [I]f it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.” Look around at our civic health just now.  Article IV of our Constitution guarantees us a republican form of government—but, in our major states and cities, we now see elected leaders and political candidates from one of our two major parties that embrace both national and democratic socialism, fascism and communism—we see a party fully embracing hatred of free enterprise as much as constitutionalism and Americanism.  And: It all comes with a large dose of antisemitism. This must be pointed out—and reversed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

.America is celebrating its 250th birthday, but it's been hard to get the party started. Many Americans remember our bicentennial in 1976. It wasn't long after Watergate and the Vietnam War. It was even a presidential election year, but we put all of that on hold to celebrate our great nation. How long ago that seems. This year, the administration launched a nonpartisan freedom 250 initiative to give America a spectacular birthday party. But left-wing activist targeted artists scheduled to perform at the national concert, leading some to withdraw and turning what should have been a patriotic event into a political fight. Instead of bringing Americans together, the celebration has become another arena for political conflict. That's unfortunate and revealing. It shows how much work remains to restore unity in our country, pride in our history and confidence in our future.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

California’s progressives are eyeing other people’s money. Again. The proposed “Billionaire Tax Act” would amend the state constitution to impose a one-time five percent tax on residents with a net worth above a billion dollars. Supporters say it’s just a one-time levy for worthy causes. But experience says “one time” rarely means one time, and the unintended consequences are real. The measure has yet to go before voters, but the threat alone has already pushed almost forty percent of California’s billionaire wealth out of the state. Gone. Along with it: income taxes, sales taxes, property taxes, and the charitable giving those individuals once supported. Wealth is mobile. It goes where it’s treated well. And it’s not hard to see why. California should remember that before it drives even more of its tax base away.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We warned repeatedly when Canada began to adopt assisted suicide as part of its government-run health care. Socialized medicine combined with assisted suicide sets up foreseeable economic incentives that reward disposal of patients rather than chronic care. But even we couldn’t have dreamed that Canada would grow so desperate to reduce costs that they would condone assisted suicide assessments in fast-food parking lots. Yet that’s exactly what happened in Ontario, where a doctor diagnosed a chronic bowel problem and emotional issues outside a Tim Horton’s coffee shop—and took the ‘patient’ to be euthanized. Why? The doctor provides their system what it needs: fewer patients. That’s the real standard of care when single-payer systems face the choice of chronic care or pushing patients to end their lives. This is what they call humane treatment in Canada. If progressives have their way here, the US will be next. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the end of commencement season, it is worth considering what advice a generation of youth more in need of sober and serious advice than at any other time in our history should hear. Professor Jonathan Haidt has pointed out, having given our children smartphones, we are now engaged in the largest uncontrolled experiment humanity has ever performed on its own children.  Major corporations now spend billions of dollars. Their primary mission? Getting as many children as glued to screens for as long as possible.  Humanity is being stolen from our youth. At great costs and great prices. Former Senator and university president Ben Sasse, diagnosed with cancer, expected to die this year, is giving every audience he can his final lessons about life.  It is as beautiful as it is selfless.  Watch his 60 Minutes interview.  Everything we need to know about life, and how to live meaningfully, is there. His main concern? “These super devices in our pockets that have distracted us from some of the most fundamental human activities and aspirations of life.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s commencement season again—another class of young Americans heading out into the world. But one statistic says a lot about what they’re leaving behind: at top universities this year, left-wing speakers outnumber others six to one on commencement stages. That lack of viewpoint diversity point to something deeper: An intellectual climate marked by intolerance and conformity, not curiosity and debate. There was a time when a college degree signaled that a student had learned how to think—and had encountered the ideas that shaped the Western tradition. Today, that’s no longer a safe assumption. Too often, higher education has become dominated by a narrow ideological framework, with too few faculty willing—or able—to model real intellectual rigor. The result is predictable: universities that once fostered inquiry now too often enforce orthodoxy. That’s not education. It’s indoctrination.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we watch the president navigate the ongoing interactions with the remaining leadership in Iran, it’s worth reminding ourselves: President Trump has done hundreds of deals. He also walked away from probably three times as many deals. The thousands of commentators with little to zero knowledge of negotiations are just guessing. Here’s what we know: First: President Trump has the crucial experience, and: Second: the D Team in Iran doesn’t. No president in 47 years has dealt Iran blows like this. President Trump isn’t going to trade massive leverage for the approval of states that aren’t our allies. President Trump is very good at the close. He's not going to get taken. He's walked away from a lot of tables. If it's a bad deal or the Iranians do the bait and switch deal, he will walk away again and I hope combat would resume. But right now, we just don't know.   I just don't think the president is going to get fooled.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1976, Harry Jaffa wrote that in 1776 the United States was nothing, promising to become everything; and having become everything it was promising to become nothing.  This is truer now, on our 250th anniversary, than 50 years ago. The state of our students’ civic understanding is abominable: we are at a record low of students knowing the basic fundaments of our constitutional and political formation and makeup.  This directly results from a deliberate mis-educating of our youth: an education system that teaches that America is a blight rather than a blessing on and to the world and its citizens. Who would want to study, much less venerate, that kind of country? C.S. Lewis wrote; to miseducate a child is to leave him more susceptible to propaganda as an adult. Thus, I give you our disaffected young adults: alienated from America and her successes; young adults susceptible to carnival barking podcasters promoting a down-market view of patriotism and America.  What a shame at such a time as this.  We must take back our schools.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Memorial Day comes as our nation marks 250 years of freedom—a quarter of a millennia since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. On this Memorial Day, we should pause and recognize that we don’t have one without the other. That is: We only have the freedom that we cherish as a result of those who stood up to fight for it and defend it. And more specifically: Willing to pay the ultimate price. From the Revolutionary War and the nation’s founding to those who have paid the price in recent days and months as President Trump and his administration work to ensure that the mullahs of Iran never have a nuclear weapon: We remain free today because of the men and women who have committed themselves to our nation’s defense. Over 1.3 million have paid the ultimate price. Today: We say “thank you.” It’s also a day for us to dedicate ourselves to what—in 1863—Abraham Lincoln called “the unfinished work” before us. On behalf of Salem Media, Happy Memorial Day.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Justice Clarence Thomas recently became the second longest-serving justice in US history — and that’s something to celebrate. He is exceptional, both as a jurist and as a man. Raised in poverty in a wooden shack in the segregated South, he credits his grandfather for shaping his character. From that foundation, he has articulated a powerful and increasingly influential originalist vision of the Constitution, grounded in the natural law principles of our Declaration of Independence. His character is remarkable. Justice Thomas is beloved by those who know him. He’s renowned for his kindness: treating his clerks like family, knowing the names of court staff, and helping others with no expectation of return. Justice Thomas is quite simply a national treasure. He’s a blessing to America. And it’s right that we celebrate this outstanding jurist and extraordinary man.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is the war with Iran “worth it?” The cost—at this point—is the loss of 13 American soldiers and scores more seriously wounded. If, as widely expected, combat operations resume those human costs will climb. So too will gas prices and the prices of everything that depends upon oil. President Trump knows this, of course, but stated plainly: Operation Epic Fury had to be undertaken. The reason is quite simple. Iran intends to obtain nuclear weapons by any means possible. Their rulers are “crazy.” Does not the rise in gas prices destroy at least the argument that the civilians bear no costs of war at least when it comes to this, the Iran War? You may not like paying the sacrifice. But the cost of war is at least being felt beyond the military. Iran simply cannot have a nuclear weapon. This is an argument the country should and will have. It is one that is long overdue.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Numerous media outlets had a difficult time with the Rededicate 250 celebration the White House sponsored this past Sunday.  One major paper reported “Until Trump’s second term in office, it had been virtually unheard of in modern times for U.S. government officials to publicly tie the nation to a specific set of religious beliefs. Trump’s cabinet members have changed that norm.”  Boy that phrase “in modern times” is doing a lot of work here. Calls to prayer and thanksgiving may be new to the old media staffed by too many young, but they’d raise no eyebrows from those who actually founded the country, like John Adams. who wrote, “The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity.”  We can go on and on with such language from John Adams to John Kennedy, never mind FDR’s D-Day prayer—the largest public prayer in history up to that point. Just now, this country could use exactly what the White House sponsored, and a lot less of what the Mainstream Media is offering.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and the US Department of Justice struck a blow against the trans industry in a new settlement: Ten million dollars. And a new, first-in-the-nation clinic to unwind the damage done to children caught up in the pediatric-sex-change industry's machinations. Stripping five of its practitioners of access to more potential victims. Texas Children's Hospital in Houston agreed to end its pediatric sex-change practice, pay $10 million in penalties while opening the nation’s first detransition center to assist victims of this predatory industry. This settlement also vindicates Dr. Ethan Haim, who blew the whistle on the fraud – and got targeted by the Biden-era DOJ and the medical industry for retaliation. Haim faced criminal prosecution under a ginned-up HIPAA complaint that could have put him in prison for ten years. This settlement gives justice to Texas children maimed and sterilized by a despicable medical establishment. Dr. Haim deserves justice too, along with his vindication.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recently, a professor of Politics at Princeton wrote an op-ed pointing out how many of his students—and students at other colleges—simply are unfamiliar with the Ten Commandments.  He writes, “they lack religious literacy, and their ignorance of religious ideas means they struggle to understand a wide array of Western art, literature and philosophy.” They also wouldn’t understand a great deal of art or history, never mind philosophy from Marx to Rousseau—or recognize lines from Shakespeare to our Founding to Frederick Douglass to Lincoln to MLKing, Jr. This is what the late Richard John Newhaus worried about decades ago: An America that with an increasingly naked public square, bare of any religiosity, or recognition of religious faith or culture. What Newhaus feared is now is now nearly complete, when students at major universities are now illiterate in the cornerstone of Western Civilization. Many states right now are debating posting the Ten Commandments in K-12 classrooms.  This wouldn’t be a parochial decision, it would, rather, constitute necessary basic and remedial education.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.