Border Battles
The politics of America’s border/immigration battles were on full display yesterday.
Vice President J.D. Vance toured the southern border to reinforce President Trump’s commitment to border security. He was joined by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, the message of the vice president, the secretary of defense, and the director of national intelligence appearing together at our southern border is crystal clear: This administration is serious about border security.
At the same time, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was in New York City. She visited the subway station where an illegal alien set a sleeping woman on fire, brutally killing her. Because New York City is a “sanctuary city,” local officials are refusing to turn this monster over to ICE.
Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., the House Oversight Committee held a hearing yesterday about sanctuary city policies that protect criminal illegal aliens. Testifying before the committee were the Democrat mayors of Boston, Chicago, Denver, and New York City.
Three of these four mayors have publicly vowed to defy federal immigration laws. These leftist ideologues were not the least bit defensive. They were defiant in justifying insane policies that put American citizens at risk.
When asked how much money Boston is spending on illegal aliens, Mayor Michelle Wu said she had no idea because the city doesn’t ask about immigration status when people use public services. She also said that the Boston police do not ask arrested criminals about their immigration status.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson refused to say whether he would turn over criminal aliens to ICE. That probably explains why Johnson has a 7% approval rating and why 67% of Chicago residents said crime was their most important issue.
The mayor of Denver defended his city’s “welcoming” policies. He also defended releasing a criminal illegal alien with multiple arrests from jail. Shortly after his release, this gang member assaulted an ICE officer when they tried to take him into custody.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) told the mayors that they were all in violation of federal law. She said they were aiding, abetting, and harboring illegal aliens, adding, “Based on your responses, I’m going to be criminally referring you to the Department of Justice for investigation. . .”
Good for her!
The aggressiveness of House Republicans in questioning these mayors was very impressive and more evidence of how Donald Trump has transformed the GOP for the better.
Education Battles
Multiple reports indicate that President Trump will issue an executive order soon, possibly even today, to shut down the Department of Education. I’m glad he’s doing it. As a former under secretary of education in the Reagan administration, I am very familiar with the department’s many shortcomings.
There are major obstacles to reforming or eliminating the department. We tried in the early years of the Reagan administration, when the department was in its infancy. We couldn’t get it through Congress.
Polling shows that abolishing the Education Department is overwhelmingly unpopular. That’s largely because many Americans greatly overestimate its role in their child’s education.
It would take an act of Congress, including 60 votes in the Senate, to completely abolish the Department of Education. That’s not happening. The Trump White House understands this, which is why the draft order is carefully worded.
According to the Wall Street Journal, President Trump will instruct Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure” of the department to “the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law.”
Secretary McMahon is already laying the groundwork. In a message to department employees earlier this week, she wrote that the president and the American people have “tasked us with accomplishing the elimination of the bureaucratic bloat here at the Education Department -- a momentous final mission -- quickly and responsibly.”
Democrats, the media, and their leftist allies will be running around with their hair on fire when this order is issued. They will claim that civilization as we know it is coming to an end. Don’t fall for it.
There was no federal Department of Education until 1979. The Republic not only survived without it for more than 200 years, it thrived without it.
Educational standards and outcomes were far superior then compared to what we have now after 46 years of bureaucratic bloat and radical neo-Marxist teachers’ unions.
When I was at the Department of Education, its budget was $15 billion. Today it’s nearly $270 billion. And test scores are worse! Despite record per student spending, entire school districts are failing to educate. (Here, here, and here.)
The return on the taxpayers’ investment is abysmal! There is no standard by which the Department of Education can be considered a “success” other than wasting money.
A few years ago, at a meeting of conservative leaders, I suggested that the best way to get rid of the Department of Education was to turn it into a 24/7 promoter of conservative ideas. Then the Democrats would be demanding the abolition of the Department of Education!
DJ Meets Trump
DJ Daniel, the young boy who survived brain cancer and was honored by President Trump during his address to Congress, got to meet the president in the Oval Office yesterday.
DJ told the president, “There’s one more thing I got for you – a big hug.” It was a very touching scene as he hugged Donald Trump, who was seated at his desk.
Some in the leftist media, which assumes nefarious motives in everything Donald Trump does, have accused Trump of exploiting a little boy with cancer. That’s disgusting!
DJ has always wanted to be in law enforcement. When doctors told him he was going to die early, the main thing on his bucket list was to be a policeman. His goal was to collect 100 badges before he died. DJ is clearly an overachiever. More than 900 law enforcement agencies across the country have made him an honorary officer.
Donald Trump wasn’t contriving anything or exploiting anyone. He simply wanted to honor a young boy for his love of law enforcement.
There have been multiple stories written about DJ over the years. The fact that leftist politicians and pundits didn’t know about it and maliciously attacked Donald Trump shows just how out of touch they are.
No Turning Back
Well, the transition is complete. Bill Kristol, the once proud conservative adviser to Bill Bennett and Vice President Dan Quayle, editor of the intellectual conservative journal The Weekly Standard (now defunct), has completed his transition.
He just declared his support for the radical transgender movement. There are no words.
Green Censured
“Despicable.” “Unconscionable.” “Unhinged petulance.” “Wrong.”
That’s how some leading Democrats described the behavior of congressional Democrats during President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night.
Worst among them was Rep. Al Green (D-TX), who was thrown out of the chamber for his disruptive and disrespectful outburst.
Green was unapologetic and said he was willing to suffer the consequences of his action. Today, the House of Representatives voted 224 to 198 to censure Green. Ten Democrats joined all Republicans in rebuking Green’s outrageous behavior.
Not surprisingly, the Marxist wing of the House Democrat caucus turned today’s vote into a circus. Dozens of Democrats surrounded Green and started singing, “We Shall Overcome,” in yet another demonstration of defiance. Now some Republicans are calling for all of those Democrats to be stripped of their committee assignments.
I hope they are held accountable.
After Tuesday evening’s repeated displays of childish behavior, you’d think Democrats might want to tone it down a bit. But no. Squad member Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) got into a ridiculous screaming match yesterday with House Oversight Committee Chairman Jim Comer (R-KY).
If Democrats refuse to participate in the process of governing and resort to disruptive obstructionism, that’s their decision. But Republicans are under no obligation to tolerate it.
Defending Faith, Family, & Freedom
In my latest “Defending Faith, Family, & Freedom” podcast for the James Dobson Family Institute, I offer an analysis of President Trump’s historic address to Congress and explain how the left’s reaction exposes the real divide in America.