Trump & Xi
President Trump is on his way back to the United States after wrapping up a successful summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump said Communist China agreed to buy 200 Boeing jets—a deal potentially worth tens of billions of dollars. China also agreed to buy more U.S. agricultural products.
Iran was a major topic of discussion, and it appears significant progress was made on that critical issue. According to a White House statement:
“The two sides agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open. . . President Xi also made clear China’s opposition to the militarization of the Strait and any effort to charge a toll for its use, and he expressed interest in purchasing more American oil to reduce China’s dependence on the Strait in the future. Both countries agreed that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.”
President Trump also said that Xi agreed not to sell Iran military equipment. If Iran is cut off from Chinese oil and weapons sales, that would be a huge development and a big win for the United States. But as President Ronald Reagan famously said, “Trust but verify.”
Trump wants to put Communist China into a box by publicly saying it has agreed to not sell weapons to Iran. But that doesn’t necessarily mean Beijing’s commitment is airtight. We will be monitoring the situation very closely with every intelligence tool we have, and President Trump will not hesitate to call the Chinese out if they break their promise.
On another positive note, President Trump raised human rights and religious liberty issues with President Xi, specifically the detention of Pastor Erza Jin.
I spoke with the pastor’s daughter recently, and she asked for my help in getting the president to bring up her father’s case. I contacted our many friends in the White House, so I am gratified that President Trump did in fact bring it up. Trump said Xi told him that he would “strongly consider” releasing “the pastor.”
Disappointing Decision
Yesterday’s Supreme Court decision allowing abortion pills to continue to be mailed across state lines and into pro-life states is disappointing. The “good news” is that this was not a final decision on the merits of a lawsuit challenging the interstate mailing of abortion pills.
During the COVID pandemic, the Biden administration temporarily allowed doctors to prescribe the abortion pill mifepristone via telehealth without an in-person visit. After the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade, Biden made this new regulation permanent.
The state of Louisiana sued because Biden undermined the state’s pro-life laws by allowing “abortion drug traffickers” in California to mail “baby pesticides” into Louisiana. The state also sought an injunction against the interstate mailing of abortion pills while the case moved through the courts.
Two weeks ago, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals granted the injunction. The Supreme Court lifted the injunction yesterday, essentially restoring the Biden status quo while the legal case continues.
Supreme Court orders like yesterday’s generally do not have recorded votes and are issued without comment. But Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas both wrote dissenting opinions. Alito went straight to the heart of the matter:
“The Court’s unreasoned order granting stays in this case is remarkable. What is at stake is the perpetration of a scheme to undermine our decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which restored the right of each State to decide how to regulate abortions within its borders.”
Justice Thomas bluntly stated the obvious:
“It is a criminal offense to ship mifepristone for use in abortions. The Comstock Act bans using ‘the mails’ to ship any ‘drug . . . for producing abortion.’. . . Applicants are not entitled to a stay of an adverse court order based on lost profits from their criminal enterprise. They cannot, in any legally relevant sense, be irreparably harmed by a court order that makes it more difficult for them to commit crimes.”
Honoring Fallen Heroes
This week is Police Week, and today the country observes National Peace Officers Memorial Day to honor the 109 law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty last year. Sadly, we have added too many names to the memorial of fallen officers because of the anti-police ideology that dominates the Left.
Never forget that the Left wants to defund the police. They want to defund immigration police now. The Left routinely uses demonizing rhetoric against police officers and immigration enforcement agents that will inspire more thugs to kill more of these brave men and women.
It’s impossible to overstate just how extreme, pro-open borders, pro-radical Islam and pro-political violence the Left has become. Some say there is a civil war in the Democrat Party today. But it looks to me like a mass slaughter. Maybe there are a few normal Democrats left, but many are cowards, too afraid to buck their crazy left-wing base.
If you think I’m exaggerating, consider this: The House of Representatives voted on a resolution this week expressing support for law enforcement officers. While the resolution passed, 173 House Democrats—82% of the House Democrat caucus—voted against the resolution, including House Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
A candlelight vigil was held this week on the steps of the U.S. Capitol Building. Dozens of members of Congress attended, but not one Democrat was there. Maybe Capitol Hill police officers should refuse to protect Democrats!
The next time you see a local police officer or a federal law enforcement officer, thank them for the extremely difficult job they are doing to keep us safe.
Trump Backs The Blue
In stark contrast to the Democrats’ hostility, President Trump issued a proclamation honoring the courage and sacrifice of our law enforcement officers and their families. Trump declared:
“On this Peace Officers Memorial Day, we solemnly commemorate the officers who gave their lives in the line of duty across our Nation. Throughout Police Week, we honor the sacrifices of our law enforcement community and the families who stand beside them.
“United in gratitude, we recommit ourselves to supporting those who keep the peace in our neighborhoods, and we offer our heartfelt appreciation for the service they render to community and country.”
Rededicate 250
Carol and I will be joining thousands of men and women of faith on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., this Sunday for a day of prayer, praise and thanksgiving to rededicate America as “one nation under God.”
Speakers at the event will include House Speaker Mike Johnson, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Reverend Franklin Graham and many others.
One local speaker will be Pastor Gary Hamrick of Cornerstone Chapel in Loudoun County, Virginia. As a resident of left-wing Loudoun County, Pastor Hamrick is on the frontline of America’s culture war. Previewing his remarks this weekend, Pastor Hamrick told the Christian Post:
“We have given in to the lies of gender confusion and marriage redefinition, we have stripped parents of the right to raise their own children according to their values, and we have granted the environment more protection than babies in the womb.
“We must safeguard the freedom to worship the Lord, live fearlessly for Jesus in the public square, and love people enough to speak truth against the destructive and demonic ideologies of our day.”
AMEN!
Defending Faith, Family & Freedom
Do we have the courage to risk what our Founders risked 250 years ago? The answer to that question will determine whether our children and grandchildren live free or under tyranny. In my latest podcast for the James Dobson Family Institute, I share some thoughts from Justice Clarence Thomas on courage.
Good News
- The Trump administration launched Moms.gov, a new website offering resources, information and help to expecting mothers. Moms.gov connects new mothers with pregnancy resource centers, which offer free maternity and baby supplies. Just one more way the Trump/Vance administration is promoting the culture of life.
- Led by Vice President J.D. Vance, the Trump administration launched a major crackdown on Medicare and Medicaid fraud. States that fail to aggressively investigate and prosecute fraud will lose federal funding. The problem is enormous. Of 800 alleged healthcare providers who were recently banned from the programs, fewer than 20—less than 3%—even bothered to challenge their bans.
- The Trump State Department totally revamped its Foreign Service training program. Instead of leftist propaganda sessions like “LGBTQIA+ in the Foreign Service Community,” new Foreign Service officers will learn about “America’s Founding Principles: Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights, Federalist Papers.”
- The Republican National Committee launched a major election integrity project to ensure that only legal votes are counted in the November midterm elections.
- Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R) stripped all Democrats of their committee assignments after their near-riot on the House floor opposing new congressional redistricting.