DHS Chief Mullin: 'I Have Zero Respect' for Zohran Mamdani
Far Right
Wednesday on Fox News Channel's "America Reports," Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said he had "zero respect" for New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani.
The post DHS Chief Mullin: ‘I Have Zero Respect’ for Zohran Mamdani appeared first on Breitbart.
Back in April, New York City's new Democratic Socialist (communist) Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared that the city was in the midst of an 'historic' budget crisis.
The post NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Announces Multi-Million ‘Investment’ in Gender Affirming Care, Weeks After Claiming City is in ‘Historic’ Budget Crisis (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
From Spencer Pratt to Mayor Michael Rapaport?All eyes have been on Spencer Pratt, the reality show alum vying to wrest the City of Angels from Mayor Karen Bass.While Pratt promoted his family-man brand, Rapaport lives for the social media scrum.Pratt’s insurgent campaign was felt from coast to coast. Now, as L.A.’s curious voting system seems to have sent him to a third-place finish, another actor turned candidate could take his place.Did Pratt walk so Michael Rapaport could run?'Soft launch'Rapaport is a familiar face from dozens of movies and TV shows since his 1992 film debut in “Zebrahead.” He recently joined Peacock’s “The Traitors,” a reality-show affair hosted by Alan Cumming. His brash persona proved a snug fit for the series, alienating some while bringing fresh friction to the game.And, as he told the Hollywood Reporter in January, the show was part of his “soft launch” to unseat New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.I think that if you can have a mayor of New York who is a failed rapper, a failed actor, a failed music supervisor and who’s rapped and said so many regrettable things that he did … if nothing else, I have shown once again, especially on "Traitors," that I am what you see and you’ll get an honest mayor.Pratt didn’t lean on MAGA messaging or GOP-friendly talking points in his campaign. He played the outsider, a man motivated by losing his home in the Palisades fires and demanding that the person who let it happen be held accountable.For Rapaport, Mamdani’s socialist policies and perceived animosity toward Jewish New Yorkers sparked his campaign, not any Republican fervor.Accidental politiciansCall them accidental politicians. The facts on the ground made them do it. Rapaport explained his change of heart to Fox News."I never thought that I would even consider running for mayor of New York City, and I will do it with the best intentions.”Rapaport leans to the left, but he has defied some of his party’s groupthink, particularly when it comes to his strong support of Israel.Pratt and Rapaport share a grasp not just of social media but of media training in general. They have been around cameras for years, aware of the power video brings and how to weaponize it for a cause.We’ve seen Pratt leverage those viral campaign videos, playing the frazzled Everyman eager to save his hometown. Rapaport, a trained comic in addition to his acting experience, could do the same.Rapaport has some advantages over Pratt. He announced his campaign years before any voting happens, as opposed to Pratt's abrupt decision. That gives Rapaport time to build his base, criticize Mamdani in real time, and let New Yorkers see what a democratic socialist can do to the Big Apple.Rapaport is betting they won’t like the results.RELATED: Trump DOJ opens multiple investigations into possible election fraud in California L-R: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images; ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty ImagesSharp elbowsPlus, Rapaport isn’t merely a reality show villain like Pratt, with all the baggage that entails. He has delivered memorable performances on FX’s “Justified” and Netflix’s “Atypical,” plus classic films like “Beautiful Girls,” “True Romance,” and “Cop Land.”The veteran actor recently segued back to comedy, appearing in clubs across the country with a genuinely funny set built around his garrulous persona.The downsides for the New York native, beyond the fear that he’s another actor playing the part of political savior? Rapaport throws plenty of sharp elbows on social media and podcasts. He famously teed off on President Donald Trump a few years ago, a potential boost to his New York candidacy.But he softened that stance considerably post-October 7, re-evaluating the president’s policies and the lies spread in the media. That speaks to his maturation, but it might not play well in a cobalt blue city.Relishing a fightWhile Pratt promoted his family-man brand, Rapaport lives for the social media scrum. He’s naturally combative, willing to muck it up about sports, culture, and politics on any platform possible.His “I Am Rapaport: Stereo Podcast” lets him weigh in on the New York Knicks, free speech, and much more. Here’s betting Team Mamdani will be combing through past episodes for potentially damaging material.And they just might find some.Pratt proved competitive in his upstart campaign, and even if the vote totals keep him in third place, he still gave the Democratic establishment a major scare.Could Rapaport learn from Pratt’s bold run and write his own Hollywood ending?
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth drew strong criticism from Mormons and Utah lawmakers after releasing a new list of religious affiliations that didn't classify the Church of Latter-Day Saints (often described as the Mormon Church or LDS Church) as Christian. The Pentagon, Politico reported, walked back that part of its religious affiliation policy following the outcry from Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Rep. Mike Kennedy (R-Utah), and others. But according to Salon's Amanda Marcotte, Hegseth's treatment of Mormons shatters MAGA Republicans' claim that they are promoting freedom of religion."In his eagerness to marginalize people of non-Christian faiths," Marcotte explains in Salon, "Hegseth accidentally exposed a major MAGA myth: that there's a coherent, much less peaceful, way to impose their theocratic views on the country. On the contrary, any effort to turn this into a 'Christian nation' is destined to reveal the deep divisions between Christian factions…. To recap, for those who missed the furor: the Department of Defense used to recognize 211 separate religious designations for service members, which help shape everything from chaplain services to what marker is put on a tombstone. Under the guise of 'streamlining' services, this number was reduced to 31. Anyone who looked at the new list, however, could see that Hegseth's unsubtle goal was signaling the superiority of Christians to everyone else."Marcotte adds, "The new list gives Christians 21 subcategories to choose from, but Jews, Muslims and other major religious groups only get one option, ignoring the diversity within those faiths. Atheists, humanists, Wiccans, pagans and other belief systems that the Christian right believes are demonic, were erased entirely."Hegseth, the Salon journalist laments, "has barely concealed his hostility to recognizing that anyone non-Christian could be a legitimate American, much less an honored military service member.""What did seem to shock some people, however, was that Hegseth also kicked members of the Church of Latter-Day Saints out of his Christian tribe," Marcotte observes. "While all other followers of Jesus, from Quakers to Catholics, were officially designated as variations of 'Christian,' Mormons did not enjoy the Christian label. Mormon leaders should have seen this coming."Marcotte adds, "White evangelicals don’t hide their belief that Mormons have no right to call themselves 'Christians.' In May at Rededicate 250, the Christian nationalist event backed by the Trump administration in Washington D.C., there were a couple token Catholics and one Jew among otherwise evangelical-led speaker list, but no Mormons were invited. On the contrary, many speakers are anti-Mormon, including Trump ally and Southern Baptist megachurch pastor Robert Jeffress, who has repeatedly called the Latter-Day Saints a 'cult'…. So, there was a widespread anger when Hegseth reminded Mormons that they'll never be part of the evangelical-led Christian nationalist in-group."
FISA Section 702, a powerful surveillance tool, faces a risk of expiring this week after President Donald Trump named Bill Pulte as acting national intelligence director.
Officials at the World’s Most Famous Arena slammed “party poopers” Mayor Zohran Mamdani and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch for keeping security restrictions around the Knicks’ arena – as the NYPD revealed Game 4’s outdoor watch party will be downsized.