Dan Balz of the Washington Post recently spoke at the Harvard Kennedy School and went over some basic numbers about the electorate. None of it was good news for Democrats.

Balz outlined how Trump managed to almost flip the two parties in terms of how they appeal to voters. He pointed out that Trump had won certain groups that haven’t gone to Republicans in years.

He also noted that Democrats have not even begun to figure out what they are going to do about it. People in attendance were obviously taking all of this very seriously. You could hear a pin drop.

Partial transcript via RedState:

Donald Trump has won 25 states in the past three elections.

In those 25 states, the Republicans have 22 governors, 24 state legislatures, and all 50 senators.

The Democrats have a problem winning in enough places to be able to really be a majority party, and particularly to have consistent hopes of winning the Senate.

Two other things, we know that the college/non-college split in the country is, in many ways, the basic fault line now.

About 40 percent, maybe slightly less of the voting-age population has college degrees. Kamala Harris got about 55 or 56 percent of that vote. The rest of the population, without college degrees, Trump got 56 percent of that vote. That is a problem that the Democrats haven’t solved and need to solve.

Balz also pointed out how Trump won in households with income below $50K, which usually would be the bastion of the Democrats — the first time that had happened “since the 90s.” Trump also won with the next bracket up — the $50k to just under $100k. Meanwhile, Kamala Harris won with over $100K.

“These are the structural problems the Democrats have got to solve,” Balz said. “There’s gotta be some hard thinking.”

Here’s the video:

Democrats are concerned that they cannot win in enough states to maintain a viable electoral future:
Dan Balz: “Donald Trump has won 25 states in the past three elections in those 25 states.
The Republicans have 22 governors, 24 state legislatures, and all 50 senators.
The… pic.twitter.com/54DZ577vMU

— Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) February 26, 2025

Did you catch the looks on the faces of the people in the audience? They sure don’t seem happy.

pic.twitter.com/vgaWHWIojX

— Nickarama (@nickaramaOG) February 27, 2025

The left is in the political wilderness and they might be there for quite a while longer. They have no message, no leader, and no strategy.

The post Washington Post Reporter Lays Out Grim New Reality for Democrats in the Age of Trump (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Five former secretaries of Defense have signed a letter protesting the firing by President Trump of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. C. Q. Brown, demanding the Senate refuse to confirm Trump’s nominee to replace Brown and for Congress to investigate the firing of Brown and other senior officers by Trump.

Trump nominated retired Air Force Lieutenant General Dan “Razin” Caine to replace Brown. Caine will need a waiver from Trump on meeting the legal requirements for the chairman.

The five who signed are Trump’s first SecDef, James Mattis, Biden’s AWOL SecDef Lloyd Austin, Obama SecDefs Leon Panetta and Chuck Hagel, and Clinton SecDef William Perry.

Text of the letter, released to the media on Thursday:

Appeal to the Congress from Former Secretaries of Defense
February 27th, 2025

We are deeply alarmed by President Trump’s recent dismissals of several senior U.S. military leaders. We write to urge the U.S. Congress to hold Mr. Trump to account for these reckless actions and to exercise fully its Constitutional oversight responsibilities.

The President offered no justification for his actions, even though he had nominated these officers for previous positions and the Senate had approved them. These officers’ exemplary operational and combat experience, as well as the coming dismissals of the Judge Advocates General of the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force, make clear that none of this was about warfighting.

Mr. Trump’s dismissals raise troubling questions about the administration’s desire to politicize the military and to remove legal constraints on the President’s power. We, like many Americans — including many troops — are therefore left to conclude that these leaders are being fired for purely partisan reasons.

As former Secretaries of Defense, we call on both the House and the Senate to hold immediate hearings to assess the national security implications of Mr. Trump’s dismissals. The House and Senate should demand that the administration justify each firing and fully explain why it violated Congress’ legislative intent that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff complete a four-year term in office. General C.Q.Brown Jr. had not yet completed two years in the job. In the meantime, Senators should refuse to confirm any new Defense Department nominations, including that of retired Lt. General Dan Caine as the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

President Trump’s actions undermine our all-volunteer force and weaken our national security. Talented Americans may be far less likely to choose a life of military service if they believe they will be held to apolitical standard. Those currently serving may grow cautious of speaking truth to power or they could erode good order and discipline by taking political actions in uniform. And the public’s traditionally high trust in the armed forces could begin to wither.

The United States cannot afford to have our military infected by partisan politics and distracted from its core mission of defending the nation. As George Washington warned Alexander Hamilton in 1783, after Hamilton had pressed military officers to insert themselves into domestic politics, “The Army is a dangerous instrument to play with.”

We’re not asking members of Congress to do us a favor; we’re asking them to do their jobs. We’re urging them to take George Washington’s warning to heart.

William J. Perry, Secretary of Defense 1994-1997

Leon E. Panetta, Secretary of Defense 2011-2013

Chuck Hagel Secretary of Defense 2013-2015

James N. Mattis Secretary of Defense 2017-2019

Lloyd J. Austin III Secretary of Defense 2021-2025

Trump announced the firing of Brown and the nomination of Caine on Truth Social last Friday:

I want to thank General Charles “CQ” Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country, including as our current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family.

Today, I am honored to announce that I am nominating Air Force Lieutenant General Dan “Razin” Caine to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. General Caine is an accomplished pilot, national security expert, successful entrepreneur, and a “warfighter” with significant interagency and special operations experience.

During my first term, Razin was instrumental in the complete annihilation of the ISIS caliphate. It was done in record setting time, a matter of weeks. Many so-called military “geniuses” said it would take years to defeat ISIS. General Caine, on the other hand, said it could be done quickly, and he delivered.

Despite being highly qualified and respected to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the previous administration, General Caine was passed over for promotion by Sleepy Joe Biden. But not anymore! Alongside Secretary Pete Hegseth, General Caine and our military will restore peace through strength, put America First, and rebuild our military. Finally, I have also directed Secretary Hegseth to solicit nominations for five additional high level positions, which will be announced soon. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

Following that announcement, Trump’s current Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced more firings:

This evening the President announced that he intends to nominate Lieutenant General Dan “Razin” Caine, USAF, for the position of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation’s highest-ranking military officer, and the principal military advisor to the President, Secretary of Defense, and National Security Council.

General Caine embodies the warfighter ethos and is exactly the leader we need to meet the moment. I look forward to working with him.

The outgoing Chairman, Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown, Jr., USAF, has served with distinction in a career spanning four decades of honorable service. I have come to know him as a thoughtful adviser and salute him for his distinguished service to our country.

I am also requesting nominations for the positions of Chief of Naval Operations and Air Force Vice Chief of Staff. The incumbents in these important roles, Admiral Lisa Franchetti and General James Slife, respectively, have had distinguished careers. We thank them for their service and dedication to our country.

We are also requesting nominations for the Judge Advocates General for the Army, Navy and Air Force.

Under President Trump, we are putting in place new leadership that will focus our military on its core mission of deterring, fighting and winning wars.

– Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth

Per federal law, Trump will have to grant a waiver for Caine to serve as chairman as he does not meet the legal requirement for the position as a retired three star:

(b) Requirement for Appointment.—(1) The President may appoint an officer as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff only if the officer has served as—

(A) the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff;

(B) the Chief of Staff of the Army, the Chief of Naval Operations, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, or the Chief of Space Operations; or

(C) the commander of a unified or specified combatant command.

(2) The President may waive paragraph (1) in the case of an officer if the President determines such action is necessary in the national interest.

A DOD statement on Caine’s nomination gave his service background (excerpt):

Caine was commissioned in 1990 and served in a variety of assignments before retiring last year. His assignments included:

Commander, Joint Special Operations Task Force – Air Directorate, Balad, Iraq, 2008.
Assistant commanding general, Joint Special Operations Command, U.S. Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, 2016-2018.
Deputy commanding general, Special Operations Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve, Iraq, 2018-2019.
Associate director for military affairs at the Central Intelligence Agency, 2021.
From 2009-2016, Caine was a part-time member of the National Guard and a serial entrepreneur and investor.

Caine has flown more than 100 combat hours in F-16 aircraft. His total flight hours are 2,800.

His awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.

The post Ex-SecDefs Revolt: Mattis, Austin, and Three Others Demand Senate Block President Trump’s Joint Chiefs Chairman Nominee Over Firing of CQ Brown, Call for Investigations appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Online influencers and podcasters Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate arrived in the United States Thursday after authorities in Romania, where they face charges of human trafficking, lifted travel restrictions against them.

The brothers arrived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, around midday Thursday, according to a report from the Associated Press.

The dual American and British citizens were arrested late in 2022 over their alleged involvement in a criminal enterprise that lured women to Romania, after which they faced sexual exploitation, accusations which the Tate brothers deny.

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis was asked about the brothers’ arrival in the Sunshine State at a news conference.

He answered that “Florida is not a place where you’re welcome with that type of conduct.”

DeSantis repeated multiple times that his team was not aware of the brothers’ arrival until news reports revealed the development, emphasizing that the federal government has jurisdiction over their entrance into the country.

“I don’t know how it came to this. We were not involved,” DeSantis said.

“We were not notified. I found out through the media.”

#BREAKING: Gov. Ron DeSantis says Florida does not welcome Andrew and Tristan Tate flying back from Romania, says A.G. @JamesUthmeierFL exploring legal options to deal with it

“No: Florida is not a place where you’re welcome with that type of conduct.”

“Our Attorney General,… pic.twitter.com/XWOIaswa28

— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) February 27, 2025

DeSantis added that “our Attorney General, James Uthmeier, is looking at what state hooks and jurisdictions we may have to be able to deal with this.”

Uthmeier said on social media that he has directed his staff “to work with our state law enforcement partners to conduct a preliminary inquiry into these individuals.

“Florida has zero tolerance for human trafficking and violence against women,” Uthmeier said. “If any of these alleged crimes trigger Florida jurisdiction, we will hold them accountable.”

Early this morning, I directed my office to work with our state law enforcement partners to conduct a preliminary inquiry into these individuals.

Florida has zero tolerance for human trafficking and violence against women. If any of these alleged crimes trigger Florida… https://t.co/ZAos4rVLYd

— Attorney General James Uthmeier (@AGJamesUthmeier) February 27, 2025

DIICOT, the agency in Romania that handles organized crime, said the Tate brothers will be expected to return to the Eastern European country when they are summoned, according to the Associated Press.

“The defendants have been warned that deliberately violating these obligations may result in judicial control being replaced with a stricter deprivation-of-liberty measure.” the agency said, according to the AP.

Andrew Tate told reporters upon his arrival that he and his brother are innocent.

“We live in a democratic society where it’s innocent until proven guilty. And I think my brother and I are largely misunderstood,” he said.

“There’s a lot of opinions about us, things that go around about us on the internet,” he added.

Andrew Tate, 38, is a former professional kickboxer who has millions of social media followers.

He and his brother are both supporters of President Donald Trump.

DeSantis said during the news conference that he expects either Attorney General Pam Bondi or Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to be “looking at” rebuffing the brothers’ entry.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

The post Ron DeSantis Tells Andrew Tate ‘Florida Is Not a Place Where You’re Welcome’ as He Arrives in Fort Lauderdale appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Josh Stueve, the Senior Communications Advisor at the Department of Justice, resigned on Thursday, citing a “hostile and toxic work environment.”

Stueve worked in this position at the Justice Department for 15 years and served as former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s spokesman.

“While the relentless attacks on federal workers have certainly taken their toll, I remain incredibly proud of my 23 years in public service, including nearly a decade on active duty in the US Marine Corps,” Stueve wrote.

He continued, “Since 2010, I have served as a spokesman for agencies within the Department of Defense and the Department of Justice, and I have witnessed the extraordinary expertise, patriotism, selflessness, and steadfast commitment to mission of public servants throughout the federal service.”

Josh Stueve said the Trump’s election win did not influence his decision to resign before he blasted the leadership of the DOJ.

“I cannot continue to serve in such a hostile and toxic work environment, one where leadership at the highest levels makes clear we are not welcomed or valued, much less trusted to do our jobs,” Josh Stueve wrote in his resignation letter.

JUST IN: Josh Stueve, a senior comms official at DOJ has resigned. He’s a 15-r vet who served both GOP and Dem admins.

“I cannot continue to serve in such a hostile and toxic work environment, one where leadership at the highest levels makes clear we are not welcomed or valued.” pic.twitter.com/aV9fTnHsk5

— Michael Kaplan (@mkaplantv) February 27, 2025

The post DOJ Official Who Previously Served as Mueller’s Spokesman Resigns, Citing “Hostile and Toxic Work Environment” appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Jill Biden’s former press secretary, Michael LaRosa, admitted the Biden White House covered up Joe Biden’s cognitive decline and “gaslighted” the public about his deteriorating condition.

For years, The Gateway Pundit documented Joe Biden’s cognitive decline.

The fake news media attacked the conservative media for posting videos of demented Biden wandering around lost and accused us of posting “cheap fakes.”

Last June, the Biden Camp and their stenographers in the media went into full-blown panic mode after a video of Biden wandering away from the G7 group went viral.

The left-wing media claimed conservative media sites shared a viral clip of Biden without context.

The White House immediately came out and absurdly called the video of Biden meandering at G7 a “cheap fake” – this new label is a play on “deepfake” – a term to describe AI-generated content.

Everyone freaking out about that Biden clip at G7.

I found the full video. The longer clip, in context, is even more horrifying. pic.twitter.com/obFINP7RNE

— Viva Frei (@thevivafrei) June 13, 2024

A week later, Biden totally bombed out during a presidential debate against Trump.

The media immediately turned on Joe Biden, reported around the clock about his cognitive decline, and pressured him to drop out of the 2024 race.

This is after gaslighting the public for years and claiming Joe Biden was the sharpest he’s ever been.

Jill Biden’s former press secretary finally admitted on Thursday that the Biden White House knew Joe Biden was declining, but they lied about it and gaslighted the American people.

“Every politician, everybody, every human being tries to cover up age,” Michael LaRosa told Tara Palmieri. “We were always, from day one, cognizant that age was an issue.”

He continued, “There are some things that are true — the gaslighting. There was a lot of denial of the polling. And I will use the term ‘gaslight’ because that is what they were doing —- the campaign, former colleagues.”

Michael LaRosa said Biden’s team was ‘scared to death’ every single time Joe Biden went off-script.

“The President’s team was scared to death of impromptu, unscripted, unrehearsed, unpracticed, unchoreographed anything,” Michael LaRosa said.

WATCH:

The post Jill Biden’s Press Sec Admits Biden White House Covered Up Joe Biden’s Cognitive Decline, Gaslighted Public (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.