Russian President Vladimir Putin praised President Trump during his trip to Belarus last week. Trump is turning around relations with Russia after Joe Biden’s disastrous reign.

Vladimir Putin: “I deeply respect the current American President. He’s traveled a long and difficult path. There were hardships along the way on his way to the White House. As you know, he survived two attempts on his life. He’s a very courageous person.”

Via BRICS News.

Russia Today has more on his glowing comments of President Trump and Trump’s response.

US President Donald Trump has said Russian President Vladimir Putin has regained respect for America, whose international standing was damaged by the previous administration.

Trump was responding to comments made by Putin during a visit to Belarus on Friday, where the Russian leader described the US president as a “courageous man.”

“Vladimir Putin made some very nice statements today,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, adding that these remarks would have been impossible under former President Joe Biden.

“He respects our country again. He didn’t respect it a year ago, I can tell you that,” Trump said, claiming that Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un also respect the US since his return to the White House.

“We had a president that was incompetent. We had bad people circulating around this desk – this beautiful, Resolute desk. They had, I guess, evil intentions,” Trump said.

He has repeatedly described his predecessor’s foreign policy as weak and damaging to America’s global reputation, arguing that the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza would not have erupted under his leadership.

The post Putin: “I Deeply Respect the Current American President – As You Know, He Survived Two Attempts on His Life. He’s Very Courageous” (Video) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

AOC has responded to having been exposed as a total fraud when an old yearbook photo emerged last week.

As The Gateway Pundit reported, a New York state lawmaker called out Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., over her upbringing after she referred to herself as a tough “Bronx girl” during an internet spat in which she traded jabs with President Trump.

During one of her recent and stupid quips on Twitter/X, she called herself a Bronx girl and claimed she could eat Queens boys like Trump for breakfast.

But that’s pure fantasy, though, as Republican New York Assemblyman Matt Slater exposed her.

Slater shared an image of AOC during her freshman year in suburban Yorktown High School, which is in Westchester County and almost an hour north of the Bronx.

“If you’re a BX girl then why are you in my Yorktown yearbook? Give it up already,” Slater tweeted.

@AOC if you’re a BX girl then why are you in my Yorktown yearbook? Give it up already. https://t.co/2GpPoiypUf pic.twitter.com/le9C7x1as1

— Matt Slater (@slater4ny) June 24, 2025

Slater’s exposé of AOC should sound familiar to many TGP readers. Six years ago, TGP’s Jim Hoft was the first to expose AOC for growing up in a wealthy Yorktown neighborhood.

An “anonymous classmate” reached out to The Gateway Pundit back then and sent several photos of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from high school.

Here are two of them:

On Friday, AOC responded to her cover being blown.

“I’m proud of how I grew up and talk about it all the time!” She wrote on X.

“My mom cleaned houses and I helped,” she added. “We cleaned tutors’ homes in exchange for SAT prep. Growing up between the Bronx and Yorktown deeply shaped my views of inequality & it’s a big reason I believe the things I do today!”

I’m proud of how I grew up and talk about it all the time!

My mom cleaned houses and I helped. We cleaned tutors’ homes in exchange for SAT prep.

Growing up between the Bronx and Yorktown deeply shaped my views of inequality & it’s a big reason I believe the things I do today! https://t.co/YKfae0x1Om

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 27, 2025

The post AOC Breaks Her Silence After Republican Blows Apart Her “Bronx Girl” Act With a Damning School Yearbook Photo appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea has sparked a political firestorm in Brussels, securing the 72 signatures required to trigger a no-confidence vote against the left-liberal European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen.

The threshold, representing one-tenth of the total 720 seats in the EU Parliament, came primarily from the national conservative groups: the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), the Patriots, and the Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN).

While the ESN backed the motion unanimously, the ECR’s largest delegation, Giorgia Meloni’s Fratelli d’Italia, conspicuously abstained. Shockingly, even members of von der Leyen’s own European People’s Party (EPP) signed the petition, exposing fractures within her political base.

The no-confidence vote stems from the ongoing fallout of “Pfizergate”. Her deleted private communications with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, tied to a staggering €21.5 billion contract for 1.1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines, have fueled accusations of opacity and cronyism.

The European Commission’s refusal to disclose these messages led to a high-profile lawsuit by The New York Times, with the EU’s top court ruling against the Commission on all counts

Von der Leyen’s troubles don’t end there. Her increasingly authoritarian governance style has alienated even allies. The Commission’s recent effort to sidestep parliamentary approval for a €150 billion “SAFE” loan scheme aimed at enhancing the EU’s defense capabilities faced sharp criticism.

By invoking an emergency clause in the Treaty of Lisbon, von der Leyen sidelined the European Parliament, prompting a rare rebuke from EPP ally and Parliament President Roberta Metsola.

Metsola warned that the move “undermines democratic legitimacy by weakening Parliament’s legislative and scrutiny functions.” Despite the controversy, the SAFE proposal was approved on May 27 without a parliamentary vote, a victory that may come back to haunt von der Leyen.

Analysts doubt the motion will secure the two-thirds majority needed to oust von der Leyen, but the fallout from public hearings could inflict lasting damage. Previously unseen documents from Pfizergate are likely to surface, thrusting the scandal from the confines of the courtroom into the public spotlight.

The defection of EPP members signals a crumbling unity that could embolden more MEPs to break ranks.

Piperea, while realistic, remains hopeful, “We could gather a couple hundred votes, which may trigger a broader debate among politicians and the public, possibly leading to her voluntary resignation”.

Historical precedent supports his optimism, a similar no-confidence push amid allegations of corruption led to the resignation of Commission President Jacques Santer in the 1990s.

The European public will be watching closely as von der Laden is forced to defend herself in Parliament. The pressure is mounting and Queen Ursula can no longer evade the glare of public scrutiny.

The post EU Commission ‘Queen’ Ursula von der Leyen Braces for No-Confidence Vote Showdown appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

On Saturday, June 21, The Gateway Pundit reported on Venezuela’s populist leader-in-exile, Eduardo Bittar, who spoke exclusively to The Gateway Pundit regarding Venezuela’s controlled opposition, Bittar’s embattled political career, his exile, and his God-centered political mission.

“Seven years ago, we were exiled from Venezuela, and we started to share our situation with the world,” Eduardo Bittar told The Gateway Pundit. 

“During President Trump’s first term, millions of dollars were given through USAID to [former self-proclaimed president of Venezuela] Juan Guaidó’s opposition. This happened because of President Trump’s genuine desire to see Venezuela free.”

“We know President Trump has the best intentions toward our people. He wants us to be free. He wants us to prosper. But sadly, he will be betrayed again and again if he keeps supporting the same opposition.”

“This is the reason why we need to lead the Venezuelan resistance and rebellion,” Bittar said.

Notably, Bittar has coined the term ‘OppoFiction,’ which he calls “a fictitious opposition, and a Marxist-progressive narrative created by [former Venezuelan president] Hugo Chávez that defends anti-virtues, and must be dismantled in Venezuela.”

“This entire coalition, which I call ‘OppoFiction,’ never supported President Trump, even when he supported them,” Bittar said.

“On the other hand, I have supported President Trump in all of his presidential campaigns. I have attended CPAC, and supported him on social media—unlike the fake opposition figures like María Corina Machado and Juan Guaidó, who never supported him. During the 2020 presidential campaign, the entire ‘OppoFiction’ base supported Joe Biden.”

Bittar spoke in greater detail regarding Venezuela’s complex political factions, which have been corrupted by evident ties to international socialist movements.

“Venezuela has two political blocs. One belongs to an international coalition of communist parties called the Foro de São Paulo—that’s Chávism; the party in power,” Bittar said.

“’OppoFiction,’ on the other hand, belongs to an international coalition of socialist parties called the Socialist International, currently headed by the President of Spain, Pedro Sánchez—who now faces corruption accusations.”

“To make matters worse, the second-in-command of that coalition is Henry Ramos Allup, a Venezuelan. He is the most powerful figure in Venezuela’s political establishment. He makes the decisions, alongside Machado and others.”

“Machado is basically Kamala Harris—everything she proposes mirrors Harris’s ideas. In fact, you can look through social media and see Machado supporting Harris during the campaign,” Bittar said.

Bittar outlined his action plan devised for the purpose of liberating Venezuela.

“Our plan is based on revealing the truth. It has three main pillars: (1) Establish true political leadership in Venezuela, (2) Propose a new movement to lead that effort, and (3) Create a new communications apparatus,” Bittar said.

“This last point is critical: Venezuela has never had a rcommunications platform that promotes conservative ideas and thinkers. In the third part of our plan, we are seeking all the political support we can get, so that our project can succeed within the country.”

“If we align these three elements, we could reignite the resistance both inside and outside Venezuela.”

“Our first mission, from exile, is to build a unit that can destroy Chávism—the regime. This is not far-fetched, because it already happened once during the time of independence. We are now talking about a second independence.”

“Our work, for the moment, must be done entirely outside of Venezuela. Anything we try to do inside the territory right now will fail,” Bittar said.

Bittar drew a clear contrast between Venezuela’s corrupt political factions and the active success of conservative leaders internationally. 

“We are basically saying that Venezuela is currently like Cuba,” Bittar said.

“On the other hand, in El Salvador, President Nayib Bukele is an example of our mission’s success. Bukele came to power and did the right thing.”

“When the corrupt factions of power in El Salvador refused to accept the necessary reforms, Bukele took a political stance to correct the problem. This is exactly what we aim to do in Venezuela—only on steroids.”

“We need to complete certain foundational tasks in order to make this happen. Venezuela’s restoration must be multidirectional.”

“For example, when we talk about security, we must replicate exactly what President Bukele is doing in El Salvador.”

“Regarding sovereignty, we need to follow President Trump’s example in the United States. On virtues and principles, we should emulate what Bolsonaro did in Brazil. In economics, we should replicate what Milei is doing in Argentina.”

“We are all patriots who love our nations. We want the best for them,” Bittar said.

Bittar named his relationship with God as the most significant factor in his life and his political mission.

“There is no way I could be doing what I’m doing if the hand of God were not involved. God and my family are the main driving forces behind this effort,” Bittar said.

“I can’t believe there is so much evil—not only from Chávism, but also from those who call themselves the opposition. Despite having the support and funding of the international community, they have failed to save our country.”

“God is with us, guiding us through this process. Every time we feel down, God shows us the way,” Bittar said.

Bittar compared his personal and political values, prioritizing “God, country, family, and liberty,” with the “weakness” and “betrayal” promoted by certain left-wing opponents.

“There are lessons to be learned from the damage caused by the left. The principles emerging from the true right are a direct response to the betrayal from the other side,” Bittar said.

“Our opponents have been caught red-handed. Not just the left-wing, but also the soft right and centrists—RINOs.“

“What people demand around the world today is coherence. People want to feel safe. They want a patriot who will defend them. This is not the time for the weak—it’s the time for the strong man. There is too much chaos. Evil is going unchecked.”

“On the other hand, we are true patriots. We are the strong ones fighting for the people of goodwill. We are the people who defend God, country, family, and liberty.”

“When you are under threat, you need a true leader to guide you down the right path.”

“That’s why I believe the greatest hope people have today is to feel represented by someone who tells them the truth. That’s why I talk about Nayib Bukele, Trump, Bolsonaro, and Milei,” Bittar said.

Finally, Bittar emphasized support from the U.S. and international allies as being essential for Venezuelan conservative populist nationalists to advance the country’s path to freedom and stability.

“We are tired of failure. We believe Venezuela deserves real political leadership,” Bittar said.

“We have lost great friends and brothers in arms. And we still have brothers in arms who remain politically imprisoned.”

“If the US government truly wants to help Venezuela, it must engage with those who are committed to fighting and solving the problem—not with those who offer dialogues, truces, and negotiations with corrupt governments based on rigged elections.” 

“We firmly believe that, with international support, we can gain power and restore the republic. This can be accomplished in a single presidential term—around five years.”

“The problem is the so-called opposition leaders continue to appear on mass media without presenting real solutions.”

“The greater problem in Venezuela has been getting across the finish line.” 

“We had millions of people on the streets as recently as ten years ago. We had the regime very weakened. Then the fake opposition stepped in,” Bittar said.

To stay updated on Eduardo Bittar’s political journey, Bittar can be followed @Eduardo_Bittar across all major social media platforms. 

The post Exclusive Part 2: Venezuela’s Populist Leader-In-Exile Eduardo Bittar on His Embattled Career and His Current Life in Exile appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

The Gateway Pundit reported that socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has proudly stated he plans to fund his radical transformation of the city if he is elected: he will hike property taxes for “richer and whiter neighborhoods.”

The policy memo, ‘Stop the Squeeze on NYC Homeowners,’ promises to address a “deeply inequitable system, using the full power of the mayor’s office to both address the system directly and working with legislators at the state level to win necessary reforms” by “shift[ing] the tax burden from overtaxed homeowners in the outer boroughs to more expensive homes in richer and whiter neighborhoods.”

During an appearance on ‘Meet the Press’ on Sunday, he doubled down on the race-based approach to paying for his radical agenda, although he tried to suggest his proposal was  “not driven by race.”

“That is just a description of what we see right now. It’s not driven by race. It’s more of an assessment of what neighborhoods are being under-taxed versus over-taxed,” Mamdani said.

Watch:

Ironically, while putting forth proposals that will surely drive the wealthy from the city, he complained about the city’s shrinking tax base and suggested a solution sure to drive out even more wealthy New Yorkers: raising taxes on the 1%.

“We are talking about our tax base growing smaller and smaller each day, with New Yorkers leaving to New Jersey, to Pennsylvania, to Connecticut,” Mamdani whined.

”If we do not meet this moment, we will lose the city.”

Although he plans to fund his policies by taxing the city’s wealthiest residents, he expressed his disdain for them.

“I don’t think that we should have billionaires, frankly.”

The post Communist NYC Mayoral Candidate Says “I Don’t Think We Should Have Billionaires” – Doubles Down on Targeting ‘Whiter Neighborhoods’ with Higher Taxes appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.