President Trump told a reporter that he was busy “fighting lunatics like you” during his first term and slammed the fake news for not covering him fairly during his first term. 

President Trump on Thursday spoke to reporters after signing an executive order to reestablish the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition as well as the Presidential Fitness Test in public schools.

The President was asked why he didn’t impose sweeping tariffs, which have already brought in over $100 billion in revenue since January, during his first term, as Democrats level court challenges against his authority to impose tariffs on foreign imports, and amid tomorrow’s August 1 tariff deadline.

Trump responded, “because in my first term, I was fighting lunatics like you who were trying to do things incorrectly and inappropriately to a president that was duly elected,” a nod to the bogus media coverage of his first term and the Russia Collusion Hoax that Obama, Hillary Clinton, and intelligence community officials orchestrated.

Notably, it can also be recalled that when Trump threatened tariffs on Canada and Mexico and replaced NAFTA with the USMCA, the leftists raged that the price of avocados would be an existential threat to the economy.

The Democrats and their leftist media allies also lost their minds over Trump’s tariffs on China, similar to what we’re seeing with today’s tariffs.

Trump also credited COVID-19, another Democrat hoax and biological weapon that was used to rig the 2020 election, for his inability to fix trade deficits that he is now addressing.

“We took in hundreds of billions of dollars worth of tariffs, but you people didn’t cover it very well,” Trump concluded.

WATCH:

Reporter: Your tariffs policy goes into effect tomorrow. As you know, a federal appellates court heard oral arguments today about whether or not you had the authority to unilaterally impose those tariffs. I’m not going to get you to weigh in on the legal arguments, but you’re weighing your decision to do that, your authority to do that, based on a 1977 law that’s never been invoked before. Why didn’t you invoke this law in your first term? You could have taken in billions upon billions of dollars in your first term, but you waited until your second term.

Trump: Yeah, because in my first term, I was fighting lunatics like you who were trying to do things incorrectly and inappropriately to a president that was duly elected. And we did do certain tariffs in the first term, if you look at China. China, we took in hundreds of billions of dollars from China, but when COVID came, the last thing I was going to do is tell France and Italy and Spain and a couple of other countries that we’re going to hit you with tariffs. We had to fight the COVID situation when that came. But if you look at my first term, we took in hundreds of billions of dollars worth of tariffs, but you people didn’t cover it very well.

The post WATCH: Trump Tells Reporter “I was Fighting Lunatics Like You” When Asked why he Didn’t Impose Tariffs During First Term – “We Took in Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, but You People Didn’t Cover it Very Well” appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Jeanine Pirro, Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, posted a video Thursday informing the public that a man who is a four-time deported illegal alien with felony convictions is working as a groundskeeper on Capitol Hill, and that ICE agents trying to arrest him are prevented from doing so.

Sanctuary life in D.C. @ICEgov pic.twitter.com/XCCkJuFRG9

— Jeanine Pirro (@JudgeJeanine) July 31, 2025

Pirro, “…We have an individual who is a four-time deportee–that means he’s been deported four times. He’s also an aggravated felon–many felony convictions, that’s why he was deported. But he managed to make it back. He is in fact working on Capitol Hill. He’s not only working on Capitol Hill, he is working outside and apparently is involved working the grounds as a gardener or something. So we, with ICE, have been trying to arrest the individual. We are not allowed to go on Capitol Hill to make an arrest–we’ve been told that we’re not allowed to do that. So, ICE has been waiting for eight hours to arrest this individual and we’re coming to the end of his shift and he goes inside and suddenly he’s not available for an arrest. Now ain’t that swell. Here we are, in the Nation’s Capital, fighting for truth and justice and they’re making sure that the illegals with criminal backgrounds get to stay.”

A bemused Pirro gives the headline in this video, but not much detail. She does not describe the felony convictions, except to say the illegal is an “aggravated felon,” nor does she mention his country of origin. Pirro also does not say who the illegal works for, the government, an NGO or a private employer.

Without Pirro stating it explicitly, there appears to be a separation of powers issue between Congress and the executive branch, however the situation as described makes it seem Capitol Hill is a sanctuary for illegals.

Pirro wanted the public to know how insane it is trying to enforce the law in the Nation’s Capitol; in that, she succeeded.

More as the situation develops.

The post Jeanine Pirro: ICE Prevented From Arresting Four-Time Deported Illegal Alien Felon Working on Capitol Hill appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

President Trump on Tuesday responded to Kamala Harris pulling her hat out of the ring for the California Governor contest and trolled her for being a “terrible candidate” in 2024. 

Harris announced on Wednesday that she will not run for California Governor in 2026, potentially opening her up for a third attempt at the presidency.

President Trump was asked about this move after signing an executive order to reestablish the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, as well as the Presidential Fitness Test in public schools. Trump slammed Harris, saying, “she can’t speak, she can’t talk, she can’t do an interview.”

“I thought she was a terrible candidate,” he said, reflecting on the “very strange” 2024 election, where the Democrats replaced their candidate less than four months before election day. “She didn’t really get the nomination. That whole nomination was strange.”

Additionally, as The Gateway Pundit reported, Harris announced her upcoming “107 Days” memoir will be released on September 23 as the unemployed former Vice President looks to cash in on her failed presidential bid. According to a synopsis, “written with candor, a unique perspective, and the pace of a page-turning novel, 107 Days takes you inside the race for the presidency as no one has ever done before.”

Trump joked that he might actually buy the book, then continued to tear into her for being unskilled and refusing to do interviews as the election got closer. “She didn’t do any interviews or anything, which was strange, not even friendly interviews with friendly reporters like her, right there, really friendly reporter,” he said, pointing at Rachel Scott of ABC, one of the reporters who gave a friendly softball interview to Kamala Harris during the 2024 election cycle.

“She didn’t run a great campaign, but we beat Biden, and then we had to beat– nobody’s beaten two. I had to beat two.”

“It didn’t seem fair to me at the time,” Trump said of the Democrats swapping Biden for Harris after Trump destroyed him in a debate. “But where are we? We’re in the White House. So, I mean, you know, so it worked out.”

WATCH:

Reporter: Kamala Harris, as you know, is not running for Governor of California. She’s not going to do it. What do you see in her political future, sir?

Trump: Well, she can’t speak, she can’t talk, she can’t do an interview. I thought it was a very strange campaign that we had. But, you know, I had two of them. We were up by like this massive number of points on Biden, and they said, let’s change to Kamala. Nobody knew who Kamala was. Nobody knew her last name, Harris. They said we’re going to get Vice President Harris. Everyone said, Who the hell is Harris? They only knew her by the first name.

But no, I thought she was a terrible candidate. Look, don’t forget, she didn’t really get the nomination. That whole nomination was strange. She was the first one out. You know, she took a good, a good amount of points with her when she announced, but nobody knew her, and once they got to know her, she dropped out very shortly after she started… I mean, she– I wouldn’t call her a skilled politician, would you?

Reporter: She’s also coming out with a book. Any plans to buy it?

Trump: I don’t know. I think I’m going to buy it, I’d love to see it– no. Look, I find everything in politics interesting. I sort of enjoy politics. She wasn’t a skilled person. You know, you have skilled politicians, really skilled politicians, and then you have some that aren’t. And she was put in a very tough position, I think. She did have a six-week honeymoon. They told me, the pros said, “You know what? She’s gonna have a six week,” and she did. She was like, untouchable in terms of everybody thought great. But she didn’t do any interviews or anything, which was strange, not even friendly interviews with friendly reporters like her, right there, really friendly reporter.

And you know what happened? People said, What’s wrong with her? Why isn’t she doing? She made a mistake. She should have done interviews. She didn’t run a great campaign, but we beat Biden, and then we had to beat– nobody’s beaten two. I had to beat two. It’s like Dana White, the great Dana White has a fight, and he has a fighter that’s getting the hell knocked out of him, and they say, Well, let’s take him out and put somebody else in. It didn’t seem fair to me at the time, but where are we? We’re in the White House. So, I mean, you know, so it worked out.

The post WATCH: “She Can’t Speak, She Can’t Talk, She Can’t do an Interview” – Trump Responds to Kamala Harris’ Decision not to Run for California Governor, Trolls her Upcoming Memoir appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Danville, Virginia, City Councilman Lee Vogler was doused in gasoline and set on fire in his office on Tuesday.

According to reports, the attacker, identified as Shotsie Michael Buck Hayes, 29, of Danville, threw five gallons of gasoline on Vogler before setting him on fire.

Danville police said the attack appears to be personal and not related to Vogler’s position as a city councilman.

The Daily Mail reported that Shotsie Michael Buck Hayes’ wife filed for divorce just two weeks ago.

Showcase Magazine’s Andrew Brooks said Buck-Hayes forced his way in the magazine’s office as Vogler was visiting and poured a five-gallon container of gas on him.

“Lee attempted to flee, ran to the front of the building,” Showcase Magazine owner Andrew Brooks said in a Facebook video. “The individual followed him and set him on fire.”

Vogler was flown to the UNC burn unit in Chapel Hill, according to WSET.

WSET reported on Thursday that Lee Vogler sustained third-degree burns to 63% of his body mainly on his torso and back.

According to the criminal complaint, Buck-Hayes admitted it was intent to kill Vogler.

Buck-Hayes was arraigned on Thursday. He requested a court appointed lawyer.

Shotsie Michael Buck Hayes, 29, was charged with attempted first degree murder and aggravated malicious wounding following the attack.

The post Virginia City Councilman Vogler Sustained Third-Degree Burns on 63% of His Body – Suspect Admits It Was His ‘Intention to Kill’ Vogler appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

The United States military may be ill-prepared to treat those wounded in a large-scale combat operation. As it stands, the Military Health System (MHS) would find itself caught off guard with limited manpower and proficiency to save lives.

On March 11, 2025, the Senate Committee on Armed Services (SASC) held a hearing “to receive testimony on stabilizing the Military Health System to prepare for large-scale combat operations.” Three retired Air Force senior officers, to include Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Douglas Robb, Maj. Gen. (Dr.)  Paul Friedrichs, and Col. (Dr.) Jeremy Cannon, provided witness testimony.

The Gateway Pundit spoke to retired Air Force Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Paul Carlton. The former Surgeon General of the Air Force and board advisor for Stand Together Against Racism and Radicalism in the Services (STARRS) said he is gravely concerned that “military surgeons are not ready to go to war as a result of the criteria the Military Health System (MHS) has established and tried to abide by for the last 20 years.”

Carlton pointed to what he considers one of the most concerning statements of the one-and-a-half-hour committee hearing where Col. (Dr.) Cannon, Professor of Surgery at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, stated “only 10 percent of military general surgeons get the patient volume, acuity, and variety they need to remain combat ready.”

And according to him, recent public statements by Gen. Joel “JB” Vowell, deputy commanding general for U.S. Army Pacific, should make Col. (Dr.) Cannon’s assertion “an utmost concern to the United States and United States military.” Speaking to reporters, Gen. Vowell said:

Our assumptions for planning is that casualty estimates will be much higher than you might have seen or witnessed as part of the Global War on Terror between Iraq and Afghanistan and other places where there are very small numbers, relatively in contacts who were who were killed and injured, as compared to large-scale combat operations. A potential conflict with the People’s Republic of China likely would result in large-scale casualties.

After the hearing, it was reported that Col. (Dr.) Cannon said, “Many will have survivable injuries, yet one in four will die at the hands of an unprepared system.” A few weeks later, senior enlisted leaders found themselves calling upon lawmakers to address underfunding and ongoing problems with health care access for service members and families.

On April 10, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommended the Defense Health Agency (DHA), now managing Defense Department medical facilities, provide an analysis and a plan to accomplish its mission set. While performing the duties of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, Stephen Ferrara, said, “Readiness cannot be secondary. You cannot cram for readiness. When it comes to mission success, readiness is everything.”

Interestingly, Carlton noted that ten days later, DHA training for medical commanders included the requirement to meet the financial demands of living in 2025 within a 2019 budget, while also failing to address readiness.

“The problem is that the military currently doesn’t have the answer to any of this,” said Carlton. “With a constant threat of large-scale combat operations to occur, we simply can’t allow our unpreparedness to risk moving us back toward the mortality rates that we experienced in Vietnam, Korea, and World War II.”

He admitted a “cost-constrained environment” further exacerbates his concern. “The Defense Department’s military medical budget has been level since 2019, and that means we’ve faced a 40 percent cut under the Biden administration,” he explained. “We are running eight to 10 percent inflation rates, so that’s a real decrease in dollars.”

What’s more, Carlton said, “Our military surgeons aren’t operating enough to maintain proficiency and that means the care is being shifted downtown, which drives up the TRICARE bill and drives up the Medicare bill for those over 65.”

This is a crisis that demands immediate action, the former Air Force Surgeon General asserted. “It is a situation that must be remedied or the repercussions to combat casualty care in large-scale combat operations could be devastating,” while also burgeoning TRICARE (Defense Department healthcare) and Medicare costs.

For this reason, Carlton, members of STARRS, and other concerned veterans suggest convening “a lean and independent outside panel” to address the issues and “figure out the best way to get ahead of them.” The retired Air Force officer admitted, “This administration is business-oriented and very anxious to put solutions into actions, so we stand ready to give them a business case analysis on how to fix it without bleeding the warfighting line of services dry.”

“As professional military officers, we cannot ask the line of services to give us more money, so we have come up with other ways to do that,” Carlton shared. “Our deployable military members in the medical service should be embedded in Level 1 Trauma Centers, earning their keep and for the monies that they earn while increasing proficiency.” If a hosting university bore some of the weight, he noted, “we might be able to start paying down the TRICARE bill.”

“Another potential solution is to downsize the [MHS] Direct Care system and embed people in the National Guard and the Reserve forces so that they’re ready to go from their civilian practices when called upon,” he shared. “This could be another way to lower costs while keeping them prepared.”

“We can’t just raise our hands and say we’ll accept a higher mortality rate,” Carlton argued. “We have to address this issue before it’s too late.” STARRS welcomes an opportunity to assist President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in offering solutions to this vexing problem.

Watch the March 11 SASC committee hearing in its entirety via PBS NewsHour:

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