New York City residents collected $2.6 billion in welfare payments in 2025, and that was before Zohran Mamdani took office. Do you think that number will go up or down now that he is running the city?

The $2.6 billion figure represents a 71 percent increase in payments since 2022.

This is simply not sustainable. As the saying goes, something that can’t go on forever, won’t.

FOX News reports:

New Yorkers collected $2.6 billion in welfare cash payments last year, city data shows

New York City doled out more than $2.6 billion in cash assistance to city residents in 2025, a Fox News Digital review of city records showed.

The money reached a record 864,999 people, a 30-year high not matched since before former Mayor Rudy Giuliani instituted major welfare reform in the early 2000s.

The $2.6 billion figure represents a 71% increase from 2022’s $1.57 billion, data showed.

When coupled with payments from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the city paid out more than $7 billion in welfare to residents in 2024, according to a Fox News analysis of data from the city’s Human Resources Administration (HRA).

The rise in welfare payments comes as some of New York City’s wealthiest contemplate a Big Apple exodus due to what many have described as a policy environment unfriendly to businesses and moneymakers.

Billionaire hedge fund manager Ken Griffin notably threatened to put a major Midtown renovation on hold for his Citadel offices after socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani targeted him by name in a video announcing a new tax on second homes in the city.

More from the New York Post:

New York City dished out welfare checks to nearly 865,000 people over the past year — a historic handout that has sent public assistance spending skyrocketing to a record-breaking $2.7 billion, The Post can reveal.

The city’s Department of Social Services served a staggering 864,999 welfare recipients for the 12-month period ending May 30, a whopping 55.7% increase since 2022 and totals the Big Apple hasn’t seen in roughly 30 years, an examination of agency records found…

“This is the Communist Playbook 101: make everyone reliant on the government, so the masses have no choice but to support the people signing their checks,” predicted Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Queens).

“This is only going to get worse as the Democratic Socialists of America ramp up their tax-the-rich rhetoric and drive even more jobs out of the city. With every job they force out, the far left gets one more person dependent on them. It’s all part of the plan.”

Bear in mind that all of this is unfolding as wealthy people are fleeing the city because of Mamdani.

Where do the welfare checks come from when all the money has left the city?

The post NYC Residents Collected a Stunning $2.6 BILLION in Welfare Payments Last Year – 71 Percent Increase Since 2022 appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Senator Lindsey Graham, R-SC, died a week ago from a “brief and sudden illness.”

Graham was first elected to the Senate in 2002 and became one of the most recognizable lawmakers in the upper chamber. Graham was one of the eight Senators from the infamous “gang of eight” who worked on a major immigration bill that failed to pass the Senate, was a key player in various foreign policy decisions, and was a staunch ally of President Trump during both terms.

Graham’s sudden death sent shockwaves across the nation, as it came at the most unexpected time. Graham took a trip to Ukraine to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and died shortly after returning, which has led to a conspiracy that Russian President Vladimir Putin poisoned Graham.

The Gateway Pundit spoke to lawmakers to see what they had to say about Graham’s legacy, a week after his unexpected death.

Senator Tim Kaine, D-VA, highlighted Graham’s focus on what he called “America’s role in the world.”

“The Senate will miss him. The number of Senators who have really focused on the role of America in the world has sort of declined over time,” Kaine told TGP in an exclusive interview.

Senator @timkaine on Senator @LindseyGrahamSC‘s legacy roughly a week after his sudden death.@gatewaypundit pic.twitter.com/4UdpYwrQVC

— Myles Morell (@MorellMedia) July 18, 2026

“I could not disagree more strongly with Lindsey on, for example, his cheerleading of the Iran war, over time, Lindsey has always paid a lot of attention to the role of America in the world, as fewer and fewer Senators have. I think that more Senators should make that a key issue, and the fact that Lindsey did was a positive. The Senate will miss that.”

Senator Roger Marshall, R-KS, expressed sorrow for the loss of Graham, whom he referred to as a “dear friend” of his.

“I’m just gonna miss him. You know, we’re human, so I’m still, you know, in this hard denial,” Marshall told TGP in an exclusive interview.

Senator @RogerMarshallMD on Senator @LindseyGrahamSC‘s legacy after his sudden death a week ago.@gatewaypundit pic.twitter.com/7rE3aBFXkA

— Myles Morell (@MorellMedia) July 18, 2026

Marshall also noted that Graham’s desk on the Senate floor was really close to his:

“His desk is 10 ft from my desk on the floor, so it was just a shocker when I still look over there and see a black drape over his desk and some beautiful flowers, it was all moving quickly now,” Marshall told TGP.

“He was just so plainspoken. He was genuine. He was authentic. He had a certain emotional intensity to him, just one of my best friends. I say he’s one of my best friends. There’s probably 98 other Senators up here who think they’re his best friend as well, and that’s because he had this gift of hospitality, of welcoming people. So we’ll just all miss my good friend from South Carolina.”

Senator Peter Welch, D-VT, said that Graham wanted to “be involved in solving problems.”

“He would work with Republicans, with Democrats. So we’re gonna miss him. But my takeaway on his legacy is that he was willing to work with anybody to try to make progress. And a lot of times, I disagree with him, so I opposed him. But he was always engaged, and he was a very courteous person. His staff loved him. Fellow Senators loved him. He’ll be really sorely missed,” Welch told TGP in an exclusive interview.

Senator Ron Johnson, R-WI, reminded everyone that Graham is “irreplaceable.”

“He dedicated his life to this country. He gave his life for this country. I mean, all the arduous travel, he confided in me, that it was taking a toll on him physically and in his personal life,” Johnson told TGP in an exclusive interview.

Senator @RonJohnsonWI on Senator @LindseyGrahamSC‘s legacy after his sudden death a week ago.@gatewaypundit pic.twitter.com/9bur1n6TcY

— Myles Morell (@MorellMedia) July 18, 2026

“The reason he was so respected and was so influential is because of all the time, all the travel he put in to become respected, become influential. So he’s gonna be solely missed.”

Even members on the House side had good things to say about Graham.

Rep. Rich McCormick, R-GA, called Graham a “juggernaut” and an “influencer.”

“He had the President’s ear. He was a defense/war hawk. A guy who believed in a strong foreign policy. Didn’t always agree with everyone else, but actually had good reasoning behind his logic and his policy. I think he’ll be missed and certainly you have to respect him as an impact player,” McCormick told TGP in an exclusive interview.

Rep. Ro Khanna gave Graham’s family his condolences, but had nothing to say about his legacy. Khanna concluded that “there will be plenty of time for historians to evaluate his legacy.”

Rep. Joe Wilson, who, like Graham, is also from South Carolina, summed up Graham’s legacy in just a few words:

“He was a champion for the American people. A patriot, an American patriot,” Wilson told TGP.

Lindsey Graham served in public office for decades. He served in the Senate for 23 years and has been deeply involved with a lot of impactful decisions made for our country during that time.

While not everyone agreed with Graham’s policy positions or his decisions, one thing that we all can certainly agree on is that he was impactful and memorable.

The post “A Juggernaut, An Influencer” – What Lawmakers Had To Say About Lindsey Graham’s Legacy A Week After His Death – EXCLUSIVE VIDEO appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

When far left Missouri Rep. Cori Bush was voted out of office, she vowed to return. Now that the radical left is seeing some wins with their DSA candidates, she thinks it’s her ticket back into congress.

She is one of those politicians who just can’t take no for an answer. Being a member of congress is probably the best and easiest job she has ever had and she is desperate to get back in.

She is even campaigning with a radical ‘Maoist’ who supports the terrorist group Hamas.

FOX News reports:

Ousted Squad Dem stumps with radical activist who defended Hamas, promoted political violence

Former Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., is campaigning to return to Congress alongside a self-described Maoist activist and political organizer whose online videos and social media rhetoric has included urging leftists not to disavow Hamas or Hezbollah, has included calls to “unmake” America, applauded burning the American flag and endorsed political violence.

The activist, Christopher Winston, has built an online presence across numerous platforms under the pseudonym “BlackRedGuard,” posting and appearing in videos about “Maoist organizing in DSA,” attacking leftists who say they do not support “Hezbollah/Hamas” and using rhetoric that appeared to condone political violence.

In one video reviewed by Fox News Digital, Winston asked, “What’s wrong with throwing molotov cocktails at a police station? What’s wrong with throwing molotovs at a police station?”

Bush, an ousted “Squad” Democrat mounting a comeback bid in Missouri’s 1st Congressional District, appeared in a recent social media post standing right beside Winston as he participated in supporting her campaign…

“If you say s— like ‘I don’t support Hezbollah/Hamas’ and call yourself a leftist you lame. All power to all the resistance. Peace through the sword,” Winston, a St. Louis-area activist working with the DSA said in his social media post shaming those on the left who condemn Hamas and Hezbollah.

Bush is also already being investigated for fraud again. Some things never change.

HOLY SMOKES. Former Democrat Rep. and current Congressional candidate Cori Bush is now under investigation by the Missouri Attorney General for allegedly FUNNELING charity donations for a devastating tornado “nonprofit” for POLITICAL SPENDING

AG HANAWAY: “Very… pic.twitter.com/nhJ6LYB2bZ

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 16, 2026

This woman is a train wreck. The people of Missouri were right to kick her out of office.

The post SHE’S BACK: Ousted Squad Rep. Cori Bush Thinks the Rise of the DSA is Her Ticket Back Into Congress appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Millin said officials in states that refuse to support the federal government’s election integrity effort could face serious consequences.

In a Thursday night speech, President Donald Trump said a Department of Homeland Security investigation of state that have shared voter information with the federal government revealed the presence of up to 278,000 non-citizens on voter rolls.

“I will tell you, the states that choose not to participate with the SAVE program and they choose not to participate in securing the elections, we will make sure that we make those states a priority to look at who voted in their states and hold them, the election officials, accountable,” Mullin said in a video posted to X.

The Daily Caller: Can you ensure to Americans that the midterm elections will be secure?

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin: “Yes, we can absolutely build confidence in the American people [with our elections], but the states have to do their part.”

“The states that choose to… pic.twitter.com/9EXKsBipwf

— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) July 17, 2026

“If the election officials, once we gave them the information they need to secure their elections and they chose not to, then those individuals can also be held accountable by fines, by penalties, and even, depending on how far it goes, prison time,” he said

As noted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigraiton Services, SAVE is “an online service for registered federal, state, territorial, tribal, and local government agencies to verify immigration status and U.S. citizenship.”

Mullin also sent a message to anyone voting illegally, according to the Associated Press.

He warned anyone who casts an illegal vote in the coming midterm election, “we will hunt you down, we will find you and we will prosecute you.”

Mullin said states who seek grants to support running elections will need to do things Trump’s way, according to NBC News.

The Trump administration is “going to make our security enhancements mandatory, meaning that if these states want a grant and they want to be reimbursed to work or to run federal elections, they’re going to have to implement security issues,” he added.

Mullin’s comments came as he sent letters to four states warning them of non-citizens who are on the states’ voter rolls illegally

A DHS news release said letters went to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, New Jersey Secretary of State Dale Caldwell, Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar, and Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt.

“Election security is national security,” Mullin said.

“As President Trump announced last night, DHS has identified over 250,000 potential non-citizens illegally registered to vote in just 4 U.S. states. Only Americans should be electing American leaders.”

DHS said there could be as many as 190,832 non-citizens registered to vote in California; 35152 in New Jersey, 15,903 in Nevada and 14,576 in Pennsylvania.

Mullin’s letters called for a response with two weeks and urged state officials to “confirm their intentions to collaborate with DHS in order to ensure free, fair, and honest elections,” the release said.

Mullin said the federal effort to ensure election integrity faces obstacles in the courts, where court rulings have prevented the federal government from accessing state voter rolls, according to The Hill.

“Hold the election officials accountable.” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin speaks about steps to be taken to secure election security in America by conditioning funding grants to states. @SecMullinDHS pic.twitter.com/xlaRvcm7sW

— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) July 17, 2026

“Activist judges are saying what? They don’t want to secure our elections? Once again, how is this a partisan issue? This shouldn’t be a partisan issue,” he said.

“This should be that any judge and any God-fearing individual that loves this country should want to make sure that our elections are secure.”

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

The post Markwayne Mullin Says State Officials Who Refuse to Cooperate to Secure Elections Could Face ‘Prison Time’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

As the Gateway Pundit has reported, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is kicking around the idea of arresting Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu the next time he is in the city.

This is nothing more than fantasy lip-service to Mamdani’s supporters who hate Israel with the heat of a thousand suns. It’s red meat for the ‘Free Palestine!’ mob.

It’s also further proof that Mamdani thinks that New York City is a separate, sovereign country and that he believes he is above federal laws.

To be clear, Zohran Mamdani as the mayor of New York City, has absolutely ZERO authority to arrest Netanyahu.

America’s ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz is already pointing out that this entire thing is a non-starter.

RedState reports:

UN Ambassador Bursts Mamdani’s Bubble Over His Wish to Arrest Israeli PM Netanyahu in NYC

When will the members of the far-Left cabal learn?

New York City, as the home of the United Nations headquarters, is hosting the U.N. General Assembly in the fall. And Democratic Socialist NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani expressed during a recent interview with a New York Times interviewer that he’s holding onto a deeply-held wish and campaign promise: to have Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrested when the world leader arrives in his city to attend it.

Well, we do still have the First Amendment, so I say let him talk. Someone else with thoughts on Mamdani’s empty threat was U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz, who only needed four bullet points to dispense with the mayor’s obvious “political theater”…

This is the text of Waltz’s tweet below:

Mayor Mamdani: here’s why your threat to arrest PM Netanyahu’s in NYC during UNGA is not going to happen:
1. The U.S. is not party to the Rome Statute that underlies the ICC,
2. The UN Headquarters Agreement grants diplomatic protections to visiting heads of gov’t,
3. head-of-state immunity applies, &
4. federal authority trumps any local mayor’s wishes.

This is pure political theater.

Mayor Mamdani: here’s why your threat to arrest PM Netanyahu’s in NYC during UNGA is not going to happen:
1. The U.S. is not party to the Rome Statute that underlies the ICC,
2. The UN Headquarters Agreement grants diplomatic protections to visiting heads of gov’t,
3.…

— Ambassador Mike Waltz (@michaelgwaltz) July 18, 2026

Mamdani really thinks he is the ruler of a separate country. It’s only a matter of time before he comes right out and admits it.

The post U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz Pours Cold Water on Mamdani’s Plans to Arrest Netanyahu in New York City appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.