Author name: Drew Berquist

Media

Bill Maher Drops the Mic on Hollywood Hypocrite Sean Penn, Brings Up His Past

/

Comedian Bill Maher addressed recent backlash over his April dinner with President Donald Trump, responding directly to criticism from actor Sean Penn during an episode of Maher’s Club Random podcast. The exchange, which aired over the weekend, drew attention to the contrasting public behavior and political interactions of both public figures.

Maher, who has been a frequent critic of Trump on his HBO program Real Time, hosted the president for a private dinner that also included UFC President Dana White and musician Kid Rock. The meeting was arranged by Kid Rock and intended as a candid exchange across political lines. During the podcast, Penn stated that he would not have accepted the invitation to meet with President Trump, prompting Maher to ask, “Really? You’ll meet with [expletive] Castro and Hugo Chavez, but not the President of the United States?”

Penn has met with several controversial international leaders over the years. In 2007, he visited Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in Caracas. In 2008, he conducted an interview with then-Cuban President Raul Castro and is also known to have met Fidel Castro during a trip to Havana. Comedian Bill Maher addressed recent backlash over his April dinner with President Donald Trump, responding directly to criticism from actor Sean Penn during an episode of Maher’s Club Random podcast.

The exchange, which aired over the weekend, drew attention to the contrasting public behavior and political interactions of both public figures. Maher, who has been a frequent critic of Trump on his HBO program Real Time, hosted the president for a private dinner that also included UFC President Dana White and musician Kid Rock. The meeting was arranged by Kid Rock and intended as a candid exchange across political lines.

During the podcast, Penn stated that he would not have accepted the invitation to meet with President Trump, prompting Maher to ask, “Really? You’ll meet with [expletive] Castro and Hugo Chavez, but not the President of the United States?”

Penn has met with several controversial international leaders over the years. In 2007, he visited Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in Caracas. In 2008, he conducted an interview with then-Cuban President Raul Castro and is also known to have met Fidel Castro during a trip to Havana. He traveled to Iraq in 2002 and to Iran in 2005. In 2016, Penn admitted to meeting and interviewing Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán while the cartel leader was a fugitive.

That interview, he later said, was an attempt to open dialogue about the war on drugs. Maher asked Penn directly during the conversation, “But you do, I hope, think I did the right thing to have dinner with him?” Penn initially responded, “Absolutely, you’re so smart,” but qualified his position by saying he wished the meeting had appeared “less successful.”

“I think that when you talked about it on the show that I would have preferred that I saw his mission or his will to have the dinner, I wish I would have seen it as less successful. Because you’re so smart on policy,” Penn said. Maher replied, “Well it was less successful because I never stopped saying all the things I’ve always said about him. It would have been successful if he had somehow seduced me into supporting him.”

Penn countered by saying he personally wouldn’t have attended the dinner and that “there would be no purpose,” while also defending his previous meetings with controversial figures, saying, “I saw good results come out of some of those things.” Maher responded, “It’s not a matter of trusting it, it’s a matter of seeing it, a matter of experiencing it, a matter of knowing it.”

He went on to compare avoiding such a meeting to someone refusing a medical test because they were afraid of what they might learn. Penn agreed with the analogy but remained skeptical of the value in engaging Trump. Maher said Trump was “gracious and measured” during the dinner and recalled that despite their long history of public disagreements — including a lawsuit Trump once filed against him — the meeting was civil and productive.

Maher noted that Trump did not ask for his support, nor did he request a public endorsement or photo. “He gave me some hats and a very generous amount of time,” Maher said.

“I never felt I had to walk on eggshells around him.”

The two reportedly discussed policy topics such as immigration, law enforcement morale, and gender participation in sports. Maher said they disagreed on certain points but that he appreciated Trump’s willingness to hear his perspective.

Maher, who has voted for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, said the meeting reflected his broader hope for more constructive dialogue in politics. “I wanted to represent a contingent of centrist-minded people who believe there’s got to be a better way of running this country than hating each other every minute,” he said.

Maher also revealed that he brought a printed list of nearly 60 insults Trump had previously directed at him and had the president autograph it. “He signed it with good humor,” Maher said. As for whether their civility will last, Maher expects their public back-and-forth to resume.

“We’ll probably go back to insulting each other,” he said, but emphasized that the point of the dinner was to show that dialogue remains possible. Both Maher and Trump reportedly agreed that many in their respective camps disapproved of the meeting. “The people who don’t even want us to talk? We don’t like you,” Maher said, describing a rare moment of agreement between the comedian and the president.

Read More at Drew Berquist

Economics

Ivy League Insider Exposes His Own University, Issues Warning to America

/

A student at Brown University delivered scathing testimony before a congressional committee, condemning the Ivy League institution for excessive administrative spending, ballooning tuition, and what he described as a betrayal of the American dream for working-class families.

Alex Shieh, a rising junior at Brown and reporter for the Brown Spectator, testified that the university has strayed far from its educational mission and has become a bloated, elitist institution increasingly out of reach for middle- and low-income Americans.

“My name is Alex Shieh, and I’m a rising junior at Brown University, one of the most exclusive institutions in the world,” Shieh began

. “But I’m not here to glorify the Ivy League. I’m here to warn you that the promise of American higher education, of opportunity through meritocracy, is under attack.”

Shieh, who described himself as a legacy student from a privileged background, said that while he can afford the $93,000-per-year price tag at Brown, many students cannot.

“My parents are doctors who can afford, afford the $93,000 a year sticker price. In other words, I’m exactly who the Ivy League was built for. But what about the kids who weren’t born on third base?”

He pointed to economic data showing that the median student at Brown comes from a family earning over $200,000 annually and that half of the student body is drawn from the top 5% of income earners.

Shieh then criticized the school’s financial management, highlighting a projected $46 million deficit despite sky-high tuition costs.

“Even while charging students the price of a luxury car, Brown is on track to run a $46 million deficit this year. Where’s all the money going? I’ll tell you where it’s going. It’s going into an empire of administrative bloat and bureaucracy.”

According to Shieh, Brown employs 3,805 full-time non-instructional staff for 7,229 undergraduate students — a ratio of more than one administrator for every two students.

“This isn’t education. This is bloat paid for on the backs of students and families who are mortgaging their futures for a shot at a better life,” he said.

Shieh highlighted specific administrative expenditures, including over $1 million in salary for Brown’s athletic director Grace Calhoun, and a household assistant assigned to University President Christina Paxson.

He claimed such spending continues while student conditions deteriorate, stating, “My dorm floods when it rains, and the burger patties in our dining hall have been replaced by an unappetizing beef mushroom blend.”

Citing national trends, Shieh added, “The number of university administrators has risen by 162% in recent decades, and it’s no coincidence that correspondingly, the cost of education has risen 181% in inflation-adjusted dollars since the 90s.”

He compared the Ivy League model to the British system: “Across the pond, a world-class education at Oxford or Cambridge can cost about half as much as an Ivy League degree, in part due to a much lower administrative burden.”

Shieh also criticized Brown’s financial aid policies, which he claimed disproportionately hurt middle-class students who are “earning too much to qualify for generous scholarships, but not enough to go to Brown without straddling themselves with significant amounts of debt.”

He called attention to Brown’s involvement in a federal antitrust lawsuit, in which the university was one of several Ivy League schools that settled allegations of colluding to suppress financial aid offers.

“Brown says it meets 100% of demonstrated need, but Brown gets to decide what that need is,” he said.

Shieh testified about the backlash he faced after launching a website called “Bloat at Brown,” which used AI to analyze the necessity of various administrative roles.

“I sent each administrative employee a Doge style email to ask them, What do you do all day?” he said.

“Instead of answering, Brown’s response was retaliation. My Social Security Number was leaked. Our website was hacked, and Associate Dean Kirsten Wolf launched a disciplinary investigation into a litany of baseless charges such as emotional harm.”

Shieh said the administration brought charges against every board member of the Brown Spectator, but “we refused to back down, and we won our hearings. There was no misconduct, only exposure, and that’s what Brown feared the most.”

He closed by urging Congress to investigate Ivy League antitrust practices and to subpoena President Paxson.

“This committee has a responsibility not just to investigate Ivy League antitrust violations, but to reclaim the American dream from those who have twisted it into a racket,” he said.

“The American dream isn’t just for the legacies the coastal elites or the children of privilege. It belongs to the kid in rural Kansas with a 4.0 GPA, the first gen student working in night shift, and the families who did everything right and still got priced out. They deserve a seat at the table.”

Shieh concluded, “They deserve a shot at making it big. Their American Dreams matter too.”

WATCH:

Please visit Drew Berquist.com for more articles like this.

Democrats

Arizona Governor Hobbs Vetoes Bill Blocking Chinese Land Purchases Near Military Bases

/

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs is facing criticism after vetoing legislation that would have blocked the Chinese government and its affiliates from acquiring land near key military and infrastructure sites in the state.

The vetoed measure, Senate Bill 1109, passed the legislature but was rejected by Hobbs on Tuesday, prompting backlash from Republican lawmakers and national security advocates.

State Senate Majority Leader Janae Shamp condemned the veto, calling it a “politically motivated” move that puts Arizonans at risk.

“This is utterly insane,” Shamp said.

“Governor Hobbs is an obstructionist against safeguarding our citizens from threats.”

SB 1109 sought to prohibit the People’s Republic of China from acquiring a 30% or greater ownership stake in any Arizona property.

The legislation was introduced in response to growing concerns over Chinese interests purchasing land near sensitive U.S. military installations, including Luke Air Force Base, Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, and facilities owned by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).

Governor Hobbs defended her decision by arguing that the bill would not have accomplished its intended security goals.

“This bill is ineffective at counter-espionage and does not directly protect our military assets,” Hobbs stated in her veto letter.

She also criticized the legislation for lacking “clear implementation criteria,” which she said could result in “arbitrary enforcement.”

Michael Lucci, founder and CEO of State Armor Action, a policy group focused on state-level security legislation, strongly disagreed with Hobbs’ assessment.

“Governor Hobbs’s veto of SB 1109 hangs an ‘Open for the CCP’ sign on Arizona’s front door,” Lucci said.

“Allowing Communist China to buy up land near our critical assets is a national security risk, plain and simple, and Governor Hobbs is substantively and completely wrong.”

Lucci also pointed to global examples of strategic vulnerability, referencing Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian military infrastructure.

“Proximity produces peril in asymmetric warfare,” he said, reinforcing the concern that even limited foreign land ownership near critical infrastructure could pose significant risk.

The bill underwent a bipartisan amendment process prior to its passage in the legislature.

Originally, it broadly prohibited entities and individuals deemed national security risks from purchasing land in Arizona.

Lawmakers later narrowed the language to target Chinese government-linked companies and their subsidiaries, in an effort to avoid concerns of discrimination.

Despite Hobbs’ objections, the Arizona legislature retains the ability to override the veto.

It is currently unclear whether Republican lawmakers will attempt such a move or if they have sufficient support to do so.

Arizona is not alone in confronting the issue of foreign land purchases near strategic U.S. sites. According to the nonprofit Committee of 100, which monitors China-related policies, at least 27 states are considering a total of 84 bills this year to limit foreign ownership of land.

So far, 22 states have passed similar laws, 17 of which were enacted in 2024.

At the federal level, Congress is also reviewing legislation designed to restrict foreign entities, particularly those affiliated with the Chinese government, from owning land near military or critical infrastructure.

As of March, seven separate bills on the matter were being considered in both chambers.

The veto of SB 1109 has now placed Arizona at the center of the national debate on how to counter foreign influence through land acquisitions.

Lawmakers and national security advocates continue to call for stricter measures to limit such purchases, arguing that real estate ownership near sensitive sites could be exploited for espionage or sabotage.

Please visit Drew Berquist.com for more articles like this.

LGBTQ+

Boise Pride Event Called Off as Attendance Falls Flat Despite Online Buzz

/

A Pride Month kickoff event scheduled for June 6 in Boise has been canceled after organizers cited lower-than-expected community turnout, despite apparent support expressed online.

The event, which was intended to mark the beginning of Pride Month and expand local LGBTQ+ programming, will not move forward as planned.

The event was separate from the annual Boise Pride Festival, which is held each September and typically draws thousands of attendees.

Organizers had hoped the June event would serve as a complementary celebration, aligning with national Pride Month festivities taking place in other cities during the summer.

According to a statement from Boise Pride, the cancellation was attributed to a lack of early community engagement.

“We know the desire for more Pride programming is real—we hear it constantly,” the organizers said, as reported by CBS 2 News.

“However, early buy-in from the community is essential for events outside our main festival.”

The event’s cancellation has prompted a full refund for those who had already purchased tickets.

Organizers stated they plan to use the opportunity to re-evaluate and possibly relaunch the event in a future year.

“We still believe in the idea behind the Pride Season Kickoff, and we hope to revisit it in the future,” the statement continued.

Boise Pride also called for more tangible support from local residents.

“We need real-world support for these events to happen,” the group said, emphasizing that online encouragement alone is not sufficient to sustain programming outside the September festival.

The cancellation in Boise comes amid a broader national trend of scaled-back Pride events and sponsorships.

Across the country, several Pride organizations are reporting reduced funding and participation in the wake of growing political and cultural tensions surrounding LGBTQ+ issues.

New York City Pride recently announced that it had lost approximately 25 percent of its corporate sponsorships for 2024.

According to organizers, some sponsors cited apprehensions over the potential for political backlash, particularly following moves by the Trump administration to defund and reverse Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs in federal agencies and government contracting.

Additional concern stemmed from fears of consumer pushback, similar to the response faced by Bud Light in 2023 after its controversial marketing campaign with a transgender social media personality.

That incident sparked a national boycott that affected company sales and prompted major brands to re-evaluate their involvement in Pride campaigns.

In Boise, Pride organizers stressed that the main September festival remains on schedule and will continue as planned.

They reiterated their commitment to expanding community engagement throughout the year but acknowledged that additional events will require stronger participation to be successful.

While no new date has been set for a possible future kickoff event, the group said it remains open to trying again in the future with better preparation and local involvement.

Please visit Drew Berquist.com for more stories like this.

Illegal Immigration

Soros Network Linked to Fight to Keep Convicted Illegal Aliens in the Country

/

Legal challenges targeting the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies continue to emerge, with funding for many of the lawsuits tracing back to organizations supported by George Soros’s Open Society Foundations.

Breitbart reporter John Binder has tracked the financial networks behind multiple lawsuits opposing President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda.

The latest legal battle involves a challenge to the Trump administration’s effort to deport violent illegal aliens to third countries, including South Sudan.

The administration began deporting individuals with final orders of removal to South Sudan earlier this year, citing the refusal of some home countries to accept individuals with criminal records.

Department of Homeland Security officials emphasized that the individuals deported had been convicted of violent crimes, including murder, rape, and child sex offenses.

“These were vicious illegal aliens,” DHS officials stated in a public release.

However, in March, the nonprofit Human Rights First joined two other organizations in filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration.

The lawsuit challenges DHS’s authority to deport illegal aliens to countries other than their nation of origin, arguing that such actions are unlawful without sufficient notice to the individuals affected.

Human Rights First has also filed litigation seeking to preserve immigration parole programs established under Joe Biden’s administration.

According to public records cited by Binder, the Soros-backed Open Society Foundations (OSF) has contributed nearly $6.2 million to Human Rights First.

In April, U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy, appointed by former President Biden to the District of Massachusetts, issued a preliminary injunction temporarily halting deportations to third countries without prior notice.

Judge Murphy’s order required the DHS to provide detained individuals with “credible fear interviews” before removing them to a country that is not their place of origin.

Since the ruling, the Trump administration has deported eight individuals with final removal orders to South Sudan.

All eight had criminal convictions, including for violent offenses such as murder and sexual assault.

Judge Murphy ruled that DHS had violated his earlier injunction and ordered the department to provide additional legal steps before proceeding with further deportations to South Sudan or similar third-country destinations.

Officials from South Sudan have voiced objections to receiving deportees with criminal histories, although there is no formal agreement barring the U.S. from conducting such deportations.

DHS has argued that removal to a third country is necessary in cases where an alien’s home country refuses repatriation, particularly when public safety is at risk.

The ongoing litigation underscores growing tensions between the Trump administration’s push for stricter immigration enforcement and legal challenges supported by left-leaning advocacy groups.

Many of those groups, including Human Rights First, have received substantial backing from the Soros network.

Critics of the lawsuits argue that efforts to block the removal of criminal aliens place American communities at risk and amount to judicial overreach.

The administration has signaled it will continue to pursue third-country deportation options when repatriation to an individual’s home nation is not feasible due to diplomatic or security obstacles.

The case remains active in federal court, with DHS expected to submit further documentation to comply with the judge’s orders.

Additional hearings may be scheduled as the administration continues to defend its enforcement authority.

Please visit Drew Berquist.com for more stories like this.

Democrats

Kamala Harris Butchers Definition of Humility, Gets Lost in Her Own Speech Again

/

Kamala Harris delivered an extended and at times confusing answer on the concept of “humility” during a Sunday interview at the Australian Real Estate Conference (AREC), where she appeared as a guest speaker.

The session was hosted by real estate executive John McGrath, who described Harris as “humble” and asked what advice she might offer to professionals in his industry about staying grounded.

Image Credit: Phil Mistry – Shutterstock.com

Harris responded with a lengthy and abstract reflection on the idea of humility, during which she clarified, “I do not aspire to be humble” and “would not recommend it.”

“I think that one must be humble. But to aspire to be humble would be quite inauthentic … If one understands that, just, I mean, there’s so much that is magnificent and awe-inspiring about this world and its people,” Harris said.

“And when you take the moment to just listen to an individual’s story, whether it’s someone you’re sitting next to on the plane or standing in line with at the grocery store, there is so much about this world that we know and we don’t know. And that is very humbling.”

Harris continued, “To realize the dreams that people have, the struggles that they’ve overcome, and the magnificence of that. To realize the beauty of the human spirit, that we are by nature, I think, as a species, we don’t give up.”

“Part of the key to our survival is that we are adaptable,” she added.

“But we are also ambitious. I applaud ambition. I applaud ambition. I think it is a good thing to reach, but not without also understanding that in so doing, one must do the hard work. One must understand the context in which they exist. One must be respectful.”

The former vice president also referenced her upbringing as a formative influence on her view of humility, recalling how her mother was treated due to her race and accent.

“I grew up in an environment where my — whether it was my mother, who was … like I said, 5 feet tall, a brown woman with an accent — and I would see how she was treated sometimes,” Harris said.

“And I grew up then seeing, when I would see that — infrequently, though it happened — where there was some assumption that because of her appearance, she was not what she actually was. She was one of the most intelligent people you could meet.”

Harris said those experiences shaped her understanding of inequality.

“I realized how there is a certain level of unfairness in the world in terms of how people determine a hierarchy and then place others in that stratum,” she said.

“And I learned to dislike it immensely. And understand that I think it’s a flaw to exist in a way that one thinks they are superior to another based on some very arcane measure of the work of another.”

She concluded her remarks by saying, “And maybe it is that way of thinking that makes me have a certain level of humility.”

“It is because I see the strength and the value and the magnificence and the majesty of so many, regardless of what they do, where they live, and I’m humbled to be among them.”

Following her comments, McGrath replied, “Well said,” and the audience responded with extended applause.

Harris’s public speaking style has drawn scrutiny in the past. During her 2024 presidential campaign, political analysts and commentators raised concerns that her frequent use of ambiguous phrasing and complex, nonspecific language could undercut her public messaging.

Harris went on to lose the 2024 general election to President Donald Trump, falling short in all seven battleground states and the national popular vote. Trump gained support across several key voting blocs, including younger nonwhite voters.

Please visit Drew Berquist.com for more articles like this.

Democrats

Triggered Dem Lawmaker Cries “White Supremacy” After Colleagues Stormed ICE Facility

/

Federal authorities are investigating a recent incident at the Delaney Hall Detention Center in Newark, New Jersey, where multiple Democratic lawmakers were involved in a confrontation with federal officers.

The Department of Justice has confirmed an active investigation into the matter, and a resolution to censure the lawmakers involved is currently being considered by members of Congress.

The confrontation occurred last week when several Democratic officials, including Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ), Rep. Robert Menendez Jr. (D-NJ), and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, entered the detention center without following established protocols.

The facility is currently housing individuals who are in the country illegally.

Video footage from the scene shows Rep. McIver yelling at and physically engaging with law enforcement officers, including pushing and using her body to strike agents multiple times.

The altercation was captured on camera and circulated widely, prompting swift responses from lawmakers and law enforcement agencies.

Despite the footage, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman denied that her colleague engaged in physical aggression, stating, “She didn’t touch them.”

She later amended her statement, adding, “She may have, like, pushed away to get them off of her, but she didn’t body slam anybody.”

Coleman dismissed the incident as exaggerated, saying, “It’s a bunch of crap that they would think that a member of Congress would do something like that.”

Rep. Coleman also claimed the group was denied lawful access to the facility, which she described as unacceptable.

When asked by reporters why the group forced its way inside and bypassed security protocols, she responded with a heated statement: “Bullsh*t!”

She continued, “Un-Americaning in an unamerican society with a unitarian government that abuses power on all levels and treats Congress members as if we are the enemy. You know who the enemy is? The enemy is the enemy of the people, and that’s the white supremacist that you’re talking about.”

Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested on Friday in connection with the incident. Charges stemming from the event are expected to be reviewed as the DOJ inquiry progresses.

In addition to the confrontation in Newark, Rep. Watson Coleman made headlines during a House hearing on Wednesday.

While questioning Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, she used her allotted time to accuse the Trump administration of “racist attacks” and launched into a racially charged tirade.

Kennedy remained composed during the hearing and responded only after Coleman’s time had expired.

Before an appropriations committee hearing on Thursday morning, a reporter confronted Rep. Watson Coleman for comment on the events.

She declined to expand on her previous remarks but reaffirmed her belief that McIver acted in self-defense and that the actions of law enforcement were inappropriate.

No timeline has been released by the Department of Justice regarding the conclusion of its investigation.

Meanwhile, the House continues to weigh disciplinary measures, including possible censure, for lawmakers involved in the unauthorized entry and physical altercation at the federal facility.

Please visit Drew Berquist.com for more stories like this.

Media

“Can’t Hate the Media Enough”: Survey Shows Growing Bipartisan Hatred for Mainstream Media

/

A new national survey finds that a growing number of Americans, across party lines, believe media bias is not only real but getting worse—with nearly half of likely voters saying the problem has intensified in recent years.

The latest Rasmussen Reports survey, released this week, found that 49% of likely voters believe news media bias is getting worse, compared to just 11% who think it’s improving.

The findings reflect persistent skepticism among voters toward media institutions, which many say have increasingly favored Democratic perspectives.

In a key question from the survey, likely voters were asked if they agreed with the statement, “No matter how much you hate the media, it’s not enough.”

Forty-four percent agreed, compared to 29% who disagreed.

The results show that distrust of the press is not limited to one age group or political affiliation.

Respondents included younger voters, older Americans, Hispanics, Republicans, independents, and Democrats, many of whom cited a consistent pro-Democratic tilt in coverage across major news outlets.

When asked directly whether media organizations favor Democrats over Republicans, 43% of Democrats said yes, while 24% disagreed.

Among Republicans, agreement with the statement was even higher.

Overall, 57% of Republicans said they agreed that no amount of media hatred is too much, compared to 21% who disagreed.

Among Democrats, 40% agreed with the sentiment, while 35% disagreed.

Media bias has been a recurring topic in American politics, but it has taken on renewed significance in recent election cycles.

The issue escalated after President Donald Trump entered the political arena in 2015, regularly challenging coverage from mainstream outlets and referring to certain organizations as “fake news.”

Since then, multiple administrations have sought to circumvent traditional media gatekeepers.

Former President Barack Obama notably used social media and digital outreach to speak directly to voters, bypassing major networks.

The Trump administration expanded that approach by granting broader access to conservative and center-right outlets, challenging the legacy media’s dominance in the White House press pool.

Still, public concern about media bias has remained high.

According to the Rasmussen survey, a significant portion of the electorate believes traditional media sources have strayed too far from balanced reporting and editorial neutrality.

The survey reflects a broader trend of declining trust in journalism institutions.

Multiple studies over the last decade have shown a sharp drop in public confidence in major news outlets.

The growing skepticism has been particularly pronounced among independents and Republicans, though the latest data suggests even Democratic voters are increasingly critical of the media’s political leanings.

Rasmussen Reports did not release the full crosstabs or sample size breakdown publicly, but confirmed that the poll included a representative sample of likely U.S. voters.

As debate continues about how news is gathered, presented, and interpreted, the latest numbers underscore the challenge facing media organizations—one that now includes rebuilding trust across the political spectrum.

Please visit Drew Berquist.com for more articles like this.

Democrats

Sen. Hawley Finds it “Hilarious” Dems Act as if They Have “No Idea” How Country Got So Bad

/

Senator Josh Hawley, R-Mo., criticized Joe Biden and his administration during an appearance on Fox News Wednesday night, holding Democrats responsible for the nation’s economic challenges, the border crisis, and what he described as a diminished global standing.

The senator appeared on “Hannity” to respond to comments made by Biden during a recent interview with the BBC, in which the former president defended his economic record and dismissed President Donald Trump’s administration as lacking meaningful accomplishments.

Biden claimed his policies strengthened both the economy and America’s role in global leadership.

Sen. Hawley pushed back strongly against that characterization, pointing to inflation, border security failures, and federal spending as evidence that Democratic leadership had caused significant harm.

“He doesn’t have a solution, which is why he’s out of office,” Hawley said of Biden.

“But here’s the thing that I think is so hilarious — Joe Biden and Buttigieg and all the rest, they now act like they have no idea how the country got into this state.”

Hawley noted that inflation and rising consumer costs were the direct result of the Biden-Harris administration’s economic policies, including large-scale spending and changes to domestic energy production.

“I mean, my gosh, inflation is really high. Gee, how did that happen? I don’t know. Maybe it’s because Joe Biden shut down American energy production, spent three, four trillion dollars on Green New Deal giveaways,” Hawley said.

Turning to border security, the Missouri senator criticized the administration’s enforcement policies and described the situation as a crisis that had been created by the White House.

“Buttigieg acts like ‘How did the border get to be such a problem?’ I don’t know. Maybe because Joe Biden opened it up and let every criminal and gang member come across the border. Donald Trump closed it in like two weeks flat,” he said.

Hawley further argued that Democratic officials are increasingly disconnected from the concerns of average Americans.

“These people live on a different planet, Sean. They’re totally out of touch with reality,” he said.

“Donald Trump is turning the country around in 100 short days, and that’s why they’re desperate. The Democrats are totally desperate.”

He criticized Biden and other Democratic leaders for prioritizing international appearances over addressing pressing domestic issues.

“They’re jetting around now to foreign countries to hold hands with terrorists. This is what they think is important,” Hawley stated.

Biden’s term in office faced significant economic pressures, including a 40-year high in inflation that peaked at 9.1% in June 2022, straining household budgets across the country.

His administration also faced criticism over energy policy changes, including reduced domestic oil and gas production in favor of expanding renewable energy funding.

Meanwhile, border enforcement became a growing issue, with U.S. authorities recording approximately 8.5 million migrant encounters at the southern border over the course of the Biden-Harris administration.

Republicans have pointed to these figures as evidence of policy failure and have advocated for renewed enforcement measures.

As the debate continues over the direction of U.S. policy, Hawley and other GOP lawmakers continue to draw a contrast between Biden’s record and the policies implemented by President Trump since returning to office.

Please visit Drew Berquist for more articles like this.

Economics

JD Vance Saves the Day After 3 Republicans Side with Dems to Stop Trump’s Tariffs

/

Vice President J.D. Vance cast the deciding vote in the Senate to block a resolution that would have overturned President Donald Trump’s tariffs, stepping in after three Republicans joined Democrats in an effort to revoke the national emergency authority underpinning the policy.

The Senate vote was held on a resolution seeking to terminate the president’s declaration of a national emergency related to foreign trade deficits.

The measure would have effectively dismantled the tariffs implemented under that authority.

Although Republicans hold a majority in the chamber, the resolution tied 49-49 after GOP Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Rand Paul (R-KY) crossed party lines to vote with Democrats.

With the tie, Vice President Vance intervened and cast the tie-breaking vote to defeat the resolution.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) were both absent from the vote.

A spokesperson for McConnell later stated that the 83-year-old senator would have voted in favor of the resolution alongside Democrats.

“The Senator has been consistent in opposing tariffs and that a trade war is not in the best interest of American households and businesses,” the spokesperson said. “He believes that tariffs are a tax increase on everybody.”

Following the vote, Murkowski posted on social media defending her decision to support the resolution, stating that the president’s declaration of a national emergency related to trade imbalances does not meet the legal threshold required.

“Bilateral trade deficits do not constitute a national emergency, nor do they qualify as an ‘unusual and extraordinary’ circumstance needed to unlock authorities under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act,” Murkowski said.

“We have a lot more work to do to reclaim Congress’s constitutional power over tariffs, but this resolution is a step in the right direction,” she added.

Senator Rand Paul also explained his vote, citing constitutional concerns over executive power and congressional authority over taxation.

“The Constitution clearly states that Congress, not the president, has the power of the purse,” Paul posted on X.

“All new taxes (which is what a tariff is) are supposed to originate in the House of Representatives before going to the Senate for approval.”

Despite the attempted rollback, President Trump defended his economic strategy, particularly the tariffs implemented under his “Liberation Day” trade policy.

In a series of posts on Truth Social this week, Trump rejected claims that the tariffs were to blame for current market volatility, attributing recent economic turbulence to policies inherited from the previous administration.

“This is Biden’s Stock Market, not Trump’s,” the president wrote.

“I didn’t take over until January 20th. Tariffs will soon start kicking in, and companies are starting to move into the USA in record numbers. Our Country will boom, but we have to get rid of the Biden ‘Overhang.’”

Trump also urged patience from Americans and businesses navigating the transition.

“This will take a while, has NOTHING TO DO WITH TARIFFS, only that he left us with bad numbers,” Trump added.

“But when the boom begins, it will be like no other. BE PATIENT!!!”

The failed resolution marks a significant win for the Trump administration as it moves forward with efforts to realign global trade policies in favor of American production.

The White House has signaled that further economic measures tied to the national emergency authority could be forthcoming.

Visit Drew Berquist.com for more stories like this.


Subscribe Form

© 2025 WokeSpy All Rights Reserved

Scroll to Top