'Wokeness is on its deathbed': Walmart kicking DEI, LGBT activism to the curb



Normalcy advocate Robby Starbuck and other conservatives keen to depoliticize corporate America have gone online to celebrate a massive victory in the war on woke this week: Walmart, which employs roughly 1.6 million workers nationwide, is scrapping its divisive DEI initiatives and curbing both its customer-facing and worker-facing LGBT activism.

"This is the biggest win yet for our movement to end wokeness in corporate America," said Starbuck, who has successfully pressured a number of other American companies, including Ford, Harley-Davidson, Tractor Supply, Jack Daniel's, and John Deere, to abandon their race-obsessive policies, embrace of gender ideology, and other alienating leftist commitments.

"This won't just have a massive effect for their employees who will have a neutral workplace without feeling that divisive issues are being injected but it will also extend to their many suppliers," continued Starbuck. "Companies like Amazon and Target should be very nervous that their top competitor dropped woke policies first. I think Target specifically will suffer serious sales problems as a result and Walmart will benefit."

Following "productive conversations" with Walmart executives, Starbuck announced Monday that Walmart committed to ending its participation in the LGBT activist group Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index, a "national benchmarking tool on corporate policies, practices and benefits pertinent to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer employees" used strategically to crush dissent and maximize conformity.

Walmart once again secured a perfect score on the index last year by engaging in LGBT activism and outreach and by providing sex-change guidelines; at least one additional transvestite "inclusive policy or practice for its employees"; and LGBT training elements and an "intersectionality" training session.

'The landscape of corporate America is quickly shifting to sanity and neutrality.'

Starbuck noted that Walmart has also committed to: identifying and removing "inappropriate sexual and/or transgender products marketed to children"; reviewing all funding for LGBT events to ensure that kids are not targeted with inappropriate sexualized content; letting its Center for Racial Equity initiative expire; ensuring that supplier diversity programs are not discriminating on the basis of race; eliminating the term "LatinX" from official communications; discontinuing "racial equity training"; and ditching the use of the term DEI.

The company has confirmed its change of course, telling the Guardian in a statement:

Our purpose, to help people save money and live better, has been at our core since our founding 62 years ago and continues to guide us today. We can deliver on it because we are willing to change alongside our associates and customers who represent all of America. We've been on a journey and know we aren't perfect, but every decision comes from a place of wanting to foster a sense of belonging, to open doors to opportunities for all our associates, customers and suppliers, and to be a Walmart for everyone.

Walmart spokeswoman Molly Blakeman told CNBC that the company will no longer permit third-party sellers to sell various LGBT-themed items on the Walmart website, especially products, such as harmful chest binders, that target confused children.

Chest binders are pieces of compression clothing that flatten a woman's chest to make her more "male-presenting." They reportedly can cause breathing difficulties, chronic back pain, headaches, skin infections, broken ribs, and malformations of the spine. According to a 2021 study in the journal Pediatrics, 97% of those who use them suffer health problems as a result.

While Walmart is taking steps to shield children from LGBT propaganda and deformative apparel, it will continue to award grants and funding to LGBT events such as Pride parades.

Blakeman also confirmed that the company will no longer share data with the HRC and will wind down its Center for Racial Equity.

"Our campaigns are now so effective that we're getting the biggest companies on earth to change their policies without me even posting a story outlining their woke policies," wrote Starbuck. "Companies can clearly see that America wants normalcy back. The era of wokeness is dying right in front of our eyes. The landscape of corporate America is quickly shifting to sanity and neutrality. We are now the trend, not the anomaly."

'Keep up the pressure.'

Starbuck was deluged with congratulatory messages and thanks for helping Walmart find its way back to common sense.

"Great!" wrote Elon Musk.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, recently nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as American ambassador to Israel, tweeted, "Standing ovation for @robbystarbuck who is perhaps the most influential person in America restoring our culture & country to sanity! He is [fire emoji]! And thanks to @Walmart for focusing on the core business of retail. It's a gift to the customers & shareholders."

Andy Puzder, the former CEO of Hardee's, similarly thanked Starbuck and noted, "The list of actions Walmart is taking to walk away from DEI is impressive! The #1 US employer’s labor policies will once again be based on qualifications, merit and character not sex or skin color. A true win for US workers of every race & both sexes!"

"Wokeness is on its deathbed," tweeted All-American swim star Riley Gaines.

Starbuck appeared to agree with the sentiment, noting elsewhere, "Wokeness is on life support. We just have to keep up the pressure."

The Bud Light boycott demonstrated the vulnerability of corporate giants to conservative boycotts. While the threat of a repeat performance may be enough to prompt companies to act, some organizations may also be responding to the U.S. Supreme Court's June 29, 2023, decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. Harvard/UNC banning race-based college admission. The high court held that it is unconstitutional under the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause and a violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for colleges and universities to factor race into the admissions process.

While some legal experts have indicated that the decision has no direct legal impact on private employers, it has nevertheless paved the way for numerous lawsuits and federal civil rights complaints targeting companies' DEI initiatives, such as the complaint America First Legal filed in September with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against the kitchenware retailer Williams Sonoma.

Just weeks after the Supreme Court ruling, the attorneys general of 13 states wrote a letter reminding Fortune 100 CEOs of their obligations as employers under federal and sate law to "refrain from discriminating on the basis of race, whether under the label of 'diversity, equity, and inclusion' or otherwise."

It appears that companies that depoliticize their offerings will not only maximize their market reach but possibly also minimize their legal liability in the face of increasing effective backlash.

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FACT CHECK: Is Ariana Grande The First To Debut At #1 On Billboard Hot 100, Billboard 200, And Box Office Same Year?

A post made on X claims Wicked actress Ariana Grande is the first person to debut at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Billboard 200, and the U.S. Box Office in the same calendar year. ariana grande is set to become the first person in history to debut at #1 on the billboard hot 100, billboard […]

'They're desperate': Joe Rogan rails against YouTube's apparent censorship of Trump interview



Earlier this week, Americans experienced difficulty tracking down President Donald Trump's three-hour interview with Joe Rogan on YouTube, which presently has over 41.5 million views on the Google-owned platform. The hotly anticipated interview was also glaringly absent from the platform's trending page on Monday.

Rather than connect would-be viewers with the unfiltered interview, YouTube inundated users with results for antagonistic legacy media reports about the interview and unrelated videos — a redirection strategy that Rogan indicated had a dramatic impact on traffic.

Rogan blasted YouTube on the Wednesday episode of his show, telling stand-up comic Francis Foster and political commentator Konstantin Kisin that the apparent censorship effort reeked of desperation.

"There's no way this was a mistake," said Rogan. "That's too convenient."

The titular host of "The Joe Rogan Experience" noted that he initially gave YouTube the benefit of the doubt: "I'm like, 'I'm sure it was a mistake. There's no way that it was on purpose.' And so if you googled 'Rogan Trump,' you could only get clips. You couldn't watch the whole episode. You couldn't find it."

'There is massive far left censorship at Google/YouTube.'

David Heinemeier Hansson, the co-owner of the software company Basecamp, shared footage of his unsuccessful attempt to find the interview on Monday, tweeting, "Tried to find the Rogan/Trump interview on YouTube but no matter what I search, it's not coming up. Would be beyond bonkers if they're actively trying to suppress it. Must be a glitch, right?"

Hansson, whose original concerns were amplified by Rogan, noted further that numerous variations of his search, including "jre trump" and "trump on rogan," similarly failed to produce the desired result.

Rogan told Foster and Kisin that not only could potential voters not find the video, YouTube refused to highlight the Trump interview in its trending section, despite the video far surpassing the competition by leaps and bounds. He indicated that this omission revealed either that the section is meaningless or that something foul was afoot.

According to Rogan, amid YouTube's apparent election-time censorship attempts, Elon Musk — who stressed that "there is massive far left censorship at Google/YouTube" and noted that "Alphabet (Google/YouTube) is the #1 biggest donor to the Democratic Party" — reached out to Spotify CEO Daniel Ek, successfully porting the entire interview to X to ensure its visibility.

"So now it has way more views," said Rogan, referring to the tens of millions of additional views it has since netted on Musk's platform.

'They hate it because ideologically they're opposed to the idea of him being more popular.'

"You can't suppress s***. It doesn't work," said Rogan. "This is the internet. This is 2024. People are going to realize what you're doing. If you try to make it so that something can't come up in a search engine because it's too popular — first of all, if that's not trending, then you tell me what the f*** is."

YouTube said in a statement Monday evening:

Since airing Friday, the interview has generated over 34 million views on YouTube and counting, making it Joe Rogan's most viewed episode of the year. For some searches on Monday the original 3-hour interview didn't appear prominently. Short excerpts uploaded by the Joe Rogan channel appeared, but we know it was frustrating for users looking to find the full video. We've worked to resolve this and viewers will begin seeing the full podcast in more YouTube search results soon.

While Rogan indicated that the censorship was unmistakable, he expressed openness to the possibility that rather than an institutional effort on the part of Google to once again interfere for the ostensible benefit of Democrats, "it could have been like some rogue engineer. There's a lot of people that are working behind the scenes."

According to OpenSecrets, individuals at Google's parent company, Alphabet, have donated over $2.2 million to the Harris campaign this election cycle, as well as $1.6 million to the Harris super PAC Future Forward USA and millions more to congressional and Senate Democrats.

Google has also been accused in recent months of manipulating the autocomplete feature for its search engine to suppress information about Donald Trump. An attorney for Alphabet Inc. admitted to Congress in August that the autocomplete tool for its search function hid results about an ActBlue donor's attempt on Trump's life in Pennsylvania.

Earlier this year, Google also reportedly killed a pro-Trump ad for a supposed "policy violation."

"I think they're desperate because they had no idea it was going to be that popular," said Rogan. "It's a runaway train, and they hate it because ideologically they're opposed to the idea of him being more popular."

BlazeTV host Steve Deace recently underscored the social and political significance of the interview, writing, "The benefit of this interview for candidate Trump could be equivalent to the largest and most expensive media ad buy in political history — something unattainable given the resources and precise messaging required to pull it off effectively."

Rogan suggested that leftists largely control "these massive media distribution companies like YouTube or Facebook. They're massive companies. They have so much influence on everything. And they didn't like that this one was slipping away."

Google's antipathy for Trump is likely not all ideological. In 2020, Trump signed an executive order with the aim of limiting legal protections for social media companies and signaled a desire to implement new regulations on Big Tech.

"Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube wield immense, if not unprecedented, power to shape the interpretation of public events; to censor, delete, or disappear information; and to control what people see or do not see," wrote Trump. "As President, I have made clear my commitment to free and open debate on the internet."

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Bureaucrats discuss ditching 'greatest good' for equity in FEMA disaster-planning meeting



The Federal Emergency Management Agency is a Department of Homeland Security outfit tasked with stabilizing and assisting communities after a disaster. In the wake of Hurricane Helene, the Biden-Harris agency has come up short, leaving some hard-hit communities to pick up the pieces all alone.

Critics have reviewed possible political factors that may have undermined the agency and its ability to adequately respond to this deadly disaster. After all, the FEMA website indicates the agency's top strategic goal is to "instill equity as a foundation of emergency management" — signaling a possible subordination of utility to ideology.

The X account End Wokeness shared a video Sunday from a March 2023 disaster preparedness meeting indicating ideology has indeed infected FEMA's core considerations.

FEMA emergency management specialist Tyler Atkins — a manager of the Office of Resilience's "Resilient & Ready Seminar Series" who refers to himself as "they" — notes at the outset of the viral video that "LGBTQIA people and people who have been disadvantaged already are struggling. They already have their own things to deal with so you add a disaster on top of that, it's just compounding on itself."

"And I think that is maybe the 'why' of why we're having these discussions," added Atkins, referencing the broader topic of preparedness and mitigation considerations specific to non-straights.

A woman identified on-screen as Maggie Jarry, a senior emergency management specialist at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said, "There are a couple of things intersecting in my mind here. One is the culture of emergency management as an organization, as an industry in the United States specifically, not abroad."

After taking a moment to excuse her cat's interruptions, Jarry noted, "The shift that we're seeing right now is a shift in emergency management from utilitarian principles — where everything is designed for the greatest good, for the greatest amount of people — to disaster equity."

The apparent federal push away from helping the greatest number of Americans to prioritizing help for specific types of favored Americans was driven by the Biden-Harris administration, particularly by President Joe Biden's June 25, 2021, DEI executive order.

According to FEMA:

Underserved communities, as well as specific identity groups, often suffer disproportionately from disasters. As a result, disasters worsen inequities already present in society. This cycle compounds the challenges faced by these communities and increases their risk to future disasters. By instilling equity as a foundation of emergency management and striving to meet the unique needs of underserved communities, the emergency management community can work to break this cycle and build a more resilient nation.

The agency added, "Proactively prioritizing actions that advance equity for communities and identifying groups that have historically been underserved or disproportionately affected by disasters is critical for their resilience."

Disasters and crises, therefore, present federal bureaucrats with opportunities to refashion the country — in their view — into something more equitable.

According to FEMA's 2022-2026 strategic plan, "Diversity, equity, and inclusion cannot be optional; they must be core components of how the agency conducts itself internally and executes its mission."

This apparent obsession with groups' immutable characteristics and sexual preferences would explain why in the same disaster preparedness meeting, Reilly Hirst, a financial management specialist at FEMA, spent time concern-mongering about the possibility that illegal alien transvestites — those for whom Kamala Harris would have taxpayers fund sex changes — might be misgendered in shelters.

Responding to the video, Elon Musk wrote, "Saving American lives should be priority #1."

One user noted, "DEI ideology is a societal scourge."

FEMA is presently working hard to combat what its chief Deanne Criswell has characterized as "dangerous narrative[s]" regarding its bungled hurricane response. It's presently unclear whether it will be similarly vigorous when preparing for and responding to Hurricane Milton, now headed for Florida.

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Blaze News original: 5 more popular musicians who are unapologetically conservative



As in Hollywood, the loudest voices in the music biz seem to come from the left.

Whether they're mindlessly progressive (Taylor Swift) or downright depraved (Diddy and his various "collaborators"), there are enough of them to drown out any right-leaning artists.

Unless, of course, you listen a little more carefully.

The musical mavericks below march to the beat of their own drum, harmonizing their traditional values with compelling storytelling and undeniable pop appeal.

They write songs that dare to promote such unfashionable virtues as patriotism, faith, and duty. They exhibit a very un-rock-star-like humility in celebrating our nation's blue-collar workers, law enforcement, and military.

The artists in our list below offer plenty of musical variety. But they have one thing in common: the courage and conviction to speak their minds and stand up for the country they — and millions of their fans — love.

Kid Rock

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Kid Rock is no stranger to sparking controversies for unabashedly broadcasting his political views.

Born Robert James Ritchie, the Detroit native showed his support for last year's Bud Light boycott by blowing away cases of the popular brew after the brand partnered with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney.

In 2022, Ritchie declared that he would not be playing at any venues that had COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

As Blaze News previously reported, Kid Rock released a song titled "We the People," which skewered coronavirus mandates, President Joe Biden, Big Tech, and the mainstream media.

Among Ritchie's numerous songs celebrating all-American self-reliance and small-town values are "Born Free," "American Bad Ass," "Po-Dunk," "Warriors," "God Bless Saturday," "American Rock and Roll," "Amen," and "Don't Tell Me How to Live."

An outspoken supporter of the military, Ritchie has done extensive touring with the USO to entertain American troops.

He's also publicly endorsed several Republicans, including Sen. Mitt Romney, former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, Senate candidate John James, and former President Donald Trump,

Ritchie visited Trump at the White House in 2017 alongside fellow conservative musician Ted Nugent and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

"We ended up becoming buddies," Ritchie told Tucker Carlson in 2022. "Spend a lot of time [together] at the golf course now. It's really weird to get phone calls from him and stuff. It's kind of mind-blowing."

When asked about hanging out with Trump, Ritchie responded, "Awesome. So much fun. He just knows how to have fun. Doesn't take it too seriously. He's engaging. He sits down, he just cuts it up. Just starts cutting it up. It's just how sharp he is. It's incredible," said Ritchie, whose new album, "Bad Reputation," dropped Monday.

Ritchie recently performed at the 2024 Republican National Convention.

The Republican rocker has a history of blasting liberals, including Oprah Winfrey and Joy Behar.

Jason Aldean

Jason Kempin/Getty Images for iHeartMedia

Jason Aldean is an extremely successful country music star. Of Aldean's 38 singles, 27 have reached #1 on either Billboard's Hot Country Songs or Country Airplay charts. Many of his songs highlight conservative principles, small-town values, the virtues of rural America, independence, self-reliance, and the importance of cultural heritage.

However, Aldean ignited a firestorm among liberals when he released his anti-riot anthem titled "Try That in a Small Town."

As Blaze News previously reported, a group of communists protested outside Aldean's concert by setting numerous American flags on fire while chanting anti-American phrases.

"Try That in a Small Town" skyrocketed to the top of the iTunes charts — surpassing Taylor Swift.

The music video for the anti-woke song was pulled from the country music channel CMT. The country music star responded to the backlash by declaring that cancel culture is "bulls**t."

Aldean spent New Year's Eve 2022 with former President Donald Trump at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.

Aldean wrote on Instagram, "Well, this New Year's was the best of all time. I got to spend a couple days with the G.O.A.T…… this man is unbelievable and I wish you all could see what he does behind the scenes. #classact."

As Blaze News reported in 2021, Aldean made headlines when one of his toddlers wore a shirt mocking President Joe Biden. The country music singer responded to the backlash by proclaiming: "I will never apologize for my beliefs or my love for my family and country."

Ted Nugent

Rey Del Rio/Getty Images

Ted Nugent has been a lightning-rod rocker for decades because of his unwavering opinions.

Nugent has been an ardent Second Amendment activist for decades. The rocker had been a board member of the National Rifle Association for 26 years until he resigned in 2021.

Nugent said of gun control in 2022, "And to those who think that we need more gun control, who could possibly be so heartless and stupid to think that someone committed to murdering innocent lives would give a rat's ass about another gun restriction, President Biden? How heartless. How soulless. How cruel. How dishonest."

Nugent added that gun-free zones are "the dream of evil people."

As Blaze News reported in 2017, the Motor City Madman ripped David Crosby after the longtime liberal rock 'n roller attacked Nugent for visiting Trump at the White House.

The "Cat Scratch Fever" singer has publicly endorsed many Republicans, including Donald Trump, Mitt Romney, Greg Abbott, Ted Cruz, Rick Perry, Sarah Palin, and John McCain.

On the eve of the 2016 presidential election, Nugent entertained Republican supporters at a campaign rally for Trump.

Nugent has performed numerous times for U.S. military members at home and abroad, including in Iraq in 2014 with Toby Keith.

Nugent is an avid hunter and promotes responsible wildlife management.

Joe Perry

Jim Dyson/Getty Images

Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry has quietly but staunchly supported Republicans for some time now. Perry values gun rights, personal responsibility, limited government, and patriotism.

In 2012, Perry described himself as a "definite old-school Republican.”

“I was taught that you get what you put into it," Perry explained. "You can be anything you want to be if you work hard enough at it, and you can earn your place.”

Perry declared, “I’ve been a hard-core Republican my whole life. My mother and father drilled into me from the very start that if you work hard and be positive, you’ll get what you’re working for. I guess I’m living proof of that.”

Perry endorsed John McCain in the 2008 presidential election.

”I felt better about politics in general after meeting [McCain],” Perry told The Hill. “He’s a war hero, and they’re the most genuine heroes. Anyone who does what [soldiers in combat] do, they’re amazing heroes."

The "Dream On" rocker continued, “He has a great vibe, and he was really frank about the election and why he lost. And he still sticks to his guns, with no BS.”

Perry even contemplated running for political office, and his platform would be "taking on big business."

“Sure, if I ever find myself in that position, I could see changing things up a little," he said. "I’ve been playing rock and roll for a long time now, and if California can have actors for politicians, then maybe the rest of the country can have musicians.”

Perry is a committed advocate for the Second Amendment and gun rights.

The lead guitarist for one of America's most iconic rock bands has a tattoo of a gun with the saying "Molon labe" — an ancient Greek phrase that translates to "Come and take [them]." The saying is used to express a strong stance against gun control and the confiscation of firearms by the government.

Toby Keith

Kevin Winter/ACMA2014/Getty Images for ACM

Toby Keith was a massive country music star who always took time to honor American military members.

Keith — who passed away in February 2024 at age 62 from stomach cancer — performed during 11 USO tours and visited U.S. troops overseas.

In 2006, Keith founded the Toby Keith Foundation to provide support for children with cancer.

In 2014, the Toby Keith Foundation launched the OK Kids Korral — "a cost-free, convenient and comfortable home for pediatric cancer patients receiving treatment at the Children’s Hospital at the University of Oklahoma Medical Center, Stephenson Cancer Center, and other nearby facilities."

The country music star has several songs that cherish conservative principles, patriotic themes, appreciation of those who serve in the military, devotion to faith, love of family, and small-town values. The songs include: "Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (The Angry American)," "Made in America," "Beer for My Horses" (featuring Willie Nelson), "American Ride," "God Love Her," "If I Was Jesus," and "American Soldier."

Keith performed at former President Donald Trump's inauguration.

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Fight the power: The time to rebel against the global tyrannical total censorship regime is NOW



The authoritarian regimes of the past century have all followed a generally predictable pattern of events. Almost every totalitarian government has been inspired by the ideologies of the political left: an increasingly bigger government, socialist control of resources, the melding of bureaucracy and corporate entities, demands for "social justice," collectivist propaganda, the abandonment of individual merit for the sake of the state and the "greater good," Marxism — not just economic but also cultural — and finally, the adoption of futurism.

In my view, futurism is the key to all modern authoritarianism. It's a philosophy that has been present at the birth of nearly every major despotic government in recent memory and is the root of leftist ideology today. Futurists argue that history is, for the most part, dead weight. They believe that every notion of heritage, past lessons, and our forefathers' ideals and principles is irrelevant.

Futurists think nothing is sacred and that all new ideas are superior to all old ideas. Therefore, they claim that any society that clings to (or conserves) the old ways needs to be dismantled because it is holding humanity back from progress. In other words, anyone promoting or defending traditional norms must be silenced in the name of "progress."

I suspect most people reading this at least intuitively understand the monstrous nature of this belief system. Futurism's very structure is based on a lie — the idea that all change is good and that any oppression committed in the name of change is justified.

The process of tyranny

In this process of tyranny, there are usually stages of escalation. The first stage is the exploitation of existing social divisions to create an enemy that the rest of the population can be convinced to rally against. This is not to say these divisions aren't legitimate; they often are. In our era of "multiculturalism," globalists have been inviting many groups of people into the West that are simply incompatible with Western values and morals. They will not assimilate, and they will only cause conflict, which is the very reason why political puppets continue to keep our borders open.

These divisions can be exploited to create conflict and chaos, which governments then use as an excuse to crack down on their political enemies. In the U.S. and EU, it's conservatives, the very people who are trying to defend the historical ideals of our respective nations, who are being labeled public enemy #1. We are the ever-present bogeyman of the 21st century.

It's not only because we defend the heritage and principles that helped to create the greatest civilization in the history of the world (Western civilization). It's also because because we keep talking about uncomfortable truths.

The futurists rely on disinformation to spread their utopian philosophy, and they can only continue to survive by silencing all other contrary ideas. All futurist regimes eventually turn to mass censorship to function. They cannot stand in the light of truth, so they must keep the people in perpetual darkness.

Slow at first, then all at once …

Many readers will argue that we've been in this stage for decades now. I would argue that we haven't seen anything yet. We've only been living under covert censorship. The pandemic lockdown effort was the moment of the shift when Democrats and Big Tech companies began to openly demand that counter-information be suppressed, though most of that censorship was still under the table.

Meta CEO and Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg recently admitted that the Biden administration pressured Facebook behind the scenes to censor COVID-19 information that was contrary to the government narrative. This is highly unconstitutional and criminal. Biden and Harris should be up on impeachment charges, and in my view, anyone involved should face prison time. Will that happen? Probably not.

This brand of censorship is insidious, but rigging algorithms to hide search results and booting people off of social media are not exactly the same as creating laws to intimidate or punish those who speak out. That's the stage we're entering right now; the open mass censorship era has arrived.

In Brazil, leftist authoritarians have shut down Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter) because Musk has refused to institute their censorship model on his social media site. To Musk's credit, he has been willing to lose Brazil's business and stand by his principles.

The developments in the U.K. are another blatant example, with the government now trying to hunt down and imprison people for the most minor of actions. A British teen was recently put in prison for two years for merely flying a British flag near a mosque. Anyone who stands against multiculturalism (and futurism) risks being arrested and thrown in a cage.

U.K. authorities have suggested that Elon Musk should be charged and that other Americans should be extradited for promoting conservative values on immigration or arguing in favor of British protests. We're just pointing out that there are only two ways this can go: Either the British people rebel and violently overthrow the globalist puppets in their own government, or they will become slaves living in fear within their own country.

It sounds truly insane, all of this drama over basic free speech rights, but this is the world we are now approaching, and leftists are happily supporting the transition.

Mass censorship is a path to inevitable rebellion

rootstocks/Getty Images

Musk has stated that he believes X will eventually be shut down in the U.S. should Kamala Harris gain the presidency in the November election, and I'm inclined to agree. Look at what the establishment did to social media newcomer Parler when the company started gaining traction; the elites simply shut down Parler's ability to function efficiently on the web and grow its user base. Under a Harris regime, they will feel encouraged to go even farther.

The rhetoric of the Democrats is quite clear. They are anti-free-speech, and they view certain ideas as a threat to their society.

For example, the far-left New York Times published an article this week that gave credence to mass censorship, including the Brazilian government's decision on X. The article highlighted the positives of giving Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes sweeping online censorship powers and described this move as an "effective solution to the vexing problem of right-wing threats to Democracy."

The Times article falls just short of institutionally endorsing the censorship of X and even asks if Brazil perhaps "went too far" (obviously, the answer is yes), but at the same time, it suggests that this trend is a "new normal" that Big Tech companies will have to navigate. And the article insinuates that if Musk wants to counter government censorship demands, he should do it through civil courts instead of defying such tyranny directly. In other words, it argues Musk doesn't have the right to stand against them.

A rebellion doesn't need to ask for permission to rebel

The New York Times also had much to say about the problem of freedom and the U.S. Constitution in an article titled "The Constitution Is Sacred. Is It Also Dangerous?" The Times again tries to tie the events of January 6 to the necessity of censorship, promoting the false narrative of an attempted "insurrection" in which no one was armed and no one was killed except one of the conservative protesters.

The Times asserts that the danger of the Constitution is that it gives the public the freedom to vote for a person like Trump, an act that the Times claims allows for the document's own destruction.

The true irony is that Trump's popularity would be nonexistent if it weren't for the political left's constant attempts to institute a socialist dystopia that erases the Bill of Rights. Nothing happens in a vacuum, and these people never take responsibility for their behavior. They spent three years ignoring the Constitution in the name of medical authoritarianism over a virus with a tiny median infection fatality rate of only 0.23%. Then they started gaslighting the public about how conservatives are a threat to democracy.

I argue this is not the new normal; it's a recipe for war in the U.S., Europe, or both. Globalists know full well that rebellion is coming, but I don't think most leftists truly appreciate how at risk they are if they continue down this path. It's not going to go well for them.

Rebellion is always on the minds of the elites. In a way, they want it, but they want it in small doses that are easy to manage. They want a "terrorist" enemy they can use to frighten the public into supporting martial law, but what happens if too many in the public join that rebellion?

What globalists and leftists are truly afraid of is a large-scale rebellion that they can't control — the kind of rebellion that could end with the elites on the chopping block. They will do anything to avoid widespread revolution, so they're willing to risk open mass censorship today. They know what is coming, and they're moving to mitigate the spread of anti-globalist views as much as possible before things get out of hand. I believe it's too late for them.

A version of this piece originally appeared in alt-market.us.

Ryan Routh indicted on 5 federal counts for the attempted assassination of Donald J. Trump



Ryan Wesley Routh was indicted by a federal grand jury in Miami late Sept. 24 on five counts related to the attempted assassination of former President Donald J. Trump at his Florida golf club on Sept. 15.

The indictment includes charges of attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, assaulting a federal officer, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

Routh, 58, of Greensboro, North Carolina, and Kaaawa, Hawaii, faces up to life in prison if convicted of the attempted assassination charge. The other counts carry prison terms of five to 20 years each.

At a federal court hearing Sept. 23 in West Palm Beach, a magistrate judge ordered Routh detained pending trial on the two firearms charges.

The criminal case based on the indictment was randomly assigned to U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon, who recently dismissed the classified documents case brought against Trump by the Department of Justice.

'In our country, we have to hold accountable people who resort to violence.'

The indictment identified the federal officer who was assaulted during the incident as “Secret Service Special Agent #1.” Routh is accused of pointing an AK-47 rifle at the agent from outside the fence near the sixth green at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Trump was playing the fifth hole at the time.

“Violence targeting public officials endangers everything our country stands for, and the Department of Justice will use every available tool to hold Ryan Routh accountable for the attempted assassination of former President Trump charged in the indictment,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.

“Routh is charged with attempted assassination of a presidential candidate, which strikes at the very heart of our democratic system,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement.

“The FBI is continuing our investigation into this alleged plot and will use the full weight and resources of the FBI to uncover and provide as much information as possible about what led to the events in West Palm Beach,” Wray said. “In our country, we have to hold accountable people who resort to violence.”

Routh was charged in an earlier federal criminal complaint with the two firearms violations, which were wrapped into the indictment.

Federal prosecutors filed notice that upon conviction, Routh would forfeit any assets traceable to the assassination attempt, including “any property, real or personal, which constitutes or is derived from proceeds traceable to such offense,” the indictment said.

About 1:30 p.m. Sept. 15, a Secret Service agent doing a perimeter sweep of the golf course “saw the partially obscured face of a man — later identified as Routh — in the brush along the fence line near the sixth hole,” the DOJ said in a news release. The agent fired at Routh when he saw a rifle aimed at him through the chain-link fence.

Routh reportedly fled the scene in a black Nissan Xterra. A witness who saw Routh running across the road took photographs of the vehicle and license plate. Routh was pulled over about 45 minutes later on Interstate 95 by deputies from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.

Agents searching the fence line at Trump International found a sniper’s nest with an AK-47 rifle outfitted with a scope and extended magazine. A backpack and a reusable shopping bag hanging on the fence each contained “a plate capable of stopping small arms fire,” the DOJ said in a news release.

In a Sept. 23 court filing, prosecutors released an undated, handwritten letter allegedly from Routh that predicted he would fail at assassinating the former president and offered $150,000 to “whomever can complete the job.” The letter was in a box that prosecutors said Routh dropped off “several months prior” at the residence of a person they described only as a “civilian witness.”

Prosecutors said Routh traveled from Greensboro to West Palm Beach on Aug. 14. On “multiple days and times” between Aug. 18 and Sept. 15, Routh’s cell phone accessed towers near Trump International Golf Club and Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. Routh apparently arrived at the fence line location where he made his sniper’s nest about 12 hours before he was fired upon by the Secret Service.

During a search of the Nissan Xterra, FBI agents found six cell phones, 12 pairs of gloves, Routh’s Hawaii driver’s license, a U.S. passport, and a handwritten list of dates and locations where Trump had appeared or was scheduled to appear in August, September, and October. One of the cell phones had a Google search on how to travel from Palm Beach County to Mexico, the FBI said.

Routh, who spent much of the past two years as a mercenary recruiting men to join the Ukraine military in its war against Russia, has an extensive North Carolina criminal record dating to the mid-1980s. He was convicted in 2002 of possessing an explosive device referred to in court papers as a “weapon of mass death.” His prison sentence in that case was stayed, and he was given probation.

Routh’s son, Oran Alexander Routh, 35, was charged in a federal criminal complaint Sept. 23 with one count of possession of child pornography and one count of receiving child pornography. The FBI said it found pornographic images on the younger Routh’s phone during a search of his Greensboro residence as part of the attempted assassination investigation of his father.

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FACT CHECK: Did JD Vance Admit To Having A ‘Rent-A-Dog?’

FACT CHECK: Did JD Vance Admit To Having A ‘Rent-A-Dog?’

A viral video shared on X claims to show 2024 Republican vice presidential nominee and Ohio Sen. JD Vance admit he has a “rent-a-dog.” HOLY CRAP: How weird is it #1: @JDVANCE has a “rent-a-dog”. How weird is it #2: @JDVance admits its a “rent-a-dog” and the dog is to “… make me seem like […]

Blaze News original: 6 rappers who have shown support for Donald Trump



In the entertainment industry, very few celebrities openly support conservatives. However, several prominent rappers have shown support for former President Donald Trump heading into the 2024 presidential election.

There has been no shortage of rappers who have been outspoken opponents of Trump since he became a Republican politician.

In 2017, Snoop Dogg released a music video for the song "Lavender," which featured him shooting a clown dressed as President Trump with a gag gun.

The cover for Snoop Dogg's album from the same year — "Make America Crip Again" — features a dead body at a morgue with a toe tag that reads "Trump."

Rapper Eminem unleashed a four-minute freestyle rap during the 2017 BET Hip Hop Awards slamming Trump.

Eminem — whose real name is Marshall Mathers — attacked Trump in his 2017 song titled "The Ringer" and accused the then-president of being afraid to respond to his constant criticisms.

Kendrick Lamar called Trump a "chump" in his "The Heart Part 4" rap song released in 2017.

However, there is a growing number of hip-hop entertainers who are publicly endorsing Trump.

Some of the support is fueled by Trump’s policies on criminal justice reform and economic initiatives. Other rappers are spurred by the need to be counterculture disruptors.

In June, Joe Rogan noted that rappers were showing support for Trump after his guilty verdict for falsifying business records.

“So many rappers are showing support for Trump now, it’s crazy," said Rogan. "Because now, he’s got a felony. I mean, like, now they realize also he’s getting trapped by the system, just like everybody’s been rapping about being trapped by the system, this bulls**t system. And you watch it happen with him.”

This new alignment with a strong Republican politician is a stark contrast to hip-hop's historically strong ties to the Democratic Party.

From chart-topping hip-hop music artists to influential voices in the rap genre, these rappers are bucking the status quo.

Here is the best list of rappers who have shown support for Trump.

Lil Wayne

Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images

In the final hours of Trump's presidency, he pardoned 74 people and commuted the sentences of 70 others. Among the 144 people, Trump pardoned Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. – better known as rapper Lil Wayne.

“I want to thank President Trump for recognizing that I have so much more to give to my family, my art, and my community,” Lil Wayne said on the X social media platform a day after Joe Biden’s inauguration.

The Grammy-winning rapper was facing a 10-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to illegally possessing a loaded weapon.

Lil Wayne praised Trump for his "Platinum Plan," which was aimed at creating economic opportunities for black Americans through a $500 billion investment.

In October 2020, Lil Wayne had a meeting with Trump.

"Besides what he’s done so far with criminal reform, the Platinum Plan is going to give the community real ownership. He listened to what we had to say today and assured he will and can get it done," Lil Wayne said.

Trump worked with rapper Ice Cube — whose real name is O'Shea Jackson Jr. — on the Platinum Plan.

Kodak Black

Paras Griffin/Getty Images

In 2019, rapper Kodak Black was sentenced to more than three years in federal prison after pleading guilty to weapons charges regarding falsifying information on federal forms to buy four firearms from a Miami-area gun shop.

Besides pardoning Lil Wayne, Trump also commuted Kodak Black's 46-month federal prison sentence.

“I Want To Thank The President Donald Trump For His Commitment To Justice Reform And Shortening My Sentence. I Also Want To Thank Everyone For Their Support And Love,” Kodak Black wrote on social media in January 2021. "It Means More Than You Will Ever Know. I Want To Continue Giving Back, Learning And Growing."

In April, Kodak Black defended Trump after he was booked on criminal charges.

“I feel like these people on some other s**t,” the South Florida rapper said. “So they know like, they gonna try to get Trump out the way ’cause Trump a stand-up n****, he a real n****. He’ll let a b***h do anything. … Trump a real n****, man, a soldier.”

Kodak Black – whose real name is Bill K. Kapri – added, "Trump already had big baggage. Luggage. Y'all get off Trump, man."

Sexyy Red

Ryan Bakerink#877342#51A ED/FilmMagic

In December 2018, then-President Trump signed the First Step Act into law. The First Step Act is a significant and sweeping criminal justice reform law.

The First Step Act is designed to improve and promote rehabilitation, lower recidivism, and reduce excessive sentences in the federal prison system

Rapper Sexyy Red praised Trump for passing the First Step Act and helping to provide stimulus checks to Americans during the pandemic.

“I like Trump,” Sexyy Red told comedian Theo Von on his "This Past Weekend" podcast in October 2023. “They support him in the hood. At first, I don't think people was f***ing with him. They thought he was racist, saying little s**t against women. Once he started getting black people out of jail and giving people that free money, aw baby, we love Trump. We need him back in office.”

The St. Louis rapper added, “I love Trump. He funny to me. I used to be watching him talking to people. He used to be calling people fat. He just bold. He funny. We need people like him.”

Sexyy Red has utilized the phrase "Make America Sexyy Again" as part of her branding — a take on Trump's "Make America Great Again."

Sexyy Red had two singles on Billboard's "Hot 100" chart.

Anuel AA

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Music artist Anuel AA has been an unapologetic supporter of Donald Trump.

Puerto Rican musicians Anuel AA and Justin Quiles attended a Trump campaign rally in Pennsylvania in August.

Trump introduced the reggaetón stars as "musical legends."

Anuel told the crowd, "I’m from Puerto Rico, and since Trump hasn’t been around, it’s not a secret we’ve been going through a lot as a country. Biden always promised [and] promised — a lot of politicians promised through the years. All of us know … the best president the world has seen, this country has ever seen — his name is President Trump."

Anuel continued, "All my Puerto Ricans, let’s stay united. Let’s vote for Trump. I personally spoke with him, he wants to help Puerto Rico grow and succeed as a country. He wants to keep helping Latinos in the U.S. Let’s keep doing things the right way, and let’s make America great again."

Quiles added, "Mr. President, above all, I like you because, I’ve always said this, you’re not a puppet. I back you because I feel you’re the most honest president we ever had. A lot of Latinos, we stand strong next to President Trump. Thank you for sharing how important building Puerto Rico up again is, and not just Puerto Rico — let’s make America great again!"

Tom MacDonald

Desiree Stone/Getty Images

Canadian rapper Tom MacDonald has garnered popularity with several controversial and politically charged songs that champion conservative values.

MacDonald started his career as a professional wrestler before transitioning to music.

MacDonald's songs and lyrics frequently delve into themes such as cancel culture, being against wokeness, blasting political correctness, questioning social justice movements, criticizing the mainstream media, skewering attempts to stifle free speech, and advancing conservative viewpoints.

Some of his well-known tracks include "Fake Woke," "Snowflakes," "Brainwashed," "Cancelled," "No Lives Matter," "American Flags," "Sheeple," "The System," "New World Order," "In God We Trust," and "Facts" with conservative commentator Ben Shapiro.

Within 24 hours of the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, MacDonald released the song "You Missed." The song quickly reached #1 on iTunes.

MacDonald slams political extremism from the left in the lyrics: "They're burnin' the country down with their progressiveness / It started with changing what gender is / Then graduated to you're racist if you think / That your life matters and your skin don't have melanin / They don't want peace, they want skeletons / They want men to pretend that they're feminine / They don't want an election, they got so offended by freedom / That they just tried killin' the president."

Kanye West

Ron Sachs/Consolidated News Pictures/Getty Images

Kanye West — now legally known as Ye — has been a fervent supporter of Trump in recent years.

West initially expressed support for Trump after the 2016 presidential election.

Ye told the crowd at a California concert in November 2016, “I told y’all I didn’t vote, right? But if I would’ve voted, I would’ve voted for Trump.”

In 2018, Kanye made his iconic visit to the White House while wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat.

“It was something about when I put this hat on that made me feel like Superman. You made a Superman — that’s my favorite superhero — you made a Superman cape,” West told reporters at the Oval Office at the time. “I think it’s the bravery that helps you beat this game called life. They tried to scare me into not wearing this hat — my own friends. This hat, it gives me power in a certain way.”

In November 2022, Ye had dinner with the former president at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.

The two mavericks reportedly had a falling out during the Mar-a-Lago dinner when Ye asked Trump to be his vice president.

“I think the thing that Trump was most perturbed about, me asking him to be my vice president,” Ye said in a video posted to the X social media platform. “I think that was like lower on the list of things that caught him off guard.”

Kanye continued, “When Trump started basically screaming at me at the table, telling me I was going to lose — I mean, has that ever worked for anyone in history? I’m like hold on, hold on, hold on, Trump, you’re talking to Ye.”

However, Kanye said in February that he is still a Trump supporter.

“Yeah, of course, it’s Trump all day,” Ye stated. “What you talking about? You know what it is.”

Trump recently said Kanye is "very complicated" but has a "good heart."

“He’s very complicated,” Trump said of West during a livestream hosted by streamer Adin Ross. “Let’s say complicated because he is. He’s a really nice guy, but he can get some people into trouble. And he can get some other people. He’s got a good heart — he does, he does, but he’s complicated.”

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