Nancy Mace reveals new tattoos were a ‘pain I need to feel’ — Stu Burguiere calls it a 'warning sign'



Republican Nancy Mace shocked the internet this week when she decided to debut her heavily tattooed arms for the first time — after keeping them under wraps for months.

Mace revealed that she got the tattoos in order to experience “the pain that I need to feel.”

“When you say something like ‘I need to feel pain’ or ‘I deserve to feel pain,’ there are just warning-sign alarms going off all over the place for me,” BlazeTV host Stu Burguiere comments, disturbed.

“Yes, that’s something I expect to hear from a cashier at Hot Topic, not a congresswoman,” co-host Dave Landau agrees.


“Also, ‘pain I need to feel’ sounds like a Nine Inch Nails song or like a Clive Barker movie. It doesn’t sound like a reason you get tattoos. I have tattoos. They’re hidden. I mean, I suppose are emotional pain, due to who I got them for, which is also why they’re hidden,” he says.

Dave notes that it reminds him of an acquaintance he has who got an “end racism” tattoo on his lower back.

“He came over on his motorcycle, and this was maybe 2000. And he showed me, and half my friends there were black, half were white. And he showed us his ‘end racism’ tattoo. And if you ever want to see black people laugh harder … show them your almost-a-tramp-stamp ‘end racism’ lower back tattoo,” he says.

“That must have gone over really well,” Stu says.

“Oh yeah, he ended up getting it removed,” Dave adds.

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Cause of death revealed for Republican found bloodied in his car — but his family isn't buying it



The corpse of a Republican state Senate candidate was found inside his allegedly bullet-riddled truck in Western Oklahoma on April 30.

The Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner made a determination on Tuesday regarding the manner of death for 54-year-old Barry Christian — but some of his family members are convinced that there's more to the story.

'There are serious inconsistencies surrounding my father’s death that deserve further scrutiny.'

Christian was a MAGA Republican vying for the District 38 Senate seat in the Sooner State. An archived version of his now-deleted campaign website shows that he supported President Donald Trump and sought to "fight for the traditional conservative values that make America great."

The Tulsa-born Republican, who previously worked for decades in the oilfield, is survived by his parents, a sister, three daughters, a son, and five grandchildren.

After failing to appear for a scheduled meeting, Christian was reported missing on April 29. The next morning, a hunter spotted the Republican's truck in a ravine off Highway 30 near Oklahoma's Sandy Sanders Wildlife Refuge and alerted the Beckham County Sheriff's Office. Deputies found Christian's lifeless body inside the vehicle.

The medical examiner's office concluded that Christian's probable cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head and determined that it was a suicide, reported KOCO-TV.

RELATED: She killed her husband. Then she killed her firefighter wife. Now she faces an even longer stretch behind bars.

Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation

The agency's full autopsy report will be released later this month.

Greg Mashburn, director of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, noted on Wednesday that the agency is wrapping up its probe into Christian's demise and will present its findings first to the victim's family and then to Beckham County District Attorney Angela Marsee, reported NonDoc.

"One of the last kind of things we were looking at, we were waiting on, was the medical examiner’s report," Mashburn said after an agency meeting on Wednesday. "Obviously that’s a very important piece of evidence that would be part of the end story."

Mashburn, no doubt aware of the family's skepticism about the suicide determination, added, "We will sit down and visit with the family. There will be some questions we will be able to answer for them, there will be some questions we will never be able to answer for them."

Farrah Christian, described by NonDoc as the victim's former wife, claimed in a Facebook post that the "OSBI has botched this investigation."

"Barry was right handed. He 'allegedly' shot himself with his left hand," she wrote. "His truck also had several bullet holes on the outside of it. They think he shot his truck before turning the gun on himself. Funny thing is, they did not test his right hand or sleeve for gunshot residue, only the left. So why would he shoot up his truck with his left hand? The OSBI even TOLD US they know it was staged."

"Oklahoma politics and law enforcement are as crooked as a $3 bill. Money talks. They’ve obviously been paid off," added Farrah Christian.

In response to a request for comment, the OSBI told Blaze News: "With the Medical Examiner’s report complete, our next step is to provide our full investigation to the DA’s office for review. We have no additional information at this time."

One of the victim's daughters, Neleh Christian, similarly had trouble accepting the suicide determination.

"There are serious inconsistencies surrounding my father’s death that deserve further scrutiny," she wrote. "We have been told there were multiple bullet holes involving the exterior of his truck, with the suggested explanation that Barry may have fired those shots before turning the gun on himself. If that is the state’s conclusion, then I want to see the forensic evidence supporting it."

Mashburn noted that the OSBI "ran every possible scenario that came up."

Beckham County District Attorney Marsee told NonDoc that she had seen the family members' comments on Facebook, and noted, "I think these are really difficult and complicated issues."

"I feel very compassionate toward the family about what they’re going through," added Marsee.

Despite his death, Christian's name remained on the Republican primary ballot for the June 16 election. The Oklahoman reported that he received over 500 votes.

The winner of the state Senate seat, Rick Vernon, said in a May 1 post on Facebook, "Barry loved Oklahoma and was willing to step forward in service to our state and that deserves respect, regardless of politics. Our hearts are with his family and loved ones during this unimaginable time."

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Anti-Trump Republican senator vows to fight Todd Blanche's confirmation — because of course she will



U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — a nominal Republican up for re-election in 2028 — appears desperate to undermine the MAGA agenda and prevent President Donald Trump from getting his ducks in a row.

Murkowski — who in recent months repeatedly voted against funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection; voted to reign in Trump's war powers; voted to block Trump's tariffs; voted unsuccessfully to keep taxpayers on the hook for USAID and other foreign funding; voted against multiple Trump nominees, including Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Under Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao; campaigned against the SAVE America Act; and complained with Democrats about ex-FBI Director James Comey's indictment — revealed Friday she will vote against Todd Blanche's confirmation for attorney general.

'She’s not good.'

With the continued absence of U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), this effectively means that the fate of Blanche's confirmation could be decided by Bill Cassidy — a U.S. senator whose hopes of a third term Trump helped dash in Louisiana's May Republican primary.

Murkowski, who started the year with an approval rating of 37%, noted in a lengthy X post that she has had numerous "constructive meetings" with Blanche and credited him not only as being "decent and capable" but also as having "made several noteworthy decisions that will benefit our state and the nation."

The 69-year-old senator nevertheless vowed to "oppose his nomination."

It appears Murkowski is less opposed to the man and more opposed to the administration. After all, some of her complaints have to do with actions taken at the Justice Department prior to Blanche's April promotion to acting attorney general.

RELATED: Mitch McConnell releases new statement about his health status — but he's not yet returning to the Senate

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty Images

"The politicization — even weaponization — of the Department did not start with this administration but has accelerated during it," wrote Murkowski. "I take issue with the handling of the release of the Epstein files; the sweeping immunity protections granted to the president, his family, and their businesses; the statements that have been made to anti-abortion groups; and the repeated targeting of individuals ranging from former administration staff to sitting U.S. senators."

Murkowski also expressed skepticism about the scrapping of the $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund that would have compensated MAGA victims of Democratic lawfare, noting that while it was taken off the table "because this nomination is pending and the Senate has leverage," there "is no telling what the future holds."

The senator said in conclusion that she does not have confidence that Blanche can "check the worst impulses of this administration."

There is no love lost between Trump and Murkowski.

"I'm against Murkowski," the president recently told Punchbowl News. "I do more for Alaska than any president in history. No president’s done for Alaska what I’ve done. She’s not good."

In June, Trump called the Alaskan U.S. senator "Trump deranged."

Murkowski is not, however, the only Republican lawmaker keen to torpedo Blanche's confirmation.

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins — the Maine Republican whose challenger in the midterms is a leftist reportedly married to his second cousin — complained that while Blanche is a "capable lawyer," he "has taken several actions that have further eroded the Department's independence."

Cassidy, a vociferous Trump critic and the remaining undecided Republican, has declined to indicate whether he'll support Blanche, reported The Hill.

The Senate is expected to vote Friday or sometime over the weekend to get the ball rolling on a final confirmation vote.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told CNN in a statement, "Todd Blanche is exceptionally qualified and should be confirmed as the next attorney general of the United States so the administration can continue to keep America safe."

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Sen. Moreno goes nuclear on ex-son-in-law Rep. Miller



Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) condemned Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) on Sunday, characterizing him as a "danger" and calling for his resignation. Miller, who is running for re-election, has denied the allegations advanced by his ex-father-in-law and indicated that he will not scuttle his re-election campaign.

How it started

In May 2021, then-congressional candidate Miller got engaged to Emily Moreno, the daughter of then-Senate candidate Bernie Moreno. The lovers had met while working for Secretary of State Marco Rubio's failed presidential campaign in 2015 and got married in a civil ceremony on Aug. 17, 2022.

'I'm winning in November.'

In November 2023, the couple welcomed a daughter into the world, but by that time, their relationship was apparently already falling apart.

Miller — who years earlier was accused by ex-girlfriend and ex-White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham of physical abuse that the congressman's lawyer said "never happened" — filed for divorce in August 2024. According to a court filing, Emily Moreno Miller had moved with their daughter into a house earlier that month that had been allegedly purchased by a company owned by Sen. Moreno.

As the divorce proceedings grew uglier, a spokeswoman for Sen. Moreno stressed that "it's a private family matter" and the senator would not be making further comments.

The couple's divorce was finalized last year. However, their custody battle raged on, and just recently, a leftist site dug up allegations from court filings that paint Miller in a particularly unflattering light.

RELATED: Mike Lee SOUNDS the ALARM after stunning polls from Senate race in Texas

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Mother Jones, citing a trove of court filings and police reports obtained through public records requests, last month detailed allegations of verbal abuse by Miller as well as drug use and violent behavior against multiple individuals.

The leftist site highlighted records related to an investigation by Cuyahoga County’s Division of Child and Family Services into how the couple's daughter ended up with a broken collar bone — an injury that was not proven to have been the result of abuse. The records reportedly show that Emily Moreno told the detectives investigating the broken bone that Miller allegedly threw hot water at her in June 2024, pushed her, and put a gun to her head.

Mother Jones acknowledged that "some of the accusations contained in the records have not been conclusively proven by a court or law enforcement agency," and noted that Emily Moreno "never filed a police report against Miller for harm she says he inflicted on her."

How it's going

On Sunday morning, Miller — who sued Emily Moreno earlier this year for alleged defamation and suggested in a recent interview that his ex-wife has untreated bipolar disorder and "sadly isn't all there" — shared a nearly 20-minute video to X where he not only rejects his characterization as an abusive husband and father but confronted and denied each of the key allegations raised against him.

Miller also made clear that he wasn't dropping out: "I'm not getting out of this race, and I'm winning in November."

The congressman concluded his video by emphasizing that he will "hold strong" and clear his name and urging skeptics to review the packet of court documents he also released on Sunday, which the congressman evidently regards as exculpatory.

'I personally wouldn’t wait two years before holding him accountable.'

The summary accompanying the "evidence packet" claims that: "every abuse allegation that has been investigated has been resolved in Miller's favor"; "Moreno's own sworn and recorded statements directly contradict her abuse allegations," including her October 2024 statement that Miller had never harmed their daughter; "no court has ever found that Miller abused anyone"; and in the "'boiling water' incident," Miller had only sprayed his ex-wife with tap water from the sink sprayer.

Stefan Mychajliw, a spokesman for Emily Moreno, said in a statement, "It is shameful that Max Miller decided to go on a bizarre and lie-filled rant about his ex-wife to desperately try to save his political career. There is a documented trove of evidence that Miller has a history of violent and dangerous behavior and no amount of victim shaming will change that."

"Miller can lie and spin on X, but he cannot do so under oath in a court of law," added the spokesman. "We are confident that justice will prevail in court."

Sen. Moreno, among those not buying what his former son-in-law is selling, penned a lengthy social media post on Sunday, stating, "As a father and husband, I can tell you the last two years have been pure hell for my wife Bridget, our daughter Emily, me, and our entire family in the aftermath of Emily's divorce."

"It has been horrific to watch this play out in full public view, all while knowing an innocent two-year-old girl is caught in the middle," continued the senator. "Our priority has always been protecting our daughter and our granddaughter. Out of concern for the safety of my family, I hoped to keep this matter private but Max Miller’s increasingly erratic and dangerous behavior has made that impossible."

Sen. Moreno noted further that "Max Miller needs serious psychological help. He is a danger to my daughter, and I hold my breath every minute he has custody of my granddaughter."

According to the senator, Miller's character is unbecoming of an elected official, and "he should not serve in the House of Representatives."

Miller said in response to Sen. Moreno's post, "If my daughter said the same thing to me, I personally wouldn’t wait two years before holding him accountable. You know this isn’t true and the only reason you are speaking out now is to hide from your own media circus. This is all political."

When asked over the weekend whether Miller should resign, President Donald Trump — who previously endorsed him — said, "Well, I'm going to look at it. I mean so far it's accusations."

A poll conducted in late June had Miller leading Democratic challenger Brian Poindexter by only one percentage point.

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Exclusive: Mama’s Boy Talarico Appears To Have Broken Texas Election Law

It’s an interesting twist in the key Senate race, given that Talarico has accused his opponent of illegally voting in elections.

Politeness is white supremacy? Republican catches woke Smithsonian director in her own anti-white trap



The radical running the show at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History floundered during a congressional hearing when confronted with the anti-white propaganda pushed on her watch.

The White House's Domestic Policy Council released a lengthy report on Independence Day exposing the extent to which the NMAH has been captured by radicals and transformed into a vehicle for leftist revisionism and resentment.

'Is Mickey Mouse racist?'

On Tuesday, the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency peeled the rotten onion further in an attempt to find out "how a once-proud American institution fell victim to ideological capture — and how to rescue it," according to Chairman Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.).

In addition to putting questions to a pair of academics and Heritage Foundation senior fellow Mike Gonzalez — who provided Blaze News with insights last year into the extremism behind the scenes at the Smithsonian — lawmakers grilled NMAH Director Anthea Hartig, a radical who regards history as a "prime tool of social justice," seeks to "get out of the 'America First' mentality" when telling history, and wants to shift attention in the museum away from an "Anglo-centric" focus on the American founding.

While Hartig struggled throughout the hearing, she had an especially difficult time answering the questions posed by Texas Rep. Brandon Gill (R).

Gill kicked things off by referencing the bizarre claims advanced in a document included in the NMAH-endorsed toolkit, which the Domestic Policy Council claimed was discussed at the museum and used to inform the "staff responsible for the development of NMAH's Interpretive and Collection Plans, educational resources, and exhibits of today."

RELATED: 'An attempt to turn back the clock': Woke historians melt down over exposé of Smithsonian's ideological rot

The document identified perfectionism, a sense of urgency, the prioritization of quantity over quality, politeness, paternalism, "worship of the written word," either/or thinking, individualism, objectivity, and other noble traits or actions as "characteristics of white supremacy culture, which show up in our organizations" and are "damaging to both people of color and to white people."

Screenshot - White House Domestic Policy Council, Saving America's Story

After having Hartig concede that objectivity is "one of the goals of history," Gill noted that the document promoted by the NMAH claims that "objectivity is a core and defining aspect of white supremacy culture."

"Do you think that it's the goal of the Smithsonian Institution to promote white supremacy culture?" asked Gill.

Hartig sought clarification on which document Gill was referring to, mumbled to herself, then said that the NMAH did not "develop" the toolkit. After frantically jotting down some notes, the propagandist claimed that the museum is "not promoting any ideology."

The congressman asked Hartig, "Is it important to be polite?"

"Yes, sir," said Hartig.

"It's also interesting because the same mass-action toolkit that your organization has been promoting references politeness as a defining characteristic of white supremacy culture," said Gill. "Ma'am, are you a white supremacist?"

"Hmm, no, sir," the radical responded, smirking.

During the hearing, Gill also asked Hartig, "Is Mickey Mouse racist?" citing the NMAH's characterization of the cartoon rodent as representative of "vestiges of longstanding traditions of blackface minstrelsy."

Hartig said that Walt Disney's mouse wasn't racist but told the Texas Republican that Mickey is nevertheless "rooted in minstrelsy" and that blackface minstrelsy had "certain and obvious racial overtones that have been well-documented."

The NMAH director said in her prepared remarks that the White House Domestic Policy Council's report "does not fairly characterize the full body of work at this museum. I am familiar with the depth and breadth of our collections, exhibits, and programming. And while I recognize there is always room for improvement, I also know the beauty, inspiration, and expertise that exists in our museum."

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Trump backs Mike Lindell in Minnesota as Democratic primary features anti-ICE Klobuchar and a convicted rapist



MyPillow founder and CEO Mike Lindell is a proud trailer park-raised Republican who, "through the grace of God" and a deepening relationship with Christ, beat a crippling crack cocaine addiction, then went on to enjoy massive personal success and found a recovery network.

Lindell has in recent years paid an enormous price personally and professionally for his claims both that President Donald Trump won the 2020 election and that the election was rigged, even becoming a target of the Biden FBI.

'This race looks all but over.'

Trump, evidently impressed with his steadfast defender, said in December after Lindell filed to run for governor of Minnesota that the 65-year-old businessman "deserves to be governor of Minnesota."

"That man suffered. What he did, what he went through because he knew the election was rigged. And he did it. I mean, he just did it as a citizen," Trump said. "These people went after him, they went after his company. They did that with me, too, but at least I knew what I was getting into. He was just a guy that said, 'Jeez, this election was so crooked; it was so rigged.' He fought like hell."

On Wednesday — just months after the Minnesota Republican Party endorsed Army veteran and former health care executive Kendall Qualls for governor — Trump formally endorsed Lindell, stating that "if given the chance, Mike will be SPECTACULAR!"

In addition to characterizing the "Pillow Man" as "one of America's greatest and most hard working Patriots," Trump said that Lindell "truly loves Minnesota, as do I, and wants to bring it back from oblivion and embarrassment. He can do it! Nobody has sacrificed more than Mike Lindell in fighting for our country, especially when it comes to Election Integrity. He truly deserves everything he gets — He will MAKE MINNESOTA GREAT AGAIN!"

RELATED: Former Miss North Dakota pleads guilty to day care fraud in Minnesota

MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

The Minnesota GOP did not immediately respond to Blaze News' request for comment.

In a survey of over 1,000 likely primary voters in late June, Big Data Poll found that Lindell led his closest competitor, Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, by 6 points — 27% to 21%.

Qualls trailed far behind in third place with just 10% in the poll.

"Mike Lindell continues to lead among the core demographics that make up the primary coalition that nominated President Trump in the North Star State, to include the working class voters by income and education levels who were stalwart supporters of the president," Big Data Poll director Rich Baris said in a statement. "In giving Lindell the lead both before and after the convention, Republican primary voters are sending a clear message."

"With the president's endorsement, this race looks all but over," Baris added.

Following Trump's endorsement of Lindell, Qualls said that he will continue to support the president but that "this race won't be won by national endorsements."

"It will be decided by Minnesota Republicans — the same Republicans who supported President Trump in all three of his campaigns — and who time and time again have lined up behind our campaign as the only candidate endorsed by the Minnesota Republican Party," Qualls added.

Lindell has vowed, among other things, to

  • support state cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement;
  • oppose sanctuary policies and protect resources for citizens;
  • eliminate the in-person retail sales tax plan in order to reduce families' tax burden immediately as well as spur job growth;
  • "put real brakes on runaway property tax hikes" in part by limiting yearly increases and shifting some of the education burden to the state;
  • "encourage policies that make it easier to marry, raise children, and care for aging parents";
  • crack down on welfare fraud; and
  • expand school choice and bolster parental rights.

The Minnesota GOP primary will take place on Aug. 11.

Democratic primary voters, who will also go to the polls next month, have several radicals to choose from, including U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who is running on an anti-ICE platform, and Thomas Evenstad, a convicted rapist.

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Alito torches SCOTUS ruling in mail-in ballot case, warns of voter fraud



The U.S. Supreme Court delivered a big defeat on Monday to conservatives seeking to prevent Election Day from becoming little more than an "abstraction."

The high court ruled 5-4 that the "federal election-day statutes do not prevent Mississippi from counting absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day but received up to five days thereafter," adding that "nothing in the federal election-day statutes requires ballots received by election day."

'Today’s decision compounds these vulnerabilities.'

The case in question, Watson v. Republican National Committee, was the result of a years-long battle over a COVID-era Mississippi law passed by the Magnolia State's Republican trifecta that permits the counting of mail-in absentee ballots postmarked by the date of the election but received up to five business days after Election Day.

Republicans were wary, in part, because mail-in voting is starkly polarized by party and "the late-arriving mail-in ballots that are counted for five additional days disproportionately break for Democrats."

While it has narrowed since 2020, the partisan divide in mail-in voting remained substantial in the 2024 election — which helps explain why so many Democrat-aligned groups have defended the practice and the Mississippi law.

In 2024, the RNC, the Mississippi GOP, and several individuals sued Mississippi's secretary of state and other state election officials, arguing that federal law bars Mississippi from counting absentee ballots received after Election Day.

RELATED: Stopping the steal: Sen. Lee, Republicans demand Election Day integrity ahead of SCOTUS fight over 'rolling' ballot counts

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

In October 2024, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in the plaintiffs' favor. Last year, however, the state asked SCOTUS to get involved and reinstate its post-Election Day grace period.

Mississippi maintained that late counts are acceptable as "federal election-day statutes require only that the voters cast their ballots by election day" — that "an election requires ballot casting — not ballot receipt."

Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who delivered the majority opinion, wrote that "this is not a case about the Constitution. We do not consider the scope of Congress' authority to regulate federal elections. The sole question before us is whether counting ballots postmarked by election day, but received up to five days later, violates the federal election-day statutes."

Barrett answered that the existing statutes "do not preempt Mississippi's law."

"As we have said before, the federal election-day statutes 'simply regulate the time of the election,'" wrote Barrett.

While the relevant federal statutes determine when the electorate must make its choice, Barrett noted that "choice is made when voting is complete, not when ballots are received."

"The framers recognized the difficulty of crafting election laws 'applicable to every probable change in the situation of the country,'" Barrett wrote in her conclusion, citing the Federalist No. 59. "So instead of constitutionalizing election law, they decided that 'a discretionary power over elections' needed to be lodged 'somewhere.' ... Suffice it to say, that power was not lodged in this court. The election-day statutes say nothing about ballot receipt, and we cannot add to the words Congress chose."

Justice Samuel Alito — who dissented along with Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh — torched his liberal and nominally conservative colleagues' arguments in a lengthy takedown, emphasizing at the outset that "if ballots received after election day are added to the set of ballots that dictate the election’s outcome, the electorate’s choice does not occur on election day, and the federal election-day statutes are violated."

"The acceptance of these late-arriving ballots effectively postpones the date on which the electorate's choice is made, and federal law precludes that postponement," added Alito.

He further emphasized that for most of America's history, the expectation was that votes were received and American elections were decided on Election Day.

"Two centuries of historical practice reinforce the proposition that holding an 'election' on a particular day means that poll workers had to receive the ballots by that date," wrote the conservative justice. "From this country’s founding until the late 20th century, election-day ballot collection was the near-uniform practice, with only a few, late-arriving exceptions."

Alito noted this was the case "even when the Civil War took soldiers hundreds of miles from their usual polling places."

In his scathing critique of the majority's opinion, Alito also accused his colleagues of attempting "to fend off two centuries of American election practice" and noted that "when Congress enacted the three election-day statutes, having the 'election' on a particular date meant that ballots would be collected by that date."

Alito stressed that the ruling not only "threatens to produce lamentable consequences" and a "slurry of troubling election-law questions," but "leaves open opportunities for voter fraud that may further undermine Americans’ faith in the integrity of this country’s elections."

"When someone votes by mail, it is harder for officials to verify the identity of the person requesting and completing the ballot. Mail voting also presents a greater opportunity for voter manipulation, a more vulnerable chain of ballot custody, and a diminished ability to detect improprieties in real time," wrote Alito. "Today’s decision compounds these vulnerabilities. Allowing absentee ballots to pour in over the days and weeks after election day, by which point preliminary election returns are being publicly reported, creates greater opportunity for fraud and risks further undermining the public’s confidence in election integrity."

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Socialists Now Run Or Are Fighting To Run Four Of America’s Biggest Cities

DSA politicians such as Lewis George, Mamdani, and Ocasio-Cortez are in the spotlight today because of the party's increased mobilization efforts a decade ago.

Trump signs Iran deal, blasts 'fools' after meltdowns by Sens. Cruz and Cassidy



President Donald Trump was originally scheduled to sign a hard copy of the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding in Switzerland on Friday, but evidently sealing the deal and reopening the Strait of Hormuz couldn't wait.

Flanked by French President Emmanuel Macron and French first lady Brigitte Macron and with Secretary of State Marco Rubio looming behind him, Trump signed the deal at the Palace of Versailles on Wednesday night, stating, "This was not easy, I can tell you."

'Reagan is rolling over in his grave.'

Pakistani President Shehbaz Sharif, a key mediator during the peace talks, subsequently noted that the agreement is now in effect, meaning — as a first step — Iran will "instantly reopen the Strait of Hormuz and the United States of America will immediately lift the naval blockade."

The White House hailed the agreement as a great achievement.

"Following the historic destruction of Iran's military capabilities through the successful Operation Epic Fury, President Trump and his negotiating team have brokered an excellent, performance-based MOU that advances the interests of the United States by ending the fighting, reopening the Strait of Hormuz to significantly lower energy prices, and forcing Iran to commit to abandon its nuclear ambitions," stated White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales.

RELATED: 'Too many people are being killed': Trump blasts Israel over Lebanon strikes as Iran peace deal hangs in the balance

Alex Wong/Getty Images

Following the signing, gasoline prices dropped and U.S. Treasury and stock futures rebounded.

Democrats in Congress, Iran hawks, and several Israeli officials have complained incessantly in recent days about the agreement. On Wednesday, however, Republican lawmakers were among the loudest critics of the textual prelude to a final peace agreement.

After sharing critiques by others troubled by the peace deal, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) told The Hill, "History teaches that giving billions of dollars to theocratic lunatics who want to murder us is not a good idea. I think the president is receiving some very poor advice on this deal."

Cruz seems to have been referring to the sixth of the agreement's 14 points, which states, "The United States of America undertakes with regional partners to develop a definitive, mutually agreed plan with at least $300 billion for the reconstruction and economic development of the Islamic Republic of Iran."

Cruz recycled these remarks in an interview with the Daily Wire, where he emphasized his support for Trump's decision "to initiate military action against Iran."

Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Republican who finished a distant third in the Louisiana GOP Senate primary last month, similarly chimed in on Wednesday, writing, "Reagan is rolling over in his grave."

"Iran’s nuclear ambitions were not curbed, and they have learned that threatening the Strait of Hormuz works and will undoubtedly leverage it in the future," continued Cassidy. "Now, Iran gets to build brand-new infrastructure under this deal."

"This is the worst foreign policy blunder in decades," added the departing senator.

Failed presidential candidate Nikki Haley and Sen. Thom Tillis — the retiring North Carolina Republican whom Trump called a "loser" and an "angry man" earlier this month — also aired their concerns.

Tillis suggested that the U.S. was "equivocating" on some of the goals set earlier in the conflict; emphasized the need for "accountability for Iran"; insinuated that the agreement is the result of the administration "getting a bit skittish over the economic consequences of going to war to begin with"; and said he prefers a deal that won't just last through the remainder of Trump's terms but for multiple generations.

"Hitting Iran’s nuclear and missile sites was the right move," wrote Haley.

"Now, we plan to unlock billions of dollars and lift sanctions, with the promise of even more money. They will use that money the way they always do — to further their nuclear ambitions and on terrorist proxies against us. It’s a huge mistake to pay to rebuild the threat we just destroyed."

Not all champions of the war, however, condemned the deal.

South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham wrote, "It is my opinion that signing the MOU will be beneficial to the United States, in as much as the Strait of Hormuz will begin to open, and the hostilities with Iran will stop."

While casting doubt on whether a final deal could be reached, Graham emphasized that signing the agreement constituted an "essential step" to creating economic stability for the U.S., the region, and the world, a step he regards as a prerequisite for "the expansion of the Abraham Accords and normalizing relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel."

Trump evidently caught wind of all the pearl-clutching and weighed in on Thursday morning, stating on Truth Social, "These fools, who think I haven't been tough enough on Iran, when the Stock Market Just Hit A RECORD HIGH, and Oil prices are 'tumbling' down, are either jealous, bad people, or stupid. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

According to AAA's tracker, the national average gas price fell to $3.99 per gallon on Thursday — the lowest it has been in over two and a half months.

Brent crude futures are down to just over $78.28 per barrel — down from highs north of $110 in recent wartime months.

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