The early social media reviews of Cruz's 2028 POTUS trial balloon are in



Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R) dropped out of the 2016 presidential race after his crushing defeat in the Indiana Republican primary by then-candidate Donald Trump. It seems that Cruz did not, however, drop his aspirations of one day taking the White House.

Cruz kept his powder dry during the 2020 presidential election and, in 2024, successfully ran for a third term in the U.S. Senate. Now, the 54-year-old Calgary-born senator appears to be preparing for a 2028 presidential bid.

Unfortunately for Cruz, MAGA influencers do not appear too impressed by his recent attacks on Tucker Carlson, which some regard as proxy attacks on Vice President JD Vance, who is far and away the 2028 Republican front-runner, by even Secretary of State Marco Rubio's admission.

'Cruz is gonna have a tough time.'

On Monday, Axios highlighted a number of signs that Cruz is indeed "laying the groundwork" for a 2028 bid, such as hitting the speaker circuit, endorsing midterm candidates, and securing a date to host a big donor retreat next year.

The liberal publication suggested further that it's clear from his recent salvo against Tucker Carlson that Cruz is simultaneously courting powerful pro-Israel donors, some of whom aligned themselves with Nikki Haley in her humiliating 2024 GOP primary run against Trump; "staking out turf as a traditional, pro-interventionist Republican"; and setting the stage for a battle with Vance, who is not only a Carlson ally but unmistakably at odds with the tack taken by the George W. Bush-era GOP.

RELATED: Vance, Banks come out swinging against reporter attacking Tucker Carlson's son

Photo by Al Drago-Pool/Getty Images

Axios stated that "by poking at Carlson's isolationist foreign policy views, accusing him of anti-Semitism and more, Cruz is putting himself on a collision course with Vice President Vance."

Vance, like Carlson, has criticized the protraction of the war in Ukraine; cautioned against new regime-change wars; emphasized that the U.S. is "not at war with Iran"; and noted that American and Israeli foreign policy are not always aligned.

Cruz has indicated that similar foreign policy views expressed by Carlson are "bat-crap crazy" and "off the rails."

Cruz, who is reportedly set this week to address the Jewish Federations of North America's General Assembly, has also blasted Carlson for his October interview with Nick Fuentes, whom he labeled a "little goose-stepping Nazi," suggesting that Carlson was wrong and "complicit in evil," not for platforming Fuentes but for failing to adequately cross-examine him.

"We have a responsibility to speak out even when it's uncomfortable," Cruz said in a statement to Axios. "When voices in our own movement push dangerous and misguided ideas, we can't look the other way. I won't hesitate to call out those who peddle destructive, vile rhetoric and threaten our principles and our future. Silence in the face of recklessness is not an option."

While Vance — whom Fuentes routinely attacks for having a wife of Indian descent — has made expressly clear that he thinks Fuentes is a "total loser" who does not belong in the MAGA movement, others have attempted in recent days to smear Carlson and Vance with a single stroke.

Cruz's office did not respond to Blaze News' request for comment.

A number of MAGA influencers criticized Cruz on Monday over the poor timing of the Axios piece and/or his apparent punches in Vance's direction.

Human Events senior editor Jack Posobiec highlighted that Cruz's latest dig at Carlson came just hours after President Donald Trump signaled continued support for Carlson, claiming reporters "can't tell him who to interview" and that "ultimately, people have to decide."

Political strategist and commentator Alex Lorusso wrote, "Right after President Trump says you can't tell Tucker Carlson who to interview, Ted Cruz says we have a 'responsibility' to speak out against him. He has a rude awakening coming if he wants to run for president in 2028 by positioning himself against DJT."

Normalcy advocate Robby Starbuck wrote, "Breaking: Ted Cruz will lose the 2028 primary. He has absolutely no chance against JD Vance."

"It's all about principle you see," tweeted BlazeTV host Auron MacIntyre, "and that principle is power."

The popular X user Swig noted, "Ted Cruz’s bizarre attacks on Tucker Carlson are simply a proxy attack on JD Vance. Extremely transparent game he is engaging in."

"Judging by top MAGA influencers, Cruz is gonna have a tough time," concluded Axios' Marc Caputo.

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Vance, Banks come out swinging against reporter attacking Tucker Carlson's son



Buckley Carlson, son of Tucker Carlson, works in Vice President JD Vance's office as deputy press secretary. There appears to be a campaign underway to have him removed over the perceived sin of having Tucker Carlson as a blood relation.

Amid mounting pressure on the young man to disavow his father or at least denounce some of his father's remarks, Vance and other conservatives have made abundantly clear that they will not throw Buckley Carlson to the wolves.

'You don’t assign your hate for his Dad to him, and you don’t ask sons to disavow their fathers or mothers.'

Vance stressed in a multipart defense of his staffer on Sunday, "I have an extraordinary tolerance for disagreements and criticisms from the various people in our coalition. But I am a very loyal person, and I have zero tolerance for scumbags attacking my staff."

"And yes, *everyone* who I've seen attack Buckley with lies is a scumbag," added Vance.

While Laura Loomer and others have concern-mongered in recent months over the presence of a Carlson in the vice president's office, Vance was responding to comments by Jennifer Sloan Rachmuth.

Rachmuth, a Republican operative and journalist who was arrested last year on a cyberstalking charge that was quickly dismissed, stated in a viral Saturday post on X that "racism and antisemitism is a Carlson family trait."

"Is Tucker's son Buckley, who serves as JD Vance's top aide also a vile bigot?" Rachmuth asked, after claiming that Tucker Carlson's brother idolized Nick Fuentes. "America deserves to know how deep the Carlson's family ethnic and religious hatred runs."

RELATED: Tucker Carlson, Nick Fuentes, and the war for the conservative soul

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Rachmuth, who previously suggested that Vance's ties to the Carlson family are "indefensible," hinted on Monday that this pressure campaign might have less to do with Vance's staffer and more to do with the front-runner for the 2028 Republican nomination.

After accusing Tucker Carlson of being "America's most prolific antisemite," Rachmuth noted, "The vice president is close friends with Tucker and yet, he hasn’t weighed in on his targeting against Christians and Jews."

Rachmuth noted further that "when senior aides like Carlson contribute to national policy discussions, clarity regarding his stance on equality and minority protections will maintain public trust in Vance’s policymaking."

Rachmuth, Tucker Carlson, and the vice president's office did not respond to Blaze News' request for comment.

Vance did not mince words when responding to Rachmuth, writing, "Sloan Rachmuth is a 'journalist' who has decided to obsessively attack a staffer in his 20s because she doesn't like the views of his father. Every time I see a public attack on Buckley it's a complete lie. And yes, I notice ever [sic] person with an agenda who unfairly attacks a good guy who does a great job for me."

"Sloan describes herself as a defender of 'Judeo-Christian Values.' Is it a 'Judeo-Christian value' to lie about someone you don't know?" continued Vance. "Not in any church I ever spent time in!"

Republican Sen. Jim Banks of Indiana similarly defended Buckley Carlson, noting that the young man had worked for him for years and was "one of the smartest, most trustworthy and loyal staffers I’ve ever had."

"These personal attacks are disgusting and don’t serve your cause well," added Banks.

Some critics of Rachmuth's attack characterized it as a spillover of venom intended for Tucker Carlson.

Normalcy advocate Robby Starbuck, for instance, noted, "Attacking Buckley is really messed up. Even if you don’t like Tucker, you don’t assign your hate for his Dad to him and you don’t ask sons to disavow their fathers or mothers. Come on."

"They can't bring down Tucker so they're going after his son," wrote conservative commentator Megyn Kelly.

Christina Pushaw, an aide to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), noted, "If us political staffers are accountable for everything our uncles might post online, we're all in trouble," adding in a separate post that it's a "good thing blood-lines don't predetermine our views, and good thing we live in America where we reject the concept of blood-guilt."

Tucker Carlson has been the target of intense criticism in recent weeks over his interview with Nick Fuentes, a rightist provocateur who routinely attacks both Vance and Israel.

When asked about Tucker Carlson on Sunday, President Donald Trump said, "You can't tell him who to interview and if he wants to interview Nick Fuentes — I don't know much about him — but if he wants to do it, get the word out. ... People have to decide. Ultimately, people have to decide."

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'You know what really p**ses people off?' Vance identifies what's at heart of 'populist resentment' in Appalachia



Vice President JD Vance joined Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at the Make America Healthy Again summit on Wednesday in discussing the Trump administration's revolution against the unworkable state of affairs and orthodoxies that have left so many Americans sick, censored, poor, and behind.

After the duo discussed President Donald Trump's penchant for taking "a bulldozer to Overton windows," Kennedy raised the matter of the dire health and social conditions in Appalachia, noting that Vance's incredible success serves as a "tragic reminder of the lost potential of almost everybody else in Appalachia."

'Their loved ones are dying much sooner than everybody else.'

"It's got the worst health data of any region in the country — the highest cardiac disease, the highest obesity, the highest diabetes, the highest stroke rates — but also addiction, alcoholism, and suicide," said Kennedy.

Although dubbed a "golden child of Appalachia" by the HHS secretary, Vance emphasized his firsthand familiarity with the bleak conditions experienced by so many in the region, noting that he was hard-pressed to identify a single important male family figure who lived past the age of 70.

"You want to talk about, like, 'populism'? And you want to talk about people being pissed off? Well, yeah, people are pissed off when they don't have good jobs; and people are pissed off when things disappear and move overseas; and people are pissed off when they feel like, you know, other countries are being prioritized over the United States of America," said Vance. "All of that is part of the populist resentment of the past 20 or 30 years in American politics."

RELATED: Vance identifies the perfect mascot for the Democrats — then outlines what America actually needs

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

"But you know what really pisses people off?" continued the vice president. "When they realize that their loved ones are dying much sooner than everybody else."

Life expectancy has long been lower and infant mortality higher in Appalachia than in the rest of the country.

Vance noted that while on the one hand, he feels guilty that so many of his fellow Appalachians have not enjoyed the opportunities for economic and familial stability that he has enjoyed, he also feels "a great sense of anger because we never should have gotten to the point that we are today, and the reason that we have is because of failed leadership — and it's failed leadership over generations."

The vice president stressed that one of the reasons he strongly supports Kennedy's health initiatives is because therein lies a major opportunity to do right by Appalachian residents who have been "left behind by this country's leadership."

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'Absurd': JD Vance blasts activist Obama judge's apparent overreach on SNAP handouts amid Democrat shutdown



Vice President JD Vance blasted the apparent overreach by a meddlesome Obama-appointed judge who ordered the Trump administration on Thursday to make full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments for November despite Democrats' government shutdown.

A pair of Obama-appointed U.S. district court judges — Indira Talwani in Boston and John McConnell in Providence — ruled last week that SNAP benefits could not be cut off amid the Democrats' government shutdown.

McConnell ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday to resume the handouts either in full or in part "as soon as possible." Days later, the Trump administration announced that it would comply by exhausting $4.65 billion in contingency funds to make a partial payment that would cover roughly half of each eligible household's SNAP benefits for the month of November.

'This Court is not naïve to the administration’s true motivations.'

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, echoing President Donald Trump, emphasized on Monday that the administration doesn't want vulnerable Americans to suffer and is working to "get partial allotments to SNAP households" but that "it will take several weeks to execute partial payments." Rollins added that once obstructionist Democrats reopen the government, "FULL benefits can get to families without delay."

Democracy Forward, the anti-Trump outfit that is representing plaintiffs in the case overseen by McConnell, filed an emergency request on Tuesday asking the Obama judge to force the administration to fund SNAP benefits in full.

"Because it is now clear that due to Defendants' course of conduct, and by their own admission, undertaking a partial payment plan at this point cannot meet the Court's directives or adequately remedy the harm Plaintiffs are suffering, the Court should grant Plaintiffs' motion to enforce and should temporarily enjoin and compel Defendants to release the withheld funding, in its entirety, for November SNAP benefits," Democracy Forward said in its motion.

RELATED: Democrats' shutdown is about to make catching a flight a lot harder

Photo by FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images

McConnell proved more than willing to oblige the liberal outfit, ordering the USDA to make full SNAP payments to the states by Friday by utilizing available Section 32 funds in combination with its contingency funds.

The USDA previously indicated that it would not tap Section 32 funds — supplied by tariff revenues — because they are intended for Child Nutrition Programs, which feed at least 29 million American children and are distinct from SNAP benefits.

'We're not going to do it under the orders of a federal judge.'

"Section 32 Child Nutrition Program funds are not a contingency fund for SNAP," the USDA noted in a court filing. "Using billions of dollars from Child Nutrition for SNAP would leave an unprecedented gap in Child Nutrition funding that Congress has never had to fill with annual appropriations, and USDA cannot predict what Congress will do under these circumstances."

McConnell cited some of Trump's recent social media posts — including his Tuesday suggestion that SNAP benefits will only be doled out "when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before" — as evidence of the government's "intent to defy" his Friday order as well as the supposed insincerity of the USDA's arguments against using Section 32 funds to make full payments.

"This Court is not naïve to the administration’s true motivations," wrote McConnell. "Far from being concerned with Child Nutrition funding, these statements make clear that the administration is withholding full SNAP benefits for political purposes. Such 'unjustifiable partisanship' has infected the USDA’s decision-making, rendering it arbitrary and capricious."

The Obama judge has previously faced criticism for what WJAR described as his "ties and massive contributions to Democratic politics."

Vance noted during a roundtable with Asian leaders at the White House on Thursday that "it's an absurd ruling because you have a federal judge effectively telling us what we have to do in the midst of a Democrat government shutdown."

"What we'd like to do is for the Democrats to open up the government," continued the vice president. "Of course then we can fund SNAP, and we can also do a lot of other good things for the American people. But in the midst of a shutdown, we can't have a federal court telling the president how he has to triage the situation."

Vance added, "We're trying to keep as much going as possible. The president and the entire administration are working on that, but we're not going to do it under the orders of a federal judge. We're going to do it according to what we think we have to do to comply with the law, of course, but also to actually make the government work for people in the midst of the Democratic government shutdown."

— (@)

The Trump administration has appealed the Obama judge's ruling to the First Circuit Court of Appeals.

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Vance schools yappy student on problems with immigration: 'There's too many people who want to come'



Vice President JD Vance taught college students an important lesson on the problems associated with mass immigration at a Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi on Wednesday.

After delivering his prepared remarks with Charlie Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk — emphasizing the importance of avoiding pointless foreign entanglements, securing America's borders, and altogether prioritizing citizens — Vance respectfully gave a few students much-needed reality checks.

One of the questioners prefaced by noting that his girlfriend was studying in the country on a student visa, then asked Vance about his views on legal immigration.

'My job as vice president is not to look out for the interests of the whole world.'

"Thanks in part to the Biden border invasion but also thanks in part to a lot of bad immigration policy, right now, we have let in too many immigrants into the United States of America," Vance responded.

The Pew Research Center recently indicated that as of January 2025, there were 53.3 million immigrants living in the U.S. — the largest number ever recorded. Over 15% of all U.S. residents and 19% of the U.S. labor force were immigrants.

The vice president suggested that "the evidence is pretty clear" that a great many of the over 1 million migrants who legally enter the U.S. every year "are actually undercutting the wages of American workers," and suggested that such wage suppression is what prompted President Donald Trump and his administration to encourage H-1B reform.

Vance indicated further that while the intended function of the H-1B visa is to attract and retain top talent from around the world, "what it's actually used to do is hire an accountant at a 50% discount to an American citizen. I don't think that we should be hiring accountants from foreign countries when we've got accountants right here in the United States that would love to work for a good wage."

RELATED: Camp of the H-1B Saints

Photo by Brad Vest/Getty Images

"We have got to get our overall numbers way, way down," the vice president said, adding that the nation needs time to "build a sense of common identity" before admitting more people.

Vance's remarks evidently vexed a young female student of apparent Indian origin in the crowd who used her time at the microphone to complain both about the vice president's stated desire for his Hindu wife to one day join him in following Christ as well as his desire to taper the number of immigrants legally admitted into the United States.

"When you talk about too many immigrant [sic] here, what is — when did you guys decide that number? Why did you sell us a dream? You made us spend our youth, our wealth in this country and gave us a dream," the woman said.

"How can you as a vice president stand there and say that 'we have too many of them now, and we are going to take them out' to people who are here, rightfully so?" she asked.

After clarifying that he was proposing greatly reducing the number of foreigner admissions in the future while honoring past promises to previous entrants, Vance stressed between interruptions from the woman that immigration policy should be adapted to the circumstances of the day.

"We cannot have an immigration policy where what was good for the country 50 or 60 years ago binds the country inevitably for the future," the vice president said. "There's too many people who want to come to the United States of America, and my job as vice president is not to look out for the interests of the whole world. It's to look out for the people of the United States."

While the questioner did not appear all too pleased with Vance's America-first answer, the crowd burst into applause.

Before the conclusion of the event, the vice president told the crowd, "Despair is a sin. Do not give in to the sin of despair. Let's keep fighting to save the United States of America."

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'May the Prince of Peace have mercy on us': Vance prays at site of Christ's death and resurrection



Vice President JD Vance visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem with his wife, Usha, on Thursday, attending a private Mass and praying at the site of Jesus Christ's crucifixion and empty tomb.

Vance, a convert to Catholicism whose wife is a Hindu, visited all of the sites within the sprawling basilica, including Golgotha, the "place of the skull" where Jesus was crucified; the Stone of Anointing, which is believed to be the limestone slab where Jesus' body was prepared for burial; and the Holy Sepulchre, Joseph of Arimathea's monument where Christ's body was interred prior to his resurrection.

'I think we're on a very good pathway.'

In addition to thanking the Franciscan monks who celebrated a private Mass for his family and for those Americans working for peace, Vance expressed gratitude to the Catholic, Greek, and Armenian priests who have long cared for the holy place, stating, "What an amazing blessing to have visited the site of Christ's death and resurrection."

Following an 4th-century investigation into the whereabouts of the site where Christ was crucified and buried, the Roman emperor Constantine settled on the current location — which had long been venerated by the early Christians — to erect a basilica.

Since Hadrian previously had the location strategically covered with pagan temples, Constantine had the pagan shrines toppled to make room for a basilica where the Church of the Holy Sepulchre — largely an 11th-century crusader reconstruction — now stands despite fires, Muslim attacks, and earthquakes.

RELATED: White House hammers Jen Psaki over comments about JD Vance's wife: 'Circle back on that, moron'

Photo by NATHAN HOWARD/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

At the Stone of Anointing, a bishop provided Vance on Thursday with a red pillow on which to kneel, and so he did, making the sign of the cross, placing his hand on the limestone slab, and bowing his head in silent prayer, according to a White House press report.

After Vance and his wife headed to the empty tomb, a bishop told the White House press pool that he was lighting two candles from the flame at the Holy Sepulchre to send back to the White House.

At one point during the tour of the church, Vance joked to a bishop, "You guys have been protecting me from bumping my head. You could join the Secret Service."

Photo by NATHAN HOWARD/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Theophilos III, the patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, was among the Christian clergymen who greeted and accompanied the vice president.

According to the Jerusalem Patriarchate, Theophilos III "conveyed his respectful greetings to President Donald J. Trump and expressed his heartfelt appreciation for the efforts of the United States administration, under President Trump’s leadership, to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza and to alleviate the suffering of the innocent."

Days prior to his visit to the church, Vance told reporters, "I hope to go to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which Christians believe is the site that Jesus Christ was crucified in. And I know that Christians have many titles for Jesus Christ, and one of them is the Prince of Peace. ... I'd ask all people of faith, in particular my fellow Christians, to pray that the Prince of Peace can continue to work a miracle in this region in the world."

After his visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Vance stated, "May the Prince of Peace have mercy on us, and bless our efforts for peace."

Keen on maintaining the fragile peace brokered by President Donald Trump in Gaza, Vance said on Thursday before leaving Israel that he was "insulted" by the 25-24 vote in the Knesset to annex the West Bank, stressing it was a "political stunt with no practical significance."

Despite the provocative vote, Vance thanked the Israeli government for hosting him and underscored, "I think we're on a very good pathway."

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President Trump to attend Charlie Kirk memorial



Americans across the nation have been mourning the loss of Charlie Kirk since his tragic shooting last Wednesday. Thousands of Charlie Kirk's supporters and fans are set to attend his memorial service, including one very high-profile guest.

President Donald Trump is set to attend Charlie Kirk's memorial service on September 21.

The memorial will celebrate the 'remarkable life and enduring legacy of Charlie Kirk, an American legend.'

The service will be held at State Farm Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals, in Glendale, Arizona, according to a Turning Point USA social media post. The memorial will celebrate the "remarkable life and enduring legacy of Charlie Kirk, an American legend."

State Farm Stadium can typically seat 63,400 people. For big events like the Super Bowl, however, there are an additional 8,800 seats available, bringing available seating up to 72,200, according to one source.

RELATED: TPUSA plans historic memorial for Charlie Kirk

Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images

Supporters have gathered and set up smaller memorials across major cities in the U.S. in the past week in a unifying moment of prayer and reflection. Fans across the globe have also gathered to pay their respects, including a large memorial demonstration in South Korea.

Vice President JD Vance, a close friend of Charlie Kirk, announced Sunday that he would pay homage to him by hosting "The Charlie Kirk Show" on Monday.

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The right pays tribute to Charlie Kirk



The political assassination of TPUSA founder and conservative figurehead Charlie Kirk has left the American right devastated. Many leaders and influential figures have spoken out to pay tribute to Kirk and speak to the impact he had on their lives and on the country.

President Donald Trump

In a video message from the Oval Office, President Trump said Wednesday night he was "filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk." The president praised Kirk as "a patriot who devoted his life to the cause of open debate and the country that he loved so much." He went on to call him "a martyr for truth and freedom" and to say: "Together, we will ensure that his voice, his message, and his legacy will live on for countless generations to come."

Trump also remembered Kirk during his remarks Thursday at the Pentagon marking the 24th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. "Charlie was a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty, and an inspiration to millions and millions of people," the president said.

'We mourn his death, we take up his cause, and we entrust him, as he confidently entrusted himself, to God's care.'

Vice President JD Vance

In a post on X, Vice President JD Vance wrote, "Charlie Kirk was a true friend. The kind of guy you could say something to and know it would always stay with him.” He said that Kirk's tireless support for him during his rise in politics was simply "because we were friends, and because he was a good man." Vance praised Kirk as "a great family man," adding, "He was so happy to be a father.” In addressing the assassination, Vance wrote, "Charlie died doing what he loved: discussing ideas. ... He exemplified a foundational virtue of our Republic."

Related: Charlie Kirk: Loving father, fearless communicator, happy warrior — 1993-2025

Photo by Jeff Kowalsky / Contributor via Getty Images

Dennis Prager

In a post on X, Dennis Prager, the founder of PragerU and a prominent voice on the right, wrote that he was "devastated."

"We have lost the most articulate spokesman for America and its unique value system," he added. Prager went on to describe his family's friendship with the Kirk family, recalling how Kirk took the time to visit him many times when he was hospitalized. "The loss to us personally and to the country generally is immeasurable."

Michael Knowles

In an article for the Daily Wire, Michael Knowles, host of "The Michael Knowles Show" and a prominent Catholic conservative commentator, eulogized Kirk as a fearless voice for Christian values. "Charlie's only fear was the holy sort — awe and wonder, the beginning of wisdom — and his clearest virtues were the theological: faith, hope, and charity." Knowles wrote that "the zeal with which he debated politics paled in comparison to the excitement with which he discussed religion." Knowles went on to praise Kirk's tireless work in building "a generational coalition that helped to transform the American government." Addressing Kirk's murder, he wrote, "We mourn his death, we take up his cause, and we entrust him, as he confidently entrusted himself, to God’s care."

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Vance unloads on safety-hating protesters in DC, punches through liberal media rhetoric



Vice President JD Vance spoke on Wednesday with National Guard soldiers stationed at D.C.'s Union Station, underscoring his gratitude and continued support for their efforts to tackle crime in the national capital.

While the troops and members of the federalized Metropolitan Police Department appeared happy to see Vance — who was accompanied by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller — liberal protesters threw fits at the sight of the vice president, whining about his presence as well as about the efforts by the Trump administration to make D.C. safer.

Vance smiled as he passed a bespectacled radical in the station screaming, "F**king Nazi," an unhinged woman yelling, "Health care, housing, and climate justice! ... Military out of our streets," and a man in a cap shouting, "Get the f**k out of my city!"

Supporters reportedly countered with, "USA! USA! USA!"

— (@)

When met with booing outside the Shake Shack at Union Station, Vance directed Hegseth's attention to the radical responsible and said, "This is the guy who thinks people don't deserve law and order in their own community."

'This should be a monument to American greatness.'

The defense secretary laughed, pointed, and then resumed his tour of the relatively safer station.

— (@)

Vance noted in his remarks to the National Guard soldiers that Union Station, like much of the district, has long endured an unacceptable level of crime.

RELATED: Trump to DC: Crime is a choice

Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

"You have vagrants, you have drug addicts, you have the chronically homeless, you have the mentally ill who harass, who threaten violence, who attack families, and they've done it for far too long," the vice president said.

It's not just addicts, hobos, and the insane who have made Union Station a dangerous place in recent months.

In February, six girls, ages 11 to 14, were reportedly arrested for allegedly assaulting a woman who was trying to leave the station. Police indicated that one of the girls filmed the savage attack. That same month, a man was gunned down inside the station's parking garage.

"This should be a monument to American greatness," Vance continued. "This should not be a place where parents of small children are afraid to bring them ... because we have empowered criminals over the people who actually need public safety in this city. So I think Union Station is a great example of what's possible when you have the political willpower to bring law and order and common decency back to the public spaces of the United States."

— (@)

After Vance stressed the importance of following through "until we make America and D.C. in particular a safe place again," a reporter asked him, "What evidence do you have or does the DOJ have — are you going to be releasing it?"

'Let's free DC from lawlessness.'

"Are you going to be releasing evidence of this?" the reporter continued.

RELATED: Exclusive video: Black DC residents tell Blaze News the reasons they support Trump's DC crime strategy

Photo by Al Drago-Pool/Getty Images

"Of what?" Vance responded. "That D.C. has a terrible crime problem? You just gotta look around. Obviously D.C. has a terrible crime problem, and the Department of Justice statistics back it up, the FBI statistics back it up. Just talk to a resident of this city — this beautiful, great American city."

Adopting the "free D.C." slogan yelled by the leftist protesters outside, Vance said, "Let's free D.C. from lawlessness. Let's free Washington, D.C., from one of the highest murder rates in the entire world. Let's free Washington, D.C., so that young families can walk around and feel safe and secure."

Vance, once again referencing the noisy rabble outside, noted that it was "kind of bizarre that we have a bunch of old, primarily white, people who are out there protesting the policies that keep people safe when they've never felt danger in their entire lives."

Blaze News has reached out to Vance's office for further comment.

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Is Elon Musk ditching his America Party dream for a GOP power play?



Elon Musk may be reconsidering his aspirations for a third political party after concerns from conservatives that it could divert votes from the Republican Party.

A Tuesday report from the Wall Street Journal indicated that Musk is "quietly pumping the brakes" on the formation of the America Party and may instead support another Republican politician.

'Nothing @WSJ says should ever be thought of as true.'

In late June, amid Musk's falling-out with President Donald Trump over the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the Tesla CEO called for "an alternative to the Democrat-Republican uniparty so that the people actually have a VOICE."

"If this insane spending bill passes, the America Party will be formed the next day," Musk declared.

Several Republican politicians, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, warned Musk that a third party would likely act as a spoiler, ultimately benefiting the Democratic Party.

RELATED: Is Elon’s America Party really a threat to Republicans?

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According to the WSJ's report citing anonymous sources, it appears that Musk is considering that advice. Musk has reportedly told his allies that he plans to concentrate on his businesses and does not want to alienate Republicans, particularly Vice President JD Vance, by forming a third party.

The news outlet reported that Musk and Vance have been in touch in recent weeks. Musk has allegedly stated to close allies that he would back Vance should he decide to run for president in 2028.

"Musk's allies said he hasn't formally ruled out creating a new party and could change his mind as the midterm elections near," the WSJ stated.

However, Musk reportedly canceled a July call with a group that specializes in organizing third-party campaigns, and he has not recently engaged with individuals who have expressed interest in the America Party.

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Charlie Kirk responded to the WSJ's report in a post on social media.

"Elon Musk is reportedly reconsidering his bid to launch a third party and instead put his support behind Vice President JD Vance should he decide to run, per a new report from the WSJ. Will have to wait for confirmation from Elon, but this would be very positive news for the country if true," Kirk wrote.

When reached for comment, a spokesperson for Vance directed the WSJ to the vice president's recent interview with the Gateway Pundit, during which he stated he hopes Musk will "come back into the fold" during the midterm elections.

While Musk did not respond to a request for comment from the WSJ, he dismissed the outlet's reporting in a post on X.

"Nothing @WSJ says should ever be thought of as true," he wrote without elaborating further.

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