The Dumb, Arrogant Liars Who Are Also Journalists 1/2

Fauci’s COVID lies expose corporate news as propaganda.

There is a frustrating contradiction when it comes to the way public information is assessed for factual truth.For decades, prominent news organizations have steadily lost credibility. Fewer Americans than ever believe what The New York Times, CNN, NPR, or even the AP publishes as the “objective” record of current events. At the same time, however, alternative, competing descriptions of current events are almost entirely ignored.No matter how compelling or factually sourced a story might be, it is largely disregarded until mainstream corporate news institutions are willing to recognize its validity.

This annoying state of affairs was highlighted last week after Dr. Anthony Fauci refused to testify before the Senate. Although the man holds one of Joe Biden’s get-out-of-jail-free autopen pardons, Fauci cowardly asserted his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than a hundred times.With a general pardon in hand that presumably allows him to get away with past acts of mass murder, he could put himself in legal jeopardy only by not telling the truth while under oath at the hearing. So long as Fauci avoided newly committing perjury, there was no risk to his liberty. The fact that he nevertheless remained mum the whole time revealed a particularly guilty conscience: Fauci could not bear the thought of admitting to the world that he told numerous lies in the past.

To be sure, Fauci’s lies are huge and unforgivable. He lied about COVID arising from inter-species transmission in an outdoor meat market rather than from a bioweapons laboratory re-engineering coronaviruses in Wuhan, China. He lied about not having partially funded deadly coronavirus research at that lab as part of a workaround to American regulatory prohibitions against such dangerous projects.He lied about COVID’s lethality, especially with regard to young or healthy bodies. He lied about the efficacy of simple masks to prevent viral transmission. He lied about the need to close schools and businesses. He lied about the need for draconian home confinements.He lied about the effectiveness of the experimental mRNA injections that he called “vaccines.” He lied about the proven effectiveness of alternative treatments. He lied about the effectiveness of natural immunity.

His lies were profound, and because mainstream news institutions refused to question anything he said, his lies were the only bits of information allowed to circulate in the public sphere. So-called “journalists” not only repeated verbatim exactly what the government’s chief medical bureaucrat claimed to be true but also cheered social media platforms for censoring competing points of view. “Reporters” working for The New York Times and CNN were enthralled by Fauci’s perceived professional prestige and institutional authority. Why? Because they are enamored of their own perceived professional prestige and institutional authority. They worship glory and accolades; they are slaves to appeals to authority;they care nothing for the pursuit of truth.

This is why so many “journalists” jumped to defend Fauci’s honor after his embarrassing refusal to say anything truthful. MSNOW’sLawrence O’Donnell insisted that the dishonorable doc had “done more in service to this country than…the entire current United States Senate combined.”CNN’s Jake Tapper pretended that he wasn’t having dinner parties with Fauci while the rest of America was kept in lockdown and isolation. And CNN “media analyst”Brian Stelter continued to ignore how both Jake Tapper and Dana Bash developed unethical personal relationships with Fauci while CNN’s “journalists” portrayed the health bureaucrat’s lies as unquestionable “truths.”

If you need a reminder of just how sanctimonious and authoritarian mainstream media mouthpieces were during the Reign of COVID Tyranny, watch this video montage of Jake Tapper and other hysterical fearmongers demanding that Americans submit to the COVID police state and do everything Fauci required of them.In that video, Fauci menacingly tells Americans, “Now is the time to do what you are told.” Around that time, CNN’s quack medical expert, Dr. Leana Wen, argued that the “unvaccinated” should not be “allowed” to leave their homes.

Almost a year after Fauci privately admitted in his diary that COVID had not emerged from a wet market, NPR was pumping out this propaganda on its social media accounts: “A new poll finds 40% of respondents believe in a baseless conspiracy theory that the coronavirus was created in a lab in China. There is zero evidence for this. Scientists say the virus was transmitted to humans from another species.”

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/the-dumb-arrogant-liars-who-are-also-journalists/

>>24898540

2/2

NPR lied. The laboratory origin of COVID was not a “baseless conspiracy theory.”There was plenty of evidence available in late-2019 and early-2020 to support the theory that the virus had escaped (inadvertently or intentionally, we still do not know) from a Chinese pathogen lab.“Scientists say” is just a lazy rhetorical appeal to authority that real journalists do not use as an intellectual crutch.

But NPR is a propaganda outfit. Its people are incapable of making arguments backed by reasonable evidence. This is the same institution, after all, that covered up Hunter Biden’s incriminating laptop story during the 2020 presidential election by lying, “We don’t want to waste our time on stories that are not really stories, and we don’t want to waste the listeners’ and readers’ time on stories that are just pure distractions.” Instead, NPR parroted the lies of fifty-one Deep State Intelligence propagandists who undermined the election by falsely attributing Biden’s laptop to “Russian disinformation.” NPR also never stopped pushing the Russia Collusion Hoax.

With regard to COVID, the so-called “experts” and mainstream “journalists” were wrong about everything. Nevertheless, with an astonishing mix of pseudoscience, moral blackmail, and blatant hypocrisy, they arrogantly demanded that Americans believe everything they said. Six years later, even after Fauci has been exposed as a murdering fraud, the same “experts” and “journalists” refuse to admit their culpability for excusing crimes against humanity and discarding the Bill of Rights’ protections for Americans’ personal freedoms. And because they will not relent in defending their past lies, we cannot properly move beyond the COVID crimes committed against us. Our society is stuck, enveloped in a discredited narrative that our “prestigious institutions” refuse to correct.

Yet the mainstream media’s COVID disinformation campaign is only one instance of a multi-front information war against the public.Mainstream corporate news institutions have proven incapable of telling the truth. They get every big, consequential news story dead wrong.

These same propagandists spent years telling us that President Trump was a Russian spy and that Russian President Vladimir Putin rigged the 2016 election. Despite breathless coverage that occasionally gets regurgitated to this day, neither news story was true.While mainstream media mouthpieces hypnotized the public with lies, they covered up three real monumental stories: (1) Hillary Clinton’s campaign paid for the Steele Dossier that framed Donald Trump as a Russian agent. (2) The American Intelligence Community used Clinton’s fraudulent dossier as an excuse to spy on Donald Trump. (3) Furthermore, the Obama administration had been spying on all of the Republican candidates prior to Trump’s nomination.The institutional press — the so-called “guardians of the First Amendment” — ignored the greatest political scandals in our lifetimes. Why? Because they support Clinton and Obama completely and will do anything to destroy President Trump. That’s not “journalism”; that’s information warfare.

Together, the Russia Collusion Hoax and the Reign of COVID Tyranny proved just how monstrously dishonest mainstream “journalists” really are.There is nothing too preposterous for them to present as “truth” if doing so advances their preferred political narrative. Given that this is the case, a reasonable person must assume that everything a credentialed member of the press says is a lie.Strangely, some of the biggest names in news still seem to believe that they have credibility.For the life of me, I cannot tell whether “journalists” suffer more from hubris or incurable idiocy.

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/the-dumb-arrogant-liars-who-are-also-journalists/

450,000 defrauded student loan borrowers are eligible for debt forgiveness — here’s who qualifies. 1/2

PUBLISHED FRI, JUL 31 202611:44 AM EDT

KEY POINTS

• A recent court decision means that 450,000 federal student loan borrowers have become eligible for debt cancellation after attending a school that misled or defrauded them.

• The legal challenge played out over three presidential terms, its name changing from Sweet v. DeVos to Sweet v. Cardona to Sweet v. McMahon.

• One borrower’s student debt swelled to roughly $400,000 from $250,000 while she waited for the Education Department to decide on her Borrower Defense claim.

Hundreds of thousands of student loan borrowers have gotten their debts forgiven, or soon will, due to a $23 billion class-action settlement with the U.S. Department of Education.

The student loan borrower plaintiffs said that their schools significantly misled them and that the Trump administration delayed delivering the relief to which they were entitled under a protection known as Borrower Defense. That program allows defrauded federal student borrowers to get their debt excused.

In late July, a federal appeals court deniedTrump officials’ latest request to postpone making a decision on a large swath of the applications, paving the way for another nearly 200,000 borrowers to get their student loans wiped.That brings the total number of borrowers to get their debts forgiven under the settlement to about 450,000.

The legal challenge played out over three presidential terms, its name changing from Sweet v. DeVos to Sweet v. Cardona to Sweet v. McMahon. One student loan borrower’s debt swelled to roughly $400,000 from $250,000 while she waited for the Education Department to decide on her Borrower Defense claim, said Eileen Connor, the president and director of The Project on Predatory Student Lending, an advocacy group. PPSL brought the lawsuit against the Trump administration in 2019.

“It makes clear that the federal government cannot simply disregard borrowers’ rights and its own legal obligations without consequence,” Connor said.

The Education Department did not respond to a request for comment.

In court documents from April, the Trump administration said it needed time to determine eligibility for relief among an “unexpectedly large” number of applicants that could lead to a “substantial windfall at taxpayer expense.”

What consequences did borrowers face?

Dozens of schools were implicated in the Sweet settlement “for which the Department had significant evidence of institutional misconduct,” Connor said. Many of the schools, but not all, were for-profit institutions that are now shuttered.

These colleges made false promises to student loan borrowers, including that their education would lead to stable careers, higher earnings and transferable credits, she said: “Instead, many were left with enormous debts, credentials employers did not respect, credits that would not transfer, and, in some cases, no degree at all.”

People were denied mortgages and car financing because of their federal debts. Others delayed starting a family orpostponed medical care, Connor added.

“Borrowers also described panic attacks, anxiety, depression and years of being unable to plan for the future,” she said.

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/31/sweet-v-mcmahon-student-loans-borrower-defense.html

>>24898724

2/2

Who benefits from the settlement?

Eligibility for the Sweet settlement is based on what school a borrower attended and when they submitted their Borrower Defense application, Connor said. “It is not something one can newly qualify for today,” she said.

If you had a claim pending with the Education Department in Nov. 2022, you may be included in the settlement class. But the relief also reaches certain borrowers whose applications were denied between Dec. 2019 and Oct. 2020.

It makes clear that the federal government cannot simply disregard borrowers’ rights.Eileen Connor president and director of PPSL

You should be able to check when your Borrower Defense application was submitted at Studentaid.gov. The Education Department also notifies eligible borrowers.

The settlement only impacts federal student loans, said higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz.

“Private student loans do not qualify for Borrower Defense,” Kantrowitz said — though nearly two dozen states maintain a tuition recovery funds program if you attended a for-profit school that closed.

How much will borrowers get in relief?

The average federal student loan balance cleared under the settlement exceeded $48,000, Connor said. “Individual amounts vary significantly, however, and many borrowers received substantially more or less,” she added.

Borrowers who were eligible for the settlement may also qualify for a refund for any previous payments made on their debt. The typical refund for borrowers eligible for one is over $15,000, Connor said.

When does the relief come?

The deadline for a borrower’s relief also depends on the details of their case and on when they applied for loan forgiveness, Connor said.

Under the terms of the settlement, the latest the Education Department can clear an eligible borrower’s debt is June 15, 2027, Connor said. You’re not required to make payments while you wait for the loan forgiveness.

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/31/sweet-v-mcmahon-student-loans-borrower-defense.html

Kiev’s backers facing ‘big problem’ after Macron exit – Telegraph

The French president could be replaced by Ukraine skeptics next year, potentially throwing NATO efforts to support Kiev into disarray, the paper’s sources say

Published 3 Aug, 2026 13:

French President Emmanuel Macron’s departure from the Elysee Palace next year could open the door to Ukraine skeptics and create a “big problem” for the NATO coalition backing Kiev, The Telegraph reported on Sunday, citing sources.

Fears about what the British paperdescribed as a “leadership vacuum” revolve mainly around the so-called “coalition of the willing” – a grouping of roughly 30, mostly NATO, states that has spent over a year drawing up plans to put troops in Ukraine as self-styled “peacekeepers” once a ceasefire is reached.Among the goals of the group – which is dominated by the UK and France – is also to coordinate aid to Kiev.

Russia has rejected any unauthorized foreign military presence in Ukraine, suggesting thatWestern troops would not be “peacekeepers” but rather “occupation forces” and therefore legitimate targets.

The Telegraph noted that while new UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham signaled continuity in backing Kiev and NATO,there is no equivalent figure in Paris, with Macron constitutionally required to leave his post after next year’spresidential election. This, the paper added,has sparked concerns about a “slow death” for the coalition.

Two potential replacements are Marine Le Pen, leader of the right-wing National Rally, and left-wing firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon.Both are hardline Ukraine and NATO skeptics. Le Pen has vowed to pull France out of the bloc’s military command, lift sanctions on Russia, andpush Kiev toward a peace deal, while Melenchon has pledged an outright French withdrawal from NATO.

A Western official told The Telegraph that NATO would face “a big problem” if either of the candidates wins the election. Another Telegraph source claimed thatBritish officials are already examining what either outcome could mean for Anglo-French relations, including the sharing of classified intelligence.

The vacuum fear is reportedly exacerbated by the situation elsewhere in Europe.German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is mired in domestic turmoil, with Berlin refusing to send troops to Ukraine even to police a future truce. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has also questioned the bloc’s cohesion and is facing a re-election battle next year.

Even without leadership woes,the coalition has been reeling under policy splits. Italy and Poland have ruled out sending their own troops to Ukraine, while Spain, Belgium, Sweden, and Canada have signaled they will contribute to security guarantees only through training, funding, or logistics rather than combat deployments.

Among the other problems is the lack of military personnel, with multiple media reportswarning that NATO members would struggle to amass a “peacekeeper” force even under an ideal geopolitical landscape.

https://www.rt.com/news/643801-nato-coalition-big-problem-ukraine/

Seems like it’s time for Zelensky to take the money and run!

Zelensky is Ukraine’s main problem – ex-spokeswoman

The leader is the main beneficiary of the conflict with Russia as his circle pockets EU billions, Yulia Mendel has said

Published 3 Aug, 2026 08:25 | Updated

Vladimir Zelensky has become Ukraine’s biggest problem and the principal beneficiary of the conflict with Russia, his former press secretary Yulia Mendel has said.She accused the Ukrainian leader of clinging to power by canceling elections and suggested that he is turning a blind eye to his inner circle engaging in rampant corruption.

Mendel, who served as Zelensky’s spokeswoman from 2019 to 2021, made the remarks in an interview with French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche published on Sunday.She delivered a wide-ranging attack on her former boss, accusing him of enabling corruption, authoritarian drift, and prolonging the conflict for his own political survival.

“I believe he has become my country’s main problem,” Mendel said. “The world has come to see Ukraine as the face of a single man. It believed this fabricated image.” She added thatZelensky is now “the main beneficiary of this war,” since it allows him to remain in power after he “canceled the elections.”

Zelensky’s presidential term expired in 2024, but he refused to call a new vote, citing martial law. Moscow has since declared Zelensky “illegitimate,” noting that his dubious legal standing is an obstacle to any peace agreement.

Mendel further recalled the so-called Midas case, Ukraine’s largest graft scandal, in which people close to Zelensky were accused of siphoning around $100 million in kickbacks from state nuclear operator Energoatom.

Known interactions between the suspects – including Timur Mindich, a former longtime associate of the Ukrainian leader and nicknamed “Zelensky’s wallet” – “give the impression of a mafia-like operation,”Mendel continued. “I’ve never seen his [Zelensky’s] bank accounts, but if almost everyone around him is accused of corruption, how is it possible that the president knows nothing?” she said,adding that the Ukrainian leader is “either incompetent, or he’s pretending not to see anything.”

Mendel also pointed out that companies linked to Zelensky’s inner circle are raking in “billions of euros” allocated by the EU.

She went on to single out forced conscription as proof of Zelensky’s authoritarian drift, as Ukrainian draft officers have repeatedly faced accusations of seizing men off the streets – sometimes leading to violent and even deadly altercations – to meet mobilization quotas amid manpower shortages at the front.

“Those responsible are almost never punished,” she said, arguing Zelensky “betrayed the people’s trust in the state.”

Asked about media narratives suggesting that Kiev was gaining the upper hand in the conflict, Mendel disagreed. “Even if Russia is losing, it doesn’t mean Ukraine is winning. And Russia is not losing,” she said, adding that Moscow is adapting to long-range drone strikes.

The former spokeswoman urged the West to “stop this war” and “save Ukraine.” She cited Finland’s 1940 Winter War settlement with the Soviet Union as a model for a peace deal, noting that the country ceded territory but “saved its state, its people, and its freedom.”

Mendel has been a fierce critic of Zelensky, claiming in May that the Ukrainian leader’s drug use is “an open secret” in Kiev’s corridors of power. She also suggested that Ukraine’s delegation had been ready to accept “all of Russia’s demands” at the Istanbul talks in 2022 before Western pressure derailed the deal.

https://www.rt.com/russia/643792-zelensky-ukraine-main-problem/

Todd Blanche on track for confirmation after Cornyn strikes Trump settlement deal

The Texas senator is a crucial vote on the attorney general nominee in the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is set to vote Tuesday.

Chris Marquette

Todd Blanche took a crucial step towards confirmation as attorney general late Sunday, after Sen. John Cornyn said he had reached adeal with the Justice Department to rein in a controversial settlement agreement President Donald Trump reached with the IRS earlier this year.

The pact was announced Sunday by a Cornyn spokesperson and by Blanche in a X post. Documents posted by Blanche-appear to meet the Texas Republican’s demands to nullify a $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund”and to limit the scope of an IRS audit immunity deal applying to the president and his family.

The announcement appears to clear the way for Cornyn to approve Blanche at a scheduled Tuesday meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee. With Democrats entirely opposed,any Republican defection could be fatal to the nomination.

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/02/todd-blanche-confirmation-deal-01022051

(I would think the DOJ have been investigating Cornyn and Tillis all these months. They are both known to be corrupt, so when they leave in January there will be on full investigations on both of them!)

Steve Guest

@SteveGuest

CBS News's Margaret Brennan defends socialism prompting Joe Manchin to respond: "Are you crazy?"

Brennan: "Could you ever support a self-described socialist candidate?"

Manchin: "No. No way. My God, no."

Brennan: "Even if they have some good ideas?"

Manchin: "I support the good ideas. But how could you support some of the crazy stuff they're for?Have you seen their platform? They're for dismantling everything that we know, whether it be, whether it be the structure of government, Congress itself, or the Senate they want to get rid of, and then they start talking about all the crazy things, no police, no this, no this, no that. Are you crazy?

We want, we want, a crime-free area. We have to have police for that. Yeah. We want a strong defense, we want a strong border. But if Democrats can't say that, and they start lining up with the socialist demands of how… Energy will be gone. There'll be no energy, okay? We have right now a tremendous amount of energy we're producing, and the world depends more on us than ever before."

https://xcancel.com/SteveGuest/status/2083951483658047942

Pet minister of Zelensky’s ‘bagman’ becomes top spy

Rustem Umerov, a suspected accomplice of graft suspect Timur Minchich, has survived the latest government reshuffle

Published 3 Aug, 2026 14:49

Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who is suspected of being part of a top-level corruption ring associated with businessman Timur Minchich,has been appointed to lead Kiev’s civilian intelligence agency.

Umerov previously served as secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, thebody headed by Vladimir Zelensky that is responsible for Ukraine’s strategic policy. His link to Mindich, nicknamed by the press “Zelensky’s bagman” over his long-time association with the Ukrainian leader, who fled from Western-backed anti-graft investigators to Israel last year, was exposed by leaked tapes allegedly recorded by detectives surveilling their primary suspect.

Zelensky announced Umerov’s appointment as the head of Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine on Monday. Igor Klimenko, who previously led the Interior Ministry, was appointed as his replacement at the security council.

The changes in the top governing body follow thelatest government reshuffle and renewed political turmoil in Kiev, after former Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov objected to his dismissal and publicly criticized General Aleksandr Syrsky,who was subsequently fired as commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Street protests demanding Fedorov’s reinstatement have continued for two weeks now.

Alleged Mindich man in the MOD

Zelensky has sacked six defense ministers during his overextended tenureat the head of the Ukrainian government.Several of them have been associated with high-profile corruption scandals, such as Aleksey Reznikov, whose so-called “golden eggs”. became the namesake for inflated procurement exposed by the media in early 2023. Neither he nor any other former defense minister has been charged with any crime.

Umerov served as defense minister between September 2023 and July 2025. He was identified as an associate of Mindich by the media in 2025, based on leaks from the Ukrainian National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO),the agencies created under Western pressure to root out the rampant corruption and profiteering at the top-levels of government, for which Kiev is notorious.

Initial reports suggested Umerov was using hisposition to authorize the purchase of $5.2 million worth of suspicious body armor supplied by a company associated with Mindich.NABU wiretapping records published by multiple media outlets now suggest Umerov’s involvement with Mindich ran far deeper.

The leaked tapes suggest that not only was Umerov funneling state contracts to Fire Point, a former entertainment sector business that grew into a drone and missile giant, effectively run by Mindich in secret even as he and the firm publicly denied it. Umerov was allegedly a close confidante, with whomMindich discussed ways to benefit from government appointments, lobbying efforts in the US,and other key decisions.

https://www.rt.com/russia/643800-umerov-reappointment-mindich-corruptlion/

>>24898975

2/2

Extraordinary political survivor

Umerov has managed to stay in the top echelons of government despite suspected corruption and has remained one of Kiev’s key negotiators.Just last week he was part of the delegation that Zelensky brought with him to the US.There was speculation in the press that Umerov could be appointed as the Ukrainian ambassador in Washington. His survivability contrasts his predecessors and successors:

Andrey Zagorodnyuk. Zelensky’s first defense minister is now on the board of a defense-related think tank in Kiev.

Gen. Andrey Taran. Zagorodnyuk’s successor, who was reportedly forced to resign over supposedly deteriorating health, was given a sinecure as the ambassador to Slovenia before leaving public service in 2024. Notably, a similar diplomatic semi-exile befell Syrsky’s predecessor as the AFU commander-in-chief, Ret. Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, who is now posted in London.

Andrey Reznikov. Ukraine’s first wartime defense minister disappeared into the same obscure Western-linked think tank world as Zagorodnyuk.

Rustem Umerov. Seems to be unsinkable. Some reports have claimed he became untouchable by becoming a secret witness on Ukrainian corruption for the FBI.

Denis Shmigal. Fedorov’s immediate predecessor who has the reputation of being a bureaucrat with no personal ambition, was broadly understood to be a stopgap appointment following the Mindich scandal. The former prime minister currently leads the Energy Ministry, replacing Svetlana Grinchuk, one of the Ukrainian officials swept up by NABU’s graft probes.

Mikhail Fedorov. The political future of the man who once was Zelensky’s closest ally hangs in the balance, after he reportedly refused being shuffled into the cabinet as vice prime minister for innovation.

Zelensky’s power base eroding

When he announced the government reshuffle last month, Zelensky explained Fedorov’s removal by his intractable personal conflict with Syrsky.

However, some media outlets suggested that the decision was motivated by Fedorov’s growing popularity and his alleged efforts to steer drone procurement contracts away from Fire Point and towards an alternative producer.

Fedorov’s slated replacement is Gen. Evgeny Khmara. A career commando, Khmara rose through the ranks of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).

The notorious security agency was accused of abusing its power in an effort to pressure NABU and SAPO to drop investigations against Zelensky’s inner circle. Ruslan Magomedrasulov, a senior detective in the Mindich inquiry,was arrested by the SBU alongside his father over claims that they had a joint business in Russia.

In 2025, the Ukrainian leader infamously tried to place NABU and SAPO under the office of the prosecutor general, stripping their independence, but was pressured to reverse the legislative changes after Western donors threatened to suspend all aid.

https://www.rt.com/russia/643800-umerov-reappointment-mindich-corruptlion/

Trump DHS chief under fire from conservatives after immigration speech ignites backlash

Former Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino accused Mullin of undermining the administration's mass deportation agenda

August 2, 2026 11:22am EDT

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is facing a conservative backlash after reaffirming his opposition to amnesty in a social media post, with critics arguing the hardline message contradicted comments he made hours earlier during an immigration speech in Oklahoma.

Hours after speaking at the National Governors Association Summer Meeting in Oklahoma City, Mullin wrote on X: "NO amnesty for illegal aliens. Ever."

"We are a nation of laws," he wrote. "If you are illegally present in the United States of America—you will be detained and deported. Period."

The post did little to quell criticism from some conservatives, who argued it conflicted with remarks Mullin made earlier in the day.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin addressed governors on immigration policy before facing criticism over comments about legal immigration reform. (Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg/Getty Image)

"Why were you at the National Governors Association Summer Meeting today saying the exact opposite of what you are posting now?" one user wrote on X. "Did you suddenly radically change your mind about America's immigration policy in the past couple of hours? Or are you a liar?

Former Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino also criticized Mullin's remarks, writing on X that "Voters asked for mass deportations. Clear demand. High priority. No ambiguity." He added, "The guy running DHS is making the case for 'immigration reform.' We've seen this script before."

In a separate post, Bovino wrote that Mullin had delivered "a masterclass in how to give terrible answers during a single interview" and argued, "Now you know why we're not getting mass deportations."

Conservative commentator Robby Starbuck also weighed in, calling Mullin's remarks "a total betrayal."

During the event, Mullin argued the U.S. needs immigration reform, distinguished between immigrants pursuing legal status and those who are not, and called for changes to some employment visa programs to address labor shortages.

"We haven't had actual immigration reform since 1959. There's a reason. It's political," Mullin said. "Do you really need immigration reform? Yes, you do."

Mullin also argued the country should modernize some employment visa programs.

"If we're looking to grow our economy, then we need to look at making more permanent solutions," he said, adding that "there's a way to utilize labor where we're not having the participation rate we need to… and we can plug those holes."

At the same time, Mullin repeatedly emphasized that immigration laws must be enforced.

"If you have a criminal background, we're not making exceptions for you," he said. "There are zero exceptions."

Mullin added that immigrants who entered the country illegally or overstayed their visas without pursuing legal status could not expect relief.

"There's nothing I can do for you," he said.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Amanda Macias covers the intersection of business, economics and politics, with a focus on how policy decisions shape markets, businesses and American workers.

(He needs to go!)

(https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-dhs-chief-fire-conservatives-immigration-speech-ignites-backlash

‘Everyone Agrees He Sucks Donkey Butt’: Trump White House Staff Reportedly Frustrated With DHS Sec. Markwayne Mullin

Aug 3rd, 2026, 9:42 am

With one Homeland Security secretary already having been exiled from President Donald Trump’s White House in 2026, a new Politico story revealsthe second is very much under fire from his colleagues.

According to Monday’s Politico Playbook, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin is facing a revolt not just from outspoken MAGA influencers, but also from within the administration.

“It takes a lot to unite this administration around a cohesive point of view,” an unnamed senior administration official told Politico. “Mullin deserves credit where credit is due. Everyone agrees he sucks donkey butt.”

Mullin’s appearance at the National Governors Association summer meeting in Oklahoma City on Saturday sparked rage on several levels. First, the secretary’s position on amnesty for migrants was seen as far too soft for many MAGA die-hards.

“If we’re looking to grow our economy, we need more permanent solutions on [work visas], because this narrative that it steals American jobs is true in some industries, it’s not true for all industries,” Mullin said. He added, “It is America. We want to take care of Americans first. It’s our economy, it’s our homeland, but there’s a way to utilize labor where we’re not having the participation rate we need to, and we can plug those holes.”

Those comments were ripped by immigration hardliners.

“Mullin is the wrong guy at the wrong time for the wrong job — a time when we need focus on ‘mass deportations,’ we get an amnesty advocate,” Steve Bannontold Politico.

Mullin tried to clean up his comments on X shortly after the speech.

“NO amnesty for illegal aliens,” Mullin wrote. “Ever. We are a nation of laws. If you are illegally present in the United States of America— you will be detained and deported. Period.”

Also, Mullin had a friendly interaction with Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD) on Saturday —which was not viewed favorably within MAGA circles.

And on Friday, Politico reported that Mullin enjoys a “surprisingly chummy relationship” with another notable Democrat — Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA pr people pleaser, andthat doesn’t work when you’re a Cabinet official,” the unnamed White House official told Politico.

Still, the numbers on removals, arrests, detention population are all up on Mullin’s watch. And Trump himself does not appear to be jumping on board with the critics at the moment.

“The President has confidence in Secretary Mullin and his entire Administration to carry out the agenda the American people voted for,” White House deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson told Politico.

https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/everyone-agrees-he-sucks-donkey-butt-trump-white-house-staff-reportedly-frustrated-with-dhs-sec-markwayne-mullin/

Trump Rails Against ‘Crooked and Corrupt’ Polling Amid Spate of New Data Putting His Approval in the Low 30s

Alex GriffingAug 3rd, 2026, 10:33 am

President Donald Trump raged at the political polling industry on Monday, declaring the recent spate of polls showinghis approval rating in the low 30s “are Crooked and Corrupt.”

Trump, who has long been fixated on his media coverage, has seen his approval ratings drop to all-time lows in recent weeks.

Quinnipiac University’s latest poll, published last Wednesday, found that only 32% of Americans approve of the job Trump is currently doing, while 58% disapprove.The finding was the lowest approval rating yet for Trump from Quinnipiac.

CNN’s latest Trump approval rating poll, meanwhile, showed the president at 34%, while the latest AP-NORC poll found Trump at 33%.

“My REAL Polling Numbers, not those made up by the Fake News Media, are the best they have ever been, and why wouldn’t they be with the biggest tax cuts and employment numbers EVER, the biggest outside Investment in America in World history, a totally secure Border, a giant Victory in Venezuela, the Denuclearization of Iran, unparalleled respect and success throughout the World, and much more? Don’t believe the Radical Left’s Fake Poll numbers. They are Crooked and Corrupt, just like the Country Destroying Dumocrats are Crooked and Corrupt. VOTE REPUBLICAN FOR GREATNESS IN AMERICA! Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

CNN’s chief data correspondent Harry Enten covered the latest Trump polls late last week and warned it “does not appear that there is a bottom. Trump is heading towards an electoral black hole.”

“I feel like this is like one of those magician’s tricks, right? Where the floor just falls out from beneath you, and that is exactly what’s happening with President Trump,” Enten continued, adding, “Trump’s approval hits record, two-term lows out this week. You know you mentioned the CNN poll: 34%. You think that’s all? How about AP-NORC: 33%. You think that’s all? How about Quinnipiac University? 32%. So you look at them and you get three different pollsters all saying that Trump is hitting term two lows this week.”

Enten went on to add some historical context, “Yeah, OK, so we’ll compare it to history. Let’s compare it to the other presidents who got a term two in the 21st Century. You can see it right here and I’m averaging CNN, Quinnipiac and the AP. approval. 21st century presidents at this point in term two, you average them out: CNN, Quinnipiac, AP, you get 33% for Trump.”

“Obama wasn’t too hot to trot, but he was at least at 41%. How about George W. Bush? The Iraq war was raging on back then during the 2006 electoral cycle, he was still at 38%. Trump is at the lowest of any president at this point in term two for a 21st-century president; you have to go all the way back to Richard Nixon to find a lower approval rating at this point in term two. And, of course, Richard Nixon was resigning in about a few weeks at this point in 1974 not the comparison you want to be making if you’re Donald John Trump,” Enten concluded.

https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump-rails-against-crooked-and-corrupt-polling-amid-spate-of-new-data-putting-his-approval-in-the-low-30s/

I don’t believe those polls because there are still massive crowds at his rallies.

Hungary to shut sole nuclear plant for first time on Sunday

Louis Oelofse with AFP, AP, Reuters.1/2

08/02/2026August 2, 2026

Record-low water levels on the Danube forced the Paks plant offline, leaving Hungary facing a potential power crunch. In neighboring Serbia, energy production at two hydroelectric plants has also been reduced.

Hungary will shut down the Paks nuclear power plant on Sunday for the first time in its 44-year history, Prime Minister Peter Magyar said.

"We are facing the most critical five days ahead," Magyar said. "Tomorrow, ​the Paks power plant will not be generating, while the hottest days are ahead."

He made the announcement on social media late Saturday night, saying the decision was taken after a further drop in the Danube's water level.

The plant, located 120 kilometers (74.5 miles) south of the capital, Budapest, uses water from the Danube to cool its reactors. It provides more than 40% of Hungary's electricity generation.

"The power grid, our public services and ourselves will all come under enormous ⁠strain," ​said Magyar, who has warned that the Paks plant could remain idle ​for weeks.

Record-low Danube levels necessitated the shutdown

The Danube has fallen to record-low levels in some areas after months of below-average rainfall and successive heat waves since May.

Hungary's water authority projected that the Danube, which flows from Germany to the Black Sea, would fall further in the coming days.

It measured the Danube's water level in Budapest at 23 centimeters (9 inches) on Wednesday morning, well below the previous record low of 33 centimeters (13 inches) set in 2018.

As a result, output at the Paks nuclear power plant had already been cut earlier in the week and some reactors shut down.

"Due to a further decline in the Danube's water level, the second-to-last generating unit at the Paks nuclear power plant will be shut down at 1:30 a.m. (2330 GMT)," the prime minister said.

"As a result, the plant is now producing only 240 megawatts (of electricity), and tomorrow (on Sunday), for the first time in 44 years, it will be completely shut down," Magyar added.

https://www.dw.com/en/hungary-to-shut-sole-nuclear-plant-for-first-time-on-sunday/a-78205668

>>24899113

2/2

Hungary's large power users asked to cut power

The surge in imported electricity prices could cost Hungary between 120 billion and 240 billion forints ($315 million to $630 million, €273 million to €546 million), Tisza Party Vice Chairman Mark Radnai said on Facebook.

Magyar warned the Paks plant could remain offline for weeks and said his government would seek voluntary power cuts from large users, in addition to the 240 megawatts already pledged, with penalties for noncompliance.

A decree would also allow grid operator MAVIR to mandate consumption cuts and temporarily disconnect large users if necessary.

"Households will be the last to face restrictions," Magyar said, reiterating a call for companies, public institutions, local governments and households ​to significantly reduce or reschedule ⁠electricity use during evening peak hours between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m.

He said the government would decide later ⁠Sunday whether to apply mandatory ​electricity restrictions on large companies from Monday.

Serbia reduces hydroelectric production

Meanwhile, the ongoing heatwave has forced neighboring Serbia to greatly reduce power generation from hydroelectric plants, the country's energy minister said on Sunday.

The two biggest plants, Djerdap I and Djerdap II, provide around 18% of Serbia's electricity generation, have been reduced to an output just 20% and 30% of their respective capacities.

Hydroelectric power accounts for nearly a third of Serbia's energy, with thermal plants making up the rest. But with the Danube, which flows through the Serbian capital, Belgrade, hitting historic lows in some areas, their operations have suffered.

https://www.dw.com/en/hungary-to-shut-sole-nuclear-plant-for-first-time-on-sunday/a-78205668

Conservative Pundit Tells Sean Hannity That Trump ‘May Only Have 3 Months Left’

Jennifer Bowers Bahney

Aug 1st, 2026, 6:07

Conservative pundit Dave Rubin told Sean Hannity that President Donald Trump “may only have three months left” to complete his agenda if Democrats sweep the midterms.

In a teaser clip from Hannity’s Hang Out with Sean Hannity podcast that was posted on Satruday, Rubin said, “People really better understand that it’s not that Trump has two-and-a-half-years left. He may only have three months left. That in essence is where we could be.”

“Good point,” Hannity agreed.

“If the Republicans lose the House and lose the Senate — well, first, if they lose the House, he’s going to get hung up in impeachment. He will likely not be impeached. But meaning we will end up with —”

“Oh, he’ll be impeached,” Hannity declared.

“Right, no, no, he’ll be impeached, but he probablywon’t be removed from office. They’re not going to get enough votes in the Senate one way or another, or something.

But the point is that the process to end these last 10 years of MAGA and everything that has happened since 2015 will begin. And then it’s not just that they will be emboldened, the crazies on the left will be emboldened.”

Rubin continued:

Then the fighting on the right, to whatever extent we’ve already talked about it, that’s going to go completely bananas because it’s going to be like rats jumping from a ship. And then you’re going to have all these people leaving Trump and trying to pick up the pieces. It’s going to be complete chaos. So, people really better understand that. It’s not just that at this midterm, which everyone always says is the most important election of all time. Like, I don’t see how it could possibly be more important than it is right now.

“We are on the edge of handing the keys to the castle to people who are telling us they want to burn the castle down,” Rubin added, “And we’re about to hand them the keys to do it.”

The full Rubin episode will be released on Tuesday.

https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/conservative-pundit-tells-sean-hannity-that-trump-may-only-have-3-months-left/