Josh R

Donald Trump Is Not a Conservative. He’s a Warning. By a lifelong Republican who still believes in conservative principles. It’s time to say out loud what many on the right whisper privately, and what is going to be increasingly made public: Donald Trump is not a conservative. Not in philosophy, not in temperament, not in governing style, and certainly not in respect for the institutions that conservatives have spent generations trying to preserve. Trumpism isn’t the future of conservatism—it’s its undoing. Conservatism Once Meant Something. Trump Burned It Down. Real conservatism champions limited government, personal responsibility, fiscal discipline, and reverence for the constitutional structure that restrains human ambition. It values rule of law over rule of man. It elevates character and humility, not chaos and ego. Trump embodies none of that. Instead, he has offered a politics of resentment, centralization of power, and a cult of personality so intense that many Republicans now treat the presidency as a throne rather than a constitutional office. This isn’t the legacy of Goldwater or Reagan. It’s the legacy of leaders conservatives once warned the nation about. A Man Who Worships Power Cannot Be a Conservative The first principle of conservatism is that power must be restrained, because human nature is flawed. Trump’s first principle is that power should be accumulated, because he believes he alone is virtuous. Conservatives fought for decades to limit presidential overreach. Trump smashed those boundaries with the zeal of someone who had never read a page of The Federalist Papers but is certain he understood them better than the authors. He threatened to use the DOJ against political enemies, demanded personal loyalty from public servants, attacked judges whose rulings he disliked, and treated independent institutions as his personal subsidiaries. That is not conservatism. That is authoritarian instinct—plain and simple. A Fiscal Conservative? Don’t Make Me Laugh. Trump exploded the deficit in times of economic expansion—something no conservative president had ever done. He signed every bloated spending bill that crossed his desk, raised tariffs (a hidden tax on consumers), and showed zero interest in entitlement reform or long-term financial stewardship. Conservatives used to talk about debt as a moral issue. Trump treated it like Monopoly money. Trade Protectionism Is Not Conservative Economics For decades, conservatives fought for free markets, open competition, and lower barriers to global commerce. Trump shattered that consensus with old-school economic nationalism dressed up as populist bravado. His tariffs punished American consumers and businesses more than foreign adversaries. Reagan said, “Protectionism is destructionism.” Trump called tariffs “beautiful.” One of them was a conservative. The other was Donald Trump. Character Still Counts—No Matter What Excuses His Followers Make Conservatism is a worldview rooted in virtue. Burke wrote about the necessity of ordered liberty supported by personal restraint. Buckley demanded decency and seriousness from the conservative movement. Reagan modeled optimism, humility, humor, and faith in America. Trump modeled none of these. He brought pettiness, cruelty, and narcissism into the center of the Republican identity. For too many, character no longer mattered as long as the leader punched the right enemies. That shift alone disqualifies Trump from being called a conservative—because it erases the moral foundation of the movement. He Has Contempt for the Constitution He Swore to Defend Conservatives revere the Constitution because it restrains the passions of the moment. Trump sees the Constitution as an inconvenient rulebook that keeps him from doing whatever he wants. He floated ideas like “terminating” parts of it after the 2020 election—a statement that should have permanently disqualified him from conservative life. He showed open disdain for federalism, attacked state leaders who disagreed with him, and repeatedly praised strongmen abroad whose power he envied. No one who speaks like that should ever again be called a conservative. Trump Isn’t a Philosophy—He’s an Erosion At its core, conservatism is about preserving the things that keep a nation strong: its institutions, its norms, its fiscal health, its civic virtue, and its constitutional order. Trump undermined every one of them. The real danger isn’t just Trump himself. It’s the precedent he sets: that a president can ignore norms, pressure institutions, centralize power, and shred the guardrails of democracy—all while claiming to be the guardian of “real America.” If conservatives allow that to stand, the movement won’t survive. The authoritarian left won’t destroy conservatism—Trumpism will. Conservatives Must Choose: Trump or Conservatism Those of us who still believe in conservative principles face a choice, and it’s not complicated: We can defend the Constitution, or we can defend Trump. We can stand for limited government, or we can stand for unlimited executive ego. We can preserve the conservative movement, or we can watch it mutate into a populist personality cult. But we cannot pretend that both visions are conservative. One is rooted in centuries of wisdom about human nature and the fragility of self-government. The other is rooted in the impulses of a single man. Trump is not a conservative. He never was. He is the loudest alarm bell the right has heard in generations—and if conservatives ignore it, we may never again recognize the movement we once believed in.

Nothing strange, just russian children acting like the Hitler Youth - marching in formation, dressed in military uniforms and waving flags glorifying the genocide russia is committing in Ukraine. Some of those children might even be kidnapped Ukrainian children - indoctrinated and re-educated. They are being turned into puppets of the russian regime. Their identities erased, their minds twisted. In five years, they’ll be ready to “liberate” the rest of Ukraine - then Poland, the Baltics, and eventually all of Europe. This isn’t just a disturbing video. It’s a warning about the future unless we stop russia now. This is exactly how Nazi Germany rose to power in the 1930s. It’s time for the appeasement crowd to finally wake up.

@Markzandi @morgfair How do tariffs work? They don’t. Trump is an economic illiterate, as evidenced by his going bankrupt 6 times.

We have a year’s worth of economic data since Liberation Day, when President Trump announced much higher tariffs on most imported goods and countries, and the data are definitive; the tariffs have done significant damage to the economy. Since that day, job growth has come to a standstill, with only the non-traded healthcare industry adding meaningfully to payrolls. Also, since that day, inflation has accelerated, with the consumer expenditure deflator increasing at a 3% year-over-year pace, up from 2.5% before the tariffs and well above the Federal Reserve’s target of 2%. And the trend lines don’t look good, especially as the economic fallout from the Iran War hits with full force. The higher energy and other commodity prices caused by the war threaten to do even more economic damage than the tariffs, further undermining growth and pushing inflation higher. The U.S. economy is resilient, but just how resilient is set to be tested.

Panicked Republicans realize it’s all going south: 1. A few admit prosecuting Comey over 8647 seashells is nuts 2. Many acknowledge that Trump’s gas price promise failed because of Iran 3. Many admit the tariff policy isn’t good Despite realizing they’ll get crushed in November, they’re still mostly scared of abandoning Trump. An abusive relationship they can’t leave.

George Lucas took a $500,000 pay cut on Star Wars in exchange for the merchandising rights. Fox thought it was a great deal. By 2012 those rights had generated $20 billion. Five Star Wars facts worth knowing on May the 4th. zurl.co/s82NT

Financial Times - “Russia has stepped up security protocols for President Vladimir Putin amid fears of assassination as he grows more isolated and absorbed by his war in Ukraine. In recent months, Russia’s Federal Protective Service (FSO), which guards top officials, has sharply tightened security around the president. He spends more time in underground bunkers micromanaging the war and has grown more detached from civilian affairs, according to people who know Putin in Moscow and a person close to European intelligence services. Putin’s isolation has increased in recent years, particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic. But as of March, the Kremlin’s concern over a coup d’état or an assassination attempt, specifically involving drones, has intensified sharply, said the person close to European intelligence.”

Ukraine should use the May 9 parade, which will be protected by Putin’s moving tons of missile air defense systems into Moscow, by annihilating every Russian oil processing site. Putin‘s days are numbered and as soon as he’s gone, we need to focus on the downfall of Lukashenko next.

Even Shoigu makes putin tremble. Reports from CNN, the Financial Times, and the investigative outlet Vazhnye Istorii (Important Stories) on May 4, 2026, state that a European intelligence agency has identified Sergei Shoigu as a "potential factor of destabilisation” in Russia. For decades, the Kremlin’s master of shadows has ruled through a toxic cocktail of fear and "loyalty" bought with stolen billions. But if the latest reports from CNN, the Financial Times, and European intelligence are any indication, the "loyalty" has evaporated, leaving only a terrified old man hiding in his Krasnodar bunkers. The most delicious irony? The man allegedly keeping putin awake at night is none other than his long-time fishing buddy and former Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu. According to Western intelligence, Shoigu is now viewed as a "potential factor of destabilisation”. Despite being shuffled off to the Security Council, Shoigu’s reach within the military command remains a thorn in putin’s side. The recent arrest of Shoigu’s right-hand man, Ruslan Tsalikov, wasn't just a corruption bust—it was a declaration of war against the old guard. putin has broken the "thieves' code" that protected the elite, and in doing so, he has turned his most loyal sycophants into desperate men with nothing left to lose. putin’s reaction is as predictable as it is pathetic: He is reportedly spending weeks sequestered in fortified holes in the ground, terrified of his own shadow. He has banned his inner circle from carrying internet-connected phones, fearing a drone-guided assassination. Staff must now clear two-tier security screenings just to breathe the same recycled air as the Russian dictator. This isn't the behavior of a confident statesman. It’s the frantic scrambling of a dictator who knows that in Russia, the transition of power rarely happens at the ballot box—it happens with a "sudden illness" or a quiet coup. Whether Shoigu has the spine to lead a putsch is almost irrelevant. What matters is that putin believes he does. The system he built on fear is now consuming its creator. The clock isn't just ticking for the Russian occupation of Ukraine. It’s ticking for the man in the bunker. And this time, his favorite general might be the one to wind the key.

@jurgen_nauditt Hopefully Ukraine will take advantage of all the anti-air missile defense that’s being moved in to protect the Moscow Parade, and annihilate every oil refining site in Russia on May 9th. Putin’s days are numbered.

How Ukraine could “greet” Moscow on May 9. Drones can already reach Moscow, St. Petersburg, and most destinations in the European part of the Russian Federation. Do you believe Ukraine will launch an attack on May 9?

@JayinKyiv Any world leader attending the Moscow parade should immediately be arrested the minute they set foot back in their country - for siding with Russian evil. That constitutes crimes against humanity.

The idiocy of Putin's regime, moving all the country's air defenses to protect a propaganda parade in Moscow. Its going to be an amazing week.

🥸😢😡🫰👎🤏🥸 Many people voted for Donald Trump because “he’s a businessman.” 💰 They just overlooked the fact that he isn’t very good at it. His first casino, the Trump Taj Mahal, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 1991 — just over a year after opening in April 1990. The casino failed to generate enough revenue to cover the massive debt from its $1 billion construction cost. After that first bankruptcy in 1991, other Trump-related casinos and hotels also filed for bankruptcy within a relatively short time: ❌ Trump Castle (1992) — filed after becoming unprofitable in 1991, only a few years after opening. ❌ Trump Plaza Hotel (1992) — filed within four years of being acquired due to excessive debt. ❌ Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts (2004) — filed 12 years after the first wave of bankruptcies, with $1.8 billion in debt. ❌ Trump Entertainment Resorts (2009 and 2014) — filed two more times, driven by the 2008 financial crisis and declining revenues in Atlantic City. Over a 25-year period, businesses associated with Donald Trump filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy between four and six times, depending on how the filings are counted across separate entities. During these proceedings, Trump often handed over ownership stakes to creditors and, in some cases, removed his name from properties. Because he didn’t want to be seen as the failure he has always been. 🥵🤔😱

The history of these days will speak to the cult; how easily they were gaslit; how they rallied around petty grievance; how they railed against their own interests; how they suppressed reasoned thought and fell for a flawed and obvious con. History will also speak to the enablers, some of whom pursued proximity to power, some of whom pursued grift through opportunism, some of whom caved and capitulated out of fear, and all of whom pursued personal gain above a greater collective good. But the true unforeseen disaster of these days, which I shake my head at continually, is the shameless, relentless, and widespread normalization of a madman.

Gonna be a bad week for Russian oil facilities.

“The only answer is Russia’s total defeat in Ukraine, collapse of the Putin terrorist mafia regime, and the humiliation and dissolution of the Russian empire and the imperialist virus. Don’t repeat the mistakes of victory in the Cold War.” – Garry Kasparov

Wall Street Journal - “President Trump is clear-eyed about the threat from Iran, but he seems to view Russia with Kremlin-colored glasses. Perhaps he needs an intelligence briefing on the extent of Russian aid for Iran. Vladimir Putin hosted Iran’s foreign minister in St. Petersburg recently, and evidence is accumulating that the Kremlin has been helping Iran with intelligence to target Americans.”

The atmosphere in the Pentagon is reportedly in "disarray," with senior officials fearing that the internal cohesion required for a functioning military has been severely damaged by Hegseth’s leadership. share.google/hrHFFSyZoMWrJ3…

🔴 European intelligence reports potential Russian coup involving Sergei Shoigu. According to CNN, the Kremlin has restricted Vladimir Putin’s movements to fortified bunkers and intensified security for top military commanders following reports that the former defense minister maintains enough influence to lead an elite-driven assassination or power grab.

The May 9 parade in Moscow is still a few days away, yet Putin is already a laughingstock - including within Russia itself - and the 2026 parade has already turned into a symbol of failure for Russia: • Air defense systems pulled in from across the country; • No heavy equipment or aviation on display; • Internet outages in Moscow lasting several days; • Unprecedented security measures; • The absence of high-profile guests. All of this points to fear - and a regime in its final throes. Putin may try to provoke Ukraine into striking Red Square during the parade. He could also stage such a strike himself and use it as a pretext to legitimize a retaliatory attack on Ukraine. Putin is cornered. The war has reached a stalemate, and the situation in Russia is deteriorating by the day. A cornered rat is the most dangerous.

Unsettled Kremlin tightens security around Putin amid assassinations and coup fears, intel report says | CNN cnn.com/2026/05/04/eur…

🚨 BREAKING: The army is retreating and giving up positions. Putin is losing already captured territory Russia’s offensive has stalled. For the first time in a long while, Russia is not just standing still — it is moving backward, not forward. According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), in April 2026 Russian forces withdrew from positions covering an area of 116 square kilometers. This is the first recorded instance of such territorial losses since August 2024. The Russian army has begun to lose territory it had previously captured. For Moscow, this is an especially troubling signal: after months of pressure and attempts to push the front line forward, there are now signs that holding the line is becoming increasingly difficult.