Kurtis Budden

Tucker claims the words "could this be the antichrist?" never left his lips. NYT shows a clip of him saying exactly that:

Might frame it

Fox News has one of the biggest and best-funded newsrooms in the US. Why didn't Fox News publish an investigation into Swalwell's sexual misconduct? Why didn't Breitbart? Newsmax? The Daily Caller? And why is no one in the right-wing media ecosystem asking these questions?

Because the fact is that ONLY so-called "mainstream media" — no right-wing outlets — put forward the massive resources required to publish these investigations into Swalwell.

I don’t know if people are playing dumb, genuinely don’t understand what’s happening, or are simply blinded by their feelings about Trump, but a lot of the social media commentary right now is absurd and exhausting. What’s going on is essentially a high-stakes game of chicken between the Trump administration and the remaining leaders of the Islamic Republic over what the end of the current fight looks like. Both sides have clear objectives (see below). The Islamic Republic believes (or believed) it could use economic pressure, information warfare, and domestic political pressure to force Trump to back down and avoid giving America what it wants. China and Russia are covertly assisting in this effort because the collapse of the regime would severely weaken their influence in the region, and because they are always eager to undermine American power. The regime has also found willing domestic allies in this campaign, including many on the left and certain podcast hosts who are committed to opposing what they — like many Marxist college professors — view as the American empire. On the other hand, Trump and his administration are using military pressure to force the regime’s leaders to concede. They are essentially presenting the regime with a choice: surrender on these specific demands, or we will continue escalating pressure and removing regime leaders until we find someone who will. I think the Islamic Republic has underestimated how committed Trump is to achieving these goals. He views them, not without reason, as central to his potential legacy. A Middle East without the constant threat of well-armed and well-funded Iranian terror proxies would be a genuine game-changer. This perspective is shaped not only by his own beliefs but also by the strong encouragement of key regional allies who see Tehran as the central threat — and not just Israel, but most of the Gulf states as well. Everything else you’re seeing right now is simply the two sides trying to gain leverage and apply greater pressure on each other. Regarding Trump’s absurd postings specifically, Trump has always been viewed on the world stage as unpredictable and somewhat crazy. He leans into this image. He believes that acting like a bully and openly flexing American power is central to his negotiating and pressure strategy to get what he wants. I have been very critical of Trump for using this style against allies (for example, threatening to take Greenland, or arbitrarily raising tariffs), because it often alienates them unnecessarily and can be counterproductive. (I’m setting aside for now the fact that some of those same allies have proven very unreliable lately.) However, this approach works much more effectively against rogue regimes and enemies. They genuinely believe he is crazy enough to follow through on threats that other leaders would never make. He has proven this with things like the Mauduro raid. That perception gives him a real edge in a game of chicken like the one playing out now. His over-the-top posts actually make it more likely that regime officials will look for an off-ramp with concessions, not less likely. So while you might dislike his style or find the threats inappropriate, the only questions that truly matter are whether he is prepared to follow through (probably not) and whether these threats help achieve a successful outcome. This isn't a podcast debate. It's a war. And now that Trump has committed to it, he rightly wants to win it. Anyone telling you that isn't feasible and he should just give in without achieving America's objectives is intentionally deceiving you, and you might want to ask yourself why...

Phil is exactly right. I don't see any scriptural support for abortion. I don't see any scriptural support for abusing and terrorizing immigrants.

If your response to persecution is to arm your church, laying out strategies and contingencies, while neglecting to biblically prepare your people for persecution and how to respond to it, your thinking might be as Americans first and Christians second.

The consequences of the United States attacking / invading or annexing Greenland: Here’s just a few possibilities of how it plays out for the US. The geopolitical equivalent of committing state suicide. The first effect is this: The US seizing territory from a NATO country, won’t be letters of protest or Ambassador recalls. It will trigger the end of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, which provides at its core - a treaty between member nations. At the heart and design of this treaty is the collective defence obligation “an armed attack on one, is an attack on all”. This treaty has kept the peace for over 75 years, and it will cease to exist immediately, as the aggressor is a member of NATO. The organisation will lose a principal ally, while creating a new enemy. Potential repercussions: If only a few of these materialise - it will be catastrophic for the USA.   Europe will immediately demand the closure of every U.S. military base on the continent. Ramstein in Germany, Aviano in Italy, Lakenheath in the UK. The US’s ability to project power into the Middle East and Africa vanishes overnight. They will be evicted from the very soil they helped liberate and defended for decades, and forced to retreat to their own shores as a fortress nation, isolated and friendless. Perhaps Trump may even forge new alliances with Russia and China.   Economically, the European Union is the largest single market in the world, and they will immediately be compelled to respond to it, under Article 47.2 TFEU - which is the EU’s own mutual defence treaty and framework. Europe will likely move to call in U.S. debt and dump their dollar reserves, sending the value of our currency into a death spiral. The U.S. economy, which relies on the dollar being the global reserve currency, will collapse. Inflation will make the post-COVID spikes look like a rounding error. US citizens savings will be worthless before the ink dries on the invasion orders.   Corporate America will face an extinction event. U.S. companies will be expelled from the European market. Apple, Google, McDonald's, and Tesla will see their assets seized or their operations banned. Trillions of dollars in market capitalization will be incinerated in minutes. The stock market will not just crash; it will close. We are talking about the complete de-globalization of American industry, cutting them off from the wealthiest consumers on the planet.   The skies will go silent. European aviation authorities will almost certainly ground all Boeing jets and ban U.S. airlines from their airspace. Transatlantic travel will cease. If US citizens are in Paris or Berlin, they are stuck there. The logistical arteries that feed our supply chains will be severed. The US will be cut off from European medicine, machinery, and technology. They will be an island nation in the worst possible sense.   The cultural isolation will be just as stinging. The International Olympic Committee and FIFA will have no choice but to bar the United States from competition, just as they did with Russia.   For individual Americans, the consequences will be personal and painful. Visa-free travel to Europe will end immediately. Americans currently living or working in Europe will lose their legal protections and residency status.   This is the end of trust, and it does not reset. You cannot invade a democratic ally and then say "my bad" four years later. The psychological break will be permanent. Europe will realize that the United States is no longer a partner but a predator. Europe will build its own defense architecture, their own financial systems, and their own alliances that specifically exclude the US. The West will continue, but the United States will no longer be part of it. This is by design of the Trump regime and it’s army of social media influencers acting as officially endorsed pseudo advisors.   Invading or annexing Greenland is not a show of strength; it is an act of national suicide.