JD Breen

For those interested in observations, insights, and vignettes from various places around the world (including occasional starring or supporting roles of many people reading this post), this volume is now available: amazon.com/dp/B0GGBBWLTJ/…

@AlexBasedXx2 @PatriotInSF @phaltron @DanScavino Thank you for your message. I’m away from my screen right now, but will respond to your post as soon as possible. Unless it’s particularly moronic, in which case I’ll ignore it with the derision it deserves. Thanks again for reading and have a great day!

@realjdbreen @PatriotInSF @phaltron @DanScavino Ahhh... it looks like I hit a nerve.🎯 Now you have to retreat in shame and write a fake "reply" Well done me! 😂

“𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐧𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬.”

@bv9122 @RepMcGovern There’s no difference. Even the excuses and justifications are the same. As you just proved.

@RepMcGovern The Iraq war was based on a lie...there were no WMDs. The Iran "war" is not based on a lie. Big difference.

23 years ago tonight, in an Oval Office address, George W. Bush announced the start of the Iraq War. 4,492 American service members were killed in the years that followed. 32,292 were wounded. At least 200,000 Iraqi civilians died. The humanitarian impact was immense. America wasted 9 years and 3 trillion dollars on a war that never should have happened—a war predicated on a lie, pushed by warmongering neocon politicians, and paid for by everyday people. Imagine what that $3 trillion could have bought here at home. Imagine the decade we could have spent focusing on America, our people, our place in the world. Imagine the lives our service members, stolen from us, would have lived. But instead, the president took us to war. Yet another costly quagmire in the Middle East. I voted against the Iraq War. I knew the White House would lie to Members of Congress and voters alike to manufacture the pretext for a conflict—and they did. Now, Iran is shaping up to be Iraq 2.0—new lies, new bloodthirsty politicians, still paid for by American families. Yesterday, we learned that Trump wants another $200 billion for his war. That's after Congress already gave the Pentagon more money than it even asked for in the budget. Enough is enough. It is not too late to learn from the past. Stop this madness. Bring our troops home. End this war.

@TheCalvinCooli1 If there’s one agency that’s a bastion of integrity and trust, it’s the FBI.

🚨Report: The FBI investigation found that Joe Kent shared secret government information with disaffected MAGA media figures such as Tucker Carlson He shared other leaks with Tucker FBI plans to release details to show that the investigation predated the resignation Via: NOTUS

@TheBabylonBee Why are you so obsessed with Israel?

Tucker Carlson Loses On ‘Wheel Of Fortune’ After Guessing ‘Israel' On Every Puzzle buff.ly/5jiSFz1

“𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦.” That’s only for constitutional decisions. Unconstitutional ones should be rebuked. Kent acted honorably. Others should follow his lead.

𝗩𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗗𝗥𝗔𝗪𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗢𝗡 𝗝𝗢𝗘 𝗞𝗘𝗡𝗧 JD Vance just gave the clearest, most disciplined response to the Kent resignation of anyone in the administration — and it lands harder because he says it without malice. Vance knows Kent. He likes Kent. The president likes Kent. None of that changes the fundamental principle Vance articulated with surgical precision: 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦. This is how functional governments work. Trump, by Vance's account, is genuinely open to input — from the Secretary of State to the gardener at Mar-a-Lago. He listens. He values different perspectives. That culture of openness is a feature, not a bug. But it operates 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 the decision is made. Once the president decides, the debate is over and execution begins. Kent didn't raise his concerns privately and then faithfully implement the decision. He was cut from briefings months ago as a suspected leaker, was excluded from all Iran war planning, ignored JD Vance's personal counsel to speak to the chief of staff before going public — and then published a resignation letter on government letterhead filled with antisemitic conspiracy theories accusing the president of being manipulated by Israel. That's not principled dissent. That's insubordination wrapped in a press release. Vance closes with the most important line: 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘥𝘰 𝘮𝘺 𝘫𝘰𝘣. In one sentence he draws the sharpest possible contrast with Kent — and quietly signals to anyone watching that whatever disagreements he may have about foreign policy, he is not going to be the next person throwing a grenade on the way out the door. That's called loyalty. And in this administration, it means something.

@MAGAVoice BREAKING 🚨Should this end President Trump’s career?

BREAKING 🚨 President Trump just ENDED Joe Kent’s whole career with one screenshot . WOW

@GAFollowers I think I might just drive to Chattanooga to fly. I realize I’d still have to connect in ATL, but at least security won’t take three hours. Or will ATL try to prohibit that too?

Atlanta airport is asking people to stop using the international side for domestic flights.

@GAFollowers Well then fix the Domestic side rather than chastise customers for finding their own solution.

@Badhombre @DrunkRepub So’s this:

This is interesting.

@OnlyInBOS Why is the U.S. Military wasting artillery overseas when so many eyesores like this still assault our own country?

Boston City Hall opened to the public 57 years ago. The building is one of the most famous examples of Brutalist architecture, a style known for its raw concrete, bold shapes, and focus on structure over decoration.

@joekent16jan19 Thank you. Hopefully you help clear a path for others to follow.

After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today. I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby. It has been an honor serving under @POTUS and @DNIGabbard and leading the professionals at NCTC. May God bless America.

While this volume includes (among plenty of other things) many vignettes from France, I wasn’t expecting it would be the number one New Release in “French History”. But I’ll take it! amazon.com/Gateways-Retre…

@CoffeeandaMike But does seem like a movie: How the administration communicates with us about their war: youtu.be/xvuItALS9Xk?si…

THIS IS NOT A SUPERHERO MOVIE

He warned you 22 years ago about the war we are seeing now... Pray for peace and stand up for justice

Trump in 2008: Anyone who invades the Middle East under false pretenses should be impeached.

Same here. Americans have been conditioned over the last century that kids should scatter after high school, rejecting the extended family that sustained society till that time. This bred dependency on child care and old age care that families once provided. It’s also why parents and kids see so little of each other as adults, as discussed here: @mattpheus pretiuminsights.com/p/sand-thru-th…

I used to be entirely in the camp that said you should kick your kids out at 18 and force them to live independently and make their own way in the world. I don’t feel that way at all anymore. I want all my kids to live with us until they get married. Even after they’re married, if they want to live on our property, or close by, my wife and I would love that. The important thing is to teach your kids responsibility, which we’re doing. They need to contribute and help around the house, which all of our kids do from a very young age. Provided you aren’t raising ungrateful useless moochers, why kick them out? Why drive them away from your family home? I don’t see the point in it anymore. I actually like my kids and like being around them. Maybe they’ll all end up scattered to the wind. But I’d prefer to keep the family together. Why wouldn’t I?

@MeghanMcCain What “enemy”? No war has been declared. Iran has never done anything to me. The only government that rips me off, monitors my communication and movement, or kills people in my name is the one in Washington.

Secretly communicating with an enemy of the United States during an active war conflict makes you a traitor in my book. Full stop.

@SamaHoole Remarkably effective propaganda.

On the morning of 24 September 1955, President Dwight D. Eisenhower felt what he thought was indigestion from a hamburger. He played twenty-seven holes of golf. By evening the indigestion had become chest pain. By the following morning, the President of the United States had been admitted to Fitzsimons Army Medical Centre in Denver with a confirmed myocardial infarction. The stock market, when the news broke, lost fourteen billion dollars in a single day. The nation wanted an explanation. Eisenhower's personal physician, Paul Dudley White, was one of America's most prominent cardiologists. He began conducting press conferences: regular, public, nationally broadcast medical briefings on the President's condition, his treatment, and what lessons the American public should draw from a healthy, active man being felled by a heart attack at 64. White's press conferences are, in retrospect, extraordinary documents of motivated reasoning. Eisenhower was smoking up to four packs of cigarettes per day at the time of his heart attack. He had been smoking heavily for decades. The evidence linking cigarette smoking to cardiovascular disease was, by 1955, available in the medical literature. It was not yet the settled consensus it would become, the landmark US Surgeon General's report on smoking and health would not appear until 1964, but the data existed. White, at his press conferences, did not emphasise the smoking. He emphasised the diet. Specifically, he directed American attention toward the work of Ancel Keys, a University of Minnesota physiologist who had been arguing since 1953 that saturated fat from animal products raised cholesterol and caused heart disease. Keys was unknown to the general public before September 1955. After White's press conferences, he was on his way to becoming the most influential nutritional voice in American history. Eisenhower implemented Keys's recommendations himself. He went on a low-fat diet. His physicians monitored his cholesterol obsessively: at one point concealing elevated readings from him to avoid causing him stress, which is a fascinating detail in a story about rigorous science. He cut eggs, cut butter, cut the fat from his meat. He ate margarine. His cholesterol went up.~ He kept having cardiovascular events. Multiple. Throughout the 1950s and 60s. He died in 1969, of congestive heart failure. The low-fat diet he had followed for fourteen years had not saved him. The cigarettes he had smoked for decades had, presumably, not helped. But Keys's hypothesis, launched into public consciousness on the back of Eisenhower's heart attack, gained the institutional momentum of a presidential medical case. By 1961, Keys was on the cover of Time magazine and on the nutrition committee of the American Heart Association. By 1980, the US government had issued dietary guidelines warning all Americans to reduce their fat intake. The hamburger that Eisenhower blamed for his indigestion became the cultural villain of the piece. The four packs of cigarettes he was smoking while he ate it were not discussed with the same urgency. This is not how science is supposed to work. It is, however, very much how this science did work.