June 17, 2026 — Scott Johnson

General Keane strikes again

Featured image General Jack Keane appeared yesterday for a brief segment on Fox News with Bill Melugin. He was great, as usual. Vice President Vance turns up in a clip at the beginning of the segment. I cannot square what Vance says in the clip about the right of destruction of Iran’s “enriched stockpile” under the Memorandum of Understanding with the terms as we have received them (no such provision exists). Whole »
June 17, 2026 — Scott Johnson

U.S. v. Sant is the name of the case

Featured imageThe Department of Justice has issued a generously illustrated press release announcing the indictment of 15 defendants charged with crimes against ICE officers in the course of Operation Metro Surge. I have embedded the text of the indictment in United States v. Sant below via Scribd. At yesterday’s press conference announcing the indictment, United States Attorney Dan Rosen urged us to read it. I can’t find straight news coverage of »
June 16, 2026 — John Hinderaker

Southern Poverty Law Center, America’s Leading Supporter of Racism

Featured imageI don’t know whether the Department of Justice will be able to make its indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center stick, or not. I certainly hope so. There has rarely been a more despicable organization than the SPLC. The gist of the federal indictment is that the SPLC raised hundreds of millions of dollars by pretending to be an anti-racist organization, while in fact it devoted some of those »
June 17, 2026 — Scott Johnson

The terms of our surrender

Featured imageThe text of the Memorandum of Understanding to be signed formally by the United States and Iran has been posted here “as seen by Bloomberg News.” Bloomberg adds: “Iran’s Tasnim news agency cited an unnamed official on Wednesday as saying parts of the text published by Bloomberg are inaccurate. The report did not specify what was different. Bloomberg previously reported that there could be differences in the wording between the »
June 16, 2026 — John Hinderaker

JD Vance on The View

Featured imageJD Vance went on The View today, with a full complement of six harridans to harass him. Is that a good idea, bringing light into the darkness, or is it hopeless? If I were a politician I don’t think I would do it, but Vance girded his loins and waded in. The full video is below, but if ten minutes of The View is too much for you, here are »
June 16, 2026 — Scott Johnson

Antifa anti-ICE brigade charged

Featured imageUnited States Attorney for Minnesota Dan Rosen announced the unsealing of the indictment of 15 members of Minnesota’s Antifa brigade — members of Direct Action and Black Cat Worker’s Collective — at the press conference I attended this morning. Twelve were arrested this morning. Law enforcement is looking out for two more. One was already in custody. Dan took pains from the outset to distinguish legal protest from the crminal »
June 16, 2026 — Scott Johnson

Waiting for the man

Featured imageI am at the federal courthouse in downtown Minneapolis awaiting a press conference with United States Attorney Dan Rosen and the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Michael McCarthy. We have been advised that they will announce charges against several defendants for conspiracy to impede or injure federal officers and related charges arising from the efforts of members from two Minneapolis-based Antifa groups in violent oppostion to immigration »
June 16, 2026 — Scott Johnson

The closing continues

Featured imageThis is the second in a series of posts this morning on the memorandum of understanding the Trump administration has reached with Iran. Vice President Vance is out selling it in a mode that recalls the “Always Be Closing” message conveyed by Nick to the desperate real estate salesmen in David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross. In a “you have got to be kidding me” appearance on CNN yesterday, Vance argued »
June 15, 2026 — John Hinderaker

Newsom: Investigated for What?

Featured imageIn an unusual move, Gavin Newsom has publicly announced that he is being investigated by federal law enforcement. Newsom made the announcement on Twitter (liberals may hate it, but if you want people to see your announcement, BlueSky will hardly do). Notably missing from Newsom’s anti-Trump spiel was any suggestion as to what he supposedly is being investigated for: Today, my wife & I joined Donald Trump’s hit list. He »
June 15, 2026 — Bill Glahn

Funding the Taliban

Featured imageThe 205-page U.S. House of Representatives Oversight Committee staff report on Minnesota fraud includes this incredible detail on page 85, In 2017, DHS flagged concerns that the bank account of the owner of a child care center connected with the MMCA was frozen by the Office of Foreign Asset control due to the owner’s association with the Taliban.405 Despite these concerns, DHS mailed this individual a check for $24,000. 406 Yes, The Taliban, you read »
June 15, 2026 — John Hinderaker

UFC Freedom 250

Featured imageLast night President Trump hosted the Ultimate Fighting Championship on the White House lawn for a series of seven mixed martial arts bouts. The event was spectacular and went off without a hitch, after a delay for a possible rain shower. I watched the first six fights, then went to bed, probably missing the best match. Here are some thoughts: * I am a boxing fan, but not an MMA »
June 16, 2026 — John Hinderaker

Plot Against Freedom 250 Event Foiled

Featured imageThe FBI has announced multiple arrests in connection with an alleged terrorist plot against the UFC Freedom 250 event held at the White House Sunday evening: The plot to attack the White House’s UFC Freedom 250 event Sunday involved at least 12 suspects across the US who adhered to an “accelerationist” ideology and hoped to bring down American capitalism, according to federal law enforcement sources. *** The suspects are in »
June 16, 2026 — Scott Johnson

Memo to file

Featured imageThis is the last in my series of posts this morning on the memorandum of understanding the Trump administration has reached with Iran. The administration has not yet entrusted us with a look at it. If it were impressive, it would have been made public. In an appearance on CNN yesterday, Vice President Vance described the memorandum as “a very general document” with specifics of the deal to be worked »
June 16, 2026 — Scott Johnson

Keane versus Vance

Featured imageJack Keane is the retired four-star General, former Vice Chief of Staff of the Army and chairman of the Institute for the Study of War. He is smart and well-informed. He appeared on Sean Hannity’s Fox News show following Vice President Vance’s “always be closing” turn in the previous segments. I think that General Keane has bent over backward to give the administration the benefit of the doubt about the »
June 15, 2026 — John Hinderaker

A Liberal Legacy

Featured imageAn actress dies, and this is how her family remembers her: 'ALF' Star Anne Schedeen Dies at 77; Family Remembers Her 'Burning Hatred for Trump' https://t.co/mwt76FpMLo — Variety (@Variety) June 15, 2026 What a legacy! Liberals are haters, with perhaps a few honorable exceptions, and hating Trump is what passes for both religion and philosophy for most of them. It is sad, but also dangerous. I don’t think we have »
June 15, 2026 — Scott Johnson

Always be closing

Featured imageVice President Vance has disclosed that that we have closed the deal with Iran by signing it digitally yesterday. The text is to be released later this week when the time is ripe, perhaps “some time after Friday,” as President Trump put it late this morning. Until that time, it might be wise to view this humiliating finale with the cynicism it deserves. It would be cruel to recall that »
June 15, 2026 — Scott Johnson

Waiting for memo

Featured imagePresident Trump has announced the completion of an interim deal with Iran. The deal is reflected in a memorandum of understanding that has yet to be made public by the White House. Perhaps that is because the deal will not be signed until Friday (in Switzerland). Perhaps that is because a wrinkle or two remain to be “ironed out,” as the Wall Street Journal puts it in paragraph six of »