All posts tagged "maga"

'They've been denied': MAGA host refuses cops access to footage of shooting he reported

Far-right podcaster and influencer Tim Pool reported shots fired at his home in West Virginia over the weekend — but according to TMZ, while local police have taken the report, they cannot corroborate it or investigate further because he refuses to share the security footage of the incident.

Pool spoke publicly about the incident in a post to X, saying that a vehicle drove past his home and someone in it opened fire, but that nobody was hurt, possibly because of his extensive security detail. "This is the price we pay for speaking out against evil," he wrote.

According to TMZ, "The Berkeley County Sheriff's Office tells us a man who identified himself as a security guard for Pool reported shots fired at the house after seeing a gray sedan circle the property multiple times during the day. Authorities went to the house and cleared the call. Later on, officers say they asked Pool for video footage from the property ... but, they say they've been denied. As a result, the 'reports of shots fired at this residence cannot be substantiated at this time.'"

Pool told TMZ that "we were advised not to release" the tape to law enforcement "as it will compromise security, exposing property, personnel, and our security measures" — but said that TMZ could send someone to his West Virginia home and watch the footage for themselves in person to prove he wasn't lying.

Pool, who got his start online by livestreaming the 2011 Occupy Wall Street protests, has previously described himself as "center left," but aligns with the MAGA movement on nearly all social issues and has promoted right-wing conspiracy theories.

He was one of a number of online influencers that was found last year to have worked for a company that was exposed as a Russian influence operation. Pool denies knowing the purpose of that operation, and has said the FBI regards him as the victim of a crime in this incident.

MAGA factions slam Trump over $45M Taliban payments: 'We are crooked'

President Donald Trump's administration is being sharply criticized by conservatives in both government and media for reportedly sending tens of millions of dollars to the Taliban-controlled government in Afghanistan.

Newsweek reported Tuesday that, according to Amrullah Saleh, (who leads the anti-Taliban political party Afghanistan Green Trend) the Trump administration flew $45 million in cash to Afghanistan on Monday. Saleh's group alleged that the money was "flown in via a chartered flight by Moalem Airlines," which is based in Kyrgyzstan.

The post caught the attention of conservative commentator Ann Vandersteel, who observed that the cash payment was "not America First" but rather "America deceived." Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN), who is a member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, responded to Vandersteel's post by adding that the massive cash shipments to the Taliban are happening "every week." He then called on the U.S. Senate to "pass my bill."

Burchett's legislation — the "No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act" — passed the House of Representatives in June, and would empower the U.S. State Department to identify and publish the names of every organization providing financial support to the Taliban-controlled government.

"The United States has sent over $5 billion in cash to Kabul. It is the duty of the State Department to ensure that any aid from the United States is kept out of the hands of terrorists in Afghanistan. The terrorists can hate us for free," Burchett stated after the bill was passed.

Burchett has been a vocal proponent of cutting off U.S. cash shipments to Afghanistan ever since U.S. troops withdrew from the war-torn country in 2021. The issue has also attracted interest from MAGA influencers in close proximity to Trump, like unofficial "loyalty enforcer" Laura Loomer.

"Why is the United States still funding the Taliban?" Loomer wrote on Tuesday. "What the hell do our reps do all day aside from ruin our country and the world?"

"Because we are crooked Laura," Burchett responded.

Click here to read Newsweek's full article.

'Political asteroid': MAGA warned it's headed full speed toward ‘extinction-level event’

Rick Wilson, a former Republican operative and co-founder of the anti-Trump group The Lincoln Project, signaled that MAGA is heading for an "extinction-level" event under President Donald Trump.

Wilson wrote in a Substack essay Tuesday that Republicans have a bevy of problems ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, including a number of GOP retirements, Trump's plummeting approval rating, an enthusiasm gap and an inability to see Americans' unmet economic needs.

"Republicans are retiring because a political asteroid created by Donald Trump is coming to smash into the political Chicxulub they’ve enjoyed for the last decade," Wilson wrote.

These issues have an expected outcome — a wave election — something Wilson described viewing throughout his career and in four previous elections: 1994, 2006, 2010 and 2018.

"And if you look at the numbers, the mood, and the sheer grinding dysfunction, engineered economic chaos, and raging corruption of Trump’s second term, 2026 is starting to look like one of those nights."

These elections all had similar aspects in common.

"Four different waves, one underlying rule: when the country decides it’s sick of the president and his party, it does not whisper. It shouts. The meteor doesn’t streak across the night sky to sighs of 'Make a wish.' It screams through the atmosphere, a fiery harbinger of death," Wilson wrote.

In upcoming House races, it appears these elections are more nationalized and "feels like a referendum on one guy," Wilson wrote.

"Trump is ... the garbage troll who defines our politics. Republicans have never had a political lift from Trump even in his better years, and now he’s a deadly political toxin for them. Enjoy!" Wilson wrote.

And for MAGA, the power hold might not last much longer. Although nothing is guaranteed in politics, Wilson added, it could give Democrats a path forward — if they stay focused on messaging around the economy and how expensive the cost of living is.

"Special elections, off-year races, and local contests are not entirely predictive, but they’ve started to tilt in ways that should make the GOP wake up at 3 a.m. in a cold sweat," Wilson warned. "Suburban districts that were once safely Republican are suddenly coin flips. Places that should be competitive are blowing out blue."

Why MAGA still clings to conspiracy theories — despite evidence from Trump's own DOJ

Well after President Donald Trump pardoned the roughly 1,500 defendants arrested, charged and/or convicted as part of the January 6 2021 siege of the U.S. Capitol, the person who left pipe bombs outside the headquarters of the Democratic and Republican National Committee offices remained at large. But even after an arrest has been made in the case, conspiracy theories about the alleged pipe bomber continue to run rampant.

In a Monday article for The Bulwark, writer Will Sommer observed that conspiracy theories about the January 6 attempted pipe bombing were being trafficked even by people who are now members of the Trump administration: FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino alleged in a January 2025 episode of his podcast (prior to his appointment) that the would-be bomber was part of an "inside job."

However, the Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced that it had made an arrest in the case, and identified 30 year-old Virginia resident Brian Cole Jr. as the suspect. Cole told investigators that he believed Trump's claims that the 2020 election was "stolen," even though President Joe Biden was certified as the winner of both the popular vote and the Electoral College. But despite the DOJ naming a suspect, Sommer pointed out that MAGA was still not satisfied and convinced something was still amiss.

"Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) declared that he would never believe Cole was a Trump supporter or 'lone wolf.' InfoWars personality Breanna Morello, now a member of the MAGAfied Pentagon press corps, declared that one of the federal prosecutors on the case was somehow suspicious. Julie Kelly, one of the right’s leading January 6th sleuths, is still trying to poke holes in the official narrative of the bombing even after the arrest," Sommer recounted.

According to Sommer, Cole's political beliefs effectively prove that everyone arrested in relation to the Capitol attack was firmly in Trump's camp. He further asserted that this inconvenient truth has caused some in the MAGA movement to double down on conspiracy theories to avoid acknowledging the fact that they were wrong the entire time.

"Cole increasingly looks like an election-denying Trump supporter, just like the many people who committed crimes in Washington, D.C. on January 6th," Sommer wrote. "... [I]f Cole did carry out the bombing, that means there’s no conspiracy theory for right-wing media to keep pursuing. He doesn’t appear to have any ties to the CIA or FBI, or anything else that could be grist for false-flag accusations. He seems to be, like the perpetrators of so many high-profile crimes, just a guy."

The Bulwark writer also hypothesized that far-right outlet The Blaze could be in considerable legal trouble after it accused a Capitol Police officer of being the bombing suspect. The Blaze apparently made the accusation based on an X user's "gait analysis" before the officer debunked the claim and proved that she wasn't on site at the time the pipe bombs were placed.

"The attorney for the Capitol Police officer declined to comment to me about any future civil action. But he did tell me via email that he liked an appearance I did Thursday on CNN, where I said a 'massive defamation suit' could be coming for the Blaze," he wrote. "Sounds like it’s time for the Blaze to get out the checkbook!"

Click here to read Sommer's full article in The Bulwark.

'Shut the hell up!' Defecting Trump ally hit with tongue-lashing from MAGA listeners

A conservative talk radio host got a call from a MAGA listener with a harsh message for a defecting MAGA and longtime President Donald Trump ally.

A listener named Connie from South Carolina called Eric Bolling during his show to voice her thoughts about Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who has become a vocal critic of Trump and GOP leadership. Greene spoke with journalist Lesley Stahl in an interview with CBS's "60 Minutes" Sunday night.

"I just want to say that Marjorie Taylor Greene needs to stop. Just because she got her feelings hurt, she's attacking the president. She thinks she's doing something to make people feel sorry for her because she's the victim, just like when she stood with those women from Epstein Island. She was trying to be more of a victim than they were," the listener said.

The listener complained that Greene was hurting the GOP with her comments.

"And it's gotta stop because she is hurting the Republican party with her crybaby self," she said. "Someone needs to set her down, tell her to put her big damn girl panties on and shut the hell up because we are tired of listening to her damn... crying."

Bolling laughed at the caller's comments.

"I'm just so mad that she's trying to hurt the Republican party before an election. Get over it. Grow up. Thank you for listening," Connie added.

Bolling briefly defended Greene, whom he called a friend of his. He said he had received a number of calls about her and the CBS interview. He compared the rift between Greene and Trump to family feuds.

"It'll work itself out, folks," Bolling said. "She's a great American patriot, and Trump has relied on her, and Trump loves her... It's one of those fights. You want your parents to stop fighting. 'Mom and Dad can you please stop fighting?'"

'Shame on you!' Incensed actress hits out as she sees herself in hateful MAGA message

Actress and producer Sophia Bush had a scathing response to a MAGA follower who used her image to attack a political leader in a social post over the weekend.

Bush responded to a user named James Lewis who posted a photo of Bush and another woman inside a classic car with the meme text: "Get in loser. We're driving by Tim Walz's house and yelling 'r-word.'"

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) voiced concern last week that people are driving by his home, rolling down their windows and yelling the slur for developmentally disabled people, mimicking President Donald Trump after he used the derogatory term to attack him.

Bush — a longtime voting rights advocate and philanthropist — didn't hold back and reacted to the advertising image of herself and the attack on Walz:

"Hey James. That’s me on the left. You do not have my consent to use my image for harassment of a public official. Delete this or expect to hear from my lawyer, and lawyers for the OP brand whose ad campaign you’re using without permission as well. Shame on you!"

Last week, Walz described the impact the president's attacks have had on him in real life and criticized GOP lawmakers for staying silent.

“This creates danger. And I’ll tell you what, in my time on this, I’ve never seen this before," Walz said. "People driving by my house and using the r-word in front of people. This is shameful and I have yet to see an elected official, a Republican elected official, say, 'You’re right, that’s shameful. He should not say it.'"

Screenshot/Threads

'MAGA hatred of freedom' fueling Trump turn against Europe: Nobel Prize winner

A turn against Europe from President Donald Trump could be an attempt appease MAGA supporters' "hatred of freedom," according to a Nobel Prize winner.

Economist Paul Krugman believes the loosening grip the U.S. has on Europe is because of internal support for at-home focuses, with it earlier reported that the Trump administration would look to focus military aims on China, rather than on European conflicts. Trump has played a hand in peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, but it seems interest in these conflicts is dwindling in his core supporter group.

Krugman, writing in his Substack, explained, "Clearly, MAGA hates Europe for its freedom. The people trying to turn America into an authoritarian, white supremacist state, who want us to forsake democratic ideals in favor of Volk, of blood and soil nationalism, want to see Europe go down the same path."

The Nobel Prize winner would go on to suggest MAGA has no interest in the "rule of law" and would prefer to see Trump rule as he sees fit. Krugman wrote, "MAGA, however, doesn’t want to be part of that world."

"In fact, it doesn’t want a world of democracy, civil liberties and the rule of law to exist. The Trump administration has become especially hostile to Europe, precisely because the Europeans are trying to hold on to the values MAGA is trying to destroy at home."

Part of the Trump administration's choice to recede from Europe could be because of suits and fines imposed on those closely associated with the president's administration. Elon Musk's X platform was hit with a $139 million fine by the European Commission earlier this week.

Krugman added, "Moreover, this is part of a general pattern: the broligarchs hate Europe because the Europeans are trying to impose sensible limits to protect their societies from the well-documented psychological and economic harms that are inflicted by an unrestrained Silicon Valley agenda."

"For example, the EU is trying to limit the proliferation of digital hate speech as well as the pernicious effects of social media on the young. And more so than the U.S., it has sought to constrain the monopoly power of the tech titans like Google and Facebook."

"We should remember that the moderate antitrust and AI regulations adopted by the Biden Administration prompted the tech broligarchy to swing hard behind Trump in the 2024 election."

'See a shrink': Feud erupts between two Trump-supporting 'longtime friends' and MAGA icons

Two of Donald Trump's closest friends became embroiled in a public feud on Sunday as the MAGA influencers dueled over a third right-wing voice's ties to Qatar.

It started when the so-called Trump Whisperer, Laura Loomer , took a shot at ex-Fox News personality Tucker Carlson. She said, "In case you don’t see what’s happening here, Carlson is getting a place in Qatar because Qatar is now using their financial influence and bribery, in addition to their access to Tucker to change the peace deal organized by President Trump."

"You will soon see all of these influencers and Tucker say HAMAS can’t abide by any ceasefire unless Israel departs from Gaza entirely," Loomer wrote.

But fellow Trump pal Roger Stone, who also served as an adviser to the president, took a shot at Loomer and defended Carlson.

"Due to the ability to quite legally obtain all of Laura Loomer's bank and financial records offshore very soon you'll know exactly who's paying her and why. Tucker Carlson will always be Laura Loomer's intellectual superior and no amount of her annoying whining and will ever change that," he wrote. "Laura Loomer and Tucker Carlson are both longtime friends of mine but Laura needs psychiatric help for her obsession regarding Tucker. Frankly, if I were him, I'd sue the f--- out of her because there is not a lawyer in the United States willing to defend her. See a shrink Laura you ain't right in the head."

Loomer then hit back, saying, "Roger, if I’m your friend, why do you continue to lie about me to run cover for Tucker? Tucker is allowing for Qatari influence in our politics."

"I’m going to keep exposing his lies. He’s white washing Islam and everything I said about him is true," she vowed. "1. He’s in Qatar 2. His name shows up in FARA next to Qatar 3. He’s an alcoholic by his own admission 4. He said he hates Trump 5. He is buying a place in Qatar 6. Tucker is on video defending Sharia Law and Islamic immigration It’s all factual. He can sue me for telling the truth, and then I will get to see who pays him."

She concluded, "I can’t wait to see his text messages with Trump haters. What did I say that isn’t true? I don’t care if you call me crazy. I have courage. I don’t need to be friends with everyone. I’m ok being by myself."

'What are these guys on?' Confusion as MAGA allies beg Trump to make 'screeching J-turn'

Donald Trump's allies baffled onlookers on Saturday by calling on the president to make what one analyst called a "screeching J-turn" on his current policies.

Former Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn, the controversial figure Trump named to be his White House national security adviser, spoke to Steve Bannon on the latter's internet show. Both MAGA allies insisted Trump distance himself from the Muslim brotherhood and Qatar, a nation Trump has drawn closer to.

"Qatar is the foundation of a large terrorist organization and network globally. And so one of the things that they’re going to have to do, and Trump is the guy to do it, is to basically disavow themselves from the Muslim Brotherhood, which I don’t believe that they’ll ever do," according to Flynn, who was echoing comments made by far-right activist Laura Loomer.

Politico reporter Josh Gerstein asked, "What are these guys on?"

"Disavow? It would be a screeching J-turn," he said Saturday. "Trump forced Netanyahu to apologize to Qatar!"

SweetIndy, a MAGA account, said, "Sorry to say Trump won’t disavow Qatar. Too much money [is] at stake. Look at what they are doing in Idaho for Qatar."

'You will be defeated': Rebel red state Republicans get 'final warning' for defying Trump

Several groups affiliated with President Donald Trump's MAGA movement are now applying pressure to Republican state legislators in Indiana, who have yet to pass a heavily gerrymandered congressional redistricting map.

Politico reported Friday that Turning Point Action — the electoral arm of slain MAGA activist Charlie Kirk's organization — is descending on the Hoosier State to push Indiana state senators to approve the map after previous attempts failed. The group pledged to spend more than $10 million to run candidates in Republican primaries if sitting GOP lawmakers didn't vote in favor of the new maps.

David McIntosh, who is president of the well-heeled conservative group Club for Growth, also pledged to join the effort to primary Republican incumbents depending on how they voted. He gave a "final warning" to Indiana Senate president pro tempore Rodric Bray – who Trump has singled out in multiple Truth Social posts — threatening to oust him from office if he didn't marshal enough support for the mid-decade redistricting push.

"[F]ailure to get this done means you and any other opposition will be defeated and removed from office in your next election," McIntosh said.

While the Indiana House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favor of the new maps — which would change Indiana's current maps from a 7-2 Republican advantage to a 9-0 GOP-friendly map — the Indiana Senate has consistently declined to pass them. This is despite Republicans controlling 40 of 50 seats in the state senate. Politico reported the last vote in the senate resulted in a 19-19 stalemate.

Bray has previously said he didn't have enough votes within his own party to approve the maps, meaning that at least 16 Republicans joined the chamber's 10 Democrats in opposition. One of those senators is Michael Bohacek (R), who said he would not be voting for the new maps due to Trump's use of a slur aimed at intellectually disabled people.

"This is not the first time our president has used these insulting and derogatory references and his choices of words have consequences," Bohacek wrote on his Facebook page in November. "I will be voting NO on redistricting, perhaps he can use the next 10 months to convince voters that his policies and behavior deserve a congressional majority."

Click here to read Politico's full report.