EXCLUSIVE It's America's most feared city, and it's not even built. Now the sick views of 'hate preacher' behind a Muslim enclave have been exposed... and YOU are helping fund it
The city of Plano, Texas, has quietly handed over $220,000 to the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) and its hardline 'hate preacher' Yasir Qadhi, its resident scholar, official filings show.
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Daily Mail
27 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
White House's new TikTok account has Trump supporters all saying the same thing
Donald Trump 's supporters are jazzed about the White House 's new TikTok account. Republicans in Congress have warned of national security concerns with the foreign app and pushed for the U.S. to ban TikTok if it does not sell to a non-Chinese owner. And even though Trump issued an executive order during his first term on the need to address the emergency threat posed by TikTok, the president's most loyal followers are pleased with the new account. It emerged on Tuesday night with three videos within a few hours of each other, all amassing hundreds of thousands of views. More than 110,000 users followed it by Wednesday morning with thousands more following by the minute. 'White House getting on TikTok is YUGE!' Gen Z political commentator Brilyn Hollyhand wrote on X. 'Posting behind the scenes videos, speeches, and accomplishments - that's how we keep Gen Z for the GOP!' he added. Another X user called MAGA Voice with 1.2 million followers wrote: 'President Trump just launched an official White House TikTok account with the most bada** 30 second video. This is freaking epic.' The White House said in a statement to the Daily Mail that the account is meant to communicate Trump's successes to Americans directly on as 'many platforms as possible.' TikTok is owned by Chinese tech giant ByteDance, and Republicans in Congress have repeatedly threatened a U.S. ban if it does not sell to a company without ties to the CCP. Those threats have turned out to be empty with the president acknowledging his tariffs on Beijing might make a sale even more difficult. He has extended the must-sell-by date several times, and it doesn't appear a deal will happen before the current September deadline. On January 18 this year, TikTok was removed from U.S. app stores and those with it already downloaded were met with the message: 'Sorry, TikTok isn't available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately that means you can't use TikTok for now.' The app was back up and running in the U.S. just hours later after Trump announced he extended the deadline for ByteDance's sale. 'Thanks for your patience and support,' a message on the app read for users who regained access. 'As a result of President Trump's efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!' TikTok's Singaporean CEO Shou Zi Chew, who attended Trump's inauguration, posted a video praising the then-incoming president. Many Republicans are against TikTok operating in the U.S., and warn that is causes a massive security concern because the CCP has access to users' data. In his August 2020 executive order, Trump even admitted that the app could be used to track federal employees, conduct espionage and facilitate censorship or disinformation. At the time, he called the threat of Chinese-owned companies operating in the U.S. a 'national emergency.' A GOP youth adviser acknowledged that the account is a 'nudge' to Republicans on the fence about banning TikTok The new White House TikTok account posted three videos within a few hours, which have amassed more than a million views so far. The videos include clips of Trump speaking and of the White House property and grounds Some on X pointed to Trump now breaking with Republican lawmakers on the matter. 'In a clear nudge to Republican members of Congress who are still on the fence, the White House has officially joined the platform that helped propel President Trump back to the White House: TIKTOK,' wrote CJ Pearson, co-chair of the GOP's Youth Advisory Council. Chinese human rights advocate Yaqiu Wang posted to X: 'American politics has become such a farce.' 'Congress nearly unanimously passed a bill requiring the sale of TikTok over national security concerns. Yet, not only has the president illegally refused to enforce it, but now the White House itself is busy posting on TikTok,' she expanded. Additionally, Mario Nawfal, who posts pro-Trump content to X, wrote: 'Trump has praised TikTok as key to energizing young voters during his 2024 win over Kamala.' 'Intelligence agencies have long warned about the app's Chinese ties,' he acknowledged. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement on the new account: 'The Trump administration is committed to communicating the historic successes President Trump has delivered to the American people with as many audiences and platforms as possible.' 'President Trump's message dominated TikTok during his presidential campaign, and we're excited to build upon those successes and communicate in a way no other administration has before,' she concluded.
The Independent
28 minutes ago
- The Independent
Pete Hegseth is requiring so much security it's taking officers off of criminal investigations
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth 's security requirements are so extensive that it is placing a strain on the U.S. Army 's Criminal Investigation Division, according to a report. The Washington Post reports that the CID, which is responsible for protecting top Pentagon officials as well as serving as the Army's law enforcment arm, has been forced to draft agents who would otherwise be investigating criminal offenses concerning members of the Armed Forces to help watch over Hegseth's family and their properties in D.C., Minnesota and Tennessee. 'I've never seen this many security teams for one guy,' one official told the newspaper. 'Nobody has.' The CID reportedly maintains around 1,500 agents in total, around 150 of whom are typically assigned to VIP security details. But since Hegseth took office in January, the number shifted over into personal protection roles has risen to between 400 and 500, according to two differing estimates the paper received. One CID official quoted by the Post expressed their frustration with the situation by saying agents were being prevented from 'doing what we are supposed to be doing' in order to 'sit on luggage' or 'sit in the cars on the driveway.' Others complained of having to shepherd the secretary's children to school or patrol the perimeter of his properties. 'It is literally taking away from [CID's] law enforcement mission,' they said. 'You are taking hundreds of people out of the field to provide this level of protection.' One of the reasons for the heightened security surrounding the secretary is the fact that he received a bomb threat at his Tennessee home late last year shortly after he was nominated to his post by President Donald Trump, which came a matter of months after two attempts were made on Trump's own life during the campaign, the first of which saw the Secret Service heavily criticized. Another is the complexity of Hegseth's blended family, which includes one child from his marriage to Jennifer Hegseth as well as three from her previous marriage and another three from his. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell reacted angrily to the Post 's reporting and warned in a statement that the media scrutinizing a cabinet secretary's security arrangements 'puts lives at risk,' adding that Hegseth's were 'appropriate' and that 'any action pertaining to the security of Secretary Hegseth and his family has been in response to the threat environment and at the full recommendation of the Army Criminal Investigation Division.' The Independent has also reached out to the Department of Defense for additional comment. Hegseth's reign as the nation's top defense official has been tumultuous so far, with U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin's departure on Monday only the latest in an ongoing shake-up that has seen the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the chief of naval operations, the commandant of the Coast Guard, and the vice chief of staff of the Air Force all changed in recent months. The secretary has also struggled to replace his own chief of staff, spokesman and senior aides after they left and found himself caught up in the 'Signalgate' scandal, which erupted in March when Trump's short-lived national security adviser Mike Waltz accidentally added Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg to a group chat in which top secret information about an upcoming bombing raid on Houthi rebels in Yemen was discussed. In addition, Hegseth, a former Fox News weekend host, has been caught up in a number of culture war issues, from the renaming of the U.S.S. Harvey Milk to questions arising from his decision to post a video on X in which a Christian nationalist pastor expressed his support for depriving women of the vote.
The Independent
28 minutes ago
- The Independent
Gavin Newsom is expertly trolling Fox News stars by mimicking Trump online — right down to the nicknames
Over the past week, Gavin Newsom's press office has been deliberately aping Donald Trump's over-the-top social media posting style in an obvious attempt to not only troll the president's most ardent defenders but also force them to come to grips with Trump's bullying and bombastic tone. The pitch-perfect parody, which comes as the California governor goes on the attack against Trump while clearly eying a run for president, has also resulted in a number of Fox News stars taking the bait – and seemingly making Newsom's point for him. 'DANA 'DING DONG' PERINO (NEVER HEARD OF HER UNTIL TODAY!) IS MELTING DOWN BECAUSE OF ME, GAVIN C. NEWSOM!' the governor's press office account tweeted on Tuesday. 'FOX HATES THAT I AM AMERICA'S MOST FAVORITE GOVERNOR ("RATINGS KING") SAVING AMERICA — WHILE TRUMP CAN'T EVEN CONQUER THE 'BIG' STAIRS ON AIR FORCE ONE ANYMORE!!! TRUMP HAS 'LOST HIS STEP' AND FOX IS LOSING IT BECAUSE WHEN I TYPE, AMERICA NOW WINS!!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER.' The all-caps screed, complete with a juvenile nickname and satirically signed 'GCN' to mimic Trump adding 'DJT' to his Truth Social posts, came after Fox News host Dana Perino groused Monday afternoon about Newsom's tweets while urging him to cut it out if he wanted to be taken seriously. 'You have to stop it with the Twitter thing,' Perino complained on The Five. 'I don't know where his wife is? If I were his wife I would say, 'You are making a fool of yourself, stop it!'' Noting that Newsom has presidential ambitions, she added: 'Do not let your staff tweet—and if you are doing it yourself, put the phone away and start over. He's got a big job as governor of California, but if he wants an even bigger job he has to be a little more serious.' Perino, however, wasn't the only one to fall into the trap set by Newsom and his social media team. Earlier this week, Tomi Lahren – a Fox News contributor who first shot to fame for her take-no-prisoners liberal-bashing monologues – objected to Newsom's press office mockingly referring to MAGA activist Scott Presler – who is openly gay – as GOP Rep. Nancy Mace. 'New lows unlocked by @GavinNewsom and his team of losers,' Lahren fumed on X, only for the governor's social team to throw back MAGA's favorite attack line back in her face. 'You sound woke,' the press office fired back. The governor's office used a similar tactic last week when Fox News host Raymond Arroyo expressed indignation that Newsom said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott — who is confined to a wheelchair — had 'rolled over' after Trump called for Texas to redraw its congressional maps. 'We asked for a statement, and Newsom's office gave us something flippant like, 'You're so woke, he'll get over it,'' Arroyo grumbled before airing the press office's comment, which read: 'No. But how woke of you to ask! I'm sorry Greg's feelings were hurt. Poor guy — we hope he recovers.' Meanwhile, Fox News anchor Trace Gallagher was also apoplectic about Newsom's new approach, which has ramped up as he's taken the fight to Trump and Republicans over their mid-decade redistricting efforts ahead of next year's midterm elections. 'I don't know what he's trying to do, but it comes across as childish and – you are the governor of the biggest state in the union – what are you doing?!' Gallagher complained on Friday night. 'BIRD-BRAIN TREY GALLAGHER (A SO-CALLED FOX 'NEWS' HOST THAT NOBODY HAS EVER HEARD OF) SAYS MY POSTS ARE 'CHILDISH' AND 'UNBECOMING' OF A LEADER — CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? MANY ARE SAYING FOX ("EDIT THE TAPES") NEWS SHOULD CANCEL HIS PATHETIC LITTLE 'BEDTIME SHOW' IMMEDIATELY,' Newsom's team tweeted in response the following day. 'THEY ARE CALLING IT THE MOST BORING PROGRAM IN CABLE HISTORY. TOTAL SNOOZE FEST! SAD!!! — GCN.' Gallgher followed suit on Monday night by criticizing Newsom's 'new Trumpian style' of posting, claiming his tweet mocking the Fox News host was an attempt to be 'clever' before calling for the governor to stop obsessing about Trump. He then went on to name-check The Mamas and the Papas and The Beverly Hillbillies while urging Newsom to pay more attention to his state than his social media activity. Perino also couldn't help herself, jumping online to double and triple down on her on-air commentary about the governor's Trump mimicry – all while seeming blissfully unaware of the point of Newsom's parody of the president. Responding to Pod Save America co-host Jon Favreau sarcastically stating that Newsom 'should take a lesson from Donald Trump on this' before asking her what she thought about the president's social media habits, Perino tweeted that 'copying isn't a good look and it isn't working' while suggesting the governor come up with original content. 'I mean, it's pretty clearly a parody of Trump's absolutely insane all caps, often non-sensical posts. Probably why all the people in my life who aren't political junkies keep reaching out to say they don't know much about Newsom but think the tweets are hilarious,' Favreau replied. 'Humor and mockery can be quite effective!' 'Cool if it works and he's your 2028 nom, I will buy you dinner,' Perino reacted. As if to hammer home the point to Perino, Newsom's office responded to Perino's comments by gleefully posting: 'ALMOST A WEEK IN AND THEY STILL DON'T GET IT.' Indeed, the governor himself hasn't exactly been coy about what his intentions are in adopting the online persona of a full-time Trumpian troll. While the social media operation – which is operated by a multi-aide staff – has generated over a billion impressions across a variety of platforms, Newsom has said outright that anyone upset with his account's online insults and trollish behavior should turn their attention towards the White House. 'I'm just following his example,' Newsom said last week. 'If you have issues with what I'm putting out, you sure as hell should have concerns with what he's putting out as president.' He continued: 'To the extent it's gotten some attention, I'm pleased, but I think the deeper question is how have we allowed the normalization of his tweets, Truth Social posts over the course of the last many years, to go without similar scrutiny and notice?' As CNN's Andrew Kirell noted in Tuesday's edition of the Reliable Sources newsletter, Newsom is essentially punking the right-wing media ecosystem right now with this tactic. 'The effort, clearly designed to hold a mirror up to MAGA and 'bully the bullies,' so to speak, has evidently gone over the heads of many conservative media personalities, baiting them into making Newsom's point about Trump's behavior on their own,' he wrote. Meanwhile, after Perino once again revisited the subject during Tuesday's broadcast of The Five by insisting that 'we get the joke' but that 'it's just not funny,' Kirell asserted that this was precisely what the governor's social media operation was meant to expose. 'I'm fascinated by how they don't seem to understand that saying 'it's just not funny' is exactly the reaction his team is aiming for,' he posted on X. 'It's the whole point.' Pointing out that Gallagher and Perino seemed 'oblivious they were criticizing a parody of Trump himself,' Mediaite's Colby Hall explained that Newsom was 'shooting fish in a barrel' at this point. 'Newsom's feed isn't Trumpian—it's an X-ray of Trumpian excess, but as if it were delivered by the king of ironically detached comedy himself, Steve Martin,' Hall stated. 'Newsom didn't just enter the arena of schoolyard retorts; he grabbed the microphone, turned it upside down, and made the absurd impossible to ignore.' While others, such as The Bulwark's Sarah Longwell, have spelled out that Newsom is making MAGA 'uncomfortable because he's holding up a mirror to what you tolerate on behalf of partisanship,' Democrats are increasingly embracing the governor's approach because it shows his willingness to fight. 'That allows Newsom to step out in front and say he is the first one to stand against Texas's actions,' The Independent's Eric Garcia wrote last week, referencing the Texas redistricting battle. 'Specifically, the Texas Democrats who decamped to blue states said they would return to Texas because California would respond in kind if Texas passed their new maps.' He concluded: '2028 is a long way off and plenty could change. Other candidates might be able to prove Newsom is a paper tiger. But then again, plenty of Republicans waited for Trump to implode and he laid waste to them.'
