Latest news with #MAGA-aligned
Time of India
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Daughters' day? Not. MAGA takes aim at daughters of Carney and Xi
The TOI correspondent in Washington: Daughters of Canada's prime minister Mark Carney and China's leader Xi Jinping are among Harvard students being targeted for expulsion by MAGA principals amid the Trump administration's drive to tame liberal US universities seen as being out of sync with the current White House outlook. MAGA-aligned outlets reported over the weekend that the Trump administration is examining the prospect of expelling Carney's daughter Cleo, a social studies major at Harvard with a record of liberal activism. She was reportedly arrested at a pro-Palestinian rally in London some months ago, and although she has been flying under the radar at Harvard, the fact that she introduced her father at the Liberal Party convention in March 2025 and is active in environmental advocacy, is sufficient to trigger MAGA, which has taken the cue from its supremo Trump to attack Canada and all things Canadian. Also in the MAGA crosshairs is Xi Mingze, daughter of China's leader Xi JInping, who graduated from Harvard under a pseudonym in 2014 with B.A. in psychology and is said to have returned to the institution recently for higher studies. MAGA trolls have been casing the university and social media for signs of Xi Mingze presence amid growing antipathy towards foreign students, particularly Chinese. The "womanhunt" involving the leaders of Canada and China comes on the heels of the Trump administration's blanket ban on foreign students coming to Harvard, leaving current students to transfer to other colleges or risk losing their visa status. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo 'They (Harvard) have lost their Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification as a result of their failure to adhere to the law,' Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted said last week, adding, 'Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country. ' Separately, MAGA trolls continued to attack Megha Vemuri, an Indian-American undergrad who attacked MIT's ties with the Israeli military and expressed support for the besieged in Gaza during her commencement speech, triggering MIT to ban her from the graduating ceremony. "MIT supports free expression but can't allow anyone in disrupting an important Institute ceremony," the school said, even as Vemuri found vocal support from the liberal spectrum. Although the Trump administration's crackdown on Harvard and other liberal schools was ostensibly aimed at curtailing on-campus political activism by foreign students, particularly against Israel, the repression has taken on broader contours. There is now an all-out MAGA movement against students from across the world with the argument foreign students are "stealing" seats and jobs that should go to Americans first. Foreign students are coveted by American academia, both for the moolah ($ 44 billion) and mental acuity they bring in. It is generally acknowledged that education, not guns or butter, has been America's greatest export. Even moderate Republicans are aghast by the MAGA venom against international students. "Shutting out foreign students from @Harvard, the best university in the world, is a huge mistake. We lose their brainpower and the way they challenge and inspire our own students," former Ohio Governor John Kasich said last week, noting that many alumni return home as leaders with a deeper understanding of America. and that benefits the US. Prominent Indians who graduated from Harvard include Anand Mahindra, Rahul Bajaj, P. Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal, and Naina Lal Kidwai. Hundreds more have attended executive courses at Harvard to hone their leadership skills.
Axios
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Axios
MAGA's world tour exports Trumpism beyond U.S. borders
MAGA media heavyweights are intervening in elections around the world, increasingly obsessed with exporting President Trump's brand of right-wing populism beyond America's borders. Why it matters: What began as a nationalist reaction to America's perceived decline has evolved into a global ideological crusade. Now at the apex of its domestic power, MAGA is rallying behind candidates who share its views on immigration, globalism and the fight for " Western Civilization." "We believe the fight for freedom and conservative values doesn't stop at America's borders," Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) chair Matt Schlapp told Axios. "That's why we've taken CPAC overseas — to stand united with courageous leaders and citizens who are resisting the globalist dangerous spread of authoritarianism, open borders, and Marxism." Driving the news: MAGA-aligned candidates have been competitive in a spate of recent elections, emboldening pro-Trump influencers to engage more actively in foreign politics. Poland: Conservative presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki is headed to runoff Sunday against liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, in a race MAGA media is treating as a bellwether for Europe's political right. CPAC just held its first-ever event in Poland, where Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem took the extraordinary step of endorsing Nawrocki and denouncing Trzaskowski as a "an absolute train wreck." Romania: MAGA leaders — including Vice President Vance — excoriated Romanian authorities for annulling the results of December's election and banning the leading far-right candidate over allegations of Russian interference. In last week's re-run, MAGA podcasters like Jack Posobiec and Steve Bannon rallied behind pro-Trump candidate George Simion, who even described himself as running "on the MAGA ticket" Simion ultimately fell short to centrist Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan, a result that MAGA blamed on globalist meddling. United Kingdom: The insurgent Reform Party, led by arch Brexiteer and Bannon friend Nigel Farage, is leading in British polls less than a year after the center-left Labour Party won a landslide election. Farage has brought MAGA-style rallies to the U.K., and his growing influence has forced Prime Minister Keir Starmer to move sharply to the right on immigration. Germany: Vance, Elon Musk and scores of pro-Trump influencers have championed the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which had its best-ever showing in elections earlier this year. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned German intelligence's since-retracted decision to classify AfD as a right-wing extremist organization, calling it "tyranny in disguise." Ireland: Former UFC champion Conor McGregor has teased a longshot bid for the Irish presidency on an anti-immigration platform. McGregor was hosted by Trump at the White House on St. Patrick's Day, and appeared on Tucker Carlson's podcast in April. South Korea: Bannon recorded a segment of his show Tuesday boosting the conservative candidate in South Korea's June 3 snap presidential election. Some MAGA figures have spread the theory that former conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol — impeached and removed after declaring martial law — was ousted in a China-backed coup. Between the lines: MAGA's foreign focus isn't entirely new: Trump supporters have long idolized populist strongmen like Nayib Bukele in El Salvador, Viktor Orbán in Hungary, and Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil. But the movement is no longer just cheering on incumbents: It's actively trying to shape new political outcomes. "The good news is that after 10 long years, the institutional MAGA movement realizes the power in having friends overseas," said Raheem Kassam, former Farage adviser and current editor of The National Pulse. Reality check: Despite its rising international ambitions, MAGA's influence abroad has yielded mixed results. The AfD has been shut out of government in Germany, Simion lost in Romania, the liberal candidate is favored to win in South Korea, and McGregor might not even make the ballot in Ireland. Kassam told Axios the losses had piled up because American MAGA lacks political infrastructure abroad — and mistakes brash rhetoric for true rage-against-the-machine populism. A win in Poland would be a major symbolic victory — and a sign MAGA's global playbook might finally be working.
Axios
2 days ago
- Politics
- Axios
Patel and Bongino's choppy transition from roasting the FBI to running it
Kash Patel and Dan Bongino spent years torching the American security state for concealing nefarious secrets about Jeffrey Epstein, Jan. 6, the "Russia hoax" and the assassination attempts against President Trump. Now they're not only inside the gates, they're in charge of the FBI — and serving a president who distrusts the bureau even more than they do. The big picture: Patel and Bongino's recent Fox News interviews, and sources familiar with their reception inside the bureau, make clear the difficulties they face in maintaining confidence with three key audiences: their fans, their employees, and the president. 1. Some followers and fellow MAGA media figures who revered Patel and Bongino for pillorying the "Deep State" were aghast by their recent conspiracy-quashing comments, particularly that Epstein really killed himself. "People are pissed. They feel like Dan and Kash aren't doing the job, that they're beholden to some unseen powers," MAGA-aligned podcaster Tim Pool said Wednesday, adding that he "largely" still trusts the pair. Bongino — who left a lucrative podcasting gig to be Patel's deputy — told "Fox and Friends" he was finding it difficult not to be able to reveal information about ongoing investigations, and to be criticized by those who want to "divorce us from the people." He and Patel, who parlayed his reputation as one of Trump 1.0's most aggressive lieutenants into MAGA media stardom, have deep wells of goodwill from the base, despite the impatience for disclosures and deep state arrests. 2. The FBI's 38,000-strong workforce was never going to immediately embrace the idea of a couple of its biggest antagonists calling the shots, but it's been a tumultuous few months. Bureau veterans have privately mocked Bongino's emphasis on ideas like adding pull-ups to the fitness test and MMA-style training at Quantico. Some have pushed back on more substantive decisions, such as devoting scores of agents to partnering with ICE on immigration-related arrests, at the expense of other investigative priorities. Patel told Fox News that rank-and-file FBI employees are on board with its mission, they're clearing out the old leadership, and recruiting is at a five-year high. FBI spokespeople have pushed back on stories about Patel working remotely from Las Vegas, taking government planes to visit his girlfriend in Nashville, or downsizing the early morning briefings that past directors have taken. 3. While Trump has been publicly supportive, he did say it was "a little bit hard to believe" assertions from Patel and other senior law enforcement figures that there was no wider conspiracy behind the assassination attempts against him. Democrats such as Sen. Dick Durbin have claimed that because loyalty to Trump earned Patel and Bongino theirs posts, they'll lack the independence of past directors and simply say what Trump wants to hear or tailor investigations to suit the White House. What they're saying: "Many of these comments are from the same individuals responsible for the shameful politicization of the FBI in the first place. Their criticisms play no factor as we work to clean up the mess they helped leave behind," FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson told Axios. "FBI Director Patel and Deputy Director Bongino are doing an incredible job protecting the American people and bringing back law and order, justice and fairness to America," said White House spokesperson Harrison Fields. Driving the news: Patel and Bongino acknowledged in their recent flurry of interviews that their supporters want them to clean house, lock up Trump antagonists like ex-director James Comey, and reveal more about the malfeasance they and their MAGA media colleagues have long alleged the FBI engaged in — including fomenting the Jan. 6 riot and conspiring against Trump. Bongino made a plea for time, suggesting the skullduggery ran so deep that it would take months to uncover. He also claimed they had just discovered bags of hidden files from the Comey era, and would be prioritizing cases like the discovery of cocaine in the Biden White House. Williamson said Patel and Bongino "have committed to working with Congress to provide the American people the accountable and transparent FBI they deserve," and are "grateful for our interagency partners and the leadership of this administration in that pursuit." Zoom in: Bongino acknowledged the transition from flamethrower to G-man has been jarring. "Part of you dies a little bit when you see all this stuff from behind the scenes," he said on "Fox and Friends". He said a former listener told him "I miss you," and that he replied, "You know, I miss me too." He made clear he hates sitting in his FBI office all day and not being able to "swing back" at his critics. "It's difficult for me to not be able to respond like I used to, but there'll be a day, there'll be a day," Bongino said. "I'll be back one day."
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First Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
Poland presidential election: Can Trump decide Maga vs mayor battle in Warsaw?
Poland heads to the polls this Sunday in a fiercely contested presidential race between pro-EU centrist Rafał Trzaskowski and MAGA-aligned populist Karol Nawrocki. With global stakes and domestic divisions at play, the election could reshape Poland's future and Europe's. Trump's backing of Nawrocki adds a dramatic twist to this East-West ideological showdown. read more Karol Nawrocki, front, the conservative candidate heading into the second round of Poland's presidential election, meets with union members in Warsaw, Poland, on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (AP Photo) Poland is bracing for a pivotal presidential election on Sunday that has become a symbolic clash between pro-European centrism and MAGA-style populism. In a nail-biting race that could reshape Poland's domestic and international trajectory, the centrist mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski is locked in a dead heat with the right-wing populist Karol Nawrocki. A Politico poll released earlier this week shows the race on a razor's edge, with Trzaskowski narrowly ahead by a single point—47% to Nawrocki's 46%. While the margin is statistically insignificant, the stakes are anything but. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD At the heart of this contest is a broader ideological battle that reaches well beyond Poland's borders. Trzaskowski, a liberal-leaning figure and key ally of center-right Prime Minister Donald Tusk, represents continuity with Tusk's Brussels-friendly agenda. Nawrocki, by contrast, is a newcomer to electoral politics and the preferred candidate of Poland's conservative Law and Justice party (PiS), now clinging to its last major lever of power. The presidency, largely ceremonial on paper, plays an outsized role in practice. The current president, Andrzej Duda also aligned with PiS has wielded his veto power repeatedly to block legislation from the Tusk government, especially reforms aimed at restoring judicial independence and repairing ties with the European Union. Trzaskowski's victory would likely end this stalemate, paving the way for deeper EU integration and institutional overhaul. Nawrocki, a historian by profession, has become the de facto torchbearer for Poland's populist right. His campaign has championed nationalist rhetoric, traditionalist values, and a strong stance against immigration, rhetoric that has increasingly echoed the playbook of Donald Trump. That resemblance was made explicit this week when Kristi Noem, Trump's former Homeland Security chief and a key surrogate in Europe, visited Poland to endorse Nawrocki. 'Electing the right leader here ensures a strong American presence,' Noem said, invoking 'Fort Trump'—a symbolic and potentially permanent U.S. military base in Poland—as a bulwark against Russian aggression. 'This election is about security, sovereignty, and strength,' she declared. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Her remarks were interpreted by many as a direct attempt by Trump's orbit to influence the Polish vote. In return, Nawrocki has signaled enthusiastic alignment with Trump's worldview, pledging to be a 'reliable transatlantic partner' while resisting EU overreach. Trzaskowski, meanwhile, has framed the election as a referendum on Poland's future as a liberal democracy. 'We can either move forward with a modern, democratic Poland that plays a strong role in Europe, or return to isolation and division,' he told supporters during his final campaign rally in Warsaw. For Trzaskowski, the race also carries personal significance. He came within a whisker of winning the presidency in 2020, losing narrowly to Duda. Now, with Duda term-limited and the political winds shifting, this is his second—and perhaps last—chance. The outcome could determine not just the future of Polish politics but the balance of power in Europe. A win for Trzaskowski would mark a decisive turn toward the EU and liberal democratic values. A Nawrocki victory, on the other hand, would entrench a right-wing nationalist presidency, even as PiS's parliamentary grip has slipped. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD As voters head to the polls, the question looms large: Can Donald Trump's influence tip the scales in Warsaw? In a nation torn between westward ambition and populist nostalgia, the answer may reverberate far beyond Poland's borders.
Axios
5 days ago
- Politics
- Axios
Trump pardons criminals with MAGA credentials or big money
Two reality stars, a MAGA-aligned sheriff and a former nursing home executive with a well-connected mother recently joined the list of President Trump 's clemency recipients. The big picture: Though early in his second term, Trump's pardons mark a continuation of his first-term trend of granting clemency to political loyalists. He's not the first president to pardon political allies, but his clemency actions signal strong messages about his priorities. His second-term clemency actions started with a controversial avalanche of pardons for Jan. 6 rioters and commutations for members of extremist groups the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers. Since then, several loyalists and wealthy allies have received relief for white-collar crimes. Driving the news: Trump said on Tuesday he plans to pardon reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley who were convicted of tax evasion and bank fraud in 2022. Savannah Chrisley, who has been advocating for her imprisoned parents' release, filmed an episode of "My View with Lara Trump" with the president's daughter-in-law that aired earlier this month, and spoke at the Republican National Convention last summer. Zoom out: Trump in April also pardoned Paul Walczak, a former nursing home executive who was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $4 million in restitution for tax crimes. Walczak's pardon has received particular scrutiny because of the political activity of his mother, Elizabeth Fago, a GOP donor who recently attended a $1-million-per-person fundraising dinner at Mar-a-Lago, the New York Times reported. And on Tuesday, Trump issued a pardon for a former Virginia sheriff, Scott Jenkins, whom a jury convicted on federal fraud and bribery charges last year. Trump wrote on Truth Social that Jenkins and his family had "been dragged through HELL by a Corrupt and Weaponized Biden DOJ" — a statement reminiscent of his own contention that the cases against him were politically motivated by a " weaponized" Justice Department. In his sentencing memorandum, Jenkins' attorneys wrote that he "adamantly maintains his innocence." Ed Martin, who Trump originally nominated to be D.C.'s top prosecutor but is now serving as Trump's pardon attorney, posted in a thread about Jenkins' pardon, "No MAGA left behind." Friction point: Martin's comment sends the message that the pardon power is being "totally and thoroughly politicized" Liz Oyer, the former DOJ pardon attorney, told PBS. The White House did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment. What they're saying: "One thing that is easy to see is, setting aside the January 6 clemencies, that there's really been a focus on grants to people who committed financial crimes," said Mark Osler, a law professor at the University of St. Thomas and a former federal prosecutor. Clemency trends within administrations are not uncommon, he noted, pointing to former President Obama's focus on clemency for drug-related charges. "But one thing that we do see is that this president uses clemency for message sending about policing, about the previous administration, about financial crimes, and that's message-sending in a way that is probably stronger than we've seen with previous presidents," he said. Flashback: During Trump's first term, he gave clemency to several allies, including former chief strategist Steve Bannon, former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Charles Kushner, the father of Trump's son-in-law and current U.S. ambassador to France. What we're watching: Trump has already signed dozens of pardons and commutations since taking office — on top of the 1,500-plus Jan. 6 defendants — which is toward the high end at the start of a presidency in recent decades. Catch up quick: Alice Marie Johnson, who was pardoned by Trump after having her life sentence for a nonviolent drug offense commuted under his first term, was appointed"pardon czar" in Trump's second White House. "I think that what a lot of people hope is that Alice Johnson, who received one of those worthwhile pardons in the first Trump administration, will be a forceful voice for everybody else — that is those who don't have access to the president at parties and other events," Osler said. He added, "I just have to hope that within the White House, there's someone who will be the advocate for those people, the ones who are not wealthy, but who really changed their lives."
