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Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
The 2021 Vs. 2025 Pride Tweets From This Republican Lawmaker Are So Depressing
As we go into another LGBTQ+ Pride Month amid what appears to be a terrifying rise of authoritarianism, let's talk about Nancy Mace. There's a chance that you best know the Republican South Carolina representative for being incredibly weird about trans people in bathrooms. After Sarah McBride of Delaware was elected as the first openly trans member of Congress last year, Nancy managed to post about bathrooms 326 times in a 72-hour span on X. Her tirade worked; trans people can't use single-sex bathrooms that align with their gender near the House Chamber. Heading into Pride Month this year, Nancy kept up the fearmongering by insinuating that trans people are "groomers," a conspiracy theory that was once leveled at gay people but has grown in popularity in recent years. Alongside this, she shared an image of herself with a rainbow flag filter along with the caption, "Hands off our kids," just in case the original text was too subtle. Related: A Republican's Response To A "Tax The Rich" Chant At His Town Hall Is Going Viral Ol' Nancy also parroted the anti-science notion that there "are two genders," despite experts saying that there's not even a binary definition of sex. Then there was her charming characterization of trans women as men who "smear on lipstick and parade around in a dress." And that's just on one of her accounts! The tirade continued on her @NancyMace account, where she kept retweeting herself to let you know she's extra cool. Related: "I Am So Torn With What You Are Doing" — 11 Posts From MAGA Business Owners Who Are So Close To Getting It But Nancy wasn't always like this. In 2021, she shared an interview with the caption, "I strongly support LGBTQ rights. No one should be discriminated against. Religious liberty, gay rights, and transgender equality can all coexist." And for Pride that same year, she said, "We can all come together to celebrate the challenges our LGBTQ+ has overcome, and the bright future ahead." As recently as 2023, Nancy even voiced support for trans youth socially transitioning, saying in an interview, 'I'm pro-transgender rights. I'm pro-LGBTQ. Just don't go to the extreme with our kids." Like, not great, but not full brain rot yet. Of course, no other Republican has ever flip-flopped on their beliefs like this when riding the coattails of Trumpist Republicanism (this is obviously sarcasm). Looking for more LGBTQ+ or Pride content? Then check out all of BuzzFeed's posts celebrating Pride 2025. Also in In the News: People Can't Believe This "Disgusting" Donald Trump Jr. Post About Joe Biden's Cancer Diagnosis Is Real Also in In the News: Miss USA's 2024 "National Costume" Has Been Revealed, And It's Obviously An Interesting Choice Also in In the News: One Body Language Expert Spotted Something Very Telling When Donald Trump "Held His Own Hand" At His Recent Press Conference
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
The 2021 Vs. 2025 Pride Tweets From This Republican Lawmaker Are So Depressing
As we go into another LGBTQ+ Pride Month amid what appears to be a terrifying rise of authoritarianism, let's talk about Nancy Mace. There's a chance that you best know the Republican South Carolina representative for being incredibly weird about trans people in bathrooms. After Sarah McBride of Delaware was elected as the first openly trans member of Congress last year, Nancy managed to post about bathrooms 326 times in a 72-hour span on X. Her tirade worked; trans people can't use single-sex bathrooms that align with their gender near the House Chamber. Heading into Pride Month this year, Nancy kept up the fearmongering by insinuating that trans people are "groomers," a conspiracy theory that was once leveled at gay people but has grown in popularity in recent years. Alongside this, she shared an image of herself with a rainbow flag filter along with the caption, "Hands off our kids," just in case the original text was too subtle. Related: A Republican's Response To A "Tax The Rich" Chant At His Town Hall Is Going Viral Ol' Nancy also parroted the anti-science notion that there "are two genders," despite experts saying that there's not even a binary definition of sex. Then there was her charming characterization of trans women as men who "smear on lipstick and parade around in a dress." And that's just on one of her accounts! The tirade continued on her @NancyMace account, where she kept retweeting herself to let you know she's extra cool. Related: "I Am So Torn With What You Are Doing" — 11 Posts From MAGA Business Owners Who Are So Close To Getting It But Nancy wasn't always like this. In 2021, she shared an interview with the caption, "I strongly support LGBTQ rights. No one should be discriminated against. Religious liberty, gay rights, and transgender equality can all coexist." And for Pride that same year, she said, "We can all come together to celebrate the challenges our LGBTQ+ has overcome, and the bright future ahead." As recently as 2023, Nancy even voiced support for trans youth socially transitioning, saying in an interview, 'I'm pro-transgender rights. I'm pro-LGBTQ. Just don't go to the extreme with our kids." Like, not great, but not full brain rot yet. Of course, no other Republican has ever flip-flopped on their beliefs like this when riding the coattails of Trumpist Republicanism (this is obviously sarcasm). Looking for more LGBTQ+ or Pride content? Then check out all of BuzzFeed's posts celebrating Pride 2025. Also in In the News: People Can't Believe This "Disgusting" Donald Trump Jr. Post About Joe Biden's Cancer Diagnosis Is Real Also in In the News: Miss USA's 2024 "National Costume" Has Been Revealed, And It's Obviously An Interesting Choice Also in In the News: One Body Language Expert Spotted Something Very Telling When Donald Trump "Held His Own Hand" At His Recent Press Conference
Buzz Feed
2 days ago
- Politics
- Buzz Feed
Republican Nancy Mace LGBTQ Pride Tweets Resurface
As we go into another LGBTQ+ Pride Month amid what appears to be a terrifying rise of authoritarianism, let's talk about Nancy Mace. There's a chance that you best know the Republican South Carolina representative for being incredibly weird about trans people in bathrooms. After Sarah McBride of Delaware was elected as the first openly trans member of Congress last year, Nancy managed to post about bathrooms 326 times in a 72-hour span on X. Her tirade worked; trans people can't use single-sex bathrooms that align with their gender near the House Chamber. Heading into Pride Month this year, Nancy kept up the fearmongering by insinuating that trans people are "groomers," a conspiracy theory that was once levelled at gay people but has grown in popularity in recent years. Alongside this, she shared an image of herself with a rainbow flag filter along with the caption, "Hands off our kids," just in case the original text was too subtle. Ol' Nancy also parroted the anti-science notion that there "are two genders," despite experts saying that there's not even a binary definition of sex. Then there was her charming characterization of trans women as men who "smear on lipstick and parade around in a dress." And that's just on one of her accounts! The tirade continued on her @NancyMace account, where she kept retweeting herself to let you know she's extra cool. But Nancy wasn't always like this. In 2021, she shared an interview with the caption, "I strongly support LGBTQ rights. No one should be discriminated against. Religious liberty, gay rights, and transgender equality can all coexist." And for Pride that same year, she said, "We can all come together to celebrate the challenges our LGBTQ+ has overcome, and the bright future ahead." As recently as 2023, Nancy even voiced support for trans youth socially transitioning, saying in an interview, 'I'm pro-transgender rights. I'm pro-LGBTQ. Just don't go to the extreme with our kids." Like, not great, but not full brain rot yet. Of course, no other Republican has ever flip-flopped on their beliefs like this when riding the coattails of Trumpist Republicanism (this is obviously sarcasm). Looking for more LGBTQ+ or Pride content? Then check out all of BuzzFeed's posts celebrating Pride 2025.
India Today
27-05-2025
- Business
- India Today
Why Trump is eyeing India's Apple pie
(NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today issue dated June 2, 2025)"I don't want you building all over India.' Those are words that could crush a billion sleekly designed dreams. It's the Fable of the Forbidden Apple, repurposed for the 21st century. In starker words, US President Donald Trump doesn't want Apple Inc. to make its iPhones for the US market in India, which he calls 'a very high-tariff nation'. The silver lining: experts feel the world's most valued company has few other options if it has to pack its bags and shift out of its long-time base, fresh twist of the knife, in the ongoing global trade wars set off by the US, came on May 15 as Trump spoke in Qatar during his Arabian Gulf trip. 'I had a little problem with [Apple CEO] Tim Cook yesterday,' he started, loadinghis off-the-cuffism with a lot of freight, as usual. 'I said to him, 'Tim, you're my friend. You're coming here with $500 billion but now you're building all over India. I don't want you building in India'.' That $500 billion was an allusion to what Apple committed recently to invest in the US. advertisement The Trumpist formula relies on the US soaking back a lot of the manufacturing it had lost over the decades to overseas bases, especially China. His reciprocal tariffs, considerably softened since April 2, were a shock tactic meant to prod the prodigals to return. Apple is a prime exemplar. So any detour to India, while exiting China, sits ill with that plan. That came through in thetirade that followed. 'You can build in India if you want to take care of India,' Trump continued in his scattershot manner, 'because India is one of the highest tariff nations in the world. So, it's very hard to sell in India.' There was more sting left to come. Trump said India had offered a 'no tariffs' deal with the US for American goods, without giving details. All this is while New Delhi is striving breathlessly to clinch a favourable trade deal with the US during the 90-day breather in Trump's tariff calendar. India had originally copped 26 per cent tariffs. APPLE'S GROWING INDIA DEPENDENCEApple is a leader in the premium smartphone segment (above Rs 45,000) in India, with a 58 per cent market share in 2024. Research firm IDC reckons it sold 3 million units of iPhones here in January-March 2025, its highest quarterly figures, up from 2.2 million in the same period last year. This was driven by low-cost EMIs, cashback offers and discounts by online retailers. The newly launched iPhone 16 series made up over half of all iPhone sales, say reports. Globally,Apple posted revenues of $391 billion in the fiscal ended Sep-tember 28, 2024. 'For the June quarter, we do expect the majority of iPhones sold in the US will have India as their country of origin and Vietnam to be the country of origin for almost all iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and AirPods products sold in the US,' Cook told analysts in the Q2 2025 earnings call on May 1. An Apple spokesperson in India offered no comments on Trump's statements on India. In India, Apple assembles iPhones via contract manufacturers like Foxconn, Pegatron (both units of Taiwanese firms) and Tata Electronics. Foxconn has two large facilities at Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, and a new plant at Devanahalli near Bengaluru. Tata Electronics has acquired Taiwanese firm Wistron (at Kolar near Bengaluru), has a controlling stake in Pegatron's India operations (in Chennai), and has a plant at Hosur, Tamil Nadu. Now, Apple assembles the entire iPhone 16 lineup here, though most of the components are imported. In FY25, Apple assembled iPhones worth $22 billion (Rs 1.9 lakh crore) in India. The production has surged 60 per cent in the past one year, and it now assembles 20 per cent of its total iPhones in the country, says a Bloomberg report. Union Minister of IT and Electronics Ashwini Vaishnaw recently said Apple exported 'Made in India' iPhones worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore in FROM CHINAChina presently accounts for 80 per cent of Apple's total production capacity across products. This long-settled fact was first shaken during Trump 1.0. As he launched his first round of tariffs on China, Apple—like other US firms—began to de-risk itself by shifting operations to Vietnam, Brazil and India. Decoupling from China in favour of India won't be easy. An iPhone contains around 1,000 components: most are made in China. 'It took almost a decade to build such a complex and high-quality supply chain,' says Prachir Singh, a senior analyst at Counterpoint Research. As per a 2023 Bloomberg Intelligence estimate, it would take about eight years for Apple to move out just 10 per cent of its production capacity from China. 'It has taken over five years in India for Apple to reach some form of capacity. (But) if not China, then India remains the only potential manufacturing destination for Apple, as the ecosystem is mushrooming, aided by lower-cost English-speaking skilled labour, world-class software talent, favourable government policies, and a huge domestic consumption market.'advertisementTrump's tirade may also be part-mock intimidation to gain leverage in trade talks, Singh feels, since it's known India needs 'halo' companies like Apple to foster a robust domestic supplier ecosystem. 'This statement won't affect Apple's plans, which are already in motion, with India in the driver's seat as an alternative to China.' Apple does not make iPhones in the US, and moving assembly units to that country would raise the cost of an iPhone by three times. Can Cook bite the Trump bullet?advertisementSubscribe to India Today MagazineMust Watch
Hindustan Times
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Harmeet Dhillon's Civil-Rights Revolution Comes With Tea and Roses
Harmeet Dhillon at her Senate confirmation hearing in night in April, Harmeet Dhillon was making spiced Indian tea she said she needed to power through her 12-hour days running the Justice Department's civil-rights division. 'Continuity and fragrance in a sea of change,' she wrote on X, sharing her masala cha recipe and a video clip. The next day, Dhillon rattled division supervisors with an email telling them she had overhauled their mission in service to President Trump. In her first weeks on the job, Dhillon has redeployed the division from its traditional civil-rights priorities to one advancing a MAGA agenda. So far that has meant fighting diversity initiatives, transgender rights and 'wokeness,' while advocating for the rights of gun owners and religious groups. In the past week alone, the Trump administration launched an investigation into whether Chicago engaged in racial discrimination by hiring Black employees for top jobs; announced it would use an antifraud law to pressure universities to end diversity and inclusion programs; pulled back from federal oversight of local law enforcement; and sued an Idaho town of 925 people for refusing to allow a small Christian church to operate in a commercial zone. 'In prior Republican administrations, little attempt was made to actually harness the civil-rights division for affirmative policy change,' Dhillon said last week. 'We are taking the mandate of the voters and we're implementing that on our policy priorities.' The civil-rights division is always subject to significant shifts in agenda with each change in administration, but Dhillon has gone further by enlisting it in a plethora of conservative causes that have never been part of its portfolio. At least 250 lawyers—well over half of the division—have left, according to current and former officials. 'What we're seeing now is a complete gutting of all the traditional work of the civil-rights division and then a rump of the civil-rights division being used almost exclusively to pursue right-wing Trumpist agenda items,' said Samuel Bagenstos, a former senior civil-rights official in the Obama Justice Department. Dhillon, 55, has long been among Trump's staunchest legal allies. She led a group of conservative lawyers in trying to help Trump challenge his 2020 election loss. The namesake law firm she founded in 2006 has been involved in many Trump-related legal battles, including restoring him to Colorado's 2024 presidential ballot and successfully defending him in a defamation case brought by adult-film actress Stormy Daniels. One of Dhillon's first moves at the Justice Department was to rewrite the division's mission of protecting minorities from discrimination to align instead with Trump's executive orders. She urged investigations on issues including transgender athletes in women's sports, affirmative action in education and alleged voter fraud by unauthorized immigrants. 'The zealous and faithful pursuit of this section's mission requires dedication of the section's resources, actions, attention, and energy to the priorities and objectives of the President,' Dhillon wrote. She has said she inherited an office full of liberal activists and that lawyers shouldn't work at the Justice Department if they can't get behind the administration's agenda. 'Personnel is policy,' Dhillon posted on X. She has developed an influencer-level presence on the platform, offering the 1.2 million followers of her personal account a constant stream of posts that mix conservative views with tips about gardening, knitting and crab ravioli. Shortly after the personnel post she shared a picture of some blooming pink roses that she said were 'legacy flowers in my new home.' A number of her followers shared their own bloom pictures in return. In her pre-Trump days, Dhillon took her stress-relief knitting hobby and expanded it into her own textile business, creating knit products with wool sourced from sheep on a ranch where she and her husband, Sarvjit Randhawa, owned a home. 'Ten years ago I would have called this touchy-feely hippie nonsense. But it's a conservative value to not rely on foreign labor and materials,' Dhillon once told the San Francisco Chronicle. Randhawa died last year, and she frequently posts about navigating life in Washington without him. Dhillon sees leading the civil-rights division as a chance to make progress on causes she has long championed. Born in northern India, Dhillon grew up in North Carolina, where her conservative parents started a Sikh temple and raised money for Republican politicians, including then-Sen. Jesse Helms. She has had personal experiences with hate crime and discrimination. A former husband, a Sikh doctor, was shot and wounded in 1995 on a New York City bus while wearing a turban. After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Dhillon sought to protect Sikhs who experienced civil-rights violations. During a campaign for a party leadership post in 2013, she endured ethnically tinged attacks from fellow Republicans who called her a 'Taj Mahal princess.' Dhillon moved to San Francisco in 2003 and rose in politics there, where she said Republicans felt forced to hide. Dhillon became leader of the California Republican Party in 2016. Dhillon's approach at the Justice Department has drawn praise on the right and condemnation from traditional civil-rights advocates, but there is widespread agreement that it is unconventional. The Trump administration, for example, is adopting an approach typically used to investigate misconduct in police departments to examine whether the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department systemically violates residents' gun rights. Dhillon has said she hopes to do more. Her Chicago probe came after Mayor Brandon Johnson, speaking at a local church, highlighted the number of Black people he had put in senior roles. 'If these kind of hiring decisions are being made for top-level positions in your administration, then it begs the question whether such decisions are also being made for lower-level positions,' Dhillon wrote in a letter to Johnson. The mayor called the probe divisive. The division is 'twisting itself into a weapon against civil rights,' Maya Wiley, chief executive of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights said last week after Dhillon moved to drop Biden-era lawsuits alleging unconstitutional policing in Minneapolis and Louisville, Ky. Dhillon said criticisms of her approach are 'untethered to reality' and ignore her work as an attorney representing refugees, workers, domestic-violence victims and those abused by police. Some religious groups have voiced support for Dhillon, pointing to her focus on antisemitism during college campus protests of Israel's military campaign in Gaza. Nathan Diament, the executive director of the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center, said Dhillon has been receptive to the Jewish organization's suggestions, including that she issue guidance to local authorities on what constitutes free speech versus harassment and discrimination. 'She said they are working on that actively,' Diament said. After two Israeli embassy staffers were shot dead outside a Jewish museum on Wednesday, Dhillon said on X that the civil-rights division stood 'ready to seek justice for the victims and families of this shocking crime in our capital. We have been pushing hard on these issues, but we must do more.' Write to Sadie Gurman at Get 360° coverage—from daily headlines to 100 year archives.
