Latest news with #TurningPointUSA
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Huffines Backed by Gaines, Kirk In ‘DOGE Texas' Comptroller Race
Riley Gaines, a national advocate for protecting women's sports from 'transgender' participation, has endorsed Don Huffines for Texas Comptroller in a video posted to X. She was quickly joined by Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, who called Huffines 'Ron Paul meets Donald Trump.' 'This is a spiritual battle,' Gaines said, praising Huffines for opposing DEI and gender identity programs in government spending. 'He's been calling this out long before it was politically convenient.' In the 90-second video, Gaines calls the Comptroller role 'the CFO of Texas,' with the power to defund what she described as 'anti-American hatred' funded through Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives. She urged Texans who care about protecting children, parental rights, and women's sports to rally behind Huffines. Huffines responded: 'Thank you, Riley! You're absolutely right, this is a spiritual battle. I'm honored to have your support as we DOGE Texas and expose the taxpayer-funded DEI and transgender madness infecting government.' Charlie Kirk also posted his endorsement on X: As The Dallas Express previously reported, Huffines is campaigning on his DOGE Texas platform—Dedicated to Optimizing Government Efficiency—with a focus on exposing waste, fraud, and abuse in state government and directing savings to property tax relief. The former state senator and Dallas businessman has pledged $10 million of his own money to the race and has secured endorsements from Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas Right to Life, and Vivek Ramaswamy. His main Republican primary opponent, Railroad Commission Chair Christi Craddick, is backed by major energy sector donors. Craddick emphasizes regulatory experience, while Huffines casts himself as an outsider determined to shake up state government. With endorsements from high-profile conservative voices and grassroots influencers alike, Huffines is positioning his campaign as a cultural and fiscal reckoning—one that aims to root out waste, defund 'woke' spending, and restore accountability in Austin.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Plymouth-Canton community defends school district diversity policies amid outside attacks
Members of the public fill the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools Board of Education meeting. June 10, 2025 | Photo by Leah Craig Community members gathered at the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools Board of Education meeting Tuesday to voice their vehement support for the district's inclusive policies and leadership. Attendance extended beyond the boardroom into the hallway. The outpouring of public support comes on the heels of a contentious May 27 meeting, when six individuals used far-right and religious rhetoric to lambaste the school board. Further examination of social media accounts showed that these agitators were flown in from out of state specifically for the Plymouth-Canton Board meeting. The individuals in question were paid operatives of Turning Point USA, a right-wing nonprofit that advocates for conservative politics in high schools and college campuses nationwide. Several community members pointed out that these six agitators were not stakeholders and, as such, were in no position to spread falsehoods about the school district. Speakers at Tuesday's board meeting chose not to say the names of the agitators, explaining that identifying these parties only serves to amplify their bigotry. Indeed, the meeting had a much different tone as district parents, students, staff, and alumni thoroughly condemned the events of the previous meeting. 'They weren't here to help our community,' said Michelle Mustakis. 'They were here to use us, to use you, and worst of all, to use your kids for the purpose of growing their social media reach. Kids for clicks. And what better way for them to grow their influence than to hit on all the hot topic buttons?' Though no specific policy was mentioned, the May 27 speakers' inflammatory religious and political rhetoric was presumably a response to the district's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies. Per their website, the Plymouth-Canton district is 'committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment for all students, staff, and families.' This commitment is reflected in district policy, most notably in the district's stance on transgender student rights. In December 2020, the Plymouth-Canton board voted unanimously to allow transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond with their gender identity. The State of Michigan codified this policy in 2021, though the level of cooperation varies among school districts. John Skutnik– whose three sons graduated from Plymouth High School– applauded the board's efforts to 'show our children that people who are different than them should not be feared but embraced and understood.' Skutnik also pushed back on the agitators' comments from the previous meeting, particularly the claim that schools should be focused on 'reading, writing, and arithmetic.' However, Skutnik explained, 'education is also about learning how to communicate. Because all of those traditional subjects are useless unless you're able to communicate with people who are both like you and not like you.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Entitled anti-ICE protesters block NYC woman from getting to work as LA chaos spreads
A pair of entitled anti-ICE protesters blocking New York City traffic laughed in a pleading mother's faced and refused to move out of the way as she begged for them to move so she could get to work. Footage captured by Turning Point USA reporter Savanah Hernandez shows the heated encounter between the young mother and the two activists. The woman, who clearly exited her vehicle to confront the duo in the street, is seen begging the pair to move, desperately saying how she needs to get to work so she can provide for her child. 'And these people are having their children taken and their parents taken,' one protester interrupts. The mother pleads again: 'But what about my kid? If I lose my job, then what happens to my kid?' But the demonstrator remains relentless and speaks over the mother, telling her 'I cannot help you'. The mother reiterates that they 'can if they would just move', but the protester doubles down: 'No we can't. We are not going to.' 'How is this a peaceful protest? There's nothing peaceful,' the mother begs again, but the argumentative activist snappily hits back: 'This is peace. This is peace.' The woman, who clearly exited her vehicle to confront the duo in the street, is seen begging the pair to move, desperately saying how she needs to get to work so she can provide for her child NYC- A woman exits her vehicle to beg protesters to move out of the road so she can go to work to provide for her child. Two protestors stopping traffic then tell her that 'immigrants' are having their children stolen from them everyday and that they're more important… — FRONTLINES (@FrontlinesTPUSA) June 10, 2025 The footage was captured at just one of many protests against immigration enforcement raids have sprung up across the US this week. The chaos began on Friday when anti-ICE protesters seized on a handful of police raids across Los Angeles. The demonstrations in LA quickly turned into riots that saw downtown businesses looted and vehicles set ablaze. Marchers from Seattle and Austin to Chicago and DC have taken to the streets chanting slogans, carrying signs against ICE and snarling traffic through downtown avenues and outside federal offices. While many have been peaceful, some have resulted in clashes with law enforcement as officers made arrests and used chemical irritants to disperse crowds. Activists are planning more and even larger demonstrations in the coming days, with 'No Kings' events across the country on Saturday to coincide with President Donald Trump's planned military parade through Washington. The Trump administration said it would continue its program of raids and deportations despite the protests. 'ICE will continue to enforce the law,' Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted Tuesday on social media. The Governor of Texas, Republican Greg Abbott, said he will deploy the National Guard this week, ahead of planned protests. Protesters and police in Austin clashed on Monday. Trump's extraordinary measures of sending National Guard and Marines to quell protests in Los Angeles has sparked a national debate on the use of military on U.S. soil and pitted the Republican president against California's Democrat governor. 'This brazen abuse of power by a sitting president inflamed a combustible situation, putting our people, our officers and even our National Guard at risk. That's when the downward spiral began,' California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a video address on Tuesday. 'He again chose escalation. He chose more force. He chose theatrics over public safety. ... Democracy is under assault.' Newsom, widely seen as preparing for a presidential run in 2028, and the state of California sued Trump and the Defense Department on Monday, seeking to block the deployment of federal troops. Trump in turn has suggested Newsom should be arrested. Hundreds of U.S. Marines arrived in the Los Angeles area on Tuesday under orders from Trump, after he also ordered the deployment of 4,000 National Guard to the city. Marines and National Guard are to be used in the protection of government personnel and buildings and not in police action. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the deployments were not necessary as police could manage the protest, the majority of which have been peaceful, and limited to about five streets. However, due to looting and violence at night she imposed a curfew over one square mile of the city's downtown, starting Tuesday night. The curfew will last several days. Police said multiple groups stayed on the streets in some areas despite the curfew and 'mass arrests' were initiated. Police earlier said that 197 people had already been arrested on Tuesday - more than double the total number of arrests to date. Democratic leaders have raised concerns over a national crisis in what has become the most intense flashpoint yet in the Trump administration's efforts to deport migrants living in the country illegally, and then crack down on opponents who take to the streets in protest. Trump, voted back into office last year largely for his promise to deport undocumented immigrants, used a speech honoring soldiers on Tuesday to defend his decision. He told troops at the army base in Fort Bragg, North Carolina: 'Generations of army heroes did not shed their blood on distant shores only to watch our country be destroyed by invasion and third-world lawlessness.' 'What you're witnessing in California is a full-blown assault on peace, on public order and on national sovereignty, carried out by rioters bearing foreign flags,' Trump said, adding his administration would 'liberate Los Angeles.' Demonstrators have waved the flags of Mexico and other countries in solidarity for the migrants rounded up in a series of intensifying raids. Homeland Security said on Monday its Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) division had arrested 2,000 immigration offenders per day recently, far above the 311 daily average in fiscal year 2024 under former President Joe Biden. Protests have also taken place in other cities including New York, Atlanta and Chicago, where demonstrators shouted at and scuffled with officers. Some protesters climbed onto the Picasso sculpture in Daley Plaza, while others chanted that ICE should be abolished. Texas Governor Abbott said late on Tuesday that he will deploy the National Guard, which 'will use every tool & strategy to help law enforcement maintain order.' 'Texas National Guard will be deployed to locations across the state to ensure peace & order. Peaceful protest is legal. Harming a person or property is illegal & will lead to arrest,' Abbott posted on X. South Texas organizations are expected to hold anti-ICE rallies on Wednesday and Saturday, CNN reported local media as saying. About 700 Marines were in a staging area in the Seal Beach area about 30 miles south of Los Angeles on Tuesday, awaiting deployment to specific locations, a U.S. official said. California Attorney General Rob Bonta told Reuters the state was concerned about allowing federal troops to protect personnel, saying there was a risk that could violate an 1878 law that generally forbids the U.S. military, including the National Guard, from taking part in civilian law enforcement. 'Protecting personnel likely means accompanying ICE agents into communities and neighborhoods, and protecting functions could mean protecting the ICE function of enforcing the immigration law,' Bonta said. ICE on Tuesday posted photos on X of National Guard troops accompanying ICE officers on an immigration raid. Trump administration officials have vowed to redouble the immigration raids in response to the street protests. The last time the military was used for direct police action under the Insurrection Act was in 1992, when the California governor at the time asked President George H.W. Bush to help respond to Los Angeles riots over the acquittal of police officers who beat Black motorist Rodney King.
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
'Trump Is Losing,' Putin's Top Propagandist Says
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Russian state media figures have sharply criticized U.S. President Donald Trump in recent broadcasts and online commentary, claiming he is "losing" power and influence as his stance on the Ukraine war and relations with Vladimir Putin have shifted. Influential Russian broadcasters Vladimir Solovyov and Dimitri Simes aired skepticism about Trump's ability to maintain consistent foreign policy, highlighting lost alliances, questioning his influence and expressing overall dissatisfaction with Trump's direction, citing fractured alliances and inconsistent policymaking. In a recent broadcast posted to Russian Media Monitor on YouTube, the pair discussed their concerns over Trump's unpredictability and the perceived diminishing effectiveness of his threats toward Russia, while aligning with Musk on criticism of Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill." Why It Matters This criticism signals a notable shift in Russian state media's approach to Trump, once praised for his perceived alignment with Moscow's strategic interests. As Trump's rhetoric against Putin has intensified in response to ongoing violence in Ukraine, the reactions from top Russian propagandists could impact diplomatic relations and public opinion in both countries. The situation challenges prevailing narratives around Trump's foreign policy and his administration's leverage in U.S.-Russia-Europe relations. The discussion underscores the notions abroad that Trump's unpredictability undermines the stability and effectiveness of the American political system, emphasizing concerns about his decision-making and prioritization of personal interests. What To Know The statements come as the dynamics and relations between Trump and Putin have shifted. In May, Trump issued some of his harshest comments yet regarding Putin, calling him "absolutely CRAZY" over intensified missile and drone attacks on Ukraine. "I've always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY! He is needlessly killing a lot of people, and I'm not just talking about soldiers," Trump wrote on Truth Social. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called Trump's words an "emotional overload." U.S. President-elect Donald Trump looks on during Turning Point USA's AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center on December 22, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump looks on during Turning Point USA's AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center on December 22, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. Photo bySolovyov is a Russian TV presenter, hosting Evening with Vladimir Solovyov on Russian TV. He is accused of being a propagandist for the Russian government and is a confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Simes is a Russian-American political pundit, author and editor who served as the president and CEO of The Center for the National Interest. In the latest discussion, Solovyov posed the question "Is Trump Losing?" and added that he believed Trump had "lost a powerful ally" in Elon Musk. Simes replied by saying, "You know of course I don't like this tendency that exists in America. One day you can be a key player in the administration and the very next day you start very publicly bashing this administration." "Perhaps it would be better if he took a bit of a break and be quiet for a little while after leaving the administration before he started to harshly criticize it," Simes added. The two then discussed the Big Beautiful Bill and what they say were its failings, including a failure to control national spending. Simes said the bill "contains many contradictions" and doesn't carve a path to lessen the national debt. "Trump himself said that the constantly growing national debt threatens Americas financial stability," Simes explained, adding "Therefore America's social stability because if the government is unable to pay its social obligations like pensions it would undermine the stability of entire American political system." Solovyov agreed that things were moving in that direction and then asked if Trump had any successes. He said Trump's plan didn't appear to be going as planned, including his attempt to take over Greenland and his tariff plan. "The scary tariffs with which he threatened everyone scared no one. The economy isn't feeling all too well," Solovyov said. Simes echoed that sentiment saying, "I'm sure you understand that its hard to have a well-organized system of government when the president is so unpredictable." What People Are Saying Dimitri Simes, Russian-American political pundit, author and editor who served as the president and CEO of The Center for the National Interest told Solovyov on the broadcast: "As they say about him [Trump], he truly is a man of his word. Today he gives his word tomorrow he may take it back. I'm sure you understand that its hard to have a well-organized system of government when the president is so unpredictable. And looks at the world and at his country America through the prism of his own interest and dare I say his own pride and his own mood. This is a big problem in terms of the Presidents efficacy as well as well as his administration." Vladimir Solovyov, TV presenter and accused Putin propagandist: "Yelling at the head of the Federal Reserve also didn't yield any results. Aside from his exceptionally successful trip to the Middle East and a wonderful plane gifted to the pentagon what other positives are there?" What Happens Next The impact of heightened criticism from Russian state media on Trump's relationship with Moscow, and on ongoing U.S.-led efforts for a peace agreement in Ukraine, remains uncertain as diplomatic discussions are set to continue through new rounds of talks and ongoing international engagement.
Al Bawaba
03-06-2025
- General
- Al Bawaba
Charlie Kirk: Islam is not compatible with Western civilization
ALBAWABA - American conservative political activist Charlie Kirk recently sparked outrage on X (formerly known as Twitter) after taking to his account and writing, "Islam is not compatible with Western civilization." As of recently, the far-right activist has been the subject of ongoing controversy for his political views and opinions on religion. His latest post on X is no exception, sparking a wave of division, with social media users either supporting Charlie Kirk or strongly opposing his views on Islam. Fellow X user Zhang Yong clapped back at Kirk and wrote, "Charlie your smile is not compatible with society," following a picture mocking the political activist's appearance. Another took to Kirk's defense and wrote, "This is, unfortunately, becoming more and more apparent." Charlie Kirk rose to fame after founding a non-profit organization named "Turning Point USA," which aims to advocate conservative views in educational institutions such as high schools and universities. Videos of his heated debates with students on campus garnered millions of views and followers across social media due to their controversial nature. The American conservative political activist presents himself as an individual who praises Christian nationalism and advocates for the teachings of Jesus Christ and against "Woke" culture. While he initially took a more secular and libertarian stance in politics, his views have undergone a drastic shift since then, leading to his current conservative and Christian nationalist stance.
