Remembering
James Robison

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The Brew: Politicians Are People, Too

By Al Perrotta Published on January 23, 2025

Happy Thursday!

We start and end today’s Brew with proof that politicians are people, too.

Vance’s First Steps Into Oval Office

During his two years in the U.S. Senate, J.D. Vance never set foot in the Oval Office. But on Tuesday, the kid from the rough Appalachian background walked into the Oval Office for the first time as vice president of the United States. House Speaker Mike Johnson insisted on capturing the moment.

“Wow,” Vance said, taking it all in. “It’s incredible.”

Only in America …

Biden’s Letter to Trump

Wednesday marked Donald and Melania Trump’s twentieth anniversary. I wonder if he said, “Oh, look, honey. I got you a nice white house for our anniversary!”

Also on Wednesday, Trump shared the letter Joe Biden left for him in the Resolute Desk. (“The cocaine actually belonged to …”  Wait. That’s not it.)

The former president actually wrote:

As I take leave of this sacred office, I wish you and your family all the best in the next four years. The American people – and people around the world – look to this house for steadiness in the inevitable storms of history, and my prayer is that the coming years will be a time of prosperity, peace, and grace for our nation.

May God bless you and guide you as He has blessed and guided our beloved country since our founding.

“P.S. I still want to take you around to the back of the gym … but I can’t remember why.” (OK, we made that part up.)

Actions at the Border

The Trump administration is racing on several fronts to stop the flood of illegal immigration into our country and reverse the damage of Biden’s open border — and, not for nothing, to save women and children from the horrors of sex trafficking and abuse.  

On Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order suspending all immigration across the southern border, and the Pentagon will be backing that up by deploying up to 1,500 active duty troops to help secure it.

Border czar Tom Homan announced that 308 serious criminals, including murderers and child rapists, were arrested on the first day of ICE’s crackdown on criminal migrants. Customs and Border Patrol has ordered its field agents to resume using the term “alien” to refer to illegal immigrants, rather than calling them “undocumented” or “noncitizens.” That first one was always a dumb word to use, since many of the migrants do carry documents; they just happen to be fake.  

As for legal immigrants, Trump has terminated the COVID vaccine mandate that was imposed upon them (but not the illegal aliens) during the Biden administration.

Suddenly, New York Times Sees Fetuses as People

One amazing development resulting from Trump’s efforts to secure the border is probably accidental — but we’ll take it anyway. In decrying Trump’s executive order against birthright citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants, The New York Times admitted that a fetus is a person, not just a “clump of cells” or “product of conception.” Its headline from Tuesday: “Undocumented Women Ask: Will My Unborn Child Be a Citizen?”

Hey, Grey Lady. Isn’t it supposed to be “Undocumented Birthing Person”?

Trump Pushes Ukraine-Russia Peace Deal

Who needs a red line to Moscow when you’ve got social media? Trump began his push for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine by assigning Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg the task of ending the war in 100 days — with a Truth Social post directed at Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Trump’s message: “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”

I’m not looking to hurt Russia. I love the Russian people, and always had a very good relationship with President Putin – and this despite the Radical Left’s Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX. We must never forget that Russia helped us win the Second World War, losing almost 60,000,000 lives in the process. All of that being said, I’m going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. If we don’t make a “deal,” and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries. Let’s get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with! We can do it the easy way, or the hard way – and the easy way is always better. It’s time to “MAKE A DEAL.” NO MORE LIVES SHOULD BE LOST!!!

“I’m not looking to hurt Russia” … “I’m going to do Russia a very big FAVOR” … “the easiest way is always better.” “It’s time to MAKE A DEAL.” Only Trump could make negotiating an historic peace sound like purchasing a car: “Make the deal today, Vladimir, and we’ll throw in a ski rack for those cold nights in Siberia.”

Update: Bishop and the Church Owe the Public an Apology

Trump also took to Truth Social Wednesday to shred the bishop who turned Tuesday’s national prayer service into a lecture. The president wants Mariann Edgar Budde and the church to apologize the American people. He also called her service “boring and uninspiring.”

Budde got what she wanted: attention, a dig at Trump to impress her leftist friends, and a sudden appearance on The View.

What do you think? Was Budde preaching God’s truth to power, or abusing the pulpit for partisan gain?

DEI Employees on Paid Leave as of COB Yesterday

Trump wasted no time in ridding the federal government of toxic DEI practices. On Wednesday, he ordered all federal agencies to place all federal employees in DEI-connected positions on paid leave by the end of the work day. (Sure, we may have to pay them, but at least they’re not able to continue poisoning the workforce with division and discrimination.)

We want to be able to ensure people are hired on merit, not because they check off woke intersectional boxes. We don’t want employees spending their time being humiliated for their “whiteness.”

In another move to create a color-blind, merit-based society, Trump rescinded Executive Order 11246, issued by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965 to create affirmative action programs.

Bills Fans Launch GoFundMe for Charity of Ravens Player Who Dropped Ball

You have got to love Buffalo Bills fans. During last weekend’s playoff game, Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews dropped an easy game-tying two-point conversion pass with time running out, costing the Ravens the game.

Bills fans, who know heartbreaking playoff loss better than anyone, reached out to Andrews and started a GoFundMe to raise money for his favorite charity. (Philadelphia Eagles fans, by contrast, would have taunted Andrews’s mother on social media.)

Speaking of Philadelphia, Bills fans might want to start a GoFundMe for Mayor Cherelle Parker, who amazingly misspelled the team’s name (Eagles) while trying to lead a chant before Sunday’s game against the L.A. Rams.

 “Let me hear you all say … E-L-G-S-E-S!”

Parker was able to joke about the muffed spelling at an event Tuesday. “We don’t promise perfection,” she said. “I’m so happy that I never have, especially after I couldn’t spell ‘Eagles’ right.”

Never one to miss an opportunity, Phillygoat is now selling kelly green ELGSES T-shirts.  

The Elgses take on the Washington Commanders next Sunday in the NFC championship game. I guess Washington fans can’t judge Parker too harshly. Most of them still spell Commanders “R-E-D-S-K-I-N-S.” 

 

Along The Stream…

Jules Gomes reminds us that “Glory, Glory, Hallelujah! Only King Jesus Can Make America Great Again.” 

Meeanwhile, Anne Morse returns with some thoughts on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade and why the fight for life still continues in “Fighting the Furious Forces.” 

 

Al Perrotta is The Stream’s Washington bureau chief, coauthor with John Zmirak of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration, and coauthor of the counterterrorism memoir Hostile Intent: Protecting Yourself Against Terrorism.