Last night we witnessed something pretty weird and unique at the Iowa caucuses. For the first time in American political history a presidential candidate from the out-of-power party won the caucus without ever participating in the debates or even actively campaigning in the state. Pro-Trump people will hail it as a triumph‚ and the never-Trumpers as an abomination. But when it comes to Donald Trump and his long strange trip into‚ and then out of‚ and then perhaps back into the White House‚ what do the results say about the state of our country? Perhaps the most interesting thing about Trump’s candidacy so far is that the more his enemies (in both parties) try to take him down‚ the more popular he becomes. Indeed‚ no modern president has had so many forces arrayed against him. From rogue DA’s who openly ran for office with promises to prosecute Trump‚ to a hostile Congress and their sham impeachments‚ to the courts in progressive states kicking him off their ballots‚ to the media’s one-sided reportage‚ to Big Tech’s outright censorship‚ all the way to opposition from the wealthy donor class‚ Trump has had to battle wave upon wave of attacks and legal charges‚ frivolous and otherwise‚ all with one goal in mind — to prevent him from sitting behind the Resolute Desk ever again. And it appears they will continue to do whatever it takes to knock him out of the running.  Those who oppose him are so entrenched in their manic disdain for this one man that‚ as Sam Harris has shown‚ they will rationalize ripping to shreds the credibility of our most important institutions in their jihad against the Teflon Donald. They would‚ to borrow an old phrase‚ “destroy the village to save it.”  In fact‚ so aggressive has their prosecutorial zeal towards this one man been that attempts to decapitate the Trump candidacy are being called “Lawfare.” And my hunch is that a lot of Americans don’t like it. I’m not even a Trump man (I prefer DeSantis myself having seen what he’s done for Florida) and yet I have found myself repeatedly in print defending the besieged Donald from what I perceive as far greater threats to the country and “our sacred democracy” than who becomes the head at the end of one neck of the federal hydra. Americans are not always the quickest to realize what are bad policies and dangerous ideas. Nevertheless‚ we do catch on if they persist. And the overwhelming vote for Trump last night could very well be read as a repudiation of the machinations of political insiders and powerful interests weaponizing the law to take this man out in a way that would have made Lavrentiy Beria nod with satisfaction. I wonder‚ is it just the instinctual revulsion to seeing the courtroom being wielded like a club by those who see themselves not just above the law but outside it that is at the heart of Trump’s win? Perhaps. But then again‚ for many others‚ it could be the complete breakdown of trust in every major institution in the country. Once important pillars of the Republic — a free and impartial press‚ enlightened education‚ equal and open exchange of ideas‚ corporate responsibility‚ a thriving middle class‚ a political leadership that caters to the needs and hears the concerns of its constituents‚ wise foreign policy‚ the legitimacy of the electoral process‚ and now even the law itself— have been‚ in the eyes of millions‚ hopelessly corrupted by people with the ruthless drive to wield the power these combined institutions can bring to bear on the average citizen. This feeling has only been solidified by the clear leveling of all the barrels of government power aimed at this one man just to ruin him. And given his willingness to withstand (perhaps even relish) the slings and arrows of his many enemies inside and outside the D.C. Beltway‚ Trump has taken on the moniker of martyr. His supporters see in him their own William Wallace or Thomas Becket. (At least the film versions). When Trump says “It’s not me they’re after‚ but you‚” this has real meaning for many who feel very much like they no longer have any say in their nation’s direction. One must think that more than a few of the 51% of those who braved the cold to cast ballots for Trump see him as their last hope to save the Republic from those detached insiders leading the country to destruction while pulling the strings of a mentally enfeebled president in name only. It has often been said that Trump did not cause the divisions in our country so much as arise out of them — his opponents might say exploited them. However one wishes to view Trump’s victory in Iowa‚ it should be made clear that in this one state at least‚ voters took the measure of the man and weighed him against the charges hanging over his head and found the latter wanting. So many people I know on the Left are shaking their heads. “How is it that a man indicted on 91 felony charges could get any votes for dog catcher let alone the highest office in the land?” they ask in dismay. The answer is simple. The caucus participants considered who brought the charges and why and‚ as telling‚ who’s been spared prosecution due to party affiliation‚ despite their own demonstrable crimes. Iowans saw through the charade. As the great litigator Vincent LaGuardia Gambini once told a jury‚ they simply concluded that “everything dat guy just said is bulls***.” Trump’s victory is both encouraging and concerning. It is encouraging in that it should tell those willing to use the law like a tinhorn generalissimo to silence opposition that it will not happen on Iowans’ watch at least. But the fact that such a message even needed to be sent shows in what a perilous position we find ourselves. More so than I think people understand. As mentioned above‚ if the citizenry no longer trusts the institutions‚ then a government built around democratic principles will collapse. It has to. If one doesn’t believe the law is equally applied‚ that it is nothing more than one of many political arrows in the quiver to let fly whenever an upstart gets too close to tipping the establishment apple cart‚ then why obey the law at all? Thus we see the true dangers of what is often called Trump Derangement Syndrome. When people are either so self-righteous‚ or‚ more likely‚ so cynical that they are willing to scrap the institutions and processes that keep us from falling into the abyss of totalitarianism to destroy one man‚ they become the very ‘fascists’ they are too busy accusing others of supporting to see it in themselves. Or‚ worse‚ they don’t care as power is the aim‚ not a representative republic or‚ as the preamble to the Constitution reminds us‚ to “promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty”. Representative‚ democratically structured governments are a relative newcomer to the political universe. At our founding‚ we were a lone‚ bright star in a firmament of monarchs‚ tsars‚ emperors‚ and despots. Our revolution and the republic it ushered in was the exception‚ not the rule‚ to governance throughout all recorded history. A mere 248 years against over some 5‚400. And as we have learned through many hard and bloody lessons in failed nation-building disasters since the great democracies put down fascism and then held back communism‚ it may not even be the natural state of humankind. The authors of the Constitution knew a dark truth: ambitious men left unchecked will chase power‚ and all the brutality and corruption that goes with it. That we have thrived in our brief moment in the sun is a testament not to us as a people‚ for we are no different than any others when it comes to human nature‚ but rather the strength and legitimacy of the institutions our Framers bestowed upon us. Without them we are just another oligarchy in the making. Love him‚ hate him‚ or‚ if you’re like me‚ take the good with the bad and judge him in a line-item fashion‚ there is no denying that Trump’s victory in Iowa was a pivotal event in American politics. Whether it is for the good or the bad‚ only time will tell. Benjamin Franklin’s famous warning to a woman who inquired after the Constitutional Convention ended as to what form of government they’d created for the new country rings in my ears louder today than it has in a long time. “We have given you a Republic — If you can keep it.”  Last night Iowans tried to keep it. For a little while longer anyway. * * * Brad Schaeffer is a commodities trader‚ author‚ columnist‚ and musician whose eclectic body of writing can be found in the Wall Street Journal‚ New York Post‚ New York Daily News‚ Daily Wire‚ National Review‚ The Hill‚ The Federalist‚ Zerohedge‚ and others. His latest book LIFE IN THE PITS: My Time As A Trader On The Rough-And-Tumble Exchange Floors is available on Amazon and soon Audible.  The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

CNN anchor Jake Tapper cut into former President Donald Trump’s victory speech — following Monday evening’s Iowa caucuses‚ which Trump won decisively — to complain about what he said was “anti-immigrant rhetoric.” Trump‚ who finished the night with 51% of the vote — followed by Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) with 21% and former Governor Nikki Haley (R-SC) with 19% — gave a speech from Des Moines‚ during which he addressed the illegal immigration crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. WATCH: CNN's Jake Tapper cuts away from former President Trump's Iowa victory speech immediately after he started talking about President Biden's border crisis."Here he is‚ right now‚ under my voice. You can hear him repeating his anti-immigrant rhetoric‚" he decried. pic.twitter.com/1FRLfyj62H — Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) January 16‚ 2024 “We’re going to seal up the border‚” Trump said to applause. “Because right now we have an invasion. An invasion of millions and millions of people that are coming into our country. I can’t imagine why they think that’s a good thing …” Tapper broke in then‚ speaking over the live feed from Des Moines‚ saying‚ “Donald Trump declaring victory with a historically strong showing in the Iowa Caucuses if these numbers hold — the biggest victory for a non-incumbent president in the modern era for this contest.” “A relatively subdued speech as these things go so far‚ although here he is right now‚ under my voice‚ you hear him repeating his anti-immigrant rhetoric‚” Tapper continued. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Much of Trump’s focus on the campaign trail has been aimed at the ongoing border crisis‚ which he says has only been exacerbated by President Joe Biden and his administration’s policies — an assertion that appears to have been borne out over and over again by month after month of record high border crossings. According to the most recent data‚ more than 300‚000 illegal immigrant encounters were recorded at the border in the month of December alone — the highest one-month total on record — and thousands more migrants were believed to have crossed without being spotted. Despite attempts from Democrats and media to assert otherwise — claiming that he is anti-immigrant across the board — former President Trump has been clear that his criticism is directed at the porous southern border and those who cross it illegally rather than at those who choose to come to the United States through legal channels.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is awarding nearly $700‚000 taxpayer dollars to back pregnancy prevention programs for young girls who identify as boys‚ warning that “heteronormative” sexual education is inadequate. The $698‚736 grant‚ which began in September 2023 and will continue until June 2027‚ according to government disclosures‚ will be allocated to the Center for Innovative Public Health Research‚ a non-profit that seeks to create “an inclusive teen pregnancy program for transgender boys.” “Youth who are assigned female at birth … are at risk for negative sexual health outcomes yet are effectively excluded from sexual health programs because gender-diverse youth do not experience the cisgender‚ heteronormative teen sexual education messaging available to them as salient or applicable‚” the award description claims. “Data suggest that AFAB [assigned female at birth] trans-identified youth may be less likely to use condoms when having sex with people who have penises and are at least as likely as cisgender girls to be pregnant‚” it goes on to say before adding that the “health inequity must be addressed.” The Center for Innovative Public Health Research aims to provide sex education via a program called “Girl2Girl‚” which the organization describes as “a text messaging based-sexual health program designed for cisgender sexual minority girls 14-18 years of age.” The center will then “test the resulting adaptation” in a national cohort of “700 trans-identified AFAB youth 14-18 years of age‚” measuring their use of contraception and testing for sexually transmitted diseases‚ as well as pregnancy rates. The funding from the HHS specifically comes from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Nursing Research. The National Institute of Nursing Research was given authority to spend a total of $57 million taxpayer dollars in fiscal year 2024. The Center for Innovative Public Health Research is slated to receive another $1.4 million taxpayer dollars from HHS to develop a “population-based HIV prevention program for trans girls‚” specifying that the program will “address the lack of gender inclusive HIV prevention programming.” “Messaging will be gender affirming” and will “reduce internalized transphobia‚” the award description adds. But the award for nearly $700‚000 taxpayer dollars is not the only action that the HHS has taken to push transgenderism. The Daily Wire previously revealed that the National Institutes of Health (NIH)‚ a subagency of the HHS‚ funded a study on the use of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormone treatment to the tune of $3 million despite transgender children’s hospitals admitting that the practice could result in permanent sterilization. Got a tip worth investigating? Your information could be the missing piece to an important story. Submit your tip today.

Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said on Tuesday that he was dropping out of the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.  Hutchinson’s announcement came after a poor performance on Monday at the Iowa caucuses‚ where he picked up less than half a percent of the vote. Former President Donald Trump dominated‚ winning 51% of the votes and all but one of Iowa’s 99 counties.  “I congratulate Donald J. Trump for his win last night in Iowa and to the other candidates who competed and garnered delegate support‚” Hutchinson said. “Today‚ I am suspending my campaign for President and driving back to Arkansas. My message of being a principled Republican with experience and telling the truth about the current front runner did not sell in Iowa.” Hutchinson became the second candidate to drop out after the caucus‚ following tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. His campaign failed to garner much support‚ and he did not qualify for any debates after the first. He was far behind the other trailing Republican candidates‚ including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (21.2%)‚ former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley (19.1%)‚ and Ramaswamy (7.7%).   “I stand by the campaign I ran. I answered every question‚ sounded the warning to the GOP about the risks in 2024 and presented hope for our country’s future‚” Hutchinson said.  The former governor was a frequent critic of Trump and launched his campaign by calling on Trump to drop out. Before announcing his run last year‚ Hutchinson promised “to do everything” to ensure that Trump did not get the Republican nomination. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP “I mean‚ first of all‚ the office is more important than any individual person‚” Hutchinson said in April during his announcement. “And so for the sake of the office of the presidency‚ I do think that’s too much of a sideshow and distraction and he needs to be able to concentrate on his due process and there is a presumption of innocence.” Hutchinson also faced criticism on the campaign trail over his past veto of a bill banning transgender procedures for minors during his time as governor. He said he opposed the bill because of parental rights and limited government.   

MSNBC host Joy Reid summarily declared that “white Christians” were to blame after multiple media outlets projected a decisive victory for former President Donald Trump in Monday evening’s Iowa caucuses. Reid pointed out the fact that 61% of Iowans are white Christians — compared to 41% of all Americans — and then claimed that they primarily supported Trump because they believed God had given the United States to them and Trump would help them to get it back. WATCH: Joy Reid of MSNBC is complaining because there are too many white Christians in Iowa pic.twitter.com/yLqFdZeZzU — Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 16‚ 2024 Reid explained that before the caucuses‚ she had sought the advice of one Robert “Robbie” Jones — who is the president and founder of Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and author of “The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy.” “‘[White Christians] see themselves as the rightful inheritors of this country‚ and Trump has promised to give it back to them‚'” Reid quoted Jones as saying. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP “All the things that we think about‚ about electability‚ about what are people gaming out‚ but none of that matters when you believe that God has given you this country‚ that it is yours‚ and that everyone who is not a white‚ conservative Christian is a fraudulent American‚ is a less real American‚” Reid extrapolated on Jones’ comments. “Then you don’t care about electability. You care about what God has given you.” The remainder of Reid’s analysis continued in that same vein — she claimed that racism in the Republican Party was the reason for former Governor Nikki Haley’s (R-SC) third-place finish behind Trump and Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL). “It’s the elephant in the room. She’s still a brown lady that’s got to try to win in a party that is deeply anti-immigrant‚ and which accepts the notion you can say immigrants are poisoning the blood of our country‚” Reid said. “She’s getting birthered by Donald Trump‚ and I don’t care how much the donor class likes her — which will ramp up a lot the better she does in New Hampshire — it’s still a challenge.”

When you bring home a newborn baby‚ it is important to integrate them slowly into your home. Whether your new baby will have human siblings‚ fur siblings‚ or a combination‚ it is important to introduce them properly and safely. When this family added a new daughter‚ their firstborn son wasn’t keen on having a sister at the gender reveal. He backed away slowly and said‚ “Oh no!” By the time the baby was born‚ he had a complete change of attitude and couldn’t wait to hold “his” baby. The fur family in our clip includes two dogs and two cats that we can see. The newborn is nestled safely in its crib. The critters are let into the nursery to see the new baby. The sleeping baby does not know the wonders they will experience with these fur siblings! Image from TikTok. You can see the two German shepherds and one cat looking in from the side of the crib. The second cat is peering in through the end. If these animals could talk‚ you can almost imagine the conversation. “What is it?” “I don’t know‚ but it smells funny.” “When can we play with it?” @taylorpatten_ When your parents bring home a human #dog #cat #baby #newborn #fyp ♬ take a moment to breathe. – normal the kid Introducing animals to a new baby can be tricky. Because you know your pets‚ it is best to develop a plan and make slow‚ supervised introductions. You’ll want to keep an eye on your furbabies to judge their reactions. Most animals instinctively understand that human babies need special care. When a family took in a stray cat‚ they had no idea how the cat would react to their new baby. After taking care of the cat’s medical issues‚ the family began permitting contact with the baby. They discovered that the cat had a special affinity for their new daughter. Now‚ the two are inseparable. In a different introduction story‚ two golden retriever brothers meet their new human sister. Both are very well-behaved gentlemen. When one offers the baby his toy donut‚ it makes you lean back and say‚ “Awww.” Image from YouTube. Introductions don’t just include furbabies. Some siblings have feathers. When cockatoo owners introduced their new baby to their bird‚ Buttons was a bit too excited. They backed up to calm him and made a successful attempt later. When asked if they should keep the baby‚ the bird responded with a happy chirp and a vigorous head bob. These stories of happy sibling introductions serve as a guide for parents with a new baby. Make slow‚ intentional introductions‚ monitoring your pet until you are sure they understand. Most pets will welcome and nurture a new human once they understand it is family. We hope you enjoyed this journey. Please share it with friends. You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Hilarious Clip Shows What Happens “When Your Parents Bring Home A New Human.” appeared first on InspireMore.

There’s a trend going around the Internet where you ask people to answer questions‚ roasting a friend‚ family member‚ or coworker. Folks in this office answered questions about their most mischievous coworker‚ and there’s one staff member whose misbehavior is worse than the rest: Merlin. The staff answered a few different questions to identify who the naughtiest coworker was‚ and 100% of the answers were Merlin. It’s not looking good for him! The look on the face at the end byu/its_luckyluke inMadeMeSmile From being the loudest in the office to being the coworker most likely to make a mess‚ Merlin’s misbehavior made him seem like a pretty challenging colleague. However‚ there’s a big reveal at the end of the clip that explains why Merlin hasn’t been fired yet… This image is from Reddit. Merlin is the most adorable dog on the face of the planet. This coworker’s misbehavior is totally understandable. How could you scold that precious face? Merlin’s fans can’t believe the way his coworkers put him on blast. “He looks bewildered. He can’t believe it. He’s like‚ ‘How dare they speak about me like that‚ they’re so two-faced.'” commented one viewer. Clearly‚ Merlin deserves a treat for putting up with all this gossip. In fact‚ he might even deserve some vacation time. The featured image for this post is from Reddit. The post Employees Rat Out Coworker’s Misbehavior‚ But It’s Not Who You Think! appeared first on InspireMore.

Have you ever come across a life-changing quote that made you re-evaluate the way you look at the world? Maybe it was a line you read in a book‚ or perhaps it was something your parents told you when you were growing up. Words of wisdom often offer us hope in difficult situations. If a piece of advice has stayed with you through the years‚ it’s probably worth sharing! This is why one Reddit user decided to ask other users to write down the best life-changing quotes they’d ever heard. Some of the responses are truly inspiring! Here are our favorites. Photo by Shashank Sahay on Unsplash 1. This one is for the introverts. Comment byu/internallyskating from discussion inAskReddit Saying that you’re bad at something can be a self-fulfilling prophecy sometimes. If you keep trying‚ you can often prove yourself wrong! 2. Why not give fate a helping hand? Comment byu/internallyskating from discussion inAskReddit Just because a lot of things in life are subject to chance doesn’t mean there’s nothing we can do about them! Being proactive at least tips the scales in your favor. The post “What’s A Quote That Permanently Changed The Way You Look At Things?” appeared first on InspireMore.

The “World’s Ugliest Lawn” contest‚ now in its third year‚ began in Gotland‚ Sweden‚ as an attempt to reduce water usage during a drought. This is the first year the contest has permitted global entries. Contestants submitted entries for top honors from the United States‚ Britain‚ Croatia‚ Canada‚ France‚ Germany‚ and Australia. Kathleen Murray‚ this year’s winner‚ is from Sandford‚ Tasmania‚ in Australia. Her lawn appears war-ravaged and barren and is truly the world’s ugliest lawn. In an interview with The Guardian‚ Kathleen blamed the overall condition of her lawn mostly on bandicoots‚ stating‚ “The bandicoots love digging — that’s how they find their favorite food.” Image from YouTube. She described her yard as looking like “a real-life Hungry Hungry Hippo game.” She also added that an echidna and some chooks assist in the landscaping chores. Chooks is Australian slang for chickens‚ just like Barbie is slang for barbeque. The world’s ugliest lawn features many sparse patches of yellow grass‚ dried-up plants‚ and several holes caused by the local wildlife. Image from YouTube. Kathleen stated that her previous opinion of bandicoots has changed from “wildlife of mass destruction” to thinking of them as freedom fighters. The change came with the realization that the pesky critters had freed her from ever having to mow again. Her guilt-free weekends can now be enjoyed without worry. That is probably a good thing because she admits that her ex-husband left in 2016 and took the lawnmower with him! The Coveted Prize For The World’s Ugliest Lawn Image from YouTube. The prize for this illustrious honor is an amazing‚ pre-owned t-shirt that proclaims‚ “Proud Owner of The World’s Ugliest Lawn.” Yes‚ you did read that correctly. They don’t even spring for a new t-shirt. What an honor! Kathleen is pleased with her selection and wears her used shirt proudly! You can read more about the competition on the official website. Stop watering now if you intend to enter the contest in 2024! You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Meet The Proud Owner Of The “World’s Ugliest Lawn.” appeared first on InspireMore.

There is no evidence that the Starbucks CEO has apologized for supporting Israel