UPDATED: GOP Sen. Rand Paul Accuses the White House of Being ‘Incredibly Petty’ After Being Disinvited to the Annual Picnic

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By Newsweek. Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky excoriated the White House and President Donald Trump on Wednesday after saying he and his family had been disinvited from the annual White House picnic. . .

Paul suggested he was snubbed from the picnic because of his staunch opposition to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the Trump-backed reconciliation package that’s under debate in the Senate.

The proposal delivers on Trump’s top priorities, including more funding for immigration and border security and cementing the tax cuts that were implemented as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

Paul is among a handful of congressional Republicans who have vehemently opposed the fiscal plan, with the Kentucky senator saying he will only consider supporting it if it does not raise the federal debt ceiling. (Read more from “GOP Sen. Rand Paul Accuses the White House of Being ‘Incredibly Petty’ After Being Disinvited to the Annual Picnic” HERE)

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Senator Rand Paul has been “Un-uninvited” to the White House Picnic

By Ryan King. President Trump publicly offered Paul (R-Ky.) the chance to attend Thursday night’s congressional picnic, held on the South Lawn, after the lawmaker claimed he had been snubbed.

Paul, 62, told reporters that he attempted to retrieve his tickets Wednesday but was informed that he wasn’t invited, prompting him to accuse Trump of being “incredibly petty” over Paul’s opposition to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

“Of course Senator Rand Paul and his beautiful wife and family are invited to the BIG White House Party tonight,” Trump clarified on Truth Social Thursday. “He’s the toughest vote in the history of the U.S. Senate, but why wouldn’t he be?”

“Besides, it gives me more time to get his Vote on the Great, Big, Beautiful Bill, one of the greatest and most important pieces of legislation ever put before our Senators & Congressmen/women. It will help to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! I look forward to seeing Rand. The Party will be Great!”

Paul has been the most prominent opponent of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in the Senate, having voted against the blueprint for it earlier this year due to his concerns about its impact on the national debt. (Read more from Sen. Rand Paul being re-invited to the White House HERE)

Walmart Heiress Christy Walton’s Anti-Trump Ad Fuels MAGA-Led Call for Boycott of Retailer

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Walmart could become the target of a MAGA-led boycott after an heiress to the retail fortune funded a full-page ad in the New York Times promoting a nationwide protest movement against President Trump.

The ad, run by the “No Kings” movement, calls on Americans to “mobilize” on Saturday — Flag Day and Trump’s birthday — in order to “reject authoritarianism.”

Trump is planning to hold a massive military parade in Washington, DC on that day.

The heiress, Christy Walton, is the widow of John T. Walton, son of Walmart founder Sam Walton.

Though she holds no active role in Walmart’s operations, she retains a roughly 1.9% stake in the company and has an estimated net worth of $19.3 billion, according to Forbes.

The “No Kings” movement is planning roughly 1,500 protests nationwide to counter Saturday’s military parade — but notably absent from the list of protest sites is DC. (Read more from “Walmart Heiress Christy Walton’s Anti-Trump Ad Fuels MAGA-Led Call for Boycott of Retailer” HERE)

Iran Promises to Retaliate Against Any Military Conflict With Missile Attacks on U.S. Bases, Some in Europe; U.S. Evacuating Nonessential Personnel

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The United States is evacuating diplomatic personnel from Iraq and military family members from the Middle East following threats from Iran‘s defense minister that Tehran would target U.S. bases if negotiations broke down.

“If a conflict is imposed on us … all U.S. bases are within reach,” Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh warned on Wednesday, just days before the latest U.S.-Iranian nuclear negotiations.

Later in the day, the State Department confirmed its decision to reduce its footprint in Iraq, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth authorized the voluntary departure of military families across the Middle East on Wednesday, a U.S. defense official told the Washington Examiner.

“The safety and security of our service members and their families remains our highest priority, and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) is monitoring the developing tension in the Middle East,” the official said. “CENTCOM is working in close coordination with our Department of State counterparts, as well as our allies and partners in the region to maintain a constant state of readiness to support any number of missions around the world at any time.”

A State Department official told the Washington Examiner, “President Trump is committed to keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad. In keeping with that commitment, we are constantly assessing the appropriate personnel posture at all our embassies. Based on our latest analysis, we decided to reduce the footprint of our Mission in Iraq.” (Read more from “Iran Promises to Retaliate Against Any Military Conflict With Missile Attacks on U.S. Bases, Some in Europe; U.S. Evacuating Nonessential Personnel” HERE)

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How JD Vance Emerged Unscathed From Elon Musk’s West Wing Frenzy

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Taking shots at President Donald Trump usually results in fire and fury from his second-in-command, Vice President JD Vance. Yet Vance, widely regarded as the president’s pit bull, was notably measured when responding to Elon Musk’s scathing attacks on his boss — a posture informed by his own relationship with Musk as well as direction from Trump, sources tell the Daily Caller.

It was the latest example of Vance deftly navigating the precarious Musk-Trump relationship. While other administration officials saw their names peppered in news reports about massive West Wing blow-ups with Musk, Vance emerged from the rubble mostly unscathed.

Vance’s careful positioning in the Trump-Musk feud was by design, one source familiar indicated, noting that Vance had a sense that the partnership wouldn’t last and thus was careful not to get too involved in the day-to-day shifting sands.

Days before his damaging public blow-up, Musk was in the Oval Office for a press conference celebrating his final days in the administration. Trump awarded Musk with a giant gold key to the White House as a thank you.

The press conference was celebratory in nature. But Musk’s graceful exit quickly devolved with a series of attacks on Trump. (Read more from “How JD Vance Emerged Unscathed From Elon Musk’s West Wing Frenzy” HERE)

Major Christian Denomination Calls on High Court to Overturn Same-Sex Marriage Decision

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A resolution has been adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant group in America, that seeks the reversal of the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision in which a single-vote majority created without a link to the U.S. Constitution the “right” to same-sex marriage across the nation.

A resolution, “On Restoring Moral Clarity through God’s Design for Gender, Marriage, and the Family,” calls for the overturning of “laws and court rulings, including Obergefell v. Hodges, that defy God’s design for marriage and family.”

It seeks “laws that affirm marriage between one man and one woman, recognize the biological reality of male and female, protect children’s innocence against sexual predation, affirm and strengthen parental rights in education and healthcare, incentivize family formation in life-affirming ways, and ensure safety and fairness in athletic competition.”

The Supreme Court, at the time it unleashed the stunning creation of rights not mentioned in the Constitution, admitted it was unrelated to America’s founding document. The minority on the court, taking a more conservative position, warned, too, that the ruling, even though it “recognized” the rights of Americans to not support the alternative sexual lifestyle choice, would be used to attack Christians in America, which it has.

For example, officials in just one state, Colorado, have gone to the Supreme Court twice already trying to impose a state-adopted religious belief, which is anti-Christian, on its residents. (Read more from “Major Christian Denomination Calls on High Court to Overturn Same-Sex Marriage Decision” HERE)

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Mexican Illegal Alien Charged With Attempted Murder for Allegedly Throwing Molotov Cocktail During LA Riots

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In an effort to deter lawless behavior, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is meeting violent acts with serious charges.

Emiliano Garduno-Galvez, an illegal alien from Mexico, has been charged with attempted murder for allegedly heaving a Molotov cocktail at law enforcement during the Los Angeles riots, according to a statement from the DHS.

ICE agents arrested Garduno-Galvez on Monday, June 9, in Los Angeles, after pinpointing him as the individual suspected of assaulting law enforcement officers with an incendiary device on Saturday, June 7.

In a social media post, DHS shows Garduno-Galvez’s mugshot and a video of a man in a hooded sweatshirt and black mask standing near a tree with a Molotov cocktail in the grass, ready to be deployed. He flicks the lighter on and produces a flame in his hand for a moment.

(Read more from “Mexican Illegal Alien Charged With Attempted Murder for Allegedly Throwing Molotov Cocktail During LA Riots” HERE)

Ex-CIA Analyst Who Admitted Leaking Docs About Israel Strike on Iran Learns His Fate

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An ex-CIA analyst was sentenced to more than three years in prison Wednesday for leaking top-secret documents about Israel’s plans to retaliate against Iran last year.

Asif William Rahman, 34, had pleaded guilty in January to two counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information after he was arrested for absconding with records from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency last October that indicated Israel was planning to launch airstrikes in response to a massive Iranian missile attack.

Rahman, who had been a CIA employee since 2016 and had access to top secret documents, leaked the stolen information on social media platforms — forcing Israel to delay its attack.

He was sentenced to three years and one month in federal prison by US District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles, which is less than the government had demanded.

“Asif Rahman violated his position of trust by illegally accessing, removing, and transmitting Top Secret documents vital to the national security of the United States and its allies,” US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Erik Siebert said in a statement. (Read. more from. “Ex-CIA Analyst Who Admitted Leaking Docs About Israel Strike on Iran Learns His Fate” HERE)

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2 Former Presidents Joined Effort to Silence Him During COVID Controversy, Rogan Claims

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Podcaster Joe Rogan claimed Tuesday that two unnamed former presidents were involved in the protest against his skeptical discussions about COVID-19.

Spotify received backlash in 2022 for allowing Rogan, one of its biggest stars, to spread what progressive critics claimed was COVID misinformation. Musician Neil Young famously removed his content from Spotify in protest over Rogan’s rhetoric, saying he no longer wanted to share a platform with him.

“And then all of a sudden, I hear that Neil Young wants me removed from Spotify. I was like, ‘What the f— is going on? This is crazy,’” Rogan said Tuesday.

“Spotify got calls from two former presidents,” he added.

Then-Biden White House press secretary Jen Psaki commented on the controversy directly. After Spotify announced it would flag podcasts that cover COVID-19, Psaki responded, “So this disclaimer, it’s a positive step, but we want every platform to continue doing more to call out misinformation while also uplifting accurate information.” (Read more from “2 Former Presidents Joined Effort to Silence Him During COVID Controversy, Rogan Claims” HERE)

Bill Would Stop Giving Federal Handouts to Cities That Obstruct Immigration Law Enforcement

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As the leftists running Los Angeles fail to get the leftists destroying Los Angeles under control, two Republican lawmakers aim to hold sanctuary governments accountable for impeding federal law enforcement officials from enforcing immigration law.

Reps. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, and Sheri Biggs, R-S.C., on Tuesday introduced the Mobilizing Against Sanctuary Cities Act, which “blocks federal financial assistance for one year to any city or state that refuses to honor ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] detainers.” The legislation also prohibits state and local governments restricting communications with the Department of Homeland Security.

“If any city refuses to comply with the laws of our nation, blatantly works against the Department of Homeland Security, and wastes billions of taxpayer dollars shielding illegal aliens at the risk of American citizens, then they should be cut off from receiving even a penny of federal funding,” Gill said in a joint press release.

A similar Republican-led bill introduced by Rep. Jeff Duncan of South Carolina died in the last session of Congress. . .

Sanctuary cities, such as Los Angeles, bar local police from helping ICE and other federal law enforcement officials with immigration-related operations. In November, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted to officially designate the nation’s second-largest city a sanctuary city, “prohibiting city resources or personnel from being used to help federal enforcement of immigration laws,” NBC4 Los Angeles reported. The vote came two weeks after President Donald Trump was elected.

(Read more from “Bill Would Stop Giving Federal Handouts to Cities That Obstruct Immigration Law Enforcement” HERE)

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WATCH: Drag Queens Protest, Boo Trump in Kennedy Center Appearance

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Several drag queens protested and booed President Donald Trump as he attended a performance of Les Misérables at the Kennedy Center on Wednesday.

The president’s visit marked his first since the inauguration. Video captured the moment several drag queens stood up in the audience as he appeared:

The president has always hailed Les Misérables as his favorite musical. As Consequence recently reported, half the play’s cast decided to boycott the performance due to the president’s visit.

Several cast members of Les Misérables will not be performing “One Day More” at their Kennedy Center concert next month — instead, they’ll be performing one day less in direct protest against Donald Trump’s attendance.

As reported by CNN, between 10 and 12 members of the touring cast of Les Misérables will boycott their June 11th performance at the Kennedy Center, which is set to follow a fundraiser headlined by the president. According to the report, the entire cast was given the choice to sit out, with both lead actors and ensemble members opting to do so.

(Read more from “WATCH: Drag Queens Protest, Boo Trump in Kennedy Center Appearance” HERE)