Conservative Blogger
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
More ICE Surges Possible as Minn. Drawdown Begins, Homan Says
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Tom Homan, the White House border czar, said he is leaving open the possibility of federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement deployments in other sanctuary cities even as the administration winds down its enforcement surge in Minnesota. He told CBS' "Face the Nation" that sending agents elsewhere "depends
on the situation" and argued that "we need to flood the zone in
sanctuary cities with additional agents" if local conditions warrant it.
Homan's remarks came as the Trump administration begins drawing down Operation Metro Surge in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area after more than two months of heightened federal enforcement, legal clashes, and sustained protests that intensified following the fatal shootings of two individuals, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, during confrontations with federal immigration officers. At a Minneapolis press conference announcing the end of the surge, Homan said he and President Donald Trump agreed the operation should "conclude" because cooperation with local officials had improved and enforcement objectives had been met, but he made clear the withdrawal would be gradual and that a "small force" of federal officers would remain temporarily to protect agents and respond if protesters or what he called "agitators" confront personnel. "We'll get back to the original footprint," Homan said, adding that the residual contingent would stay "for a short period of time … to make sure the coordination, the agreements we have with local and state law enforcement stay in place." Homan confirmed during his CBS interview that more than 1,000 agents have already left Minnesota and that hundreds more are expected to depart in the coming days, but he declined to specify how many officers would remain, saying only that the continuing presence would be sufficient to ensure officer safety and maintain operational stability. The surge, which at its peak placed roughly 3,000 federal officers in Minnesota, became one of the most controversial immigration enforcement efforts of Trump's second term after the January shootings sparked large demonstrations across Minneapolis and St. Paul and drew national scrutiny of federal tactics. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz criticized the operation's impact and expressed skepticism about the administration's broader intentions, saying the deployment inflicted "deep damage, generational trauma, economic ruin" and warning that talk of sending agents to other cities risks repeating the turmoil seen in the Twin Cities. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey welcomed the drawdown but urged accountability, saying the city must work to "restore trust and stability" after months of disruption and emphasizing that Minneapolis will continue to support immigrant communities even as federal policy shifts. Civil liberties advocates also responded directly to Homan's suggestion of potential future deployments, with the American Civil Liberties Union pointing to polling it conducted with YouGov showing that 53% of voters view recent ICE actions unfavorably and 55% support ending mass ICE raids, arguing that public sentiment cuts against expanding aggressive enforcement into additional sanctuary jurisdictions. Homan defended the broader strategy in his CBS interview, saying the Minnesota effort "yielded the successful results we came here for" and reiterating that federal immigration law will be enforced regardless of local sanctuary policies. With the bulk of agents leaving Minnesota but a smaller federal contingent still in place, Homan underscored that additional deployments remain possible, saying that if federal officials "need to surge resources into another sanctuary city, we will," signaling that the administration's immigration crackdown remains active and that other cities could face similar federal surges depending on conditions on the ground. © 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved. |
'Clown': Gavin Newsom Files Hurt Feelings Report on Ted Cruz, Commits Embarrassing Self-Own Instead
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2026 has started off much the same way 2025 did among Democrats, with the party still desperately searching for an anti-Trump "fighter," and with some of its self-styled "leaders" testing the waters for a possible 2028 presidential run. Among them has been Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who abandoned
his 2026 gubernatorial reelection campaign in January after his abysmal
performance at the helm of his state amid the widespread fraud
allegations and investigations. There was also his atrocious mismanagement of the Trump administration's immigration enforcement operations in the North Star State, where he referred to ICE agents as Trump's "modern-day Gestapo" and encouraged agitators to follow and film the officers in the course of their duties in removing criminal illegal immigrants off the streets. SEE ALSO: Trump Slams Newsom’s U.K. Climate Deal as ‘Inappropriate’ California Gov. Gavin Newsom has perhaps been the most high-profile Democrat openly putting out feelers for a potential 2028 run, admitting in October that he was "looking at" the possibility, though it had been obvious for four years or so with his cross-country tours and his visits overseas to establish national and international profiles. But though Newsom would have a majority of Americans believe he can leap tall Trump buildings in a single bound, apparently, he's not man enough to accept someone correctly describing him as "historically illiterate," which we learned Monday afternoon via a tweet he wrote complaining that Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) was supposedly making fun of his dyslexia:
Are you... kidding me? He doesn't know that someone being described as "historically illiterate" is not the same as outright accusing someone of being illiterate? Good grief. Talk about a self-own.
It's all Democrats ever do anymore - claim victimhood and file Hurt Feelings Reports, which to them are supposed to be substitutes for substantive debates on the issues. Relatedly, Cruz himself responded to Newsom by calling him a clown and pointing to the actual argument he (Cruz) was making:
In any event, methinks the Golden State governor has sort of just proven the old saying about how it is "better for people to think you're a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt," bless his heart. This was one of those times where it might have been wise for once for his even more obnoxious half (Mrs. Newsom) to interrupt him while he was tweeting. But honestly, I'm kinda glad she didn't. Editor's Note: President Trump is leading America into the "Golden Age" as Democrats try desperately to stop it. |
New Yorkers Wake to the Islamic Call to Prayer
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We all saw this coming. Not because we hate our neighbors. Not because we fear prayer. But because we understand history. We understand symbolism. And we understand that culture never collapses all at once. It erodes. Quietly at first. Then loudly. A tweet making the rounds this week shows video of the Islamic call
to prayer, the Adhan, echoing through New York City streets at dawn.
Five in the morning. Amplified. Projected over neighborhoods that still
carry the scars of September 11, 2001. That date is not ancient history.
It is living memory.
Under policies approved by Eric Adams, mosques have been permitted to broadcast the call to prayer publicly on Fridays and during Ramadan without a special noise variance. More recently, activists tied to figures like Zohran Mamdani have pushed for expanded public religious expression framed as equity and inclusion. Let me clear about something up front, as a Christian pastor. The United States protects religious liberty. That includes Muslims. The First Amendment is not selective. And it should not be. But freedom of religion is not the same thing as forced participation in someone else’s religious proclamation. The Adhan is not ambient background music. It is a declaration. The phrase “Allahu Akbar” means “God is greatest.” It is a theological claim. It is a call to submission. Practicing Muslims understand this. That is not controversial. That is simply fact. Now imagine living in lower Manhattan. Imagine hearing that broadcast before sunrise, rolling through concrete and glass, over a skyline where nearly 3,000 Americans were murdered in an attack carried out in the name of that same phrase. Context matters. Memory matters. And if that memory is ingrained in my mind, being in 6th grade and states away at the time, I can't imagine where it sits for those in the city. We are told that discomfort equals intolerance. That objection equals hate. That if you even question the wisdom of amplifying the Adhan over public neighborhoods, you are somehow anti-Muslim. That doesn't just strike me as ridiculous; it's lazy thinking. The issue is not private worship. The issue is state-enabled amplification. When City Hall makes policy decisions that allow one religious proclamation to be projected into unwilling homes at dawn, it is no longer just about free exercise. It becomes about cultural dominance. And I didn't mistype, dominance is the word. No one would accept a church blasting the Apostles’ Creed over city blocks at 5 AM. No one would tolerate a synagogue projecting the Shema across neighborhoods daily through municipal permission. We know this. Noise ordinances exist for a reason. So why the carve-outs? Supporters say it is about inclusion. But inclusion that overrides everyone else’s peace is not inclusion. It is favoritism. It signals that certain expressions are protected beyond criticism, while others are carefully monitored, litigated, or mocked. This is where the frustration deepens. New York is not just another city. It is the financial capital of the world. It is the city that buried firefighters and police officers after September 11. It is where families still read names at the memorial every year. That memory should create humility in leadership decisions, not bravado. We were told years ago that multiculturalism meant peaceful coexistence. Live and let live. Practice your faith quietly and freely. But coexistence assumes boundaries. It assumes mutual respect. However, blasting theological declarations over entire neighborhoods before sunrise feels less like coexistence and more like encroachment. And yet there remains an even deeper concern. When politicians frame every objection as bigotry, they shut down legitimate civic debate. When critics are smeared, people stop speaking. Silence follows. Then policy accelerates. Doesn't that pattern sound familiar? This is not about me demonizing Muslim Americans. I do not believe that. Most Muslim families I have met simply want to live, work, raise their kids, and worship in peace. I can respect that. What I am wrestling with is leadership. I am asking whether the people elected to govern New York really understand the emotional and historical weight this city carries. When I hear amplified religious declarations rolling through neighborhoods before sunrise, I do not just hear sound. I hear symbolism. Sound shapes culture. Repetition normalizes things. I have watched how “limited accommodations” slowly become permanent fixtures in other areas of policy. I have seen how lines move. And if I am honest, that pattern concerns me. I do not think New York is collapsing because of one broadcast. That would be dramatic. But I do think it is drifting. And drift is how you lose things without realizing it. You wake up one day, and the culture feels unfamiliar, and you cannot pinpoint the moment it changed. It was not a crash. It was a slow slide. A confident nation does not panic at prayer. But it also does not pretend that symbols are meaningless. Especially symbols tied to deep wounds in living memory. We all saw this coming because we have watched leaders treat every boundary as negotiable and every objection as hateful. When citizens raise concerns, they deserve engagement, not insults. Religious liberty should protect the mosque and the church equally. It should not empower the state to amplify one faith’s call into unwilling homes. The question is simple. Can New York defend freedom without surrendering its common space? That debate is not hate. It is citizenship. |
This Federal Judge's Ruling Against Trump Oozes With Hypocrisy
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Yet another activist judge has made the choice to subvert the will of the people by penning a pompous opinion targeting a completely reasonable action of the Trump administration. This time around, it’s a woman complaining that the removal of exhibits that overly emphasize the slave-ownership of George Washington is “Orwellian" while also arguing that the Trump administration is guilty of wrong-think. Can
President Trump and the National Park Service decide what descriptions
are posted at the President's House at Independence Hall? No, says a
district judge, relying on British Author George Orwell. This lawsuit
has stopped (for now) changing historical plaques pic.twitter.com/BGNpcCIT30 — Eric W. (@EWess92) February 16, 2026 Judge Cynthia Rufe, an appointee of George W. Bush, claimed that Trump “had attacked the concept of truth itself as it sought to erase details of America’s legacy of slavery,” according to Politico. She also suggested that the Trump administration had declared war on the truth. “The government here likewise asserts truth is no longer self-evident, but rather the property of the elected chief magistrate and his appointees and delegees,” Rufe argued. “And why? Solely because, as Defendants state, it has the power.” While she might claim that the truth might not be the property of any politician, Rufe sure seems to believe that it is her property. An unelected judge suddenly gets to decide which signs the government is and isn’t allowed to have posted, and somehow the Trump administration are the Orwellian ones? It seems the only one who has the power to assert what is and isn’t true are the countless members of the judiciary that subvert the Trump administration at every possible turn.
The judicial coup is still alive and well, and they will stop at nothing to promote the leftist agenda. Editor's Note: Unelected federal judges are hijacking President Trump's agenda and insulting the will of the people. |
Civil Rights Activist Rev. Jesse Jackson Dies Aged 84
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"Our father was a servant leader -- not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world," the family statement said.
Jackson was hospitalized late last year with complications related to Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), a degenerative neurological condition that Jackson was diagnosed with a decade ago. On Sunday, November 16, CBS News reported Jackson was on "some form of life support" at a Chicago hospital.
Family later issued a correction, saying Jackson was stable and not on life support.
In a statement issued at the time, the family said, "The family is grateful for the dedicated medical team at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where Reverend Jackson is receiving appropriate treatment. The Jackson family extends heartfelt appreciation for the many prayers and kind messages offered during this time," the family said in a statement." Jackson was born Jesse Lewis Burns in Greenville, South Carolina to Helen Burns, who was a 16-year-old high school student and father Noah Robinson. Robinson was Burns' neighbor. A year after Jackson was born, his mother married Charles Jackson, and he adopted Jesse, hence the change in his surname.
Jackson attended the segregated Sterling High School in Greenville, where he was near the top of his class, a solid athlete, and class president. After high school, he attended the University of Illinois, rejecting a contract from a minor league professional baseball team. After two semesters, Jackson transferred to North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, saying racial prejudice at the University of Illinois kept him from playing on the football team and participating in other extracurricular activities. Jackson played quarterback at A&T and was once again elected student body president. In 1964, Jackson graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and attended the Chicago Theological Seminary. He dropped out in 1966, just short of earning his Master's degree, to focus on the civil rights movement. He was ordained a minister in 1968 and awarded a Master of Divinity by the Chicago Theological Seminary in 2000, based on his prior classwork and activism. Jackson worked closely with Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., starting in 1965 with the Selma marches. Soon, Jackson was working through the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and Jackson would later expand the organization in Chicago.
Following King's assassination in 1968, which led to some disputes with King's aides, including Jackson's claim that King died in his arms. Ten years later, Jackson met with James Earl Ray and later said others were involved in King's assassination. In 1971, Jackson began operations at People United to Save Humanity (Operation PUSH), a name later changed to People United to Serve Humanity. In 1978, Jackson called for a closer relationship between the Black community and the Republican Party, saying, "Black people need the Republican Party to compete for us so we can have real alternatives." Jackson resigned his post at Operation PUSH in 1984 and formed the Rainbow Coalition to run for president. Jackson ran for president again in 1988, and his campaign was hindered in part by Operation PUSH's financial difficulties. Operation PUSH and the Rainbow Coalition merged in 1996.
In 1991, Jackson went to Iraq to secure the release of foreign nationals. At least 20 Americans and several British citizens were released. He had a similar experience in the 1980s, when he traveled to Syria to free Navy Lt. Robert Goodman, an American pilot who was being held by the Syrian government. It was this that served as a springboard for his 1984 campaign. He also traveled to Kenya and Belgrade during the Clinton administration. He remained politically active throughout the 2000s and 2010s. Jackson married Jacqueline Brown in 1962, and had five children, Santita, Jesse Jr., Jonathan, Yusef, and Jacqueline. In 2001, Jackson's affair with a staffer named Karin Stanford was revealed. The pair had a child, Ashley Jackson, in 1999, and Jackson was paying $4,000 a month in child support. In 2017, Jackson was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, a diagnosis that was changed to PSP in April, 2025. Jackson's career was not without controversy. In 1984, he was criticized by the Jewish community for calling New York City Jews "Hymies" and New York City "Hymietown." He also had a close relationship with Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, whose antisemitic statements cast a pall on Jackson. After President Jimmy Carter fired U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young for meeting with the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), Jackson and others began endorsing a Palestinian state. Jackson is survived by his wife Jacqueline and his six children. |
Rhode Island: ‘Targeted’ Pawtucket ice rink shooting leaves 2 dead and at least 3 injured
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| (L-top) Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee on December 13, 2025. (Photo by
Libby O’Neill/Getty Images)/ (L-bottom) screenshot image via OAN – Live feed video /(R-top) screenshot image via OAN – Live feed video / (R-bottom) Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves. A high school hockey game turned into a scene of chaos and tragedy on Monday when a gunman opened fire at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena, in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, resulting in the deaths of two people. The shooter died from a self inflicted gunshot as well. During a boys’ hockey game between Blackstone Valley schools, reports
from the scene described a frantic environment where spectators and
student-athletes were forced to duck for cover as gunshots rang out
through the arena.
Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves emphasized that the incident appears to have been a “targeted event,” stemming from a family dispute that erupted in the stands while hockey teams were still on the ice. Additionally, according to a witness who contacted the media, the shooter was the father of one of the hockey players. He targeted and shot those seated next to him — his own family members — in what looked like a murder-suicide, they added. That said, police have not yet released the victims’ names, specific relationships, or any detailed witness statements. Chief Goncalves later confirmed that while police have now identified the individuals involved, they are withholding that information from the public until all immediate family members have been notified. Although surfacing news reports had suggested a young girl was among the deceased, officials later clarified that the two victims killed at the scene were adults, while three other victims, children of the suspect, were rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The arena, located just five miles outside of Providence, was quickly swarmed by local police, the ATF, and FBI. Emotional scenes followed as high school players, still in their hockey uniforms, were seen embracing their families outside the rink before being evacuated by bus.
Speaking to the press, witnesses at the game described a chaotic scene where a spectator heroically attempted to disarm the gunman before the shooter ultimately died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Additionally, Cowart noted that mental health resources will be made available to all affected students and families. The Pawtucket Police Department and the FBI have since assured the public that there is no active threat remaining. Roads surrounding the arena on Andrew D. Ferland Way remain closed as investigators process the scene. |
AOC Flops at Global Summit, Trump's Scathing Take on Display
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Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez’s turn on the global stage at the Munich Security Conference on February 13 exposed what many Americans already suspected: the left’s brightest star is dangerously inexperienced when the stakes are highest. Speaking to a room of world leaders, she warned of an “age of authoritarians” and attacked the Trump administration’s foreign policy while offering aspirational rhetoric rather than concrete strategy. Her broadbrush populism might play well at home to a base chasing headlines, but it’s not the kind of steady, detail‑driven leadership our allies and adversaries take seriously. Conservative
voices were quick and blunt in their reaction, and for good reason —
CPAC chairman Matt Schlapp told Newsmax that Ocasio‑Cortez “embarrassed
herself” and quipped she “sounds like she fell out of a coconut tree”
after stumbling through a question about whether the U.S. would defend
Taiwan. That wasn’t mere partisan sniping; it was a sober take from
people who follow foreign policy closely and understand how dangerous
ambiguity can be. When our representatives go abroad, they owe it to
American servicemembers and to our allies to speak with competence and
clarity, not vague academic theory. Reporters on the ground and in print noted the same problem: when pressed on Taiwan and on the nuts and bolts of deterrence, AOC repeatedly circled phrases and offered little in the way of a defensible, actionable position. The Washington Post observed that her answers leaned toward strategic obfuscation rather than the strategic clarity the moment demands, leaving room for critics to argue she’s not ready for prime time on foreign policy. That’s not a petty critique — it’s a warning sign about putting ideology above national security. On Newsmax’s shows and across conservative outlets, commentators didn’t hide their disdain; they mocked the optics and stressed the underlying danger of elevating style over substance. Hosts on Rob Schmitt Tonight and allied programs pointed to AOC’s performance as emblematic of a broader Democratic problem: an emphasis on performative outrage and class grievance in places where hard power and precise diplomacy are what keep Americans safe. For patriotic conservatives, this wasn’t about insults — it was about accountability and competence. Even former President Trump piled on, calling out what he and others described as incompetence that makes America look weak to friends and foes alike — a blunt assessment that resonates with voters who send their children into uniform expecting clear national purpose. If Democrats are going to nominate their foreign‑policy standard‑bearers, the country deserves to see serious answers, not sermonizing about inequality on the eve of potential global crises. The Munich episode should be a wake‑up call for anyone who believes in American strength. Hardworking Americans want leaders who defend our interests, tell the truth to allies, and deter adversaries with conviction — not ideologues who sound impressive in a tweet but flummox journalists and foreign ministers. The conservative movement will keep pressing that case: secure borders, robust deterrence, and foreign policy grounded in reality, not virtue signaling. If Washington’s next chapter is to revive American leadership, patriots must demand competence from both parties and refuse to tolerate theatrical bluster where sober statesmanship is required. |
Megyn Kelly Battles Media Elites Over Coverage of Missing Elder Case
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Megyn Kelly didn’t flinch when an MS NOW reporter tried lecturing the public on how the Nancy Guthrie story should be covered — she pushed back hard and called out the condescending tone from the get-go. Conservatives and ordinary Americans watching this circus aren’t interested in televised lectures from coastal pundits who act like they invented “responsible” journalism while cozying up to the very institutions that lost the public’s trust. The
MS NOW correspondent warned that influencers at the scene were
spreading “misinformation,” as if a handful of independent investigators
and citizen reporters don’t sometimes surface crucial details that
legacy outlets miss. Kelly rightly reminded viewers that these
on-the-ground voices are often the ones keeping pressure on law
enforcement and forcing answers when the mainstream decides to look
away. Make no mistake about the stakes: Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC’s Savannah Guthrie, was last seen at her Tucson-area home the night of January 31 and was reported missing the next day, February 1, with investigators treating the scene as suspicious and believing she may have been abducted. This is not entertainment — it is a serious criminal investigation involving a vulnerable elder and a distraught family. Law enforcement didn’t just tweet updates and move on; the FBI and local authorities conducted searches and executed warrants near Guthrie’s neighborhood, and investigators said they found forensic evidence that could be linked to the surveillance footage — developments that demand relentless coverage, not thinly veiled scolding from pundits who want to control the narrative. The public deserves transparency and constant pressure until Nancy is found and whoever is responsible is brought to justice. Megyn’s defense of the independent podcasters and influencers underscored an important conservative principle: power should be dispersed, not centralized in self-appointed elites. When networks lecture the rest of us about “misinformation,” what they’re really saying is “stop asking questions” — and that’s unacceptable in a free country where citizens have every right to seek answers. Sheriff Chris Nanos and local officials have been clear that the Guthrie family has been cooperative and remains composed of victims, not suspects, and compassionate reporting should reflect that basic decency. The moral test for journalists is simple: if you claim to care about truth and safety, you don’t shame citizen sleuths out of hand; you hold authorities accountable and keep the story alive until someone is held responsible. This episode is a reminder to hardworking Americans that the left-leaning media elite will always try to gatekeep outrage and attention for partisan advantage. We should stand with brave reporters, podcasters, and everyday citizens who are keeping the heat on this investigation — and demand that the press stop playing amateur moralizer and start doing the job the public depends on until Nancy Guthrie is safely returned. |
Monday, February 16, 2026
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