Fired HHS Worker Confronts Sen. Jim Banks, His Response Goes Viral and a New Meme Is Born

Sen. Jim Banks found himself face-to-face with a disgruntled former Health and Human Services employee on Tuesday, and what followed went viral.

In the video, a man can be heard claiming he was "fired illegally" before pressing Banks on whether he's going to do anything to "stop what's happening." The accusation is also made that social services are not being delivered due to the Trump administration's cuts at HHS and elsewhere. Judging by Banks' response, he wasn't really in the mood.

Sen. Jim Banks, BEAST mode. pic.twitter.com/YIQ6YmNJa7

— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) April 1, 2025

MAN: Hi, I was a worker at HHS. I was fired illegally on February 14th. There are many people who are not getting social service programs, especially people with disabilities. Are you going to do anything to stop what's happening? 

BANKS: Eh, you probably deserved it

MAN: I deserved it? 

BANKS: You probably deserved it

WOMAN: Oh, dude, that's so rude and sad.

MAN: Yeah, that's great to hear. Why did I deserve it? 

BANKS: Because you seem like a clown

(The elevator closes)

And with that, a thousand memes were born, including Banks himself making the following his profile picture.

#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/B7Cl8oMEoI

— Senator Jim Banks (@SenatorBanks) April 1, 2025

I don't want to just focus on the dunk here, though. That's the easy part. What's more interesting to me are the claims being made by the allegedly fired HHS worker (we don't actually know who this person is as of this writing). For one, in what way was his termination illegal? Keep in mind, we've seen judges grant questionable (at best) temporary restraining orders like candy to spite the Trump administration. Surely, if this guy had any case whatsoever, there'd have been some kind of relief granted over the last month and a half. 

---

SEE: Liberal Judge Blocks Removal of TPS for Venezuelans, and It Sure Looks Like He Blatantly Violated the Law

---

Understand, my initial reaction to someone who has lost their job in any situation is not to revel in that. These are people, after all, and perhaps some of them even deserve some sympathy. But the federal government is not a private corporation. It is funded by taxpayers, and it does not exist to provide jobs. This man's attempted interrogation of Banks shows a childish level of entitlement that exposes just how deep the rot is within the bureacracies. So many federal workers truly believe they should be untouchable, and that's a very perverted mindset. If anything, public employees should be under more scrutiny and held to higher standards than other workers. If taxpayer money isn't being used wisely, that has to be the priority. 

Then, there's the claim that people with disabilities aren't receiving social services due to these cutbacks. I'd love to know where this guy got that idea from. I've seen no evidence that checks aren't still going out on time, whether we are talking Social Security, disability, food stamps, or any other entitlements. That kind of fear-mongering needs to stop. There is no shortage of government workers left in these agencies to keep the money flowing. For context, there are around three million federal employees. Even with some fat being trimmed, you're still talking about an astronomical number of taxpayer-funded jobs.

Did this guy "seem like a clown?" I'll let you decide if you agree with Banks or not on that front, but certainly, his arguments were clownish. A government can't be run on emotion because a government does not produce anything itself. Taxpayers need to know their money is being used smartly and efficiently. Everything else is noise. 

Every single day, here at RedState, we stand up and fight against the radical left, delivering the conservative commentary and reporting our readers deserve.

Help us continue to tell the truth. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your membership.

 

Trump Turns Off the Money Machine to Princeton to Stop Their Antisemitic Ways

If you are wondering why such stupid people got into Princeton, because they're DEMOCRATS😂

In a bold and decisive action, the Trump administration has suspended dozens of research grants to Princeton University, marking it as the latest Ivy League institution to face federal consequences over allegations of antisemitism. This move, announced on Tuesday, underscores the administration’s unwavering commitment to rooting out discrimination on college campuses—a stance that conservatives have long championed as a necessary counter to the progressive stranglehold on higher education.

Princeton President Christopher Eisgruber, in a letter to students and faculty, acknowledged the suspensions from agencies like NASA, the Defense Department, and the Department of Energy. While he claimed the “full rationale” for the action remains unclear, a Department of Education spokesperson clarified to CNN that the funding pause stems from an ongoing investigation into “anti-Semitic harassment” at the university. Eisgruber pledged compliance with federal law, vowing to fight discrimination while simultaneously defending “academic freedom” and “due process”—a balancing act that critics might argue rings hollow given the gravity of the accusations.

---

READ MORE: Is Taxing University Endowments an Idea Whose Time Has Come?

Columbia University Gives In to Trump Admin on Campus Antisemitism, Riots

---

This isn’t the first time the Trump administration has flexed its muscle against elite universities. Harvard and Columbia have already felt the sting, with Harvard facing scrutiny over $255.6 million in federal contracts and $8.7 billion in multi-year grant commitments, and Columbia losing $400 million last month after being accused of tolerating “persistent harassment of Jewish students.” Education Secretary Linda McMahon didn’t mince words, stating that Harvard’s failure to protect its students has jeopardized its once-sterling reputation. Columbia, meanwhile, has bent the knee, agreeing to a nine-point plan—including stricter immigration law adherence and protest regulations—to regain its lost funding.

From my perspective, this crackdown is a long-overdue reckoning. For years, Ivy League schools have cloaked themselves in the mantle of academic prestige while allowing radical ideologies to fester, often at the expense of Jewish students. The Trump administration’s Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is a refreshing assertion of federal authority, holding these institutions accountable where spineless administrators have failed. Eisgruber’s past criticisms of the administration—writing in The Atlantic that such actions threaten “prosperity and security”—sound like the predictable whining of an academic elite desperate to preserve a broken status quo.

Critics on the left will no doubt cry “overreach,” framing this as an attack on academic freedom. But conservatives see it differently: Freedom doesn’t extend to harboring hate or shielding bad actors under the guise of scholarship. If Princeton, Harvard, and Columbia want taxpayer dollars, they should prove they’re worthy of them—not just with words, but with action. The administration’s message is clear: No more excuses, no more double standards. It’s a stance that resonates with those who believe America’s universities should reflect the nation’s values, not undermine them.

As the investigations continue, the ball is in Princeton’s court. Will it follow Columbia’s lead and comply, or dig in its heels like Harvard, gambling with its federal lifeline? Either way, the Trump administration has drawn a line in the sand—and for Americans, it’s a welcome step toward restoring integrity to higher education.

 

 

It's 'Liberation Day'

It's Wednesday, April 2, 2025, which means President Donald Trump's new tariffs will be implemented immediately after they are announced. 

"LIBERATION DAY IN AMERICA IS COMING, SOON. FOR YEARS WE HAVE BEEN RIPPED OFF BY VIRTUALLY EVERY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, BOTH FRIEND AND FOE. BUT THOSE DAYS ARE OVER - AMERICA FIRST!!!" Trump said last week.  

Trump will host an event in the White House Rose Garden Wednesday afternoon and lay out details -- forecasting in recent weeks "reciprocal tariffs" for companies that don't make goods in America will be effected. 

On Monday and Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt previewed the tariff implementation.

Over at the Treasury Department, Secretary Scott Bessent is detailing what President Trump sees as fair trade practices through new tariffs.

And on Capitol Hill, Trump has the backing of House Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith.

Trending on Townhall Videos

 

To the Shock of No One, the Dems' Approval Rating Has Dipped Even Further

The Democratic Party is in its worst shape in 50 years, and what Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) did this week won’t change it. Sure, Democrats liked his speech on the Senate floor, which lasted over 24 hours—anything that rails against the Trump administration will get high marks. There’s still no plan, no unity, and no message. Booker isn’t the candidate of the future. So, even though the New Jersey Democrat broke Strom Thurmond’s record, it’s still a loss for the Left. Democrats are trying to use alleged Republican incompetence as a bridge to the midterms. Good luck with that, folks. It still doesn’t negate that the Democrats are the New York Knicks post-Isiah Thomas.

The party has already hit a historic low in approvals. After days of Tesla dealerships coming under attack by domestic terrorists and doubling down on all the wrong issues, the party’s approvals have dipped further, to the shock of no one. It’s Quinnipiac’s lowest rating for Democrats ever. Even a plurality of Democrats hate their own party, which is indicative of their base: the core is made up of single, miserable college-educated women who hate everything except DEI trash and Ukraine. 

Turns out when you die on every 80-20 hill, you wind up at roughly 20% approval. Who could’ve known? https://t.co/away2hk8lq

— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) April 1, 2025

“Holy Toledo…You just can’t get worse than these numbers,” said CNN’s Harry Enten. 

And, sorry, but Mr. Booker’s speech isn’t going to right the ship (via WaPo): 

Spending over 20 hours talking about orange man bad and thinking you're doing something heroic pretty much sums up the current state of the Democrat Party. They have nothing to offer America other than pointless grandstanding and a lot of fake anger. https://t.co/xVsDb8eLzL

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) April 1, 2025

Sen. Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) broke a record Tuesday night for the longest U.S. Senate floor speech of the modern era, surpassing Sen. Strom Thurmond’s 1957 remarks inside the chamber that lasted 24 hours. 

Launching his speech Monday evening, Booker vowed to disrupt “the normal business of the United States Senate for as long as I am physically able” to protest President Donald Trump. 

Well, good for you, Cory. Trump is still president, the Republicans still control Congress, we’re still going to deport illegals, egg prices will continue to drop, and the budget reconciliation package is going to sail through. Your party’s approval ratings are still in the dumpster, but you broke some records. 

Corey booker after his speech pic.twitter.com/sqOxzN1oo0

— The Right To Bear Memes (@grandoldmemes) April 2, 2025

UPDATE: Even Democrats know this speech meant nothing. 

🚨OOF: Former Comms Director for Crooked Joe Biden DUMPS WATER on Democrats' hopes of political revival after Senator Cory Booker's useless floor speech charade:

"It WON'T have a tangible impact on business in Washington!"

What was the point?! pic.twitter.com/mT2Z1LNURm

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) April 1, 2025

Trending on Townhall Videos

 

Republican Randy Fine Wins Florida 6th District Special Election

Florida state Senator Randy Fine has won the special election for Florida’s 6^th Congressional District. 

According to the Associated Press, Fine (R-Fla.) won the special election for Florida’s 6^th Congressional District on Tuesday, defeating Democrat Josh Weil (D-Fla.). 

Fine has been endorsed by many influential GOP figures, including President Donald Trump, Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Representative Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) and conservative talk show host Ben Shapiro.

The seat previously belonged to former congressman Michael Waltz (R-Fla.). Waltz resigned from the seat on the day Trump was sworn in order to become the president’s national security advisor.

The state’s 1^st Congressional District also has a special election today to replace former congressman Matt Gaetz.

Additionally on Tuesday, Wisconsin voters are electing a new state Supreme Court judge.

Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts

Republican Jimmy Patronis Wins Matt Gaetz's Vacated House Seat In Florida 1st District Special Election

Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis speaks before introducing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during a rally for Florida Republicans at the Cheyenne Saloon on November 7, 2022 in Orlando, Florida. DeSantis faces former Democratic Gov. Charlie Crist in tomorrow’s general election.

Republican Jimmy Patronis has won the special election for Florida’s 1^st Congressional District. 

According to the Associated Press, Patronis (R-Fla.) won the special election for Florida’s 1^st Congressional District on Tuesday, defeating Democrat Gay Valimont (D-Fla.).

Patronis will take former representative Matt Gaetz’s seat. Gaetz left the seat soon after he was nominated by President Donald Trump to be the U.S. attorney general. The former congressman withdrew his nomination. He now hosts a talk show at One America News.

Patronis entered the contest last November after President Trump openly pushed him to run for the seat. Following Trump’s endorsement, a number of stated candidates for the seat stepped out of the contest to support Patronis.

Earlier on Tuesday, Florida state Senator Randy Fine won the special election for Florida’s 6^th Congressional District, defeating Democrat Josh Weil (D-Fla.).

Additionally on Tuesday, Wisconsin voters voted to elect a new state Supreme Court judge.

Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts

 

CartoonDems

 

Wisconsin Voters to Choose Top Education Official, Consider Voter ID Amendment

Wisconsin’s top education official, who will guide policies affecting K-12 schools during President Donald Trump’s second term, will be elected Tuesday in a race between the teachers union-backed incumbent and a Republican-supported critic.

The electorate will also decide whether to enshrine a voter ID law in the state constitution.

Both contests have sharp partisan divisions, though they have drawn far less spending and national attention than the race for control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Here’s a look at the two contests:

The race to lead the state Department of Public Instruction pits incumbent Jill Underly,

Please, lets get the dykes out of education (Jill Underly)

 who is backed by Democrats and the teachers union, against consultant Brittany Kinser,

 a supporter of the private school voucher program who is endorsed by Republicans but calls herself a moderate.

Wisconsin is the only state where voters elect the top education official but there is no state board of education. That gives the superintendent broad authority to oversee education policy, from dispersing school funding to managing teacher licensing.

The winner will take office at a time when test scores are still recovering from the pandemic, the achievement gap between white and Black students remains the worst in the country and more schools are asking voters to raise property taxes to pay for operations.

 Underly’s education career began in 1999 as a high school social studies teacher in Indiana. She moved to Wisconsin in 2005 and worked for five years at the state education department. She also was principal of Pecatonica Elementary School for a year before becoming district administrator.

Underly, 47, was elected state superintendent in 2021 and was endorsed by the union, the Wisconsin Education Association Council, as well as the Wisconsin Democratic Party and numerous Democratic officeholders.

Kinser, whose backers include the Wisconsin Republican Party and former Republican Govs. Tommy Thompson and Scott Walker, is vying to become the first GOP-affiliated person to hold the superintendent position in more than 30 years.

She worked for almost 10 years as a special education teacher and instructional coach in Chicago Public Schools. After that she spent 15 years at public charter schools in Chicago, California and Milwaukee.

In the Milwaukee area, Kinser worked for Rocketship schools, part of a national network of public charter institutions, and became its executive director for the region.

In 2022 she left Rocketship for City Forward Collective, a Milwaukee nonprofit that advocates for charter and voucher schools. She also founded a consulting firm where she currently works.

Kinser, 47, tried to brand Underly as being a poor manager of the Department of Public Instruction and keyed in on her overhaul of state achievement standards last year.

Underly said that was done to better reflect what students are learning now, but the change was met with bipartisan opposition including from Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who was previously state superintendent himself. Evers has not made an endorsement in the race.

Kinser said the new standards lowered the bar for students and made it more difficult to evaluate how schools and districts are performing over time.

Underly portrayed Kinser as nothing more than a lobbyist who doesn’t care about public education. Kinser supports the state’s private school voucher and charter school program, which Democrats and Underly oppose on the grounds that such programs siphon needed money away from public schools.

Wisconsin’s photo ID requirement for voting would be elevated from state law to constitutional amendment under a proposal placed on the ballot by the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Even if voters say no to that, the requirement, which has been on the books since 2011, will remain in place as law. It went into effect permanently in 2016 after a series of unsuccessful lawsuits.

Republicans pitched the amendment it as a way to bolster election security and protect the law from being overturned in court.

Democratic opponents argued that photo ID requirements are often enforced unfairly, making voting more difficult for people of color, disabled people and poor people.

If voters pass the measure, it would make it more difficult for a future Legislature controlled by Democrats to change the law. Any constitutional amendment must be approved in two consecutive legislative sessions and by a statewide popular vote.

Wisconsin is one of nine states where people must present photo ID to vote, and its requirement is the nation’s strictest, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Thirty-six states have laws requiring or requesting that voters show some sort of identification, according to the NCSL.

 

Absolutely Wild Details About How Democrats Covered Up Biden's Decline Reveal a Historic Scandal

Just when you think you've heard everything there is to hear about how Democrats covered up Joe Biden's dramatic physical and cognitive decline as president, there's more.

As RedState recently reported, there was a point late in his ill-fated re-election campaign when Biden's handlers had to use fluorescent tape on the floor to keep him from wandering off during a speaking engagement. That was revealed in a new book entitled "Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House," and more excerpts have been released. 

One incident involved Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), with Biden seemingly not knowing who the Congressman was. He then had to coach the former president into remembering him. 

Swalwell had not been invited to the White House often, like most members of Congress, but when Biden and Swalwell came face to face, Biden didn’t immediately recognize the congressman, according to the book. 

Swalwell needed to note personal details to remind Biden of who he is. 

Swalwell may not be the most well-known politician out there, but he had been a fairly visible part of the Democratic Party for over a decade, including meeting Biden face-to-face several times. The former president not knowing who the congressman was should have been a major red flag, but the cover-up took precedence over everything, and everyone involved stayed quiet on the matter. 

In another part of the book, one of Biden's former aides shared how they would use a make-up artist to cover up how deteriorated his physical appearance had become. 

I'll note that the G7 Summit mentioned there was the same one where Biden wandered off during a photo-op, leading Redstate and other conservative outlets to report on the incident. The White House and the mainstream press then spent weeks accusing us of spreading "cheap fakes." Meanwhile, the former president was so far gone at the time that they had to use an on-demand make-up artist to make him appear somewhat alive for Zoom calls. I'm feeling just a bit vindicated as I write this.

Still, there was one person who remained "a thousand percent" behind Biden's re-election bid: Jill Biden. 

First lady Jill Biden was “a thousand percent” behind it. 

“At the end of the day, I don’t think anyone in that inner circle was presenting the president any contrary advice that this thing is not going to be easy or maybe this is not the best thing for the Democratic Party,” they said. 

That won't surprise anyone who followed her tenure as First Lady. To say she was ambitious and seemed to revel in living the high life on the taxpayer's dime would be an understatement. She wasn't the only one, though. Several of Biden's top advisors were also doing everything they could to hold onto power. It's a cliche, but this was "Weekend at Bernie's" going on in the White House, with the former president's entire inner circle lying to the American people for personal gain. It wasn't until Biden's historically bad debate performance that the dam finally broke. 

Of course, even with so much out in the open now, the press are still gaslighting about what transpired. 

Party and administration officials repeatedly downplayed these worries, insisting Biden was fully capable of winning and serving another four-year term in office. Despite Biden’s occasional public stumbles, they sought to assure the public that behind closed doors, Biden remained sharp and fully in command. 

Ocassional public stumbles? Are they kidding? I wrote a story almost every day during the last few years of Biden's presidency on his senility, not because I loved covering the topic (it got rather boring after a while) but because he had that many public stumbles to cover. It was a continual onslaught of material, and by 2024, I was dumbfounded they were still letting him do events at all. 

So, while these tell-all books are nice to finally see, I can't quite shake the frustration that no one will ultimately be held accountable for any of this. Is Swalwell going to be pressed on why he didn't blow the whistle? Of course not. Will Biden's staffers be cast into the wilderness? On the contrary, most have already landed new positions. The biggest presidential scandal in modern history occurred, and it's being treated like a normal news story. It makes you wonder what they'll try to get away with next.

 

SpaceX’s Fram2 Launch: A Vertical Trip to the Poles

As Europe goes back to the drawing board, following a mild setback in its space flight efforts, Elon Musk's SpaceX decided to do something completely different: Let's go up and down, not right to left. 

---

READ MORE: Essex Files: A Friendly Competitor to Elon Musk's SpaceX Has a Mild Setback 

---

On Monday night, SpaceX once again demonstrated the power of American ingenuity and free-market innovation with the successful launch of Fram2, the first crewed mission to orbit Earth’s North and South poles. Lifting off at 9:46 p.m. EDT from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule carried four civilians from four nations into low-Earth orbit for a historic five-day journey. This mission, a testament to the pioneering spirit of private enterprise, marks a new chapter in space exploration—one driven not by bloated government NASA programs but by the vision and determination of individuals willing to push boundaries.

The launch was a spectacle of precision and teamwork. As mission control counted down—“Three, two, one, ignition and lift-off!”—cheers erupted from the crowd. Minutes later, the Falcon 9 reached Main Engine Cutoff (MECO), and the Crew Dragon separated from the rocket’s second stage, soaring into polar orbit. The first-stage booster, having burned through its fuel, returned to Earth and landed flawlessly on SpaceX’s droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas just over eight minutes after launch. Meanwhile, inside the capsule, the crew released a stuffed bear—their zero-G indicator—watching it float freely in the weightless environment. The Dragon’s nose cone opened, revealing a massive cupola window that will offer the crew breathtaking views of Earth’s polar regions.

This wasn’t just a technical achievement; it was a moment of national pride. “We’re honored to deliver you safely to your polar orbit,” mission control told the crew. “Enjoy the view of the poles, send some pictures, and our hearts will be with you as you go over the poles. Have a great flight.” Another controller added, “God speed Fram2. Cheers!” These words reflect a shared sense of purpose and optimism—values that have long defined America’s approach to exploration.

The Fram2 crew—dubbed “framonauts” by SpaceX—consists of four remarkable individuals: mission commander Chun Wang of Malta, a bitcoin entrepreneur driven by a lifelong curiosity about the unknown; vehicle commander Janice Mikkelsen of Norway, a skilled cinematographer; pilot Rabea Rogge of Germany, a robotics expert; and Eric Phillips of Australia, an adventurer serving as the mission’s medical officer. These aren’t government-trained astronauts but everyday people who, through grit and rigorous preparation, have earned their place in space. Mikkelsen, speaking to CBS News, dismissed the notion of this being mere “tourism.” “I wish it was tourism,” she said. “Our education has lasted well over a year, so I have never studied so hard for a three-and-a-half-day expedition in my life.” Her words underscore the dedication required—a reminder that excellence isn’t handed out; it’s earned.

This mission, SpaceX’s third privately funded civilian spaceflight, embodies the principle that the private sector can achieve what government monopolies often fail to deliver. Named after a legendary early 20th-century ship that ventured farther north and south than any other, Fram2 could set its own records as the first spacecraft to orbit Earth’s poles. Launching into a 90-degree circular orbit, the flight path took it south over Miami and Cuba—a rare trajectory from Florida, where most missions historically veer eastward. Jon Edwards, a SpaceX vice president, noted the uniqueness: “If you were in Miami and you looked straight up… you would see the rocket and the crew flying right overhead.”

---

RELATED: Amazing Visuals As SpaceX Launches Mission to Help Rescue Astronauts -With One Ugly Media Reaction

Splashdown! Dragon Returns With Stranded Astronauts, Landing in Gulf of America

---

Over the next few days, the crew will conduct over a dozen experiments, from growing mushrooms to taking X-rays of the human body in orbit—practical research that could benefit life on Earth. After splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off Southern California, scheduled for Friday or Saturday, they’ll exit the Dragon capsule without external assistance, providing valuable data on human performance post-spaceflight. This self-reliance aligns with a core value: individuals taking responsibility for their own success.

Fram2 is more than a mission; it’s a symbol of what’s possible when innovation is unshackled from bureaucratic red tape. SpaceX, under Elon Musk’s leadership, has consistently proven that the free market can drive progress faster and more efficiently than government agencies. While the crew gazes at Earth’s poles through their cupola window, Americans can look up with pride, knowing this achievement reflects the strength of a system that rewards hard work, risk-taking, and vision. In an era where government overreach often stifles ambition, Fram2 stands as a bold reminder: the sky’s no longer the limit—it’s just the beginning.