Trump-Putin Diesel Deal Marks Reversal Before Midterms

President Donald Trump said he has struck a deal to obtain diesel from Russia, a reversal of years of U.S. pressure on Moscow over its war with Ukraine and an attempt to address high fuel prices ahead of the U.S. midterm elections.

Trump said on social media on Friday that he struck the deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call in which he was expected to discuss a suspected case of plague in Russia. Instead, Trump announced that Russia will immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by an additional 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons "immediately thereafter."

Russia will deliver an additional 3 million tons "within a short period of time" after that, he wrote.

Trump's announcement comes after he signed a sweeping Russia sanctions law last month aimed at clamping down on Russia's oil and gas revenues that fuel its war against Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called it "a weak decision, unfortunately, a weak decision by strong partners," according to a statement released by the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington.

Trump announced the deal as his envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner were meeting with Ukrainian officials in Miami to discuss a proposal to try to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

 

"I believe our team is simply being used as a smokescreen. And that is certainly not fair. It is certainly not how partners should treat each other," Zelenskyy said.

Trump's move casts doubt on the likelihood of the White House imposing sanctions on Russia this month, given that a bipartisan law passed by Congress directs the administration to target the top importers of Russian oil and gas.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who co-sponsored the Russian sanctions law, slammed it as a "poorly concealed attempt to mitigate the havoc caused by Trump's illegal war in Iran."

"The President's decision to lift sanctions on Russian diesel is an embarrassment and makes us complicit in Putin's war against Ukraine," he said in a statement.

Trump, in his announcement, did not address the sanctions or Russia's war but said, "Lower prices for Americans, especially our Great Farmers, Ranchers, and Truckers, is my Greatest Priority."

Trump said later as he left the White House for a campaign rally that he was thankful for the deal.

"I want to thank President Putin. To be honest with you, we have massive amounts of oil coming into our country, and it's diesel, which is what we want. So, thank you," Trump said.

He did not answer shouted questions about the criticism from Zelenskyy.

The White House did not immediately respond to questions about who was paying for the diesel from Russia and when the fuel being supplied under the agreement would become available. It also did not clarify whether subsequent supplies of Russian diesel set to come next month would be supplied prior to Election Day on Nov. 3.

Gas prices globally have surged as the war in Iran upends the energy sector. While diesel futures prices dipped on the news on Friday, the national average for a gallon of diesel in the U.S. remained high at $6.28, according to AAA, after hitting a record $6.52 on Sept. 22.

A statement from Putin, released by the Kremlin on Friday, said that during their call he and Trump dedicated "significant attention to the prospects of resolving the Ukrainian crisis" and also discussed "the situation around Iran and various aspects of bilateral relations."

Russia "confirmed its readiness to supply oil and oil products to the American and global markets," Putin said. "I am confident that this will have a positive impact on the entire global economy."

The two leaders agreed to continue contacts, Putin said in the statement.

Zelenskyy, in a lengthy post online reacting to the deal, said Russia would repay it "with further terror and perfidy." He cast it as an investment in the war, allowing it to be prolonged.

"It plays into Russia's hands — allowing it to kill more, wage war for longer, have even less respect for America, and inflict even greater losses and damage on the world," he said.

Blumenthal, in his scathing statement, invoked the memory of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally and Russia hawk, for whom the sanctions law is named after.

"This agreement with a murdering dictator is a stain on our nation's character, an insult to Lindsey Graham's memory, and directly contrary to Congress's intent in our bipartisan sanctions bill," he said.

Rep. Don Beyer, the senior House Democrat on the Joint Economic Committee, called Trump's announcement "infuriating."

"This is what we warned anyone who would listen: Trump isn't the slightest bit trustworthy when it comes to Russia," Beyer said in a statement on X.

The law Trump signed last month envisions sanctions on Russian officials, banks, and a shadow fleet of tankers and bans all new U.S. investment in Russia and the handling of sovereign debt.

It also directed Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the top five importers of Russian oil or natural gas, with an exception for countries that import less than 15% of Russia's natural gas exports and have taken significant steps to reduce those imports.

The U.S. has not imported Russian oil or gas since 2022, when the Biden administration banned the imports because of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Shortly after Trump made the announcement, the Treasury Department said it was immediately issuing a temporary license allowing Russian diesel to be supplied to the global market.

This is the latest in several licenses the U.S. Treasury has issued regarding Russian fuel shipments since the start of the Iran war early this year. But it is the first such license to ease sanctions on diesel for a period lasting longer than the standard 30-day window since the start of the Ukraine war.

The new so-called general license means U.S. sanctions will not apply until April 2027 on deliveries of Russian diesel that has been loaded onto tankers as of Friday. The department extended similar easing of sanctions in March and April even though Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had ruled out such a move earlier in the year.

The extensions continue to underscore how the fallout from the Iran war has boosted Moscow's ability to profit from its energy exports, which had been restrained by the U.S. and other allies since the invasion of Ukraine.

"What does this do to prices? I think probably not much," said Clayton Seigle, an energy strategist and expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

But, Seigle said the new deal is a "great benefit to Russia and to Putin," who are currently trying to offload their summer-grade diesel for the heavier winter and arctic grades that they will need in the coming months.

"It's kind of shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic," said Michael Lynch of the Energy Policy Research Foundation, a nonpartisan research institution focused on energy and economics.

"If we get diesel from Russia, basically it means that their existing customers are not going to get it and they'll have to go somewhere else, and that will keep the price basically where it is now," Lynch said.

Russia, once a major exporter of diesel, has banned exports since July as it has struggled to meet demand inside the country because of Ukraine's repeated attacks on Russian oil refineries. The International Energy Agency says Russian diesel output has fallen by about 30%.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told state news agency Tass that Russia is "immediately starting to lift restrictions on diesel exports ahead of schedule." He said that Moscow could start supplies to the U.S. already in October and that Russia's domestic market will be "fully supplied" with diesel, as well.

Credit: newsmax.com 

 

We May Have an Answer to the 'Missing' Talarico Mystery. This Looks Bad. Really Bad.

James Talarico has been missing in inaction for weeks.

It has gotten so bad that his GOP rival Ken Paxton has put up "milk carton" flyers asking for more info on where the Democrat Senate candidate has gone during the campaign homestretch.

The "official" word from the Talarico campaign is that he has gotten the "flu."

His campaign says he has the flu and is expected to be back in action this weekend.

While he has appeared virtually at a forum, Talarico’s last in-person event in the state was on Sept. 26. He visited New York on Sept. 29 for a private fundraiser, and, according to the virtual remarks he gave to the Hispanic Business Council the next day, he returned to Dallas and visited urgent care.

This prompted the Paxton campaign to issue a snarky response.

"We have a simple request: proof of life,” Paxton campaign spokeswoman Madison Cercy said. “James Talarico wants to represent 31 million Texans in the U.S. Senate, but for 12 days, he’s hidden from every one of them. There’s a reason they call it ‘Texas Tough,’ and it’s not because Texans hide at the first sign of trouble. If James Talarico is too fragile to face Texans, he has no business asking for their vote.”

Now, even if you have the flu, that wouldn't necessarily keep you out of the public light for virtually two weeks. Even if you're Mitch McConnell, you'd be expected to show up at some point.

But former L.A. mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt, who is not the only one who has sources making this assertion, says that Talarico appears to have checked into a mental health facility.

"My sources are telling me Talarico is in a mental health facility," Pratt wrote on X. "His campaign has stopped actively planning events in the vital homestretch of the campaign."

"If this is true, this is actually a time to pray for Talarico. We should, of course, savagely mock his smug, awful campaign advisors, by all means...and while yes, of course, this would be disqualifying for Talarico's aspirations to be a Texas Senator, we must hold empathy for anyone undergoing crisis," he continued. 

"Campaigns are brutal, and not everybody is cut out for it," he added. "You need very thick skin. As much as I don't want Talarico anywhere near government, I also don't want wish him harm, and no political office is worth having a breakdown. His awful advisors are at fault for this. They pushed him to be something he isn't, and it didn't work."

"I'm praying that this isn't true, and he's OK," he said. "You want to win these fights on the battlefield of ideas, not the minefield of poor health."

This was an update to Pratt's earlier post, which said, "This isn’t a case of the “flu” with Talarico…this is a case of 'one flew over the cuckoo’s nest'."

Pratt wasn't the only media figure with sources telling them this may be the unfortunate situation with Talarico. 

Sara Gonzales, who is affiliated with Blaze Media and Texas Scorecard, was leaning heavily into the reports.

I have received unverified information on James Talarico's whereabouts. If true, it will END his campaign. I am asking anyone who can verify where James Talarico has been to email me with confirmation. YOU WILL STAY TOTALLY ANONYMOUS. Email: SaraTips@blazemedia.com

— Sara Gonzales (@SaraGonzalesTX) October 8, 2026

"I have received unverified information on James Talarico's whereabouts. If true, it will END his campaign," Gonzales wrote in a viral post on Thursday.

"I am asking anyone who can verify where James Talarico has been to email me with confirmation," she added. "YOU WILL STAY TOTALLY ANONYMOUS."

More recently, Gonzales responded to a Ken Paxton post on the report.

"Full blown mental Tala-freak out indeed," she quipped, in reference to a Paxton remark, "Jimmy appears to be having a full-blown mental Tala-freak-out on the national stage. My campaign has a simple request: proof of life."

Whether or not Talarico has a justification for being absent so long on the campaign trail remains to be seen. Let us hope he is not having a mental health crisis, not just for his own sake, but also for the sake of the State of Texas.

Credit:  https://redstate.com

 

‘He’s Trash, Not a New Yorker’: Bronx Neighbors Demolish Mamdani’s Sob Story for Illegal Shot by ICE

Neighbors of the illegal alien shot by ICE agents this week in the Bronx are pushing back hard on Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s description of the man as a “New Yorker.”

Mamdani, upon hearing of an opportunity to score political points with his low-information supporters, balled up his little Communist fist and raged over the shooting while proudly claiming him as one of the Big Apple's own.

"This afternoon in Marble Hill, a New Yorker was shot by an ICE agent in a residential neighborhood," he wrote on X late Thursday. "This is an unconscionable and incredibly serious situation. I have called the President; when we speak I will demand that he ends all ICE enforcement actions in our city."

Oh no, tough guy.

Descriptions of any illegal alien as being a citizen of the place where they are illegally squatting are absurd. He is not a New Yorker. He is not an American. He is, however, a criminal. Period. End of story.

 

And his neighbors weren't too thrilled with Mamdani's characterization.

I am angry tonight. Because today ICE shot a New Yorker. They shot a New Yorker while his five year old child was in the car. ICE makes this city less safe. We want them out. Now. https://t.co/ZizKB0OP7S

— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) October 9, 2026

Locals told the New York Post that the illegal alien aggressor, Oscar Belgal, is “absolutely not” a New Yorker, and one mother whose 12-year-old son was killed in gang violence called him “trash."

“I don’t consider him a New Yorker,” Migdalia Martinez told the outlet. "The only thing I do consider him as is trash, nothing else but trash. And I don’t consider New York, my home, as trash.”

The city, nah. The mayor, on the other hand ... well, you decide.

“Absolutely not. That’s one of the reasons I think we should vote blue out,” another neighbor told the Post when asked if Belgal should be considered a New Yorker. "What’s going on with the legal system, the jail, letting these people go after they have a whole list of convictions. This is a criminal. Why would you let this person out?”

On that note, the 28-year-old alien, a Dominican national believed to have entered the country illegally around 2022, has a conviction for grand larceny stemming from an armed robbery and a pending drug case involving fentanyl and other substances.

Federal authorities have also linked him to the Trinitarios gang as they investigated his possible connection to the shooting of an off-duty Border Patrol agent.

That's the guy Mamdani wants to put his arm around and stand shoulder to shoulder as they take on law enforcement trying to protect actual New Yorkers.

During Thursday’s enforcement operation, agents say Belgal accelerated his vehicle toward them with his 5-year-old son in the back seat before an officer opened fire, wounding him in the neck. Video backs up their story.

NEW: NYPD releases police security camera footage of part of the interaction between @ICEgov officers and Oscar Bergal in the Bronx—The start of the encounter can be seen but the cameras did not capture the shooting. 🎥 Via New York Police Department https://t.co/dARM6fqZbr

— Ali Bradley (@AliBradleyTV) October 9, 2026

"If I drove my car toward federal agents, as ICE alleges Belgal did, I’d almost certainly face heavy consequences," RedState's Bob Hoge writes, "but evidently Mamdani and the agitators believe that being here illegally is a get-out-of-jail-free card."

The case is essentially a Rorschach test for anti-Americans. They see this case and view ICE agents as the criminals putting the young boy's life in danger.

Sane people see it as them trying to rescue that child from a man willing to commit vehicular manslaughter while he's sitting in the back seat.

Editor’s Note: New York City is now facing the consequences of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s socialist takeover.

Credit: https://redstate.com 

 

House Democrats Issued a Dire Warning to Donors Yesterday

Can’t trust the polls. Supposedly, we’re on the brink of a blue tsunami. So why aren’t Democrat voters enthused? I mean, they are, to a certain degree, but why aren’t they filling their party's war chest? It’s not good, weeks from Election Day, that the Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee is pleading with donors for $17 million soon or winnable races will be left off the table (via Politico):

 

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is begging for resources, and setting a hard deadline for donors to give $17 million in order to compete in a handful of districts that Republicans carried easily in 2024.

DCCC Executive Director Julie Merz said the committee needs the cash influx by Oct. 22 in order to “to take advantage of the opportunities we have” outside of the core battlefield, according to a memo shared with donors on Friday and obtained by POLITICO.

If they don’t pony up, Merz warns, the party “could be leaving winnable races on the table.”

Democrats have been clear that they have a fundraising disadvantage this cycle, but they have so far been reluctant to place a specific dollar amount on their needs, making the DCCC’s memo Friday a particularly surprising outlier.

“Here’s the tough reality though: the Republican ecosystem has amassed a massive war chest that is significantly greater than ours and is spending it,” Merz says in the memo after arguing that the members of the committee “remain confident that we will win back the majority in 25 days.”

 

The committee tells donors that their internal polling shows all of those races within reach, but that Republicans’ big cash advantages — especially in the Trump-aligned super PAC MAGA Inc. — will make it harder to win those and other reach seats.

Merz also name drops a handful of other deep-red districts that are “worthy of additional investment in this environment,” including seats held by GOP Reps. French Hill (R-Ark.) and Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), the chair of the Republican National Congressional Committee.

That’s a nightmare. There’s another subplot here: Democrats suck. They’re not popular. Trump and the GOP aren’t doing so hot either, but what’s been entertaining about the Democrats is that they think they hold 60 percent approval ratings with voters. ICE grades higher than the Democrat Party. 

Credit:  townhall.com

 

Abdul El-Sayed Is Suddenly Touchy About Discussing Foreign Policy

Last night's debate did not go well for Democrat Abdul El-Sayed. He was hammered for lying about being a physician — he's never been licensed or treated a single patient — and for his lies about his Egyptian citizenship. He was also hit for his Medicare for All Scheme, which would raise taxes on Michigan families by $20,000.

El-Sayed was also embarrassed by his ties to terrorist groups, including being reminded his mother worked for a group that funneled cash to terrorists and for his refusal to condemn the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas. That last one isn't really a surprise. When a Hezbollah-inspired terrorist tried to murder Jewish children at a Michigan synagogue, El-Sayed dismissed as "hurt people hurt people." His campaign was also quiet about the death of Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei 

 

because a lot of Muslims in the state were mourning the loss. 

It's that last point that made El-Sayed squirm when he was approached and asked about Khamenei.

There hasn’t been much reporting follow up on @alanagoodman’s scoop about a private Abdul El-Sayed campaign comms strategy call following the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during which he said "there are a lot of people in Dearborn who are sad" about his death

So I… pic.twitter.com/LWylBpeqqe

— Audrey Fahlberg (@AudreyFahlberg) October 8, 2026

"Do you regret the private comments you made on a leaked audio of a call, I think it was in early March, where you talked about the death of Ayatollah Khamenei and many people in Dearborn being sad that day?" Fahlberg asked.

"If you want to talk about gas prices and groceries. If you want to talk about actual issues that Michiganders face, I'm happy to answer questions," an irritated El-Sayed replied.

"I bring it up because. you talk constantly about foreign policy," Fahlberg said. 

"I know your readers will get you clicks but it's actually not relevant to people's lives," El-Sayed said. "I'm just not interest in this dog and pony show."

Simply incredible.

It's clear El-Sayed's radicalism has turned off voters, so he's not talking about those topics anymore.

Great question, Audrey. Abdul is a sexist a***ole who clearly has a problem with strong women!

— Democrats For Mike Rogers (@DemsForMike) October 8, 2026

He thinks women with breast cancer have "social power and privilege," so yes.

Yes, Fahlberg did hit a nerve.

El-Sayed gets mad about this question because he’s on the side of the Iranian terrorist regime. It’s the same reason he didn’t issue a statement on 10/7, the attacks three years ago were funded by the Iranian regime. He’s also a Hezbollah sympathizer, another Iran terror proxy. https://t.co/FhKdpHBH7x

— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) October 8, 2026

All of this.

Audrey asked @AbdulElSayed a fair question about something he said on a private campaign call.

He lashes out and says it’s a “dumb” question, and he’d rather talk about gas prices.

Audrey smartly reminds him he talks about foreign policy a lot (not to mention that it’s a major… https://t.co/7gDgso5mpU

— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) October 8, 2026

It's a perfectly valid question.

“Ask smart questions.” https://t.co/UNEWBL3nPQ

— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) October 8, 2026

He's so incredibly sexist. If a Republican said this, El-Sayed would trip over himself to get in front of a mic and scream about the free press.

Credit:  https://townhall.com

 

Trump announces appointment of Katie Zacharia to WH press secy. role

According to a Friday Truth Social post by the U.S. commander-in-chief, President Donald Trump has in fact moved to fill a crucial vacancy in his administration’s communications team by selecting lawyer and media adviser Katie Zacharia as the next White House press secretary.

The offer, confirmed by White House officials following initial reporting from The New York Times, taps an internal media insider who currently serves as a senior communications adviser for Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of President Trump’s social network Truth Social.

President Donald Trump Truth Social post

The podium had remained vacant since Karoline Leavitt’s exit, leaving a void in the administration’s daily media operations ahead of the upcoming midterm congressional elections.

Prior to her work at Truth Social, Zacharia built a strong background within conservative media circles and state-level policy groups. She previously served briefly as a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under Secretary Kristi Noem before departing her role earlier in the year.

 

Additionally, she worked as a lawyer and legal adviser for Fix California, a conservative political organization founded by former ambassador Richard Grenell. Zacharia has also been a frequent guest commentator on television networks including One America News (OAN), Fox News and Newsmax.

If she assumes the post, Zacharia will inherit the responsibility of steering the administration’s messaging during a pivotal political stretch. As press secretary, she will serve as the primary public interface between the White House and the press corps, taking over daily briefings.

White House officials have not yet announced when a formal press conference introducing Zacharia to the briefing room will take place.

Credit:  https://www.oann.com/

 

Trump Auto-Enrolls 70 Million Kids in Trump Accounts

President Trump just moved the needle on economic opportunity for American families by announcing automatic enrollment of eligible minors into Trump Accounts — a bold, pro‑family step that gives children a stake in our capitalist future. This is the kind of big, commonsense reform that fills me with pride for a country that values ownership over dependency. Below is the White House clip of the president explaining the expansion.

Big Expansion, Real Numbers

The administration says nearly 8 million Trump Accounts were opened in the first three months of the program and that more than $4.5 billion has already been deposited, and the Treasury’s temporary regulations just pushed automatic enrollment to roughly 70 million eligible children. That regulatory switch — moving from opt‑in to auto‑creation — is how you close the participation gap that left too many low‑income families behind under the old system. Conservative voters should applaud a policy that scales ownership for families instead of ceding a generation to lifelong dependency.

Why Ownership Matters

Trump Accounts are designed as tax‑favored, government‑created child investment vehicles that give kids a long‑term financial stake, and the White House has paired the plan with private partners like BNY Mellon and retail broker partners to actually service these accounts. When companies pledge matches and communities put money into kids’ accounts, we are building a culture of saving and investment that mainstream Democrats refuse to embrace. Ownership breeds independence, and that’s the antidote to the entitlement mindset promoted by the modern left.

 

Media Panic, Political Attacks

Predictably, the corporate press tried to turn a major policy rollout into a manufactured scandal, fishing for bribery claims and the usual plague‑panic headlines instead of reporting the substance of the reform. Peter Doocy and other reporters pressed for details — fair enough — but the larger White House exchange exposed how eager legacy outlets are to stomp any pro‑growth idea that empowers families. This moment underscores the contrast between a results‑driven administration and a media class more interested in outrage than outcomes.

Questions, Oversight, and Next Steps

No policy is flawless, and legitimate concerns remain: families still must claim the $1,000 seed payment to unlock the full benefit, donor rules about in‑kind stock donations deserve careful oversight, and privacy safeguards must be enforced when government data is used to create accounts. Conservatives should demand transparency from Treasury and the custodial partners while defending the core idea that America should be a nation of owners, not dependents. If Republicans hold the line and tighten up implementation, this can be a generational win for working families and a rebuke to the entitlement model that has held too many Americans back.

Credit:  https://patriotpowerednetwork.com/

 

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Launches Vaccine‑Injury Push

 

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stepped onto the NIH campus this week and did something Washington rarely does: he put vaccine‑injured patients and their questions on the front page of federal research policy. The administration unveiled a new NIH clinic and a research push — reportedly called MOSAIC — to study people who say they were harmed by vaccines, with promises to modernize VAERS and reimburse clinicians for reporting suspected injuries. It matters, and not just to activists on either side of the debate.

What was announced

The rollout included a ribbon‑cutting on an NIH clinic and a roundtable of parents who believe vaccines hurt their children. NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, CDC Director Erica Schwartz, CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz

 

 and Acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas

 

 joined Secretary Kennedy for the event. Officials say the program will fund intramural work on the Bethesda campus and back outside researchers. The plans also mention updating the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, paying doctors who report problems, and collecting clinical and genomic data on people with post‑vaccine symptoms. Concrete budgets and formal rule changes have not been released yet, so the idea is public while the fine print remains, as usual, behind closed doors.

Why this is important

For years patients with unexplained symptoms after shots said they were ignored. Conservatives who have long pushed for government accountability should welcome research and care for anyone who says they were harmed. Modernizing vaccine safety surveillance and studying lingering symptoms could help real people get answers and build public trust. At the same time, surveillance systems like VAERS are blunt tools — they spot signals, not prove causes. That truth matters if we want science, not headlines, to guide policy.

Questions that must be answered

Announcing an initiative is the easy part. The hard part is doing it right. Who will design the studies? Will protocols be peer reviewed? Will independent scientists and traditional vaccine‑safety experts have real oversight? How will patient enrollment and control groups be defined? Where is the funding, and will changes to VAERS or clinician reimbursement go through transparent rulemaking? If this becomes a political playbook for one side, the whole effort will lose credibility — and that would be a tragedy for the people who need good answers most.

What conservatives should demand

Support the patients. Insist on science. Call for clear budgets, public protocols, independent peer review, and transparent data sharing. Push for a bipartisan advisory board and Federal Register notices before any new rules become reality. If Washington finally wants to study vaccine injury, do it with the same standards we demand for any health research: rigorous methods, open data, and no political theater. This was a long time coming. Don’t let it be another press release that fades away without helping a single person.

Credit: https://patriotpowerednetwork.com  

 

CartoonDems

 

Trump: Rogers 'Obliterated' El-Sayed in Mich. Debate

 

President Donald Trump said Michigan Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers "completely obliterated" Democrat opponent Abdul El-Sayed in Thursday night's debate, praising the former congressman in one of the nation's most closely watched Senate races.

"Mike Rogers, the great American Patriot and Republican Candidate for the U.S. Senate from Michigan, completely obliterated Mohammed El-Sayed in the big debate tonight," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

"If this was a fight they would have stopped it," the president added.

Trump, who repeatedly called El-Sayed "Mohammed" rather than Abdul, accused the progressive Democrat of holding extremist views and making false statements.

"Mohammed is a Jihadist lunatic who hates our Country, the Black People of Detroit,

 

 and wants to see the U.S. fail," Trump wrote.

"I won Michigan BIG, and know that Mike Rogers, a total winner, is the man for you!!!" Trump added.

Thursday's debate was combative, with the candidates repeatedly exchanging personal attacks and continuing their arguments during a commercial break.

Moderator Rick Albin repeatedly tried to restore order.

"I'd like to be a part of the debate, too," Albin said.

"In 30 years of doing debates, I've never seen it continue during the commercial, but it did," he later remarked.

Rogers accused El-Sayed, a former public health official, of misrepresenting his medical credentials, calling him a "con man."

El-Sayed countered that Rogers would serve as a "sock puppet" for Trump.

Despite Trump's enthusiastic endorsement, Rogers has recently broken with the administration on several issues.

Rogers reiterated during Thursday's debate that the war with Iran must end quickly and defended his opposition to Trump's tariffs on Canada.

"We know that Canada is not our enemy," Rogers said in a campaign advertisement released Wednesday.

Rogers also criticized federal immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota, saying authorities could have handled them differently.

El-Sayed faced questions about his positions on Israel and Iran, issues that have generated concerns among some Jewish voters in Michigan.

Asked whether he would support providing weapons to Israel if it were attacked, El-Sayed said he opposed using U.S. taxpayer money to subsidize foreign wars.

El-Sayed also declined to say whether Iran or Israel posed the greater threat, calling the question "ridiculous."

Trump had attacked El-Sayed on Truth Social late Wednesday, calling him a "RADICAL Extremist, Terrorist Sympathizer" and reiterating his "COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT" of Rogers.

El-Sayed, who was born in the United States to Egyptian immigrant parents, accused Trump of targeting him because of his name and Muslim faith.

Rogers narrowly lost Michigan's 2024 Senate election to Democrat Elissa Slotkin by fewer than 20,000 votes.

El-Sayed secured this year's Democrat nomination by defeating Rep. Haley Stevens in a closely contested primary.

Democrat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who supported Stevens in the primary, appeared alongside El-Sayed on Thursday as the party sought to unite ahead of November's election.

Credit: newsmax.com