Monday, April 13, 2026
Trump Lambasts ‘Weak’ Leo XIV, Urges Him To ‘Focus On Being A Great Pope, Not A Politician’
Screenshot/X/@RapidResponse47
Thomas Wong
Weekend editor
April 13, 202612:42 AM ET
President Donald Trump fired off his most public and intense criticism of Pope Leo XIV in a lengthy Sunday night post to Truth Social and also in remarks to journalists, calling the spiritual head of the Catholic Church “weak” and “terrible” on key issues.
“Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy. He talks about ‘fear’ of the Trump Administration, but doesn’t mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services, even when going outside, and being ten and even twenty feet apart,” Trump began his criticism on social media.
“I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesn’t!” the president continued, referring to the pontiff’s older brother Louis Prevost, a Trump supporter living in Florida. “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country.”
“And I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History,” he added.
Sunday, April 12, 2026
Marco Rubio STUNS with Speech, then this happens
Fact: 7 Out the 9 U.S. Supreme Court Justices are Roman Catholics
Marco Rubio: the Catholic Roots of America
Marco Rubio is not only the U.S. Secretary of STATE, he's also the spokeperson for the Vatican...
Christianity as Rome’s Secret Strategy—And Why It Worked So Well
By Author Julia Davis
Posted onPublished: December 16, 2025
Source: ShutterStock
The church would have us believe that the Emperor Constantine suddenly “found Jesus” and decided to turn his entire empire Christian overnight.
But that might not be the whole truth, and his reasons for accepting the new faith might not have been as pure and honest as they seem.
Christianity has a message of unity and acceptance, and the Romans saw great potential in that.
They had a long and tumultuous history of dealing with conquered peoples, and they knew that brute force wasn’t enough for the Roman influence to truly last.
The church would have us believe that the Emperor Constantine suddenly “found Jesus” and decided to turn his entire empire Christian overnight.
But that might not be the whole truth, and his reasons for accepting the new faith might not have been as pure and honest as they seem.
Christianity has a message of unity and acceptance, and the Romans saw great potential in that.
They had a long and tumultuous history of dealing with conquered peoples, and they knew that brute force wasn’t enough for the Roman influence to truly last.
A Tapestry of Gods and Cultures
© Pexels
The Roman Empire was a melting pot of different cultures and religions. There was a god for every occasion, every city, and every aspect of life.
This strong religious tradition was deeply woven into daily routines and laws.
These were all national cults, and each and every people that the Romans conquered had their own.
The pantheons were a huge part of people’s identity, and no amount of Roman force would get them to give that up.
Not to mention, these conquered peoples loathed the very idea of the Romans, and rejected all that was imposed on them.
But Christianity was not Roman. That’s why the Empire recognized it as the one assimilation strategy that wouldn’t cause outright rebellion.
The Roman Empire was a melting pot of different cultures and religions. There was a god for every occasion, every city, and every aspect of life.
This strong religious tradition was deeply woven into daily routines and laws.
These were all national cults, and each and every people that the Romans conquered had their own.
The pantheons were a huge part of people’s identity, and no amount of Roman force would get them to give that up.
Not to mention, these conquered peoples loathed the very idea of the Romans, and rejected all that was imposed on them.
But Christianity was not Roman. That’s why the Empire recognized it as the one assimilation strategy that wouldn’t cause outright rebellion.
The Real American War Is Between Trump and This Holy Warrior
CROSS TO BEAR
There is only person who is really battling for the soul of the nation.
Opinion
Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Reuters
For decades, conservative Catholics and the religious right have prayed for a “red”-blooded American pope. Someone who would place the Vatican’s authority behind their vision of American superiority and exceptionalism, all the while keeping his mouth shut about political issues like climate change and immigration.
Last year, it appeared they got their wish—or at least part of it—when Robert Francis Prevost, at the age of 69, and the son of a Chicago firefighter, became Pope Leo XIV. President Trump praised Prevost’s election as a “very meaningful moment.”
That faith quickly waned.
Pope Leo XIV waves on the day he holds the weekly general audience in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican, April 8, 2026.Remo Casilli/REUTERS
While quiet and calm at first glance, Leo speaks with the bluntness of a man who learned early how to tell hard truths to people who don’t want to hear them. He also had a history of criticizing Trump and his administration, particularly on matters of immigration.
And in the first month of the war with Iran, seemingly at every public opportunity, Leo has spoken out against the conflict. The tension between His Holiness and Trump—as well as other administration officials—reached a surreal moment this week, underscoring a broader schism between the papacy and Washington D.C. After Trump warned that “a whole civilization will die tonight” unless Iran capitulated, Leo didn’t offer vague prayers for peace.
He went all in.
While quiet and calm at first glance, Leo speaks with the bluntness of a man who learned early how to tell hard truths to people who don’t want to hear them. He also had a history of criticizing Trump and his administration, particularly on matters of immigration.
And in the first month of the war with Iran, seemingly at every public opportunity, Leo has spoken out against the conflict. The tension between His Holiness and Trump—as well as other administration officials—reached a surreal moment this week, underscoring a broader schism between the papacy and Washington D.C. After Trump warned that “a whole civilization will die tonight” unless Iran capitulated, Leo didn’t offer vague prayers for peace.
He went all in.
Turning Point Journalist Says She Was ‘Brutally Assaulted’ By Anti-ICE Protesters - ...
Turning Point Journalist Says She Was ‘Brutally Assaulted’ By Anti-ICE Protesters — and Comes with Video
Sean James
Apr 11th, 2026, 6:16 pm
(Photo credit: Rhein Amacher on X)
Turning Point USA contributor Savanah Hernandez was attacked by multiple anti-ICE protesters in Minneapolis on Saturday, with one female protester caught on camera hitting Hernandez with two punches to the head and knocking her to the ground.
Hernandez shared multiple clips of the anti-ICE protesters assaulting her on X on Saturday.
“I was just brutally assaulted by multiple people outside of the Whipple ICE facility in Minneapolis,” she posted. “Multiple people swung on me and a grown man pushed me to the ground. My glasses are broken. ANTIFA still alive and well. I’m talking with police about pressing charges.”
She followed that up with a clip showing her being heckled and surrounded by protesters, with one woman attempting to smack Hernandez in the face with a pink dildo. The clip then shows another woman punching Hernandez to the ground against a chain link fence; Hernandez got back on her feet quickly and was then confronted by another portly female protester, who threw her shoulder into Hernandez and then shoved her away with her right arm.
The footage shared by Hernandez was from YouTuber “BG on the Ground” and did not include audio; that clip has not been posted to BG’s YouTube page as of Saturday afternoon. Hernandez mentioned a few times on X a grown man pushed her to the ground, but that is not seen in a few of the clips she shared.
Hernandez also reposted a clip of the assault from a different angle.
Viewers can hear whistles blaring and one protester yelling “B*tch!” as Hernandez backpedals after she was hit to the ground; it’s appears more punches were thrown between the anti-ICE protesters and people from Hernandez’s side, but it it tough to discern from the clip. The shouting — and obviously, punches thrown at Hernandez — make it clear it was a chaotic scene.
You can see that clip below:
(Photo credit: Rhein Amacher on X)
Turning Point USA contributor Savanah Hernandez was attacked by multiple anti-ICE protesters in Minneapolis on Saturday, with one female protester caught on camera hitting Hernandez with two punches to the head and knocking her to the ground.
Hernandez shared multiple clips of the anti-ICE protesters assaulting her on X on Saturday.
“I was just brutally assaulted by multiple people outside of the Whipple ICE facility in Minneapolis,” she posted. “Multiple people swung on me and a grown man pushed me to the ground. My glasses are broken. ANTIFA still alive and well. I’m talking with police about pressing charges.”
She followed that up with a clip showing her being heckled and surrounded by protesters, with one woman attempting to smack Hernandez in the face with a pink dildo. The clip then shows another woman punching Hernandez to the ground against a chain link fence; Hernandez got back on her feet quickly and was then confronted by another portly female protester, who threw her shoulder into Hernandez and then shoved her away with her right arm.
The footage shared by Hernandez was from YouTuber “BG on the Ground” and did not include audio; that clip has not been posted to BG’s YouTube page as of Saturday afternoon. Hernandez mentioned a few times on X a grown man pushed her to the ground, but that is not seen in a few of the clips she shared.
Hernandez also reposted a clip of the assault from a different angle.
Viewers can hear whistles blaring and one protester yelling “B*tch!” as Hernandez backpedals after she was hit to the ground; it’s appears more punches were thrown between the anti-ICE protesters and people from Hernandez’s side, but it it tough to discern from the clip. The shouting — and obviously, punches thrown at Hernandez — make it clear it was a chaotic scene.
You can see that clip below:
https://www.mediaite.com/media/turning-point-journalist-says-she-was-brutally-assaulted-by-anti-ice-protesters-and-comes-with-video/
Hernandez is a reporter for Turning Point USA, the conservative group founded by Charlie Kirk; she has covered illegal immigration and anti-ICE protests over the past few years.
Hernandez is a reporter for Turning Point USA, the conservative group founded by Charlie Kirk; she has covered illegal immigration and anti-ICE protests over the past few years.
Saturday, April 11, 2026
Trump says US forces are 'clearing' Strait of Hormuz
By Reuters
April 11, 20269:43 AM EDT
WASHINGTON, April 11 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday posted on social media that the United States military has started to clear the Strait of Hormuz, and that all of Iran's minelaying ships have been sunk.
"We're now starting the process of clearing out the Strait of Hormuz," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post, adding that "all 28" of Iran's "mine dropper boats are also lying at the bottom of the sea".
Minutes before Trump's post, reports started to emerge about the presence of U.S. naval ships in the strait.
An Axios journalist, citing an unnamed U.S. official, posted that "several" U.S. ships had crossed the strait on Saturday, though Iranian state TV soon after reported a denial from an official with Iran's military.
Trump has repeatedly said that American forces have destroyed Iran's navy and air force while crippling its ballistic missile and nuclear programs.
But fear of Iranian attacks on shipping over the past several weeks has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical conduit for global oil supplies. Throttling the strait has disrupted global energy markets.
U.S. gasoline prices have spiked even though most of the oil that flows through the waterway does not go to the United States.
Representatives from the U.S. and Iran began talks hosted by Pakistan in Islamabad on Saturday amid a fragile ceasefire in the conflict.
Reporting by Jason Lange; Editing by Jan Harvey and Sergio Non
President Donald Trump arrives to speak about the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Washington. Alex Brandon/Pool via REUTERS/File
WASHINGTON, April 11 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday posted on social media that the United States military has started to clear the Strait of Hormuz, and that all of Iran's minelaying ships have been sunk.
"We're now starting the process of clearing out the Strait of Hormuz," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post, adding that "all 28" of Iran's "mine dropper boats are also lying at the bottom of the sea".
Minutes before Trump's post, reports started to emerge about the presence of U.S. naval ships in the strait.
An Axios journalist, citing an unnamed U.S. official, posted that "several" U.S. ships had crossed the strait on Saturday, though Iranian state TV soon after reported a denial from an official with Iran's military.
Trump has repeatedly said that American forces have destroyed Iran's navy and air force while crippling its ballistic missile and nuclear programs.
But fear of Iranian attacks on shipping over the past several weeks has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical conduit for global oil supplies. Throttling the strait has disrupted global energy markets.
U.S. gasoline prices have spiked even though most of the oil that flows through the waterway does not go to the United States.
Representatives from the U.S. and Iran began talks hosted by Pakistan in Islamabad on Saturday amid a fragile ceasefire in the conflict.
Reporting by Jason Lange; Editing by Jan Harvey and Sergio Non
Machete-wielding NYC maniac fatally shot by cops after stabbing 3 elderly straphangers at Grand Central Terminal
Published April 11, 2026
Updated April 11, 2026, 11:28 a.m. ET
A maniac slashed three elderly people with a machete in an unprovoked attack and was fatally shot by cops at Grand Central Terminal Saturday morning, police said.
An 85-year-old man, a 70-year-old woman and a 65-year-old man were slashed on the 4, 5, 6 subway platform at the iconic station at 9:50 a.m., cops said.
The victims were taken to local hospitals in stable condition, cops said.
Cops fatally shot a man at Grand Central Terminal after he stabbed three people with a machete.Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Post
The dead attacker’s identity is unknown. Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Post
The man with the machete, who wasn’t identified by cops, was killed, police said.
Two officers were also taken to the hospital in stable condition for treatment of unknown injuries, cops said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
The man with the machete, who wasn’t identified by cops, was killed, police said.
Two officers were also taken to the hospital in stable condition for treatment of unknown injuries, cops said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Friday, April 10, 2026
Inside Iran’s ruling ideology: How a ‘holy mission’ and messianic doctrine fuel regime extremism
New IRGC commanders shaped by years of conflict may entrench the regime's extremist ideology even further, analysts warn
Published April 5, 2026 2:00pm EDT
Updated April 5, 2026 8:00am EDT
Inside Iran’s hidden power center: Expert says supreme leader’s office runs a ‘state within a state’
Kasra Aarabi of United Against a Nuclear Iran says the regime's durability lies not in Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as an individual, but in the institutional machinery surrounding him.
For Mehdi Ghadimi, the ideology behind Iran’s ruling system is not theoretical. It was something he was taught from childhood.
"You were told you are a part a small group chosen by God… to revive God’s religion and fight to defend it," the Iranian journalist told Fox News Digital, describing the message repeated in schools, mosques and state media.
That early indoctrination, he said, framed the world in stark terms: a divine struggle between good and evil, with Iran’s leadership positioned at the center of a religious mission.
Iran’s ruling system is often described in political terms, but critics and former insiders say its core is far more radical — a belief structure rooted in religious absolutism, messianic expectation and a worldview that leaves little room for compromise.
A banner featuring Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, and senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is displayed in Tehran, March 14, 2026. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu)
As a new generation of commanders rises within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps following recent military blows under Operation Epic Fury, analysts warn that this ideology may become even more entrenched.
Figures such as Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Ahmad Vahidi are often cited as part of a cohort shaped by years of conflict in Iraq and across the region — one that sees religion, security and survival as inseparable.
Thursday, April 09, 2026
The Mahdi’s Shadow: Eschatology’s Role in Iran’s Modern Geopolitical Strategy
By Dr Kerry Bolton
From New Dawn Special Issue Vol 18 No 4 (Aug 2024)
In the West, there’s a common misconception that ‘all Muslims are the same’. In reality, Islam comprises distinct branches, primarily Sunni and Shi’a, each with unique theological and eschatological beliefs. These eschatological views, which relate to end times and final events, significantly influence global politics and conflicts, despite often being overlooked.
The differing Sunni and Shi’a conceptions of a messiah, or saviour figure, often provoke anxiety among Jewish and Christian Messianists, as well as their more secular counterparts in the armed forces and governments of Israel and the USA. Regardless of whether these beliefs are taken literally, the perception of them plays a crucial role in international relations.
Historically, colonial powers faced fierce opposition from those who believed they were under divine protection, often manifesting as a belief in invincibility in battle. For example, the Sudanese Mahdi, Muhammad Ahmad, led a successful revolt against the British in the late 19th century, claiming divine support and inspiring his followers to believe they were invincible. Similarly, during the South Asian resistance to Western colonialism, various leaders and groups invoked religious and messianic beliefs to bolster their opposition to British rule, fostering a sense of divine mission and protection among their followers.
Pentagon Threatened Pope After He Criticized Trump?
It was so bad that Pope Leo changed his plans to travel to the U.S.
Tiziana FABI/AFP/Getty Images
Relations between the United States and the Catholic Church have not been the same since January, when senior U.S. defense officials shared an abrasive message with a Vatican official.
Days after Pope Leo XIV delivered his State of the World speech, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby summoned Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the Vatican’s U.S. representative, to a closed-door Pentagon meeting for a bitter lecture.
“The United States,” Colby said, according to a blistering new report by The Free Press, “has the military power to do whatever it wants in the world. The Catholic Church had better take its side.”
One U.S. official present at the meeting brought up the Avignon papacy, a period in the fourteenth century in which the French monarchy bent the Catholic Church into submission, ordering an attack on Pope Boniface VIII that led to his downfall and subsequent death and forcing the papacy to relocate from Rome to Avignon, a region inside France.
The Trump administration had taken issue with the pope’s critique of its militaristic proclivities. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other top Pentagon officials were particularly aggrieved by portions of Leo’s January 9 speech in which the pope argued that “a diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus among all parties is being replaced by a diplomacy based on force,” and that “war is back in vogue, and a zeal for war is spreading.”
Jayapal on Iran ceasefire, Cuba energy crisis and DHS funding plan | Full interview
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P.S.
Wednesday, April 08, 2026
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