All about Gavin: UPDATED: Newsom’s Rocky Month Shows the Risks of Running on Style Over Substance

Victor Davis Hanson

"Add it all up, and he’s got only one campaign slogan. Gavin Newsom will have to run as “I want to do to the United States what I did to California.” We’ll see how that works out."

. . . "As far as dyslexia goes, it’s very hard to find him credible. Not that he doesn’t have it, but when he says, “I can’t read,” I can’t believe that’s true, because not too long ago, he bragged to us, I think, that he was reading a 260-page book in an hour and a half, as if he was a speed-reader.

"And my gosh, anybody who is a governor of a huge state like California, a governor of any state, gets page after page daily in memoranda and policy papers and speeches. So, when he says he can’t read, it wouldn’t convince most people.

"And why did he say that he couldn’t read? Because he’s flailing, and he wants to have some sympathy. I think that’s the reason." . . .

"Finally, what’s the elephant in the room? All of what I talked about is a camouflage, a mask for the problem. And that is 300,000 people are leaving his state per year since he’s been governor. He’s taken paradise and turned it into purgatory. Whether it’s the fires, the high-speed rail boondoggle, the highest income taxes in the nation, the recent billionaires tax—it’s already driven $1 trillion out of the state.

"We have the highest number of homeless people. We have one-third of all welfare recipients. We have the highest poverty rate, I think we’re 21% to 22%. We have no plans to assimilate a culture rate or integrate 27% of the population that was foreign-born. We have the highest number of illegal aliens. About one out of every three people that enters our now-bankrupt health system has diabetes. And Louisiana and Mississippi have higher test scores in their elementary schools than we do." . . .

The Unfortunate Truth in Gavin Newsom’s Gaffe Regarding the SAT  

Newsom is either the first or the third among those cohorts.  Historically speaking, proudly referencing unimpressive academic results would be an odd thing for an American presidential candidate to tout on the campaign trail, but such are the times.  The Democrat cult, as Newsom knows well, is devout in its adherence to the gospel of DEI.  It prefers to celebrate mediocrity and equitable outcome rather than to celebrate pure exceptionalism.

Iranian drones over California? The mullahs know California has a very incompetent governor    

"Beside's Newman's proven record of incompetence, another answer to that question is Joe Biden's Open Border. Biden allowed all comers, including those on the U.S. terror watchlist, to enter the U.S. to file their phony "asylum" claims. Iranians entering during that border surge would naturally gravitate to areas with large Iranian expatriate communities -- which would mean Los Angeles, San Diego and even San Francisco. They could be good Iranians, such as the many we know -- or bad ones, the Iranians who still support the regime. Open borders don't distinguish."

Could This New Rifle-Mounted Drone Buster Be a Game Changer?

Ward Clark   

"Man-portable, deployable to the grunts in the field. There's nothing grunts like more, after all, than shooting stuff, and shooting stuff with a laser, that's a whole new level of cool."

Every new military technology, every new weapon, sooner or later, was countered by some other new weapon or technology. Armor was rendered obsolete by the musket. Castle walls were rendered obsolete by cannons. Battleships were rendered obsolete by aircraft carriers. 

Today, drones are one piece of new tech that military forces around the world are still learning how to employ, and how to defend against. And now, there's a new counter: A rifle-mounted drone-killer device.

A new chapter in counter-drone defense begins as Nuburu’s Lyocon subsidiary completes initial trials of a next-gen, portable non-kinetic laser system built to hunt drones in contested airspace.

Designed for rapid deployment, the lightweight weapon can be mounted on rifles, letting soldiers carry and aim it with minimal effort in the field.

It leverages a multi-wavelength directed-energy setup and operates across green, blue, and infrared laser bands to disrupt a wide range of drone types.

Now, to me, this doesn't look like something that could be slung under the barrel of an M4 or M16, like the M203 grenade launcher." . . . More...

Ward Clark hails from Alaska’s Susitna Valley, where he maintains his rural household in one of America’s last free places.  Ward is a twelve-year veteran of the U.S. Army, including service in Operation Desert Storm and (in Germany in support of) Operation Joint Endeavor, and today is a staunch minarchist libertarian, along with being an author, novelist, self-employed small businessman, woods bum, and semi-professional bad influence.

Shooter killed after driving car into Detroit synagogue with preschool and opening fire, as cops say all children and staff survived the attack UPDATED

 Daily Mail

"The shooter who drove a truck carrying explosives into a Michigan synagogue with an attached preschool has been killed, officials say.

"The truck caught fire after 'something ignited' when the gunman smashed into the Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township on Thursday.

A man armed with a rifle was found dead inside the vehicle, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard. Officials have not yet disclosed how he died, but law enforcement sources said his body is 'badly burned.'  More...

Meanwhile: The Old Dominion University Shooter Has Been ID'd and It Looks Like Islamic Terrorism   Jalloh was arrested in 2016, according to a press release from the Department of Justice, "attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).  According to the complaint, Jalloh is alleged to have attempted to provide services by assisting in the procurement of weapons to be used in what he believed was going to be an attack on U.S. soil committed in the name of ISIL.  In addition, the complaint alleges that Jalloh attempted to provide material support to ISIL by providing money to assist in the facilitation of individuals seeking to join ISIL." . . .

 Hero ROTC cadet fatally stabbed ISIS-supporting Old Dominion gunman to prevent more carnage  . . . "Jalloh, a naturalized US citizen from Sierra Leone, was a member of the Virginia National Guard before he was sentenced to 11 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to ISIS, but was released from custody early in 2024, sources said.

" 'Old Dominion University faced a tragedy on our main campus,” Old Dominion University president Brian Hemphill said in a statement." . . .

The cardboard cutout that is Iran’s new Supreme Leader

VIDEO UPDATE: Iran CAUGHT hiding NEW Supreme Leader  "Some say he's just a picture on a cardboard cutout. The IRGc will shoe him in with all the ballot stuffing votes".

 The cardboard cutout that is Iran’s new Supreme Leader    

"The Economist explains away this loving eulogy by saying it writes the obituaries the dead would have written for themselves were they still alive. And yes, that is weird and non-journalistic."

"Here’s the funniest story of the week, maybe the year: The IRGC, having bullied the surviving members of Iran’s ruling council into nominating as the new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the very dead former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was reduced to putting up a cardboard cutout of Mojtaba at the official announcement. The reason is that he was seriously injured in the attack that killed his father (and his mother and wife). Rumor is that he lost a leg and may be unconscious or even dead.

"While Normals had a blast coming up with memes reflecting that cardboard cutout moment, certain segments of the media had a different approach to Iran’s Supreme Leaders, with one lovingly eulogizing Ali Khamenei and the other trying to say that Mojtaba is really just like Trump.

"Allegedly, the late Ali Khamenei was very explicit: Do not make my son Mojtaba the Supreme Leader when I die. Not only was he concerned about nepotism, as one analyst summed it up, Khamenei senior understood that his son was “an impotent young cleric who has achieved nothing in terms of political life.” . . .

The cardboard cutout that is Iran’s new Supreme Leader   

US President Donald Trump unveiled the cardboard Ayatollah 😂 pic.twitter.com/36LTML3O7s    — Mossad Commentary (@MOSSADil) March 11, 2026

“We have now sunk to a depth at which restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men".

"Here’s the funniest story of the week, maybe the year: The IRGC, having bullied the surviving members of Iran’s ruling council into nominating as the new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the very dead former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was reduced to putting up a cardboard cutout of Mojtaba at the official announcement. The reason is that he was seriously injured in the attack that killed his father (and his mother and wife). Rumor is that he lost a leg and may be unconscious or even dead.". . . 

2012: . . . "To this day the Ayatollah remains widely loved in Iran, and the anniversary of his return is commemorated each year with events across the country.

"As he passed away in 1989, personal appearances are sadly out of the question, but the Iranian authorities had a solution this year: three giant cardboard cutouts of the Ayatollah, each carried down the steps of a plane and then marched around the airport. On their short tour, the cardboard constructions ‘inspected’ lines of troops as soldiers saluted and looked dutifully serious.

"The bizarre and endearingly lo-fi ceremony ended with one of the cardboard Ayatollahs being paraded around the airport in an open-top army truck, as a marching band tooted its approval in the background. Wacky stuff indeed. Here are some more photos:" . . .

Tucker's next guest...

Social media propaganda and the campaign against America’s Iran policy.

The American Spectator

"If these memes only appeared occasionally, one could perhaps ignore them…. But their massive presence hints at something deeper, more malign, more frightening."

. . . "We know all this, and political analysts and policymakers have learned to discount polling results accordingly. But there is another and far more insidious thumb on the scale of public opinion, one that pretends objectivity while in fact propagandizing for the various leftist causes of the day. This takes the form of social media “questions” that pretend to be objective while hiding — and at the same time promoting — the leftist messaging of the day." . . .

"We know that China’s influence operations are well-developed. We’ve recently seen significant documentation, for example, of how American billionaire Neville Roy Singham, now an honored guest of Xi in Shanghai, has used his own funds to support anti-American influence operations. One suspects that these funds have been further subsidized by the Chinese government. And across the entire spectrum of leftist enterprises, one sees similar activity.

"We can’t know how many of the current anti-U.S., anti-Trump memes are funded directly or indirectly by China, but to suggest otherwise is to ignore a well-established pattern of political behavior. Counteracting these pervasive influence operations won’t be easy, particularly since they align so neatly with the Democrats’ domestic political interests.

"In a political environment shaped by “useful idiots” and the easily duped, a righteous effort to eliminate a decades-long threat from Iran can be easily undermined — we’ve seen this happen over and over again with past efforts. A successful and, hopefully, brief campaign in Iran will be the ultimate difference maker, but we can’t win the fight for American “hearts and minds” if we simply sit back and allow the lies to go unchallenged. Every present and future sacrifice by our troops will come to naught if the American people are seduced into turning their backs and walking away. More...

CNN Actually Made Abby Phillip Apologize On-Air for Lying About the Attempted ISIS-Inspired NYC Bombing   

 Few people were impressed by this, as Phillip still implied Mamdani was a target of the attack even in her apology, and many wondered whether she'd address the false comments on her show rather than just on X.

 And then she proceeds to let Anna Navarro spew the same BS unchallenged.

"Apology rejected."

Here's What an Israeli Pilot Said to His American Counterpart Before a Bombing Run

 Matt Vespa   

Here's What an Israeli Pilot Said to His American Counterpart Before a Bombing Run    "The only people who will be upset with these communications are progressives, Democrats, pro-Hamas clowns, and some influencers on the Right who laughably see Jerusalem’s hand, or any Jewish hand, in anything the United States does abroad. It’s a tired trope, but here we are. Operation Epic Fury is raging. US-Israeli forces are picking apart this insane Iranian regime, and the radio chatter between an Israeli pilot and an American one before a bombing run was pretty cool. 

"Here’s one clip, showing an Israeli pilot thanking and offering encouragement to his American counterparts before a bombing run. 

“ 'It is a great honor for us to fight with you. You are doing a great job,” said the IDF pilot

“ 'Thank you very much—likewise, gentleman,” replied the US pilot. “Please be safe out there. Strike hard. See ya,” he added.  

"Operation Epic Fury has destroyed the Iranian Navy, decimated their ballistic missile stockpile and related infrastructure, and halted Tehran’s quest for nuclear weapons. We have air supremacy, and we killed the core of their political and military leadership. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead." . . .

 Iran: The cardboard ayatollah and the inflatable Air France jet - BBC News

. . . "The reason is that he was seriously injured in the attack that killed his father (and his mother and wife). Rumor is that he lost a leg and may be unconscious or even dead." . . .

James Talarico Quietly Deletes Endorsement Page Showcasing His Most Radical Supporters

Joseph Chalfant 

 "TALARICO: "Our trans community needs abortion care too." This is the guy the Democrats think is going to flip Texas blue." Greg Price

"James Talarico, the Democrat nominee for the U.S. Senate race in Texas, has quietly removed the endorsement page from his campaign website. The page formerly featured a slew of endorsements from the most radical of Texas outlets and a wide-array of far-left organizations across the state.

"An archived version of Talarico’s site showed that he was proudly backed by groups like Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus, the 134 PAC, Stonewall Democrats, and Mothers Against Greg Abbott. The archive was taken on the date of the Democrat primary in Texas, but was suddenly removed once he advanced to the general.

"The groups who have backed Talarico have espoused a radical, pro-transgender agenda for children as young as seven-years-old, promote “drag queen story hours” for kids (which are subject to prosecution in Texas), and have pushed Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies on Texans. Another group fighting for Talarico, the Stonewall Democrats, set out on an agenda of “holding candidates accountable” should they not toe the line of far-left transgender ideology.

"The Waco chapter of Indivisible has also backed Talarico, which has called ICE operations to remove dangerous criminals from American communities a “Terror Machine” and labeled the Minneapolis surge as an “invasion.” Mothers Against Greg Abbott called ICE agents “monsters” in an ad pushed by the organization and proudly sell merchandise in promotion of the campaign.

"Talarico will not be able to run from his radical past by obscuring who has helped him earn the nomination. Countless clips of the state representative have gone viral since winning the primary, showing just how steeped into the far-left ideology he is." . . .  More

‘Tone Deaf’ CNN Misrepresents ‘ISIS-Inspired’ Attempted Bombing of Protesters as Attack on NYC Mayor

The network issued corrections after critics exposed several statements that falsely framed the attack. 

"Libs of Tiktok said on X that CNN was “covering for ISIS terrorists who tried to bomb NYC” and that “CNN are enemies of our country.” Elon Musk added that “CNN needs a thorough house-cleaning.' ”  

CNN anchor Abby Phillip falsely claimed that a terrorist attack on anti-Muslim protesters was aimed at New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a broadcast Tuesday night.

"Phillip later posted an apology on X, where she stated, “The bombs thrown in New York City … was [sic] thrown into a crowd of anti-Muslim protesters and not specifically targeted at Mayor Mamdani. That wording was inaccurate and I didn’t catch it ahead of time. I apologize for the error.”

"This “error” follows CNN’s “tone deaf” statement made about the attempted bombing on X. “Two Pennsylvania teenagers crossed into New York City Saturday morning for what could’ve been a normal day enjoying the city during abnormally warm weather,” the CNN post began.

"CNN deleted the original post and issued a correction. In a follow-up statement on X, the news outlet said the post “failed to reflect the gravity of the incident thereby breaching the editorial standards we require for all our reporting.”

"Ana Navarro also alleged the attack was “an attempt against Mayor Mamdani” during the CNN broadcast. 

"Authorities said the two suspects in the attack, Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi, threw improvised explosive devices into a crowd of anti-Muslim protesters near Gracie Mansion on Saturday, March 7. Though neither IED detonated, they contained the highly volatile “Mother of Satan,” Triacetone Triperoxide. One of the suspects, Balat, shouted “Allahu Akbar!” as he threw one of the explosives at the protesters. 

" 'All praise is due to Allah lord of all worlds … I pledge my allegiance [sic] to the Islamic State. Die in your rage yu [sic] kuffar,” Balat wrote at the police station. New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated, “Both suspects admitted that their actions on Saturday were because of ISIS” and Balat intended to “carry out an attack that was bigger than the 2013 bombing at the Boston Marathon.” . . .  More...

Jesse Jackson Jr. Takes Swipe at Biden, Obama After Memorial Service

Newsweek

"The eldest son of Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. took a swipe at the former Democratic presidents who paid tribute to his father during a memorial service on Friday.

""I listened for several hours to three United States presidents who do not know Jesse Jackson," Jesse Jackson Jr., the late reverend’s eldest son and a former congressman seeking to win back his seat in Congress in this fall’s midterm elections, said on Saturday at Jackson's final memorial service at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition’s headquarters on the South Side of Chicago.

" 'He maintained a tense relationship with the political order, not because the presidents were white or Black, but the demands of our message, the demands of speaking for the least of these—those who are disinherited, the damned, the dispossessed, the disrespected—demanded not Democratic or Republican solutions, but demanded a consistent, prophetic voice that at no point in time sold us out as a people." More

Is Iran planning to attack California?

"The Adversarial Press.

During the very first question of the VP debate in 2024, Margaret Brennan stated as fact that Iran was one or two weeks away from developing a nuclear weapon.
Since the day after we struck Iran's nuclear facilities last year, Brennan has been arguing with… pic.twitter.com/jixXVJ8SED

— MAZE (@mazemoore) March 10, 2026

 Is Iran planning to attack California? Here's what we know   

"FBI warns of potential Iran drone attack on California as war escalates"   

"Federal authorities have warned law enforcement across California that Iran may be planning a “surprise” drone attack against the West Coast in retaliation for U.S. military strikes.

"However, authorities confirm that there’s no credible intelligence to authenticate the threat.

"The warning was spread through a confidential memo distributed to agencies within the federal Joint Terrorism Task Force.

"According to the document reviewed by multiple news outlets, “Iran allegedly aspired to conduct a surprise attack using unmanned aerial vehicles from an unidentified vessel off the coast of the United States Homeland, specifically against unspecified targets in California.”

"The warning came as the war entered its 12th day. 

"The memo noted the intelligence was acquired in early February, anticipating Iranian retaliation “in the event that the US conducted strikes against Iran.”

"However, the Los Angeles Times reported that the law enforcement sources familiar with the assessment confirmed that the warning is cautionary in nature and not based on credible or authentic intelligence.

"The threat, however, has sparked renewed concerns about drone warfare being brought to American soil. 

"John Cohen, a former intelligence chief for the Department of Homeland Security, stated that Iran’s presence in Mexico and South America is significant, and with their drone capabilities and current level of motivation, they are a threat worth keeping an eye on"

Argus Hamilton's Rogue Report

• James Carville bragged about his Trump Derangement Syndrome in a video Monday. He shook his fist, and demanded that G od strike him with more Trump Derangement Syndrome so he can hate Trump even more. He's set for life after signing with GlaxoSmithKline to be the crash dummy for Paxil.

• New York City had a terrorist attack Monday when two ISIS inspired Muslim terrorists threw two bombs at people protesting Mayor Mamdani. The bombs didn't go off. Mayor Mamdani blamed the terror attack on white supremacy, and doubled the sales tax on Polo apparel and pickle ball paddles.

• Notre Dame reported Nancy Pelosi will give the commencement address at the 2026 graduation in June. It's like musical chairs this week. With the death of the Ayatollah and imprisonment of Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, Columbia University is scrambling to find a new commencement speaker.

Dems Place Their Bets Against The U.S.; How on earth can Democrats get security clearances?

  Issues & Insights  

When not sowing discord about the war, Democrats are actively trying to talk down the economy and doing whatever they can to make their dire predictions come true.

"The Democrats are betting on failure.”

That’s how National Review’s Noah Rothman characterizes the Democratic Party’s response to the U.S.-Israeli attacks on the terrorist regime that controls Iran.

But Rothman has it only half right. Democrats aren’t just betting on failure in Iran. They are trying to engineer it. And not just in Iran, but at home as well, where they are actively trying to undermine the economy.

"Because, you see, the midterms are coming up, and to Democrats, what matters isn’t the well-being of Americans or ridding the world of its chief terrorist threat. The only thing that matters is winning elections.

"While Ayatollah Khamenei’s body was still warm, Democrats were pushing a War Powers Resolution that would have blocked President Donald Trump’s ability to carry out any further attacks against Iran without first getting congressional approval.

"It wasn’t intended to succeed, only to sow division in the country.

"Now Democrats are looking to deny the administration funds to continue to prosecute the war.

" 'We have the power of the purse,” said Minnesota Rep. Betty McCollum, who is the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

"Not to be outdone, Gavin Newsom, the California governor drooling over the prospect of being the next president, is now calling on the U.S. to end its support of Israel.

" 'It breaks my heart because the current leadership in Israel is walking us down that path, where I don’t think you have a choice but that consideration,” said Newsom.

"By immediately attacking the war, calling it a “war of choice,” suggesting, as Newsom did, that we are being manipulated into war by Israel, that will be costly to Americans, that Trump should focus on “affordability,” and so on.

"The constant refrain of attacks hasn’t stopped Trump, but has managed to dampen public support, which now sits at 43% and quite possibly is helping to steel the Iranian government’s resolve.". . .   More

Can you believe the two failed "teenagers" whose bomb would inspire humor and parody?

 The Babylon Bee: "CNN Reports On Japanese Teenagers Who Came To Hawaii For What Could've Been Beautiful Day At Beach

CNN Reports On Japanese Teenagers Who Came To Hawaii For What Could've Been Beautiful Day At Beach https://t.co/DFlQVXoTuV pic.twitter.com/2ibUHp2qcT

— The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) March 10, 2026

Or were these men Amish farmers?

A textbook Islamic terrorist somehow gets written up as a right-winger, and as a Pennsylvania teenager just trying to enjoy a day in the city.  

. . .  “ 'Activists”?  Really???  And the way it reads, you’d think the “activist” was “far-right” instead of the self-confessed ISIS wanna-be he is.  The caption is purposely misleading.  The writing tortured to produce the desired left-wing narrative.

"The only “activists” in this whole sordid mess are the members of the press, twisting and torturing the facts to force a desired outcome.  This isn’t just mere bias.  It’s active and malicious framing of indisputable facts to elicit a response, make the reader or viewer draw a conclusion:  that the real evil in this world is the “far-right” and the real victims in this world are the Muslims, like Mayor Zohran Mamdani.  It is written as though the writer cannot conceive of the world any other way.

"And here’s something to contemplate:  It is to weep that this mayor — of all mayors — will oversee ceremonies this coming September 11th, twenty-five years after that terrible day.  We can only imagine what he’ll say.  What he won’t say.  What he will imply.  And how this garbage media will buttress, reinforce, and amplify him.  We should steel ourselves for it," knowing it’s coming."

Much like the activists of October 7th, 2023, who destroyed Israeli villages, killing children in front of their families and cooking babies in ovens.

Mamdani Spins Attempted Terror Bomb Attack Outside His Residence  

"According to PEOPLE, law enforcement sources said the two men accused of throwing the devices told investigators they were inspired by watching ISIS videos online. The suspects have yet to be charged.

Mamdani’s response appears to put those engaging in actually violent behavior on a par with those who are expressing ideas that others find objectionable.

. "NBC 4 New York initially reported the incident in ambiguous terms, claiming that “‘suspicious devices’ [were] found outside Gracie Mansion” but later clarified that the devices were “ignited” as can be clearly seen in video footage.

"Mamdani looked at this and opted to attack the young man that these terrorists tried to murder rather than even slightly reject this.

"It tells you everything you need to know about him.pic.twitter.com/YyE52Tuani—"

Our corrupt Muslim-apologist press - M. Walter  "A textbook Islamic terrorist somehow gets written up as a right-winger, as well as a Pennsylvania teenager just trying to enjoy a day in the city."