Let’s Get it Right This Time

"Half-measures emboldened the IRGC. A second round should leave no doubt who won."

  The American Spectator   

"There is something to be said for utter ruthlessness. You don’t dabble at war."

"The peace with Iran has broken down. We frankly did a half-baked job of fighting the war in the first round. Let’s finish it in the second. America’s flag and general officers (FOGOs) are superb tacticians and technicians, but they are poor strategists and practitioners of the operational art. So far, Iran has been a good example.

"It was clearly President Trump’s initial intent to use the war as a means to encourage the restive Iranian people to overthrow the regime. Instead of using a mix of information warfare and intimidation of the Iranian Republican Guard Corps — the real power brokers in Iran — our FOGOs chose to treat the whole thing as a targeting exercise, concentrating mainly on purely military targets. The Israelis took out leadership individuals, but the real power was in the ability of IRGC units to disperse to their homes and only come out in force to suppress the large gatherings of dissidents intent on storming government buildings, as happened in the 1979 revolution.

"In the second round, we should go after the IRGC, which is the real center of gravity of the regime. Using a combination of drone-delivered leaflets and radio broadcasts, we should call for the people to occupy government buildings in key cities such as Tehran, Qom, and Bandar Abbas. When IGRC units come out of hiding to disperse the crowds, drone-delivered precision-guided munitions should target them, giving the revolutionaries confidence. This will require imagination and initiative that the U.S. military has not shown to date. This is not armchair generalship; it is common sense. I suggested it in this publication shortly after the war began. Plodding military leadership merely wounded the tiger in its den instead of killing it. Now, it is more dangerous than ever.  

"As it turns out, the IRGC’s power has been increased by the war. It is reportedly building new bases in Iraq already, and they would use the billions that they gained in the peace agreement to restore their influence with Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis in Yemen. We are admittedly poor at managing regime change in foreign countries, but we do not really care what happens as long as the IRGC is eliminated as a factor. The best case would be a democratic government; the worst would be a civil war. In any case, the Iranians would not be causing trouble in the region for a long time. We need to finish this." . . .   More...

Report: Tyler Robinson admitted to lover he 'wishes he hadn't done it'

So, your husband and the father of your children has been murdered in cold blood, meaninglessly, and now the murderer says he wishes he hadn't done it. The left is overjoyed by it all, MSNOW is sympathetic toward the murder, Joy Reid and her guest stomp on Charlie's widow, and now the killer says he wishes he hadn't done it. TD

Daily Mail  

"'I am likely dead, or facing a lengthy prison sentence. I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I took it . . ." 

"Tyler Robinson returned to his shared apartment after allegedly assassinating Charlie Kirk and admitted he 'wished he hadn't done it,' his roommate and lover claimed to police. 

"Lance Twiggs, 23, the former partner and roommate of the suspect, was seen making the bombshell allegation in police interview footage played in Robinson's pretrial hearing on Thursday. 

"Twiggs said Robinson texted him to check under his computer keyboard after Kirk was shot dead on September 10, 2025, which prosecutors say read, 'I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I'm going to take it.'

"Twiggs said the note panicked him, and when Robinson returned home the next day, the alleged assassin began pacing around their home and avoiding questions. 

"Twiggs claimed Robinson eventually admitted to the assassination, and said Robinson began crying and told him he wished he 'had not done it,' before conceding that he was going to turn himself in. 

"He said on the morning Kirk was assassinated, Robinson left early in the morning and claimed he had to work a long shift, and Twiggs did not hear from him again until 11pm that night when he received a message about the note under the keyboard.  

"After Twiggs' video statement to the police was played, prosecutors presented text messages allegedly sent between Robinson and Twiggs after Kirk was killed. 

"The first message shows Robinson telling Twiggs to 'drop what you're doing, look under my keyboard.'

"Twiggs replied, 'What? You're joking right?... You weren't the one who did it right?'

"To which Robinson allegedly replied, 'I am, I'm sorry.'" . . .

See what Reid's followers have to say about her statements...

Why did Trump ditch his new Qatari Air Force One on way back from Nato?

The Independent   "President Trump is back at the White House after a whirlwind visit to Turkey for this year's NATO leaders summit. But he didn't get back without a little bit of drama with regards to his mode of transportation.

"The Independent's White House Correspondent Andrew Feinberg breaks down the confusion surrounding the new Air Force One."

“He started crying a little bit and said he wishes he hadn’t done it." Charlie Kirk's killer.

 Imagine a partner you love and admire is murdered, then the killer says, "I wish I didn't do it!"

Roommate alleges Charlie Kirk's murder suspect cried after shooting

“He kept going around and just doing stuff, I think to keep himself busy or distracted or something.”

A teacher you know?

"The court also heard Robinson intended to hand himself in, eventually arriving at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office later that evening with his parents and a family friend before being arrested.

In addition, Lance mentioned that Robinson asked for an engraving tool in the months before the shooting, saying he wanted to inscribe bullets for a camping and hunting trip with his family.

Earlier prosecutors had revealed images of the alleged murder weapon, a bolt-action rifle, alongside engraved bullets and cartridges recovered during the investigation. Some of the inscriptions included the phrases “If you read this, you are gay” and “Fascist! Catch!”

Prosecutors have also presented DNA evidence they say links Robinson to the rifle, a screwdriver and a towel recovered after the shooting.

Throughout the hearing, Robinson’s legal team has objected to multiple exhibits and unsuccessfully argued against the release of the interview and text messages, claiming they would effectively be treated as a confession.

Charlie’s widow, Erika, his parents and Donald Trump Jr. have attended the proceedings throughout the week, while Robinson’s parents and two brothers have also been present in court.

According to reports, Robinson’s mother became emotional and cried as some of the messages were read aloud." . . .

The radical left will regret embracing political violence

Douglas Murray   

"What are the circumstances in which it is right to smash up a building? When might one justifiably destroy an artwork? And what are the conditions under which one might splinter someone’s spine with a sledgehammer?

Many on the left seem to have satisfied themselves on all these questions. But I wonder if they have even begun to reckon with the consequences.

Back in 2019 a group of activists from Extinction Rebellion took their views on fossil fuels to Belvedere Road in central London. There, at the site of the Shell building, they smashed windows, spray-painted walls and caused other criminal damage. At their subsequent trial at Southwark Crown Court, the judge instructed the jury that the accused had no defence in law. The jury acquitted them anyway, having apparently decided it is permissible to smash a building up . . ." More behind a pay wall.

America Is Sliding Toward Socialism – But Here’s How We Can Stop It

 Intellectual Takeout 

 . . . "Solzhenitsyn explained. “That is, freedom was given to the individual conditionally, in the assumption of his constant religious responsibility.”

"At a conference last June, a fellow attendee turned to me and began talking about Zohran Mamdani’s recent primary win in the New York City mayoral race. An economics enthusiast, this individual was aghast that a socialist like Mamdani would likely win such a prominent American political office.

"I, on the other hand, approached the news as a matter of fact. After all, when it comes to blue states and cities, what can one do? If they want to go toward socialism, they’ll head down that path regardless of whether I yell, scream, or plead with them to reconsider.

"A year later, the blue trend toward socialism only seems to be increasing, a fact highlighted recently by Harry Enten on CNN. Among those identifying as Democrats, 66% have a favorable rating of socialism. Fifteen years ago, that number was only at 50%, a meteoric rise which astounds Enten." . . .

""This trend really shouldn’t surprise us. As Soviet dissident Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn told Harvard graduates nearly 50 years ago, socialism is just one of the various rungs in the ladder which trends downward toward communism – a ladder whose top rung is liberalism. As Solzhenitsyn explained, “Liberalism was inevitably pushed aside by radicalism, radicalism had to surrender to socialism, and socialism could not stand up to communism.”

"Given the chaotic events of recent years, it is safe to say that we’ve been in the radicalism stage of this progression. But judging from Mamdani’s rise, these poll numbers, and other indicators, it seems that we’re actively stepping down from the radical rung to the socialist one on the ladder of decline."

"How did we get to this place?" . . . More...

Annie Holmquist served as the editor of Intellectual Takeout from 2018 to 2022. When not writing or editing, she enjoys reading, gardening, and time with family and friends.

The Iran War: Fasten Seat Belts

It's only a matter of time before American leftists appear in Tehran, shaking hands with the murderous rulers of Iran and the Revolutionary Guard. Perhaps even posing for pictures smiling on missile launchers. Remember they are people who hate Trump more than they hate Hamas and the Ayatollahs.

 The American Spectator | USA News and Politics  

"The U.S. will be wise to maintain good relations with Israel, because of its intelligence capability on the ground, which has demonstrated amazing effectiveness with regard to the decapitation attack and earlier covert actions."

Israel Hayom

"What can you say about a country that was decimated? That it loved martyrdom?

"Iran has certainly been defeated on the battlefield, but by not yet losing the war, it has gained stature in geopolitical influence with its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, and some sympathy in the typically anti-West Global South — for standing up to the combined kinetic fury unleased by President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel, and continuing the fight, unbowed. The Iranian center of raw power currently lies with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), more than the mullahs who provide doctrinal support.

"With its grip on the Strait and array of missiles and other asymmetric weapons, the Iranian regime is still a problem. They will bob, weave, and go on the bicycle and create a mess of indefinite uncertainties to torment the United States and demonstrate their global leverage, even as they are militarily weak. They will tweak us on the nose, fire an occasional barrage of missiles, and maintain the objective of a nuclear weapon — even a backpack nuke would suffice.

"In dealing with Iran, our foreign policy establishment needs to understand that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps will never think like us, and we cannot make them be like us or behave like us. They can gun down tens of thousands of their own citizens and, in a death cult, encourage their proxies, young men and women, to die for them by detonating suicide vests packed with ball bearings and nails for maximum casualties. Iran is doubtless a thugocracy, parading under the diadem of Islam, with a fanatical ideology transmitted to people in the street. The hatred of the West is more than about pangs of anger over the loss of their oil franchise to the British in the early 2th century, and the 1953 coup d’état organized by the CIA and MI6 to oust Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh in Operation Ajax." . . .   More...

Platner and Swalwell read from the same script

Fox News just ran Eric Swalwell and Graham Platner’s video responses to sexual misconduct allegations side-by-side.   "The scripts are almost WORD-FOR-WORD identical! Democrats are really using the same playbook. Clown show exposed

Graham Platner’s Campaign Ends Just as ‘Hamlet’ Does  . . . "Platner’s address puts the Maine Democratic Party in an even worse place than it occupied immediately after the latest scandal hit. Either they nominate a candidate from the party establishment who squelches support from the activist base that propelled Platner, or they nominate a candidate who passes muster with Platner — a disgraced figure whose imprimatur necessarily taints any politician.

"The Maine race, which included numerous sexual misconduct allegations, to include rape, recalls the 2017 special election in Alabama. There, the Republican establishment pig-piled on Roy Moore, who, like Platner, managed to emerge as the Republican nominee. The allegations against Moore, which included rape and the pursuit of teenage girls, that arose more than a month before the election, inspired many calls for him to step aside. He refused, and Democrats turned a deep-red seat blue. In Maine, where Platner consistently ran ahead of Susan Collins in the polls until very recently, the candidate dropped out, but the entire debacle makes it far more likely that Republicans retain a very losable seat.

"If Maine does not spark a progressive epiphany on the efficacy of #MeToo, then it at least exposes cognitive dissonance.  . . ."  More...

Why we cannot trust the press.

Sure, the TV news readers say both sides are covered by them, but watch them try to rip any conservatives to pieces. To watch network news is as watching MSNOW and The View. They all know we feel that way, yet conservatives are of no consequence to them. TD

AfterMath - Home

A Skunk by Any Other Name—MSNBC is Now MSNOW   

MSNBC can call itself whatever it wants, its content still re-affirms that it is a DNC megaphone unworthy of anyone taking seriously.

Why do newspapers censor the news? 

2 teens sought in shooting death of Penn State student in South Philly

. . . "But you know what isn’t at the linked story? The photos of the suspected killers! While in one of reporter Robert Moran’s linked stories we are given a bit of surveillance photos, enough to see that the two then-unidentified suspects are black, I had to use the tweet from Philly Crime Update to give my two regular readers their images, because the newspaper wouldn’t do so.

"The two suspects are still at large, and if the newspaper had published their photographs, perhaps a local reader would spot one or both of them based on that. If the editors were trying to avoid pointing out that the suspects are black, they’d never have published their names: it’s not as though anyone would think that suspects named Kaiseem Smith and Azzubair Outen-Fleming were anything but black.

"So why hide the photos?" . . .

Why do I pay $6.99 a week for a newspaper that hates our country?   

We noted on Independence Day how the newspaper’s Editorial Board decided not to be proud of what our great country has accomplished, but to tell readers that our nation’s soul was in balance, because President Trump was doing something radical like actually enforcing our immigration laws and sinking drug smuggling boats. 

Is MS NOW credible?  . . .Independent evaluators classify MS NOW as politically left-leaning and assign it mixed reliability: Ad Fontes Media rates the outlet as “hyper‑partisan left” in bias and “mixed” in reliability, and Media Bias/Fact Check similarly notes a leftward editorial slant and frequent use of emotionally loaded headlines in coverage [4] [7]. Those assessments do not assert wholesale falsehoods but flag consistent selection and framing patterns that align with progressive perspectives. . .  MSNOW gives us Al Sharpton

MSNOW's Al Sharpton's History of Racism, Antisemitism, Anti-Police Rhetoric

"Al Sharpton has a long history of bigotry that includes anti-white racism, antisemitism, and demonization of law enforcement." . . .

Whoopi Goldberg on Knicks Meeting Trump: 'I Want All Those Black Men to Stand in Our House'

POLL: What Was the Worst Media Quote of the Week?   MSNOW and The View are fertile ground for revolting quotes. Yet the one-time chairman of the Republican National Committee, Michael Steele, has adopted the left, is possessed by them and is at one with them.

Survey Shows Growing Bipartisan Hatred For Mainstream Media   . . . "In a key question from the survey, likely voters were asked if they agreed with the statement, “No matter how much you hate the media, it’s not enough.” Forty-four percent agreed, compared to 29% who disagreed. The results show that distrust of the press is not limited to one age group or political affiliation. Respondents included younger voters, older Americans, Hispanics, Republicans, independents, and Democrats, many of whom cited a consistent pro-Democratic tilt in coverage across major news outlets." . . .

Charlie Kirk Murder: Accused Assassin Apparently Confessed to Boyfriend Lance Twiggs

 Ward Clark  

"Note that language: Twiggs: "You weren't the one who did it right????" Robinson: "I am, I'm sorry." That sure looks like an admission."

"Also released was a little over 20 minutes of video, in which Lance Twiggs was being interviewed by a prosecutor."  

 WATCH: FULL video of Lance Twiggs' DAMNING testimony about accused Charlie Kirk kiIIer Tyler Robinson

It's pretty clear why the defense worked SO hard to hide this
KEY MOMENTS:
01:08 - Placed under OATH, agreeing to give testimony under penalty of perjury
01:58 -… pic.twitter.com/tUubdhC1yD

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) July 9, 2026

Alleged Charlie Kirk Assassin's Trans Partner Told Investigators He Admitted Guilt, Expressed Regret | National Review  . . . "Robinson’s mom told law enforcement that he had become more political and had started to lean more to the left, “becoming more pro-gay and trans-rights oriented,” according to Utah County District Attorney Jeffrey Gray.

"However, Twiggs said in the video interview that Robinson rarely spoke about LGBT issues and was more interested in Trump and his policies."

There it is.
A purported written confession from Tyler Robinson to Lance Twiggs admitting that he assassinated Charlie Kirk.
Twiggs: "you weren't the one who did it right????"
Robinson: "I am, I'm sorry" pic.twitter.com/FlRTB0tyGf

— Ryan Saavedra (@RyanSaavedra) July 9, 2026

 Watch: Judge's Stunned Reaction to Charlie Kirk Assassination Video Defines Tyler Robinson Hearing – RedState   . . . "One of the most jaw-dropping moments to emerge happened on the first day when Judge Tony Graf viewed a video of the shooting taken from close behind Charlie. Graf was the only one in the courtroom who could see the footage, and the sound was muted out of sensitivity to the Kirk family, but his reaction says everything."  Video.

What You Need To Know About The Kirk Assassination Trial, Day 3

. . . "After a considerable amount of deliberation, Graf decided that significant portions of the video should be redacted for public view, but that he would consider the full video in his probable cause determination as to whether this case should go to trial." . . .

. . . "Day four of the hearing on Thursday is set to open with the playing of the redacted video, with audio only captured by news media. The hearing is also likely to go into much more detail about Twiggs." . . .

Tennessee Taxpayers to Pay $1.9 Million Settlement to Fired Professor Who Celebrated Charlie Kirk’s Assassination 

. . . "The dispute began in September 2025, days after Kirk was assassinated during an event at Utah Valley University.

“The world is better off without him in it,” she wrote in a Facebook post.

“Even those who are claiming to be sad for his wife and kids… [they] are better off living without a disgusting psychopath like him.”

“His wife, well she’s a sick f**k for marrying him so I don’t [sic] care about his feelings.”

GOP Lawmakers Put WNBA on Notice: Protect Caitlin Clark From From Further Attacks or Face DOJ, EEOC Crackdown

 Debra Heine › American Greatness 

“'Finally, some adults in the room,” commented former collegiate swimmer, Riley Gaines, on X. “Thank you to these Republican Members of Congress for holding the WNBA accountable on the disgusting treatment of Caitlin Clark."

                               

"The House Republican Study Committee has put the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) on notice, warning the league in a letter that if it continues to tolerate “unnecessary physical hostility and violence” against Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark on the court,  the Department of Justice may be forced to step in.

"“I led my colleagues in demanding accountability from WNBA Commissioner [Cathy] Engelbert after MULTIPLE attacks against Caitlin Clark, a player who is transforming women’s sports and inspiring a new generation of young girls to participate in athletics,” said Committee Chairman August Pfluger (R-Texas) in a statement, Wednesday.

"“I’m putting the league on notice that if it keeps letting the violent targeting slide, they could find themselves facing a DOJ and EEOC crackdown for violating federal civil rights law,” he added.

"The Committee’s letter highlighted specific incidents where Clark was hip-checked, poked in the eye, and punched in the throat, arguing that “the incidents go far beyond routine physical play” and that officials have failed to hold the offending players sufficiently accountable.'

"After the egregious June 24 throat punch incident, officials initially turned a blind eye, only penalizing Alyssa Thomas of the Phoenix Mercury a day later— after a public outcry. Following the post-game review, the league classified the throat punch as a non-basketball act and a “cheap shot,” upgrading the initial no-call to a Flagrant 2 foul. Thomas received a one-day suspension and a $1,000 fine." . . .

“The View’s” Sunny Hostin’s Endorsement of Platner Says it All

 The Punching Bag Post 

 "Hostin’s endorsement on “The View” perfectly captures this moral inversion. By admitting Platner’s defects yet endorsing him anyway, she proves the modern left often operates on a single principle: defeating conservatives justifies any alliance, any compromise, any hypocrisy." 

 

"In a recent airing of “The View”, regular panelist Sunny Hostin endorsed Maine’s default Democrat Senate candidate Graham Platner. Nothing new there – except for her description of Platner.

"She casually flips off Platner’s character with “So he’s a liar, a racist, an anti-Semite. He’s a homophobe.” (She did not address the infidelity and the distribution of his naked pictures to a large number of women. But she did say that “character does matter” – only to prove that, in her case, it does not.)

"Her ringing endorsement is off key. One would be hard pressed to find an endorsement in the annals of political history so condemning of the candidate." . . .

Does the Sight of So Many US Flags Terrify You, Too?   Behind a paywall.

Sonny Hostin Flees In Terror After Seeing Pillsbury American Flag Cookie Dough | Babylon Bee   "A screaming Sonny Hostin fled in terror after rounding the corner in the grocery store only to come face-to-face with a shelf of Pillsbury American flag cookie dough.

"Hostin, longtime host on The View, cried out for help as she ran from the horrifying sight of the American flag imprinted onto sugar and flour.

"AHHHHHH! Help, help! I'm in danger!" Hostin yelled as she ran shrieking down the aisle. "The flag, it tried to hurt me. There were stars, and stripes, and a fat white boy. All white, like a ghost! Someone save me!". . .