Mike Johnson Gets It Backward: Weakness Is The Best ‘Recruitment Tool For Terrorists’

  Issues & Insights  

"The truth is that the best recruiting tool for Islamic terrorists is signaling weakness on the part of the West. Full stop. Johnson should know better."

"In the 25 years since Islamic terrorists killed 2,977 innocent people on 9/11, the left has claimed that any national security policy it doesn’t like will only “recruit more terrorists.” So it’s especially disappointing to see House Speaker Mike Johnson adopt this shopworn and terribly misguided rhetoric.

"When asked by CBS News about War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s proposal to livestream the firing squad execution of Fort Hood mass killer Nidal Hasan, Johnson said this week that “The concern would be that you would create a video that would be a recruiting tool for future terrorists.”

"We are not here to argue about the merits or demerits of a public execution of a convicted mass murderer. But, by using this as an argument against livestreaming it, Johnson managed to add his voice to a chorus of Democrats who’ve made that exact same claim anytime they disagreed with the country’s anti-terrorism policies.

"Barack Obama, for example, famously claimed that “instead of serving as a tool to counter terrorism, Guantanamo became a symbol that helped al Qaeda recruit terrorists to its cause. Indeed, the existence of Guantanamo likely created more terrorists around the world than it ever detained.” On his second day in office, Obama signed an executive order to close the detention center “as soon as practicable.”

"Obama signed another order banning the use of “enhanced interrogation” techniques, saying they “serve as a recruitment tool for terrorists and they increase the will of our enemies to fight us, while decreasing the will of others to work with America.”

"During the 2016 presidential campaign, Democrats said that Donald Trump’s “fiery rhetoric is now a recruiting tool for terrorists.”

"When Trump tried to put roadblocks in front of refugees entering the country from Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Syria, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen, “experts” said it will “certainly be used as a recruiting tool by terrorist groups, who will claim these measures prove that the United States is hostile to Islam.”

"Hillary Clinton claimed during the 2016 campaign (based on no evidence) that ISIS was “showing videos of Donald Trump insulting Islam and Muslims in order to recruit more radical jihadists.” . . .

Legal expert Jonathan Turley says Ilhan Omar could be in line for denaturalization: 'Immigration laws are very clear'

 The Western Journal   

"He then explained why age matters.“By saying that she was 17, she did not have to file for her own citizenship,” Turley said."

"Legal expert Jonathan Turley said that laws surrounding immigration fraud mean that Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota could lose her citizenship if she's found to have committed fraud.

"Homeland Security Investigations raided Omar’s Washington-area home onMonday.  The raid was part of what Fox News called a “criminal fraud investigation into the Somali-born congresswoman's immigration paperwork, which was filled out by her late father when she was a child.”

"A Department of Justice statement added little other than saying the raid was “part of an ongoing federal investigation,” which is "criminal" in nature.

“'This investigation began under the Biden administration,” Turley noted in a video posted to X, saying that there have long been questions surrounding Omar’s history." . . .More.

Regarding Ilhan Omar: A message to the dumbocrat socialists of America - Eric Utter   "Stop whining, charlatans. President Trump is not raiding Ilhan Omar's residence.

"There was a signed warrant from a judge, consistent with an ongoing investigation, in this case a legitimate one, into various aspects of alleged fraud.

"But for far-left Democrat punks' information, the Democrats actually did raid President Trump's home, on trumped up charges. And, apparently, rifled through Melania's lingerie drawer. I doubt these HSI folks rifled through Ilhan's lingerie drawer -- and if they did -- I hope they were wearing hazmat suits.

"Moreover, President Trump did not come to this country illegally, under false pretenses." . . .

Pirro Confirms Her Office is Investigating Omar’s Financial Disclosures   

. . . "In September, the Office of Congressional Conduct voted 5-1 to dismiss allegations against Omar concerning financial disclosures “that briefly made her look like a multimillionaire.”

The Biden administration began that investigation. It had nothing to do with President Donald Trump.

Democrats cheered Mar-a-Lago raid in 2022, but now call search of Omar's home 'weaponization' | Just The News   . . . "When the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago in August 2022 as part of a Justice Department investigation into allegations that then-former President Trump mishandled classified documents, Democrats were singing the opposite tune." . . .  

CNN: What we know about the fatal roller coaster incident at Six Flags Over Georgia

 CNN  "As investigators work to determine how a man fell to his death during a roller coaster ride Monday at Six Flags Over Georgia, authorities have identified the victim as a beloved educator, prompting an outpouring of grief across the Atlanta community and school system.

Cobb County Police on Tuesday identified the victim as Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, a 42-year-old man who worked at an Atlanta public charter school as its IT manager, technology teacher and robotics coach.

While few details have been released, witnesses say he fell from a hypercoaster called Goliath, a 210-second ride that reaches 70 mph and a height of 200 feet, according to the Six Flags website.

In the wake of his death, at least 10 similar rides across six parks in the US and Canada have temporarily closed as investigators work to establish what happened.

Here’s what we know:  How the accident unfolded

"Preliminary information gathered at the scene from witnesses and employees indicated Kariem had been ejected from the ride, the Cobb County Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit said. He struck other riders before falling beneath the roller coaster, where he was found “unresponsive and not breathing” at around 4 p.m., police said in a statement." . . . More.

The Six Flags Coaster That Ejected a Rider

"The lap bar type is called a clamshell. It is proven to be enough to prevent accidents. There is no coaster at a quality park today that does not have sensors connected to the control panel. The other coasters must have something similar. There is no normal way to send a train if the sensor shows open. It is possible for maintenance people to override the sensors. This requires at least one key and sometimes the input of a code on the control panel. A failure like this requires a failure that covers both ride mechanics and operator training. I've worked as a ride operator on a wild mouse coaster. According to this video, one of the crew saw what seemed to them an out of position lap bar but didn't hit the E-stop. Our training is quite exact. Anyone on the crew who sees something out of the ordinary, no matter if you're at ops, loading or handling the line, has the right to stop that ride."

What Might Have Saved Gaza?

"Hamas could have spared Gaza’s devastation by choosing peace over terrorism. The conflict has exposed international double standards toward Israel and fueled a resurgence of antisemitism".

Victor Davis Hanson  

"In 2026, these two pernicious forces have united in the new Democratic Party: the antisemitic socialism of the Western Left has now merged with the anti-Israeli Islamism of the growing Muslim and Arab population within the West."

""After October 7, 2023: Could the destruction of Gaza after October 7 have been avoided? The answer is yes—had Hamas so wished.

"First, if the Hamas leadership had simply complied with Israeli demands to (a) return the 251 hostages and (b) surrender the architects and perpetrators of the massacre of some 1,200 Israelis, the Israelis would not have had to fight Hamas in the streets and tunnels of Gaza.

"Note how critics of Israel consistently fail to offer any viable alternative to the Israeli ground effort to destroy the Hamas mass murderers.

"Nor do Israel’s enemies ever bother to explain why Hamas did not return its hostages and give up the perpetrators of October 7. Why did nobody expect the International Criminal Court or the UN to have the slightest effect when they ineffectually interceded to demand the return of the hostages and issued arrest warrants for the “war criminals” of Hamas?

"The answer, of course, is that there was no more likelihood of them getting Hamas to cooperate than there was of the defunct League of Nations convincing Hitler to stop the killing of Jews or the UN persuading Pol Pot to stop murdering Cambodians. And it is likely that many anti-Israeli UN members silently approved of the murders.

"Moreover, there is no evidence that most Gazans objected to the terrorism. Indeed, large numbers joined in when possible. More than 2,000 civilians tagged along in hopes of killing, raping, torturing, and looting with impunity. And when corpses and hostages appeared in the trucks of the returning Hamas murderers, the killers had to protect their prizes from their own even more bloodthirsty people back home, who sought to beat and spit on already dead and wounded Jews. Imagine: the killers had to protect their hostages from an even more bloodthirsty “civilian” mob.

"Second, Hamas didn’t just refuse to stand down and hand over the hostages and culpable terrorists to the Israelis. Far from seeking peace, Hamas and Hezbollah spent the 20 days between the slaughter of October 7 and the Israeli ground forces’ entry into Gaza launching thousands of missiles, rockets, and drones at civilians in Israel (barrages that would exceed, within a year, 25,000 launches).

"Third, the death toll in Gaza would have been far lower had the killers of October 7 helped their own civilians keep clear of combat zones. Far fewer Gazans would have died had Hamas not deliberately situated its tunnel exits and entrances beneath private homes, hospitals, mosques, and schools." . . . Mmore.

The Democrats and Talarico don’t deserve the benefit of the doubt after the Biden episode.

 James (Talarico) Gang Rides Again - Silvio Canto, Jr.   

"A man goes down for two weeks over "the flu", makes conflicting statements about it, and we are supposed to look the other way. Remember Biden?"

. . . "First, he went to an urgent care facility, but that was later changed to say he went to his personal doctor.

"Then, there were claims about a medical facility in Ohio, which Talarico has denied. All of this is so confusing. Miranda Devine is right about the incompetence of these people and selective indignation from the media:

When a candidate in such a crucial race goes missing for so long in the final month before the election, the situation demands proof beyond an airy flu excuse and “trust me” attitude. As White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller tweeted on Sunday: “Talafreako needs to release the medical records.”

It’s a reasonable request and one that The Washington Post, for one, should be demanding." . . .

 James Talarico’s 12-Day Campaign Absence Deserves Scrutiny in Texas  . . .

"If he continues the farce, his purported lead in the polls is likely to evaporate. Texas voters have patiently watched Talarico change virtually all of his positions on the issues. This final lie could well be fatal."

The Most Perilous Period In American History

 Steve McCann - American Thinker  

"Thus, the current iteration of the Democrat Party cannot win any upcoming mid-term or presidential elections if the United States is to survive as founded."

. . . "Clearly unconstitutional lawfare was unleashed with the sole objective of imprisoning a former president and future candidate, Donald Trump, as well as many of his close associates and allies. Crimes were created out of whole cloth where none existed, as former President Trump was indicted an absurd 91 times. No thought was given to his rights, or the legality of what was being done, or the long-term impact on the rule of law in the United States. All to make certain Trump and a revitalized Republican Party could never achieve power and threaten the plot to transform the nation.

"In the most Machiavellian scheme since the nation’s founding, the borders were flung open and an invitation extended to anyone on the planet who could find their way to America. Twenty-plus million did. It did not matter if they were convicted criminals, terrorists, or drug dealers, they were welcomed as part of a plot to irreversibly and permanently change the demographic makeup of the nation and create a dependent voting bloc that would keep the Democratic Socialists in power in perpetuity." . . . More.

Democrats on Ilhan Omar: No Republican Is Above the Law, No Democrat Is Required to Follow It..

 Abdul El-Sayed denies Muslim Brotherhood ties on 'Meet the Press' 

 .  . . ."However, according to his half-sister Eman Abdelhadi, their mother was an active member of the Muslim Brotherhood."

AfterMath - Home

El-Sayed in 2020-1: Disarm the Police! (And Defund Them, Too)

   . . . "Speaking of irony, the comment about police in the UK should get even more attention with recent events. The police in British cities have been ineffective at protecting girls from rape gangs run mainly by South Asian immigrants. They have also been forced to kowtow to Muslim mobs while doing little to protect Jews and Christians. Perhaps that's why El-Sayed prefers police to be disarmed; the mobs have an easier time taking control of the streets." 

oh, by the way: "In an interview on June 17, 2020, El-Sayed recalled his experience living in England and suggested that American police officers should be unarmed like their British counterparts." . . .

. . . "And I lived in the U.K. while I was in grad school, and in the U.K., their cops don't have guns," said El-Sayed, who studied at Oxford." . . . 

Mace brands Muslim officials dangerous 'trojan horses,' Democrats respond with fury - The Daily Bo Snerdley   . . . "House Speaker Mike Johnson has argued that imposing Sharia law would conflict with the Constitution. That is a serious constitutional point—but it is not the same as claiming every Muslim who wins an election is secretly carrying Sharia law into city hall inside a trench coat."

Democrats on Ilhan Omar: No Republican Is Above the Law, No Democrat Is Required to Follow It... – HotAir

Democrats Warn Trump Of Dangerous Precedent Set By Law Enforcement Raiding Homes Of Political Opponents   | Babylon Bee Parody  . . ."Today, it's a member of Congress. Tomorrow, it could be a former president," Jeffries continued. "Imagine armed federal agents descending on a former president's private residence while he's considering another run for office. Searching his home. Going through his and his wife's belongings. I know it sounds far-fetched, but that's the nightmare scenario we're inviting here. Surely Republicans wouldn't want to open that door."

Beach houses crumble as Rachel slams California coast

AccuWeather

"Oceanfront homes along Long Beach and Newport Beach are in danger of crumbling into the water as Tropical Storm Rachel brought high surf crashing into the Southern California coast on Oct. 11."

If not El Gavin, it's El Tormentos, El Disturbios or El Fuegos:

From El Gavin: California wealth tax proposal sends rich residents fleeing

Scott Bessent calls out Elizabeth Warren over 'economically illiterate' letters

 Fox Business

"'The Big Money Show' panelists analyze this high-profile feud between Treasury Secratry Scott Bessent and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Ma., as they spar over economic policy and his response regarding the senator's letters."

Video: Scott Bessent calls out Elizabeth Warren over 'economically illiterate' letters

Trump Calls on Senate to Pass Bill Making Daylight Saving Time Permanent

 The Thinking Conservative News

   "“While briefly popular, it proved deeply unpopular when reality set in,” Cotton said, adding that polls taken at the time show that support for permanent daylight saving time dropped by 30 percentage points in three months."

ChatGPT

"‘Most people like having an hour of extra sunlight in the evening, rather than in the morning,’ the president said. The House passed the bill in July.

"President Donald Trump on Friday morning urged Senate Republicans to pass a bill that makes daylight saving time permanent, coming months after the measure cleared the House of Representatives.

"“A ridiculous Clock changing process that takes place twice a year, costs our Country a fortune, is bad for Crime, stress on people, Sports, and just about everything else you can imagine,” Trump said in a long Truth Social post early Friday.

"He added that people don’t want to change their clocks while asserting that “most people like having an hour of extra sunlight in the evening, rather than in the morning.”

"The House in July passed the measure, dubbed the Sunshine Protection Act, on a 308—117 vote before sending it to the Senate for approval. But the bill has not been considered.

"“It is foolish, inconvenient and, in some cases, very costly. For Cities and States with Watchtowers, and hard to reach places, it costs Millions of Dollars. A recent case was made that it is also bad for your health in the anxiety it creates,” the president said.

"Blaming Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) for holding up the bill, Trump wrote that the bill has bipartisan support. “Democrats and Republicans want it to happen. It’s now up to the U.S. Senate where it would be another Great Bipartisan Victory,” he added.

"Last year, Cotton told the Senate that he would oppose the measure and said a similar measure was repealed in the mid-1970s.

"In 1973, Congress passed a law instituting permanent daylight saving time for what was supposed to be a trial period from January 1974 to April 1975. It lasted until October, when it was repealed. Among the concerns was worry that schoolchildren would have to start the school day without daylight.

"“While briefly popular, it proved deeply unpopular when reality set in,” Cotton said, adding that polls taken at the time show that support for permanent daylight saving time dropped by 30 percentage points in three months."

UPDATED: Rogers spanks El-Sayed

 J.R. Dunn  

"As for Rogers, if the rest of the GOP slate acted like this, we’d have nothing to worry about." 

"The focus on James [Talarico]’s quest for sanity this weekend has taken some of the focus off the other critical Senate campaign, that of Mike Rogers against Abdul Muhammed el-Sayed on Saturday night

"Which is a pity, because on Saturday night, Rogers pretty much wiped the floor with El-Sayed during the Michigan Senate campaign debate.

"Rogers relentlessly hammered El-Sayed al Misri throughout the debate, seldom if ever letting up. Some of the more sensitive souls on our side might say that he was too brutal, too harsh, and too unrelenting, but he really had no choice, since the moderator, a local nonentity named Rick Abin, was filling the customary Dem-leaning role, yapping over Rogers while he spoke but listening respectfully to El-Sayed. Rogers was not playing, much to his credit. It was, all in all, a most unGOP performance, particularly as it occurred in a Northern Tier state. (It would  – and perhaps did – have sent Karl Rove staggering to his fainting couch: “I didn’t invent American conservatism to serve as a platform for this kind of crude, vulgar, undignified hijinks.”)

"Rogers left very few targets unserviced.

"Regarding Al-Sayed’s status as a “doctor”: “He’s not really a doctor… If somebody came into his office and he tried to treat them, he’d go to jail.”

"Regarding his unusual real estate holdings: “He has a home in the United Arab Emirates,” Rogers said while discussing last week’s revelation that El-Sayed holds dual citizenship with Egypt. Doc Sayed responded with “He’s got a house in Florida,” to which Rogers replied, “At least Florida is in the United States.”

"But things really lit up when Rogers began discussing El-Sayed’s terror connections through his mother. This exchange throws some light on the quality of thinking that went into the Rogers campaign’s debate prep. He did not attack El-Sayed’s mother directly, or at all. Instead, he simply compared her job with the Islamic American Relief Agency, a Hamas and Al Qaeda affiliate, with his own mother’s humble career." . . .  

Regarding his unusual real estate holdings: “He has a home in the United Arab Emirates,” Rogers said while discussing last week’s revelation that El-Sayed holds dual citizenship with Egypt. Doc Sayed responded with “He’s got a house in Florida,” to which Rogers replied, “At least Florida is in the United States.”    More.

 El-Sayed: the honesty and tolerance of Islamists   

"E[l]-Sayed has consistently dodged saying anything negative about the Iranian Islamist regime. At his recent debate with Republican Mike Rogers, he continued dodging: Michigan Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed repeatedly refused to answer whether he considers Iran or Israel to be the “greater threat to the United States.”

. . . "That’s a significant issue, as is El-Sayed’s non-response. Iran is historically a Persian, not an Arabic and Islamic nation. Islam was imposed on them after the Shah was deposed, which explains why the IRGC so willingly slaughters Iranians who violate Sharia, Islamic customs, and dare to protest."  . . .

The daughter of a Hamas founder left Islam for Christianity and said she was
taught to k*ll Jews and Christians, and that their Jesus returns to destroy the cross   . . . "She fled Gaza after her conversion because apostasy carries the d*ath penalty under Islamic law. She is now in a protected location. Pew Research estimated 3.45 million Muslims in the United States in 2017 and projected 8.1 million by 2050, driven by higher fertility and continued migration. The same teachings Al Qawasmi described travel with that growth.

UPDATE: 10 Times Abdul El-Sayed Was Absolutely Wacked Out  . . . "As for Mike Rogers, the Free Press’s attack on the former Army officer and FBI agent amounts to going after his pro-life position, which the newspaper characterized as a willingness to “deprive Michiganders of essential rights.”

"El-Sayed is so off-the-charts extreme that it is difficult to grasp the full extent of it. This is the man who is the political protégé of antisemitic extraordinaire Linda Sarsour, formerly of the Women’s March. Sarsour, in a comment characteristic of her usual drivel, once said women couldn’t be true feminists if they supported Israel’s right to exist." . . .

“Under my leadership our state will not expend a dime of state taxpayer resources enforcing federal immigration policy.”

Don't make Fort Hood terrorist Nidal Hasan's execution a public spectacle — and him a martyr

Post Editorial Board   

For the sake of upholding America’s moral stature — and decency itself — Trump must put an end to this abominable idea. 

"Nidal Hasan is a savage Islamic terrorist who killed 13 innocent US service members at Fort Hood in 2009. He deserves the death penalty, nothing less.

"But the idea of broadcasting his execution publicly — livestreaming it! — is beyond grotesque.

"America is supposed to be a model nation, with the highest values, a shining light that leads the world into a civilized future.

"The spectacle of a publicized, glamorized execution sends us in the opposite direction.

"It signals a type of gloating and bravado unbecoming a proud, moral country.

"America is not a medieval caliphate. Our leaders aren’t supposed to act like jihadists.

"Will Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who proposed the hideous extravaganza, next suggest filming captured, blindfolded Islamists on their knees, while US soldiers behead them?  

"Hasan’s death is meant to achieve justice for the horrific evil he perpetrated, not serve as a source of entertainment or pleasure for masses.

"Imagine young children tuning in.

"Such practices define the monstrous beliefs Hasan adhered to: Islamist jihadis like him worship violence and cruelty, a world filled with hatred, utterly lacking mercy or grace." . . . More.

Justice finally comes for Nidal Hasan 

"Sending him to hell—no 72 virgins for him—is the justice a just, moral society deserves and is negligent in withholding. A truly moral people accept and carry out every act morality and order demands, and televising it makes that necessary and final.  Only then will his victims rest easy, and to hell with his supporters. They’ll have to settle up with God later."