Politics

This year of our Lord of 2025 is somewhat special, as Easter Sunday coincides for the Catholic and the Orthodox churches, which is usually not the case.

And for those of us praying for peace, Easter has just become extra-meaningful, as Russian President Vladimir Putin has just declared an EASTER TRUCE, to begin today from 6 p.m. Moscow time (11:00am ET).

Putin announces Easter truce with Ukraine pic.twitter.com/qIbgd3781k

— Karli Bonne’ (@KarluskaP) April 19, 2025

As reported by Sputnik:

The truce is expected to last until Midnight from Sunday to Monday.

Putin has ordered that all military operations be stopped for the duration of the truce.

The Russian President declared that he ‘assumes that the Ukrainian side will follow its example and stop the fighting’.

However, Russian troops are ordered to be ready to repel ‘possible violations of the truce and provocations’ by the Ukrainian troops.

Surprise Easter truce: will it facilitate the peace negotiations?

Putin has also stated that ‘the course of the truce will show Ukraine’s willingness and ability to resolve the issue peacefully’.

Putin also declared that ‘Russia welcomes the desire of the United States and President Trump for a peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis’.

Putin congratulated Orthodox servicemen on Easter, and warned that Russian troops are ready to respond immediately to the actions of the ‘Kiev regime’ during the truce.

Putin: “Guided by humanitarian considerations, today from 18:00 to midnight from Sunday to Monday, the Russian side declares an Easter truce. I order all military actions to be stopped for this period. We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow our example. At the same time, our troops must be ready to repel possible violations of the truce and provocations from the enemy, any of its aggressive actions.”

Read more:

TOP OF THE WORLD: Putin Launches the Arctic Investment Forum, Calls for Cooperation for Peaceful Development – Warns That US Interest in Greenland Is To Be Taken Very Seriously

The post BREAKING: Russia’s Putin Declares EASTER TRUCE for ‘Humanitarian Reasons’, Orders Troops To Be Ready for ‘Any Violations or Provocations’ by Ukraine (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Screenshot / Darien Gap

Migrant crossings through Panama’s Darien Gap have fallen by 99 percent since President Trump took office.

According to data provided by the Department of Homeland Security to The New York Post, a meagre 408 migrants were reported traveling through the Panamanian jungle path in February.

This is a 99 percent decrease on February 2024, when crossings peaked at 37,166.

Once-overrun Darien Gap migrant route to US virtually deserted amid Trump migrant crackdowns, before-and-after photos show https://t.co/x5yj5eTQOw pic.twitter.com/cNraH4EgxV

— New York Post (@nypost) April 10, 2025

Despite being notoriously treacherous and controlled by criminal cartels, the Darien Gap remains the only overland route to the United States for migrants from South America.

Over the course of Joe Biden’s presidency, a staggering 1.2 million migrants crossed through the Darien Gap.

Many of those who passed through were gangsters and criminals from countries such as Venezuela, often with links to transnational gangs such as the notorious Tren de Aragua.

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino has tried to take credit for the fall in this perilous method of migration, claiming he successfully closed it.

“I said I was going to close it, and I closed it,” Mulino said recently.

“It was like a living in a 21st century concentration camp,” he continued. “Now, that camp is history.”

However, the real reason it is now empty is that migrants know that they will not be granted entry into the United States.

As well as ending the use of the Darien Gap, Trump’s hardline border policies has also led to a collapse in the number of illegal border crossings.

In the month of March, border crossings fell by 94 percent compared with the previous year, with 8,300 illegal migrants attempting to enter the country illegally.

“Migrants are scared there are consequences now,” a DHS source said at the time. “Everyone who is caught is charged and does time.”

March Sees Another Record Low for Illegal Border Crossings in Trump’s Second Full Month in Office

The post Migrant Crossings Through Panama’s Darien Gap Have Fallen by 99 Percent Since Trump Took Office appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

The liberal media is now attempting to smear President Donald Trump as unkind to animals, as Harvard researchers have claimed the administration’s $2.2 billion funding freeze may mean they will have to euthanize their animals, before they can torture and kill them anyway.

The left, once considered to be the party of animal advocacy, has quickly changed its tune now that the Trump administration is ending taxpayer-funded animal research.

Harvard willingly wastes hundreds of millions of tax $ every year to infect, poison, cripple, mutilate, burn & kill millions of animals in experiments—and lobbies for more $—but somehow it’s now Trump’s fault they’re killing lab animals

And CNN, WaPo, NYT are eating it up pic.twitter.com/nbTZcIORk3

— Justin Goodman (@JustinRGoodman) April 17, 2025

The claims from the Harvard researchers have received headlines from CNN, the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Daily Beast, and nearly every other liberal media institution seeking to paint Trump as causing the deaths of animals.

Nobody is operating at the level of the Harvard PR team right now pic.twitter.com/7JP36RPX3t

— Sam Biederman (@Biedersam) April 17, 2025

In reality, the Trump administration is “Making America Greater for Animals” by phasing out animal testing at both the Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency. They have also cancelled grants for many cruel research projects, saving taxpayers millions of dollars.

Justin Goodman, the senior vice president of taxpayer watchdog White Coat Waste Project, which works to end wasteful spending on animal testing, told The Gateway Pundit:

“Every year, Harvard and other universities willingly waste tens of billions of tax dollars to intentionally infect, poison, cripple, mutilate, burn, addict, decapitate, bleed out and kill millions of dogs, cats, primates and other animals in experiments. Now these mad scientists are shamelessly and dishonestly claiming it’s Trump’s fault they’re killing animals because he’s cutting funding for their wasteful and cruel tests. Don’t fall for their crocodile tears. Trump’s NIH cuts are the best thing to ever happen to animals locked in labs.”

The animals in question include 51 primates at the Harvard Medical Labs and 93 more at their McLean Hospital.

Harvard has been conducting tests that include spending $9,371,356 in grant money getting monkeys hooked on fentanyl, $3,305,642 to dose them with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and previously turning mice transgender.

White Coat Waste provided The Gateway Pundit with a never-before-seen photo from the THC tests, which they obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Two of Harvard’s now-defunct transgender animal testing grants included a $299,240 grant to create “transmasculine” lab animals by giving female mice testosterone and removing their ovaries and a $442,444 grant to sterilize animals, inject them with hormone therapies, and then inflict wounds to mimic transgender humans receiving sex change surgeries.

The fake concern is not just coming from Harvard; Catherine Blackwood, a fired Centers for Disease Control and Prevention animal experimenter who forced animals to inhale fungi and bacteria, and sickened them with pneumonia and sepsis before killing them, has made headlines by crying crocodile tears for animals on her Facebook page.

This fired CDC animal experimenter forced animals to inhale fungi & bacteria, sickened them w/pneumonia & sepsis & killed them

Now, shes “grieving” for the animals & experiencing “torment” bc they “value animal life so deeply” & ironically accuses Trump of “cruelty”

Cry more pic.twitter.com/1KgM9YN1vK

— Justin Goodman (@JustinRGoodman) April 10, 2025

Blackwood, who conducted some of the most torturous and cruel tests on animals, wrote in a Facebook post, “We are grieving the senseless loss of our laboratory animals, euthanized because we can’t finish studies. Their lives ended without cause, exacting further torment on the scientists that value animal life so deeply, a core principle held in all animal research. The cruelty and waste in the administration’s plan to ‘reduce redundancy and government waste’ is disgusting and offensive.”

Since Blackwood is now unemployed and suddenly feigning concern about animals, while being happy to kill them, we suggest everyone send her applications to work at PETA.

The so-called “animal rights” organization would be a perfect fit for this mad scientist. In 2019, PETA killed 1,500 cats and dogs. The following year, PETA’s so-called “shelter” took in 2,650 animals and euthanized 67% — all while pretending to be the great defenders of our non-human friends.

To be abundantly clear, instead of saving the animals that they can, the researchers are claiming that all animals need to be euthanized because there simply aren’t enough sanctuaries to take each one in. Thank goodness these guys were not in charge of the lifeboats on the Titanic.

By framing the funding issue as an animal welfare crisis, the labs are obviously attempting to garner public sympathy for their financial plight and rally people against President Trump. Unfortunately for them, the entire premise is ridiculous, as the systemic issues in their treatment of animals show that they have never cared one iota about the lives or comfort of these creatures.

These labs routinely subject animals to painful experiments and kill them as part of their function, yet now claim that euthanasia due to funding shortages is some major ethical crisis. This selective concern showcases the absolute failure to address the systemic suffering of lab animals, from their use in experiments to their eventual killing at the gloved hands of these researchers.

If the research community actually cared about animal welfare, it would push to utilize the available alternatives to animal testing and advocate for stronger ethical oversight, instead of crying foul only when their cash is at stake. Until then, these protests and complaints against Trump’s cuts will continue to ring absolutely hollow.

The post Harvard Researchers Whine That Trump’s Funding Freeze Will Force Them to Euthanize Animals Before They Can Torture Them appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

A Georgia woman who claims to have a “transgender” child, an autistic child, and a “non-binary” child was forcibly dragged out of a school board meeting for causing a scene over changes to the district’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies.

The disruption took place at the City Schools of Decatur Board of Education meeting on Tuesday evening.

As the board discussed changes to the DEI programs, the woman, Lena Kotler, shouted, “Cowards!”

Board Chair Carmen Sulton reportedly asked her to leave over the outburst, but she refused.

“I said one word, I have already stated I have no intention of speaking again until public comment,” Kotler replied. “I’m going to sit here. I have offered that if it makes the board feel comfortable, you, as a security employee, are welcome to sit next to me. If I speak again outside of public comment, I will leave. I have the right to be here, I have not used harsh language or threats.”

Minutes later, several police officers arrived and carried Kotler out of the meeting room.

Georgia mom with “trans children” carried out of City Schools of Decatur Board of Education meeting Tuesday after calling members “cowards” for scraping DEI.

Lena Kotler acted like a child and got punished. She should also be jailed for ab*sing her kids.pic.twitter.com/visgmO9sjq

— Paul A. Szypula (@Bubblebathgirl) April 16, 2025

“I’m practicing my rights as a parent. I’m in no way resisting,” Kotler said as she was being removed. “I’m not resisting, and this is what fascists do!”

Kotler told Atlanta News First that the officers dropped her outside the front door of the building.

The woman had been planning to speak during the public comment portion of the meeting, but could not keep her mouth shut until her turn to speak.

Kotler’s protest was fruitless as the board removed a policy that stated, “all learning environments… be inclusive, safe, secure, and supportive while also ensuring that no student group is marginalized.” It also changed or rescinded four other polices that focused on “equity” and other DEI initiatives.

The post WATCH: Police Drag Mother of ‘Trans Kids’ Out of Georgia School Board Meeting for Causing a Scene Over DEI Policy Changes appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

For decades, the US military’s “foreign policy” for Hispanic America has been mostly centered around

The post Counterinsurgency Won’t Save Hispanic America, The US Needs Counter-Subversion appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

House Oversight Chairman James Comer/ Source: CSPAN screen image

House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer slammed Democrats for requesting taxpayer-funded travel to El Salvador to visit a deported illegal alien with alleged ties to the MS-13 gang.

In a letter shared on X, Comer informed Democratic Reps. Robert Garcia of California and Maxwell Alejandro Frost of Florida that if they wish to meet with Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia in El Salvador, they’ll have to pay for the trip themselves.

He wrote:

It is absurd that you both displayed active hostility for over two years toward the Committee’s oversight of the Biden Border Crisis and the consequences of millions of illegal aliens entering the country, yet now, you are seeking travel at Committee expense to meet with foreign gang members.

You may be pleased to know that a Democrat Senator, Chris Van Hollen, was photographed just yesterday in El Salvador enjoying margaritas garnished with cherry slices with the foreign gang member your letter references.

If you also wish to meet with him, you can spend your own money. But I will not approve a single dime of taxpayer funds for use on the excursion you have requested.

The request came less than 24 hours after Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador to meet with Abrego Garcia and lobby for his return to the United States.

I said my main goal of this trip was to meet with Kilmar. Tonight I had that chance. I have called his wife, Jennifer, to pass along his message of love. I look forward to providing a full update upon my return. pic.twitter.com/U9y2gZpxCb

— Senator Chris Van Hollen (@ChrisVanHollen) April 18, 2025

Trump, meanwhile, has maintained that he will not be returning Abrego Garcia to the U.S. under any circumstances and asserted that he is indeed a member of the notorious MS-13 street gang, known for brutal acts of cruelty and violence.

He wrote on Truth Social Friday evening:

This is the hand of the man that the Democrats feel should be brought back to the United States, because he is such “a fine and innocent person.”

They said he is not a member of MS-13, even though he’s got MS-13 tattooed onto his knuckles, and two Highly Respected Courts found that he was a member of MS-13, beat up his wife, etc.

I was elected to take bad people out of the United States, among other things. I must be allowed to do my job. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

The post House Oversight Chair James Comer Denies Democrats Taxpayer Funds to Visit MS-13 Gang Member in El Salvador: ‘Spend Your Own Money’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

The 50501 Movement, an anti-Trump protest organization, plans to hold a series of protests across the United States over Easter weekend.

The group claims to have 400 events scheduled nationwide on Saturday, in all 50 states. It also claims to be mobilizing over three million people.

“We are trying to protect our democracy against the rise of authoritarianism under the Trump administration,” Hunter Dunn, a spokesperson for the group, told the Washington Post.

The 50501 Movement’s name stands for “50 protests. 50 states. 1 movement.” It is self-described as being led by people who “have been on the front lines of justice, marching in support of Black Lives Matter, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and disability rights.”

The group first gained prominence with its initial protests on February 5, 2025, which saw over 80 protests nationwide.

In a post about the protests on their website, 50501 says, “April 19 will be a Day of Action: a nationwide grassroots response to authoritarian threats, political overreach, and the erosion of democracy.”

The post continues:

“In all 50 states, local communities are taking action in their own way. Some are rallying or marching in the streets. Others are hosting food drives, teach-ins, mutual aid pop-ups, or voter registration events. Wherever and however people show up April 19, one thing is clear: This movement is growing — and it belongs to all of us.”

An interactive map on the organization’s website shows where each protest is scheduled to take place.

The organization’s Instagram page features support for Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an illegal alien, alleged wife-beater, and member of MS-13, who has been deported by the Trump administration after illegally living in Maryland for over 15 years.

A post shared by the group claims, “Trump and his administration’s actions prove that they are willing to ignore the courts and violate the constitution due to their vendetta against immigrants. Kilmar and many of the Venezuelans sent to CECOT are INNOCENT. They must be released, saved from the hell that is that facility and given due process.”

The post Liberal Anti-Trump Group Planning to Protest Nationwide Over Easter Weekend — Claims to Be Mobilizing Three Million People appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Credit: Grok

Growing numbers of illegal aliens are planning to leave the United States rather than be deported by force.

According to a report from The Los Angeles Times, illegal aliens are increasingly exploring the possibility of leaving the U.S. on their own terms rather than face detention and deportation proceedings.

Others, meanwhile, have already done so.

The report states.

Three months in, it’s difficult to estimate how many people are making the grueling decision to leave the lives and families built here under more lenient enforcement policies to return to home countries that many have not seen for decades.

But even in liberal-leaning California, where undocumented immigrants enjoy greater access to social services than in many regions of the U.S., advocates say they are fielding more questions from people who fear being plucked up and deported and are considering leaving on their own terms.

[…]

Luz Gallegos, executive director of TODEC Legal Center in the Inland Empire, said her staff members talk “daily” with folks who are considering leaving. Pummeled by the “constant attacks” on immigrants, she said, people are posing logistical questions: Can they take their cars? What happens to their kids’ education?

“What comes up a lot in the sessions is, ‘Prefiero irme con algo, que irme sin nada,’” Gallegos said. “I’d rather leave with something than leave with nothing.”

While there is a lack of data about how many illegal aliens have left the country, it is clear that the trend is in the right direction.

Earlier this month, it was reported that 5,000 people had chosen to self-deport via Customs and Border Patrol smartphone app.

“Self-deportation is safe,” a message on the app states. “Leave on your own terms by picking your departure flight.”

President Trump has made no secret of the fact that he would rather people leave the country voluntarily than being removed by force.

Just this week, Trump said he was willing to pay immigrants the cost of their flight and some expenses in order to return home.

“We’re going to give them a stipend,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy.

“We’re going to give them some money and a plane ticket, and then we’re going to work with them,” he continued.”

”If they’re good, if we want them back in, we’re going to work with them to get them back in as quickly as we can.”

The post REPORT: Surge in Illegal Aliens Following Trump’s Advice and Opting to Self-Deport appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

On a chilly February night in 2025, Jay Sani, an Indian-American student at Washington State University, stepped out of a bar wearing his red MAGA hat. The 28-year-old engineering student didn’t expect the night to take a violent turn, but it did.

According to reports, as Jay walked, two figures approached him.  Patrick Mahoney, a university instructor and vocal proponent of Palestinian causes, and Gerald Hoff, a graduate student and teaching assistant.

It is unclear what sparked the confrontation, but words were exchanged and, as seen on security footage, Mahoney lunged at Jay, ripping the hat from his head. Hoff joined in, and Jay was shoved to the ground as fists flew.

The security footage shows the two men throwing Sani to the ground, and while he lay bleeding, kicking him while he was defenseless.

EXCLUSIVE: Frontlines reporter @choeshow has obtained surveillance footage showing Washington State University (WSU) PhD student instructor Patrick Mahoney and WSU employee Gerald Hoff attacking engineering student Jay Sani.

Sani claims that Mahoney and Hoff assaulted him… pic.twitter.com/AhNae3FDMT

— FRONTLINES (@FrontlinesTPUSA) April 15, 2025

Sani reported the incident to police and, when questioned, Mahoney and Hoff admitted to the attack, though they attempted to blame Sani for the attack, claiming the student “provoked” them.

Turning Point USA Frontlines reporter Jonathan Choe shared body cam video of the two attackers admitting to the incident.

EXCLUSIVE: Here is the entire body cam footage showing the interview and arrest of former Washington State University(@WSUPullman) graduate student and communist instructor Patrick Mahoney. He was just fired by the school after our reporting.
He’s now charged with assaulting an… https://t.co/RUa1BJx1Qn pic.twitter.com/b0RtTQkb9P

— Jonathan Choe (@choeshow) April 17, 2025

Mahoney and Hoff were arrested and charged with assault.

As the video went viral, pressure mounted on WSU to act.  Finally, in early March, Mahoney was fired, his teaching career at WSU over. Hoff was stripped of his teaching assistant duties.

Phil Weiler, WSU Vice President for Marketing and Communications, released the following statement:

“Washington State University (WSU) is aware of an off-campus incident that occurred last February involving a WSU staff member and a graduate student. After an investigation conducted by the City of Pullman’s police department, and in accordance with WSU policies, the staff member’s employment has been terminated.”

“The second individual involved was a graduate student serving as a teaching assistant. He was not a Washington State University professor. This person has been relieved of all teaching responsibilities.”

“In compliance with federal privacy laws, no further details regarding the matter will be disclosed.”

“WSU remains committed to fostering a safe and supportive learning environment for all students. We take every complaint and concern seriously and will continue to address such matters with the utmost priority.”

The post Woke White Teacher Filmed Beating Asian Student Wearing MAGA Cap Fired from Washington State University appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Senator Chris Van Hollen during his meeting with Salvadoran national Kilmar Ábrego. / Sourced from Nayib Bukele’s X account

Much has been written about Kilmar Ábrego García’s deportation, the U.S. court rulings, and the terrorism detention facility in El Salvador where he was initially held upon arrival in his home country.

Yet amid the legal and political debate, one aspect remains underexamined: what would actually happen if García were returned to the United States. This article addresses that question directly.

While courts ordered the U.S. government to “facilitate” his return, they did not grant him the right to stay. In fact, under current law, García would remain deportable—to any country other than El Salvador. Facilitate the Return, Then Deport reflects that legal reality.

Kilmar Ábrego García, a Salvadoran national, entered the United States illegally in 2011 at age 16. He did not use a legal immigration channel and has never acquired lawful status in the U.S.; he is neither a citizen nor a green card holder. García remains a citizen of El Salvador.

In 2019, an immigration judge denied García’s asylum claim but granted him withholding of removal to El Salvador, finding a clear probability of future persecution by the Barrio 18 gang, which had extorted and threatened his family.

The same judge also found that García was a member of MS-13, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. While such membership can disqualify someone from protection, the judge ruled that the threat from Barrio 18 outweighed this factor.

As a result, García was granted protection from deportation specifically to El Salvador, though he remained eligible for removal to another country.

The decision did not grant him asylum, permanent residency, or any path to citizenship, and the government did not appeal the ruling.

In March 2025, García was deported to El Salvador. A federal judge later ruled that this deportation violated the standing protection order, and the Supreme Court upheld that finding.

However, the Court did not challenge the legality of deporting García in general—only his removal to El Salvador, which had been explicitly prohibited. He could have been lawfully deported to another country that did not pose a persecution risk.

Although García has not been criminally charged in the United States, immigration law does not require a criminal conviction to justify deportation on national security grounds.

A substantiated finding of affiliation with a terrorist organization is legally sufficient. Descriptions in the media referring to García as a “Maryland man” or “father of three” do not bear on the legal analysis, which is based solely on statutory and security criteria.

Following the deportation ruling, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ordered the government to “facilitate” García’s return.

The Supreme Court affirmed that order, emphasizing that the government must take reasonable steps to restore his pre-deportation legal status but did not require that it forcibly bring him back. Judge Xinis later instructed the government to take “all available steps” to make his return possible.

The Department of Justice interpreted “facilitate” narrowly, arguing that El Salvador’s sovereignty limits U.S. action.

Critics have pointed to the fact that the U.S. provides approximately $6 million annually to support detention operations in El Salvador, suggesting that the United States could exert influence over García’s custody.

However, that payment is not made per detainee, so President Bukele’s government would receive no more or less money whether or not García is released.

Furthermore, García has been transferred from the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) to another facility in Santa Ana, raising questions about whether the funding even applies to his current detention.

While some critics have suggested using U.S. aid as leverage, no court order mandates that the government withhold funding, and such action is not required under the legal definition of “facilitate.”

As of April 18, 2025, García remains in custody in El Salvador. President Nayib Bukele has publicly stated that García is a terrorist and that El Salvador has no intention of releasing him.

If García were returned to the United States, he would not have a valid immigration status. His withholding of removal order would need to be vacated through a formal process in immigration court before he could be deported to El Salvador.

He could potentially be present in the U.S. for legal proceedings but would not be eligible for lawful status or permanent residency. His alleged gang affiliation may also disqualify him from receiving parole or a temporary visa, and he could face indefinite immigration detention while awaiting removal to a third country.

Deportation to a third country would be legally permissible if one agreed to accept him, but García’s MS-13 designation complicates that option. Few, if any, countries are likely to admit someone identified by the U.S. government as affiliated with a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

No third-country arrangement has been reported, and absent such an agreement, any attempt to re-deport him to El Salvador would remain in violation of the court order.

The Trump administration maintains that it has complied with the facilitation order by attempting to coordinate with El Salvador. Officials argue that the U.S. cannot compel the Salvadoran government to release García and that nothing in the court’s ruling requires that he be returned or granted legal status in the United States.

The post Facilitate the Return, Then Deport: The Legal Reality of the Kilmar Ábrego García Case appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.