Category: The American Spectator
Trump’s unenforceable red line with Iran
Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security The Big Story Trump’s unenforceable red line with Iran President Trump is appearing to back off immediate action against Iran after promising anti-government forces that “help is coming” earlier this week. © AP Photo/Evan Vucci While Iran remains under…
New ‘Star Trek’ DEI disaster flops despite airing for free: A ‘huge, gay, glee club middle finger’
Paramount Plus gave away a very expensive product for free.
After reports that “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” cost between $10 million and $20 million per episode to produce, the network bizarrely posted the entirety of its premiere episode on YouTube, likely in hopes of garnering interest from a wider audience.
‘He goes to Starfleet Academy, makes a ton of friends, and they help him be OK with who he is.’
However the typically popular franchise hardly made a big splash, with just over 85,000 views in the first 24 hours. While the city-sized viewership would be nothing to scoff at for an independent operation, reviewers were shocked by the numbers, revealing that during its premiere, the show allegedly hit a peak of just 1,316 concurrent viewers.
Set phasers to ‘slay’
The show has been heavily criticized for its obvious diversity push, with sci-fi author Brad Torgersen even calling it a “huge, gay, glee club middle finger to everyone who liked” the franchise, back in December. Torgersen blamed “theater kids” for ruining the franchise as well.
Since its debut, it has become even more apparent how deep the production went down the diversity rabbit hole. One scene was described as cadets being “required to get DEI training.” In the scene, an instructor tells her students that being in the academy means “being open to the people around you” as a student is questioning his colleagues’ identities.
Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
The instructor is played by actress Tig Notaro, whose real name is Mathilde O’Callaghan Notaro.
Notaro has previously described seeing her 5-year-old son in rainbow-colored clothing — particularly for gay pride — as “incredible” and even apologized for not being active in gender politics until it affected her.
Space cadet
Series creator Alex Kurtzman has not shied away from revealing the show’s devotion to diversity either.
“I think we’re not slowing down on representation in any way,” Kurtzman said according to Comic Book Club. “We’re certainly planning like representation is at the beating heart of [‘Star Trek’ creator] Roddenberry’s vision, and we’ve already done the work of bringing it to that new place.”
“So there’s really no reason to change course there,” he added.
The cast of characters also has an obvious and plainly stated agenda. The same outlet reports that a new lesbian couple will be introduced in the series, and the Klingon character, played by actor Karim Diane, will have his sexuality “explored.”
Here to make friends
Diane alluded to as much in a recent interview posted on the show’s official Instagram page.
“He doesn’t like to battle. He wants to love people and heal people and save people,” he said about his character. “He goes to Starfleet Academy, makes a ton of friends, and they help him be OK with who he is.”
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Other cast members include Zoe Steiner, who has shown up nearly nude to press junkets, and even late-night host Stephen Colbert.
Colbert announced his participation in the series in October and appears in 10 episodes as the Digital Dean of Students, which serves as a comic relief voiceover. He has already been mocked for his “absolute cringe” voice work in at least one scene.
Before the show aired, it was picked up for a second season by Paramount Plus.
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‘Tariff king’: Trump considers imposing economic pressures to secure Greenland
President Donald Trump reaffirmed his commitment on Friday to the U.S. acquiring Greenland, hinting that he may impose economic pressure on reluctant nations to secure their backing.
Trump has argued that the acquisition of Greenland is imperative to America’s national security and stated that he would consider imposing steep tariffs on countries that do not support the U.S. taking control of the island.
‘We’re talking to NATO.’
Trump participated in a roundtable on Friday morning, during which he said he had pressured President Emmanuel Macron of France to raise prescription drug prices. If Macron refuses to comply, Trump has threatened to place a 25% tariff on all French imports.
Trump, who declared himself the “tariff king,” explained that he made the same threat to the “top 10 countries,” including Germany, to lower U.S. drug prices. He stated that the tariff hike would have been roughly seven times more than what the countries would pay by raising their drug prices. He noted that all of the countries he contacted agreed to his request, securing “Most-Favored-Nation” pricing.
“And I may do that for Greenland too,” Trump remarked. “I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland because we need Greenland for national security. So I may do that.”
RELATED: Rubio reportedly reveals Trump’s plan to acquire Greenland to bolster US defense
Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images
In separate comments on Friday outside of the White House, Trump told reporters, “NATO has been dealing with us on Greenland. We need Greenland for national security very badly.”
“If we don’t have it, we have a big hole in national security, especially when it comes to what we’re doing in terms of the Golden Dome and all of the other things. We have a lot of investments in military,” he added.
“We’re talking to NATO.”
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Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained that the administration has aspirations to purchase Greenland from Denmark.
“The United States is eager to build lasting commercial relationships that benefit Americans and the people of Greenland,” a State Department spokesperson previously told Blaze News. “Our common adversaries have been increasingly active in the Arctic. That is a concern that the United States, the Kingdom of Denmark, and NATO Allies share.”
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Scott Adams made Trump plausible before anyone else would
On the timeline of making America great again, two dates in 2015 stand out for anyone who backed Donald Trump before it was safe to do so.
On June 16, 2015, Trump came down the escalator in New York City and announced his run for president. The political class laughed. Conservative pundits mocked him. Commentators treated the whole thing as a stunt. A lifelong Democrat running as a Republican? A celebrity billionaire developer? Please. What a “clown.”
Scott understood something most people never learn: Bad reviews from bad people are good reviews. He also understood how to grieve with honor instead of self-pity.
Then came August 13, 2015.
That day, Scott Adams — the creator of “Dilbert” and a best-selling personal development author — published a blog post that reframed the entire race in a single phrase:
Usual frame:
Donald Trump is a clown.
Reframe:
Donald Trump is a clown genius.
That was Adams’ title: “Clown Genius.” And his point was simple: Trump wasn’t improvising. He was persuading. Adams wrote that Trump’s “value proposition” was to “Make America Great,” which meant selling the world on America again — what Adams called “good brand management.”
It sounds obvious now. It didn’t sound obvious then.
Adams became one of the first major nonpolitical public figures to say out loud what millions of Americans were starting to suspect: Trump wasn’t a joke. The joke was the people pretending they couldn’t see what was happening.
“Clown Genius” by Scott Adams, accessed via the Internet Archive
That post didn’t just defend Trump. It gave people permission. It gave tens of millions of everyday Americans cover to voice support for the one candidate the establishment of both parties hated more than anyone they had seen in decades. Adams called it before the polls did, and he kept calling it.
And, in the process, he helped change the course of human history.
He later packaged Trump’s persuasion methods into a book-length case study, “Win Bigly.” And famously, he assigned Trump a 98% chance of winning in 2016 — at a time when most of the media treated the idea as laughable.
Adams paid for that courage.
When he backed Trump in 2015, he didn’t just lose polite invitations. He lit his career on fire. He traded lavish speaking fees, safe corporate fame, and establishment approval for permanent exile from respectable opinion.
In October 2025, Adams described the price in stark terms:
When I decided … to back Trump … I sacrificed everything. I sacrificed my social life. I sacrificed my career. I sacrificed my reputation. I may have sacrificed my health. And I did that because I believed it was worth it. … I’m really happy I lived long enough to see it. It was worth it. … It was worth it to be right.
Independent journalist and filmmaker Mike Cernovich made the point even more bluntly. Adams could have kept quiet, kept the corporate speaking gigs, and died richer. Instead, he chose the lonely road and earned something bigger than money. He became a legend.
For millions, Scott Adams was more than a cartoonist or a commentator. Worldwide, listeners of Scott’s daily show, “Coffee with Scott Adams,” knew him as our “internet dad.” If Trump is the father of MAGA, Scott is its honorary stepfather.
People didn’t just read him. They listened to him. They learned from him. They built confidence from his willingness to say what others wouldn’t.
President Trump made America great again. Scott Adams made Candidate Trump plausible in the first place.
After a long, public battle with prostate cancer, Scott Adams died on Tuesday, January 13. He was 68.
President Trump responded with a tribute that said more than many will admit.
“Sadly, the Great Influencer, Scott Adams, has passed away. He was a fantastic guy, who liked and respected me when it wasn’t fashionable to do so. He bravely fought a long battle against a terrible disease. My condolences go out to his family, and all of his many friends and listeners. He will be truly missed. God bless you Scott!”
I’m one of those listeners and friends. More than that, I was Scott’s editor, and I remain the publisher of the Scott Adams library. He brought me on as a contributing editor for “Reframe Your Brain,” a book that has helped thousands of readers apply his signature “reframes” to work, money, relationships, and even faith.
As of this writing, “Reframe Your Brain” is the No. 1 best-seller on Amazon.
RELATED: Glenn Beck remembers Scott Adams: ‘A philosopher disguised as a stick-figure artist’
Phil Velasquez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Near the end of his life, Scott also made a quiet but meaningful choice. He accepted Pascal’s Wager — the simple risk-reward logic that faith in Jesus Christ is worth the bet. He pinned that profession to the top of his X.com profile in his final statement.
Scott was a father figure to me in the most practical sense. I asked his advice the way a son asks his dad. He was happy to oblige. That’s who he was: sharp, funny, and eager to be useful.
Now critics will rush in to re-litigate his controversies, including the 2023 livestream that helped get “Dilbert” pulled from newspapers. I wrote the truth for Newsweek at the time, after his remarks triggered an organized effort to kill his book deal and erase him from public life.
I worked with an author on a not-quite-banned book recently. Dilbert creator and bestselling author Scott Adams had his long-running comic strip ended by multiple newspapers and his forthcoming book contract canceled over some hyperbolic remarks on race that were intended to stir up discussion. Scott Adams’ books were twice banned, but Amazon reversed the decision. … Adams then went to his audience and let them know that there were people who didn’t want his book published, and they responded by buying it, en masse. Sales shot up.
Scott understood something most people never learn: Bad reviews from bad people are good reviews.
He also understood how to grieve with honor instead of self-pity. As he wrote in “Reframe Your Brain”:
When you experience the death of a loved one, your instincts push you into feeling tragedy, loss, and pain. Once you have had enough of that, and when you are ready, start tossing these five words around to release some of the pain: Gratitude. Respect. Honor. Privilege. Service.
Scott Adams lived those words. And now he belongs to the ages.
Scott won bigly.
Thank you, Scott.
Florida Panthers praise Trump during White House visit: ‘Nothing beats this’
The Stanley Cup champions were not shy about showing their support for President Trump.
The Florida Panthers visited the White House to celebrate their second-straight league championship over the Edmonton Oilers.
‘I’m so proud to be an American, and I’m so proud to be here with you.’
Trump praised the team on Thursday, shaking hands and listing accomplishments as he remarked that many of the players and staff would be participating in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, many of them representing the United States.
Before accepting gifts from the players, the president introduced team owner and billionaire Vincent Viola, who made the Panthers’ support for the administration indisputable.
“I’m going to make it pretty clear that we are honored to be here, we are honored to be here with you as the president,” Viola said, keeping his words short.
Then star player Matthew Tkachuk took the podium to relish being an American at the White House.
“I want to say on behalf of the whole organization, mainly the players, we are so honored to be here. Being an American … nothing beats this, I’m so proud to be an American, and I’m so proud to be here with you,” Tkachuk said, motioning to Trump.
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Tkachuk noted the pain and effort that is required to win a Stanley Cup, stating, “Winning, it takes a toll, you pay a price for it.”
The 28-year-old certainly relished the moment and said he looked forward to wearing the red, white, and blue at the Winter Olympics.
“Representing you and the millions back here, next month at the Olympics, will be one of the highlights of my life as well,” he told the president.
Defenseman Seth Jones then presented President Trump with a Stanley Cup ring, captain Aleksander “Sasha” Barkov gave the president a No. 47 jersey, and Tkachuk presented Trump with a golden hockey stick.
As the team dispersed, an orchestral version of “We Are the Champions” by Queen played as Trump walked off the stage.
Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
The Panthers kept the Stanley Cup out of the hands of Canadian teams for yet another year with their second-straight win over the Oilers and their third-straight appearance in the finals.
No Canadian team has won the cup since the 1993 Montreal Canadiens. Interestingly Florida’s other team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, appeared in three-straight finals before the Panthers and won two also.
Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who is widely regarded as the best player in the world, has split fans in recent years for defending the highly controversial gay pride nights in the NHL.
“It’s not my call, but obviously it’s disappointing,” he said in 2023. “I certainly can’t speak for every organization. … I know in Edmonton, we were one of the first teams to use the Pride tape,” the star boasted.
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Foreign-born ‘trans’ fraudster BUSTED: Man posing as woman likely to be deported after stealing nearly $1M in COVID cash
A native Salvadoran faces likely deportation after pleading guilty in connection with nearly $1 million in COVID-related fraud.
On Tuesday, a man who calls himself a woman and prefers the name Ruby Corado learned that he will have to spend 33 months behind bars followed by two years of supervised release. Corado pled guilty to one count of wire fraud back in July 2024.
Corado was previously charged with bank fraud, wire fraud, laundering of monetary instruments, monetary transactions in criminally derived proceeds, and failure to file a report of a foreign bank account. Prosecutors dropped the other charges in exchange for the guilty plea.
‘You betrayed this country.’
In 2020, Corado applied for two federal COVID-relief loans on behalf of Casa Ruby, the now-defunct nonprofit he founded in Washington, D.C., ostensibly to help homeless LGBTQ+ youth. An Economic Injury Disaster Loan and a Paycheck Protection Program loan, both from the Small Business Administration and totaling $956,215, were then deposited directly into a Casa Ruby account, according to a defense sentencing memorandum.
However, Corado instead wired at least some of those funds overseas and hid them from the IRS, prosecutors claimed, according to NBC Washington. Corado also escaped to El Salvador in 2022, apparently to evade federal authorities.
Prior to sentencing, Corado submitted a statement to the court, admitting to funneling at least $200,000 to El Salvador. He claimed he had hopes of establishing Casa Ruby services there
“I am sorry that my mistake impacted my work,” he told the court.
RELATED: Transvestite founder of LGBT group caught 2 years after fleeing country; faces federal fraud charges
Photo by Linda Davidson/Washington Post/Getty Images
In his statements during the sentencing hearing on Tuesday, D.C. District Judge Trevor McFadden issued a scathing rebuke of Corado.
“You betrayed this country,” McFadden said, according to WUSA9. “You spotted an opportunity to defraud the American people.”
McFadden also professed himself “very dubious” that Corado tried to bring Casa Ruby to El Salvador, noting that the defense offered no evidence that Corado had attempted to establish any nonprofit there.
McFadden also ordered Corado to pay back the SBA in full.
The defense had argued for leniency, requesting that Corado, who identifies as a “transgender woman,” be able to serve his sentence at a local jail or perhaps even at home out of fear that the Trump DOJ will place him in a men’s facility in accordance with his “biological sex”:
DOJ policy has moved to align federal detention practices with directives rejecting gender identity in favor of “biological sex,” resulting in transgender women being transferred into men’s facilities and in efforts to curtail gender-affirming medical care. Attorneys representing transgender women in BOP custody have described these shifts as placing their clients in “incredibly dangerous” situations, effectively emboldening predators and exposing inmates to foreseeable harm. As one longtime advocate explained, the signals sent by these policies can determine “whether a person lives or dies.”
Whether Corado will be housed in a men or women’s facility remains unclear, though he was incarcerated in a men’s jail after his arrest in March 2024. What is clear is that Corado will likely be deported back to El Salvador after his sentence is concluded.
“Your deportation is likely if not certain,” Judge McFadden said.
Corado also faces a civil suit regarding alleged failure to pay Casa Ruby employees. Though that suit was paused pending the criminal proceeding, it may soon resume now that Corado has been convicted.
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Supreme Court Upholds Candidate Standing in Ballot Counting Case
From Daily Signal: Judicial Watch represented the plaintiffs in the case. “This is the most important Supreme Court election law ruling in a generation,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a public statement. “Too many courts have denied candidates the standing to challenge unlawful election rules such as the outrageous ballots that arrive after […]
The post Supreme Court Upholds Candidate Standing in Ballot Counting Case appeared first on Judicial Watch.
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