News of the World
03-09-2025, 02:25 AM
(This post was last modified: 03-10-2025, 02:24 AM by DerVVulfman.)
US says Zelenskyy has agreed to sign mineral deal: 'We'll see if he follows through'
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By Caitlin McFall, FOXBusiness
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has agreed to sign a mineral deal with the U.S., President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff told reporters on Thursday.
"I think Zelenskyy has offered to sign it, and we'll see if he follows through," the special envoy said while standing outside the White House.
The agreement was apparently revealed in a letter Zelenskyy sent to Trump this week following the spat that unfolded live in the Oval Office less than a week ago.
A joint event held with the Ukrainian president, Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Cabinet members ended in an uproar after Zelenskyy, apparently frustrated the deal did not include any security assurances, refused to agree to such terms and was deemed "disrespectful" and "ungrateful" by both Vance and Trump.
Witkoff told reporters "there's a path back" to the White House for Zelenskyy following his letter to Trump, which was apparently well-received and included an apology.
"President Zelenskyy has demonstrated that he's intent on that good-faith path back. He's apologized. He said he's grateful," Witkoff told reporters. "He said that he wants to work toward peace.
"That's ultimately the goal here," he added. "President Trump is an outcome-oriented man. He wants a good outcome, and a good outcome is peace. No more deaths and a better world."
Witkoff also announced that the Trump administration is currently working with its Ukrainian counterparts to set up a meeting in Saudi Arabia for next week to begin discussions on setting up a framework to initiate ceasefire discussions with Russia.
A similar announcement was made on Wednesday by Zelenskyy’s top aide, Andriy Yermak, who said a meeting with American officials was being set up for next week, and that he had been in discussions with national security advisor Mike Waltz.
Questions over U.S. support for Ukraine — which has been in doubt for weeks after Trump re-entered the White House — escalated on Wednesday after Waltz confirmed that Washington had paused its intelligence sharing with Kyiv.
Witkoff didn’t have any answers on when that support would resume or whether the Trump administration would take issue with European allies sharing intelligence with Kyiv.
"Hopefully we get things back on track with the Ukrainians and everything resumes," Witkoff said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has agreed to sign a mineral deal with the U.S., President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff told reporters on Thursday.
"I think Zelenskyy has offered to sign it, and we'll see if he follows through," the special envoy said while standing outside the White House.
The agreement was apparently revealed in a letter Zelenskyy sent to Trump this week following the spat that unfolded live in the Oval Office less than a week ago.
A joint event held with the Ukrainian president, Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Cabinet members ended in an uproar after Zelenskyy, apparently frustrated the deal did not include any security assurances, refused to agree to such terms and was deemed "disrespectful" and "ungrateful" by both Vance and Trump.
Witkoff told reporters "there's a path back" to the White House for Zelenskyy following his letter to Trump, which was apparently well-received and included an apology.
"President Zelenskyy has demonstrated that he's intent on that good-faith path back. He's apologized. He said he's grateful," Witkoff told reporters. "He said that he wants to work toward peace.
"That's ultimately the goal here," he added. "President Trump is an outcome-oriented man. He wants a good outcome, and a good outcome is peace. No more deaths and a better world."
Witkoff also announced that the Trump administration is currently working with its Ukrainian counterparts to set up a meeting in Saudi Arabia for next week to begin discussions on setting up a framework to initiate ceasefire discussions with Russia.
A similar announcement was made on Wednesday by Zelenskyy’s top aide, Andriy Yermak, who said a meeting with American officials was being set up for next week, and that he had been in discussions with national security advisor Mike Waltz.
Questions over U.S. support for Ukraine — which has been in doubt for weeks after Trump re-entered the White House — escalated on Wednesday after Waltz confirmed that Washington had paused its intelligence sharing with Kyiv.
Witkoff didn’t have any answers on when that support would resume or whether the Trump administration would take issue with European allies sharing intelligence with Kyiv.
"Hopefully we get things back on track with the Ukrainians and everything resumes," Witkoff said.
Iran slams US as ‘bully’ after Trump’s letter warning against nuclear acquisition
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By Katherine Donlevy, New York Post
Iran’s Supreme Leader on Saturday accused the US of trying to “bully” Tehran into peace negotiations — one day after President Trump revealed he sent a letter to the country in a last ditch attempt to prevent it from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned senior officials that Iran would not engage with Washington, claiming Trump was only seeking to “impose their own expectations,” according to Iranian state media.
“The insistence of some bully governments on negotiations is not to resolve issues, but to dominate and impose their own expectations,” Khamenei said in a meeting.
“Talks for them is a path to have new expectations, it is not only about Iran’s nuclear issue. Iran will definitely not accept their expectations.”
Khamenei also took to social media to reiterate the point, though he did not specifically name the US.
“For coercive governments, negotiation is a way to put forward new demands. These new demands will certainly not be met by Iran,” the fiercely anti-Western supreme leader wrote on X.
“They put forward new demands regarding the country’s defense and international capabilities or don’t do this, don’t see that, don’t go there, don’t produce that, don’t have a missile with a range greater than this distance. Who can accept them?”
Khamenei’s comments come just one day after Trump said he fired off a letter in the hopes of hashing out an agreement — implying that a peaceful negotiation would work out “a lot better for Iran.”
Trump said the letter was one of the last acts in preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, but that military action was still on the table.
“The other alternative is we have to do something, because you can’t let another nuclear weapon,” Trump told Fox Business.
“There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal. I would prefer to make a deal, because I’m not looking to hurt Iran. They’re great people.”
A White House spokesperson reiterated that position on Saturday, Fox News reported.
United Nations nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi previously said time is running out for diplomacy to impose new restrictions as Iran continues to acquire uranium to near weapons-grade
Tehran has repeatedly claimed its nuclear work is solely for peaceful purposes.
Iran’s Supreme Leader on Saturday accused the US of trying to “bully” Tehran into peace negotiations — one day after President Trump revealed he sent a letter to the country in a last ditch attempt to prevent it from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned senior officials that Iran would not engage with Washington, claiming Trump was only seeking to “impose their own expectations,” according to Iranian state media.
“The insistence of some bully governments on negotiations is not to resolve issues, but to dominate and impose their own expectations,” Khamenei said in a meeting.
“Talks for them is a path to have new expectations, it is not only about Iran’s nuclear issue. Iran will definitely not accept their expectations.”
Khamenei also took to social media to reiterate the point, though he did not specifically name the US.
“For coercive governments, negotiation is a way to put forward new demands. These new demands will certainly not be met by Iran,” the fiercely anti-Western supreme leader wrote on X.
“They put forward new demands regarding the country’s defense and international capabilities or don’t do this, don’t see that, don’t go there, don’t produce that, don’t have a missile with a range greater than this distance. Who can accept them?”
Khamenei’s comments come just one day after Trump said he fired off a letter in the hopes of hashing out an agreement — implying that a peaceful negotiation would work out “a lot better for Iran.”
Trump said the letter was one of the last acts in preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, but that military action was still on the table.
“The other alternative is we have to do something, because you can’t let another nuclear weapon,” Trump told Fox Business.
“There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal. I would prefer to make a deal, because I’m not looking to hurt Iran. They’re great people.”
A White House spokesperson reiterated that position on Saturday, Fox News reported.
United Nations nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi previously said time is running out for diplomacy to impose new restrictions as Iran continues to acquire uranium to near weapons-grade
Tehran has repeatedly claimed its nuclear work is solely for peaceful purposes.
Barnard College bomb threat prompts evacuation as anti-Israel protesters occupy campus building
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By Desheania Andrews and Chris Nesi, New York Post
A fake bomb threat prompted an evacuation at Barnard College Wednesday evening as anti-Israel protesters occupied a campus building for a second consecutive week.
More than 50 NYPD officers in riot gear descended to the scene, ordering the more than 200 unruly keffiyeh-shrouded students to exit the Milstein Center and clear out at least 1,000 feet from the courtyard.
As cops struggled to remove protesters from the campus grounds, Columbia students joined in the fracas from across the street, chanting in solidarity with the Barnard students, “NYPD, KKK, they are all the same.”
Police eventually cleared the courtyard, but the students milled about on the lawn outside the building chanting, “no justice, no peace.”
After ignoring several orders to move a safe distance from the building, cops arrested at least nine people and took them into custody, sources said.
The NYPD announced shortly before 8 p.m. that the bomb threat was “investigated and cleared.”
The protesters had taken over the building, which serves as the academic hub of the elite private school, hanging an Old West-style “Wanted” poster and an effigy of school administrators in a startling escalation of their rhetoric.
Moments before the bomb threat was called in, the mob had been engaging in a raucous protest over two students who were expelled last month for barging into a class on modern Israel and tossing antisemitic flyers around the room.
An official department X account warned that “anyone who refuses to leave the location is subject to arrest.”
As the students barged into the building, they hung a large poster featuring Dean of Students Leslie Grinage on one of the building’s exterior plate windows, complete with Old West-style type.
“WANTED: Dean of Students Leslie Grinage for the expulsion of pro-Palestinian students. Reward for info leading to a meeting,” the poster read, which included a likeness of the administrator.
On the front door of the building, masked protesters hung a shoddy effigy — which was actually a plush puppet — of Barnard President Laura Rosenbury, who castigated student protesters for refusing to remove their masks in an op-ed in The Chronicle of Higher Education last week.
Video circulating on social media shows Barnard Vice President for Strategic Communications Robin Levine imploring the protesters to evacuate the Milstein Center due to the bomb threat.
“For the safety and security of our community and everyone in the building, you need to leave now,” Levine said. “This is not a joke.”
Before the bomb threat, Barnard sent out an email alerting the school community and denouncing the demonstration.
“Our academic mission is at the heart of what we do, and disruptions to that mission are an affront to the purpose of higher education and cannot be tolerated,” the missive read, in part.
“When masked disruptors first entered Milstein, classes were taking place, facilities were cleaning classrooms, and dining staff were preparing meals. We must not allow the actions of a few interfere with our mission. Campus activities outside of Milstein and throughout the rest of the campus are proceeding as normal.”
The school did not respond to follow-up questions about the bomb threat.
Last Wednesday, several dozen protesters stormed the campus’ Milbank Hall for several hours, egged on by pro-Hamas group Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine.
They demanded the expelled students be reinstated as well as amnesty for any protesters who were arrested for their actions during previous campus demonstrations.
A school security officer was injured in last week’s occupation, sending him to the hospital complaining of chest pains.
A fake bomb threat prompted an evacuation at Barnard College Wednesday evening as anti-Israel protesters occupied a campus building for a second consecutive week.
More than 50 NYPD officers in riot gear descended to the scene, ordering the more than 200 unruly keffiyeh-shrouded students to exit the Milstein Center and clear out at least 1,000 feet from the courtyard.
As cops struggled to remove protesters from the campus grounds, Columbia students joined in the fracas from across the street, chanting in solidarity with the Barnard students, “NYPD, KKK, they are all the same.”
Police eventually cleared the courtyard, but the students milled about on the lawn outside the building chanting, “no justice, no peace.”
After ignoring several orders to move a safe distance from the building, cops arrested at least nine people and took them into custody, sources said.
The NYPD announced shortly before 8 p.m. that the bomb threat was “investigated and cleared.”
The protesters had taken over the building, which serves as the academic hub of the elite private school, hanging an Old West-style “Wanted” poster and an effigy of school administrators in a startling escalation of their rhetoric.
Moments before the bomb threat was called in, the mob had been engaging in a raucous protest over two students who were expelled last month for barging into a class on modern Israel and tossing antisemitic flyers around the room.
An official department X account warned that “anyone who refuses to leave the location is subject to arrest.”
As the students barged into the building, they hung a large poster featuring Dean of Students Leslie Grinage on one of the building’s exterior plate windows, complete with Old West-style type.
“WANTED: Dean of Students Leslie Grinage for the expulsion of pro-Palestinian students. Reward for info leading to a meeting,” the poster read, which included a likeness of the administrator.
On the front door of the building, masked protesters hung a shoddy effigy — which was actually a plush puppet — of Barnard President Laura Rosenbury, who castigated student protesters for refusing to remove their masks in an op-ed in The Chronicle of Higher Education last week.
Video circulating on social media shows Barnard Vice President for Strategic Communications Robin Levine imploring the protesters to evacuate the Milstein Center due to the bomb threat.
“For the safety and security of our community and everyone in the building, you need to leave now,” Levine said. “This is not a joke.”
Before the bomb threat, Barnard sent out an email alerting the school community and denouncing the demonstration.
“Our academic mission is at the heart of what we do, and disruptions to that mission are an affront to the purpose of higher education and cannot be tolerated,” the missive read, in part.
“When masked disruptors first entered Milstein, classes were taking place, facilities were cleaning classrooms, and dining staff were preparing meals. We must not allow the actions of a few interfere with our mission. Campus activities outside of Milstein and throughout the rest of the campus are proceeding as normal.”
The school did not respond to follow-up questions about the bomb threat.
Last Wednesday, several dozen protesters stormed the campus’ Milbank Hall for several hours, egged on by pro-Hamas group Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine.
They demanded the expelled students be reinstated as well as amnesty for any protesters who were arrested for their actions during previous campus demonstrations.
A school security officer was injured in last week’s occupation, sending him to the hospital complaining of chest pains.
Social media explodes after Dems do not stand for 13-year-old cancer survivor: 'Truly sick people'
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By Cameron Arcand Fox News
Most Democrats appeared to remain sitting as a 13-year-old brain cancer survivor was asked to be made an honorary Secret Service agent, which led to swift criticism on X Tuesday night.
"A terminally ill child with brain cancer is given an honorary Secret Service award and the Democrats refuse to stand or clap for the child," Trump administration official Ric Grennell tweeted regarding the interaction between the 13-year-old and the president.
"Democrats refused to stand for the brain cancer surviving kid! How awful can one party be?" Outkick founder Clay Travis tweeted.
"Democrats didn’t even stand for the boy who survived brain cancer," Republican activist Scott Pressler posted on X.
"Democrats refused to stand or clap for a little boy fighting cancer," Libs of TikTok posted on X. "Truly sick people."
"Can’t believe the lousy Democrats can’t even applaud a little boy with brain cancer or a Kennedy who wants to Make America Healthy Again," New York Post columnist Miranda Devine posted on X.
However, others highlighted the overall importance of the moment.
"This is the first time I can remember crying during a state of the union. Thank you President Trump," Meghan McCain posted. "This is so beautiful. Anyone who has been impacted by brain cancer knows how special this is."
McCain’s father, the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., died of brain cancer in 2018.
Others explained why they were skeptical of the interaction.
"Trump is using a kid who had brain cancer as a prop. He wants to be a cop so he made him an honorary member of the secret service," liberal commentator Kyle Kulinski posted to X.
Some Democrats protested at the start of Trump's speech on Tuesday night, which even led to the removal of Rep. Al Green by the Sergeant of Arms at the request of House Speaker Mike Johnson. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-V.T., also exited the speech early.
Most Democrats appeared to remain sitting as a 13-year-old brain cancer survivor was asked to be made an honorary Secret Service agent, which led to swift criticism on X Tuesday night.
"A terminally ill child with brain cancer is given an honorary Secret Service award and the Democrats refuse to stand or clap for the child," Trump administration official Ric Grennell tweeted regarding the interaction between the 13-year-old and the president.
"Democrats refused to stand for the brain cancer surviving kid! How awful can one party be?" Outkick founder Clay Travis tweeted.
"Democrats didn’t even stand for the boy who survived brain cancer," Republican activist Scott Pressler posted on X.
"Democrats refused to stand or clap for a little boy fighting cancer," Libs of TikTok posted on X. "Truly sick people."
"Can’t believe the lousy Democrats can’t even applaud a little boy with brain cancer or a Kennedy who wants to Make America Healthy Again," New York Post columnist Miranda Devine posted on X.
However, others highlighted the overall importance of the moment.
"This is the first time I can remember crying during a state of the union. Thank you President Trump," Meghan McCain posted. "This is so beautiful. Anyone who has been impacted by brain cancer knows how special this is."
McCain’s father, the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., died of brain cancer in 2018.
Others explained why they were skeptical of the interaction.
"Trump is using a kid who had brain cancer as a prop. He wants to be a cop so he made him an honorary member of the secret service," liberal commentator Kyle Kulinski posted to X.
Some Democrats protested at the start of Trump's speech on Tuesday night, which even led to the removal of Rep. Al Green by the Sergeant of Arms at the request of House Speaker Mike Johnson. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-V.T., also exited the speech early.
John Fetterman takes aim at his own party in tweet about '#TheResistance': 'Hold our beer'
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By Alex Nitzberg, Fox News
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa. — who, in the wake of President Donald Trump's address before a joint session of Congress, accused his own party of "a sad cavalcade of self owns and unhinged petulance" — issued a tweet on Friday in which he once again called out Democrats.
"#TheResistance," he wrote, going on to list, "Snub a 13 year-old cancer survivor," "Joint Address Protest Paddle Bonanza" and "Bizarre 'Pick Your Fighter' videos."
"Hold our beer: Government Shutdown!" he continued, cautioning, "Never, never, never vote for a shutdown—ever."
Fox News Digital reached out to Fetterman's office to request a comment from the lawmaker on Friday, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Trump honored 13-year-old DJ Daniel during the address this week, noting that Daniel, who wants to become a police officer, was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2018.
"I am asking our new Secret Service Director, Sean Curran, to officially make you an agent of the United States Secret Service," Trump told the young man.
It was a "touching moment," Fetterman told Nicholas Ballasy for Fox News Digital earlier this week.
A viral video posted this week by social media influencer Sulhee Jessica Woo features Woo and several Democratic congresswomen posing in fighting stances, like video game characters — text on screen at the beginning of the video reads, "CHOOSE YOUR FIGHTER."
The video has been widely mocked, including by the White House. "Democrats Not Be Cringe Challenge. Level: Impossible," the White House's "Rapid Response 47" X account quipped.
Fetterman's post featured a screenshot of a Politico headline that read, "Senate Democrats' impending choice: Shutdown or surrender."
President Donald Trump has been advocating for using a continuing resolution to avert an approaching government shutdown. "I am working with the GREAT House Republicans on a Continuing Resolution to fund the Government until September to give us some needed time to work on our Agenda," he noted in a Truth Social post.
Getting enough votes to move a continuing resolution through the Senate will require some Democratic support.
"I'm never going to be a part of any vote that shuts the government down," Fetterman said, according to Politico. "The fact that anyone on our side would even rattle those sabers, that’s bulls---," he reportedly declared. "To think I’m going to burn the village down to save it, that’s bonkers."
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa. — who, in the wake of President Donald Trump's address before a joint session of Congress, accused his own party of "a sad cavalcade of self owns and unhinged petulance" — issued a tweet on Friday in which he once again called out Democrats.
"#TheResistance," he wrote, going on to list, "Snub a 13 year-old cancer survivor," "Joint Address Protest Paddle Bonanza" and "Bizarre 'Pick Your Fighter' videos."
"Hold our beer: Government Shutdown!" he continued, cautioning, "Never, never, never vote for a shutdown—ever."
Fox News Digital reached out to Fetterman's office to request a comment from the lawmaker on Friday, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Trump honored 13-year-old DJ Daniel during the address this week, noting that Daniel, who wants to become a police officer, was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2018.
"I am asking our new Secret Service Director, Sean Curran, to officially make you an agent of the United States Secret Service," Trump told the young man.
It was a "touching moment," Fetterman told Nicholas Ballasy for Fox News Digital earlier this week.
A viral video posted this week by social media influencer Sulhee Jessica Woo features Woo and several Democratic congresswomen posing in fighting stances, like video game characters — text on screen at the beginning of the video reads, "CHOOSE YOUR FIGHTER."
The video has been widely mocked, including by the White House. "Democrats Not Be Cringe Challenge. Level: Impossible," the White House's "Rapid Response 47" X account quipped.
Fetterman's post featured a screenshot of a Politico headline that read, "Senate Democrats' impending choice: Shutdown or surrender."
President Donald Trump has been advocating for using a continuing resolution to avert an approaching government shutdown. "I am working with the GREAT House Republicans on a Continuing Resolution to fund the Government until September to give us some needed time to work on our Agenda," he noted in a Truth Social post.
Getting enough votes to move a continuing resolution through the Senate will require some Democratic support.
"I'm never going to be a part of any vote that shuts the government down," Fetterman said, according to Politico. "The fact that anyone on our side would even rattle those sabers, that’s bulls---," he reportedly declared. "To think I’m going to burn the village down to save it, that’s bonkers."
Dems disrupt House vote to censure Al Green for heckling Trump during congressional address
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By Ryan King, New York Post
A group of Democratic lawmakers briefly threw the House of Representatives into disarray Thursday following a bipartisan vote to censure Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) for disrupting President Trump’s address to Congress.
While Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) read the rebuke of Green aloud, a handful of Dem reps joined him in the well of the House chamber, refusing to leave before singing the Civil Rights Era anthem “We Shall Overcome.”
“The House will come to order,” Johnson demanded after finishing the reading as Democrats continued singing.
“Clear the well please,” the speaker added, “the House will continue its business.”
The Democrats refused to leave, forcing Johnson to recess the chamber.
Just before the chaotic episode, the House voted 224-198 to approve the resolution denouncing Green, 77, who voted present and is now the 28th lawmaker in US history to be censured.
Ten Democrats backed the resolution: Long Island Reps. Laura Gillen and Tom Suozzi, Ami Bera of California, Ed Case of Hawaii, Jim Costa of California, Jim Himes of Connecticut, Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, Jared Moskowitz of Florida, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington State.
Rep. Shomari Figures (D-Ala.) joined Green in voting present.
The vote does not strip Green of any privileges, though some Republicans had suggested he be removed from his committees as punishment for his outburst.
The conservative House Freedom Caucus announced later Thursday that it will be pushing a measure to strip Green of his committee assignments over his disruption.
Moments into Trump’s remarks Tuesday night, Green repeatedly shouted that the president “had no mandate” and was removed from the House chamber by sergeant-at-arms William McFarland after he declined to stop.
“I heard the speaker when he said that I should cease, I did not, and I did not with intentionality. It was not done out of a burst of emotion,” Green admitted Thursday before the House vote. “I was emotional about it, but I did it with intentionality.”
“The sheer disregard for decorum during the President’s address from my colleague is unacceptable,” Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) who formally introduced the resolution, said before the vote.
“A member’s refusal to adhere to the speaker’s direction to cease such behavior, regardless of their party, has and will continue to be reprimanded in the people’s House.”
Democrats had attempted to kill the censure resolution Wednesday evening, but came up short in a 211-209 party-line vote.
Other Democrats also protested against Trump during his Tuesday address, with some opting to skip the speech, while others held signs criticizing the commander in chief.
Most sat silently and refused to applaud any of Trump’s statements and a few dozen left the House chamber before the president concluded.
“Donald Trump is not the Republican president. He’s the American president,” Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-Wash.) said during the censure debate.
“And what happened … was beneath the dignity of the House and beneath the dignity of the American people.”
Green himself said he was prepared to accept the censure, saying Thursday he was “not upset with the members who are going to bring the motions or resolution to sanction. I will suffer the consequences.
“But I must add this, what I did was from my heart. People are suffering, and I was talking about Medicaid, I didn’t just say you don’t have a mandate. I said you don’t have a mandate to cut Medicaid,” he added.
“Truthfully, I would do it again.”
The last time the lower chamber censured a member was in late 2023 when the House rebuked then-Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) for pulling a fire alarm in the Capitol complex during the middle of consideration of a resolution to avert a government shutdown.
A group of Democratic lawmakers briefly threw the House of Representatives into disarray Thursday following a bipartisan vote to censure Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) for disrupting President Trump’s address to Congress.
While Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) read the rebuke of Green aloud, a handful of Dem reps joined him in the well of the House chamber, refusing to leave before singing the Civil Rights Era anthem “We Shall Overcome.”
“The House will come to order,” Johnson demanded after finishing the reading as Democrats continued singing.
“Clear the well please,” the speaker added, “the House will continue its business.”
The Democrats refused to leave, forcing Johnson to recess the chamber.
Just before the chaotic episode, the House voted 224-198 to approve the resolution denouncing Green, 77, who voted present and is now the 28th lawmaker in US history to be censured.
Ten Democrats backed the resolution: Long Island Reps. Laura Gillen and Tom Suozzi, Ami Bera of California, Ed Case of Hawaii, Jim Costa of California, Jim Himes of Connecticut, Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, Jared Moskowitz of Florida, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington State.
Rep. Shomari Figures (D-Ala.) joined Green in voting present.
The vote does not strip Green of any privileges, though some Republicans had suggested he be removed from his committees as punishment for his outburst.
The conservative House Freedom Caucus announced later Thursday that it will be pushing a measure to strip Green of his committee assignments over his disruption.
Moments into Trump’s remarks Tuesday night, Green repeatedly shouted that the president “had no mandate” and was removed from the House chamber by sergeant-at-arms William McFarland after he declined to stop.
“I heard the speaker when he said that I should cease, I did not, and I did not with intentionality. It was not done out of a burst of emotion,” Green admitted Thursday before the House vote. “I was emotional about it, but I did it with intentionality.”
“The sheer disregard for decorum during the President’s address from my colleague is unacceptable,” Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) who formally introduced the resolution, said before the vote.
“A member’s refusal to adhere to the speaker’s direction to cease such behavior, regardless of their party, has and will continue to be reprimanded in the people’s House.”
Democrats had attempted to kill the censure resolution Wednesday evening, but came up short in a 211-209 party-line vote.
Other Democrats also protested against Trump during his Tuesday address, with some opting to skip the speech, while others held signs criticizing the commander in chief.
Most sat silently and refused to applaud any of Trump’s statements and a few dozen left the House chamber before the president concluded.
“Donald Trump is not the Republican president. He’s the American president,” Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-Wash.) said during the censure debate.
“And what happened … was beneath the dignity of the House and beneath the dignity of the American people.”
Green himself said he was prepared to accept the censure, saying Thursday he was “not upset with the members who are going to bring the motions or resolution to sanction. I will suffer the consequences.
“But I must add this, what I did was from my heart. People are suffering, and I was talking about Medicaid, I didn’t just say you don’t have a mandate. I said you don’t have a mandate to cut Medicaid,” he added.
“Truthfully, I would do it again.”
The last time the lower chamber censured a member was in late 2023 when the House rebuked then-Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) for pulling a fire alarm in the Capitol complex during the middle of consideration of a resolution to avert a government shutdown.
Hegseth declares 97% drop in illegal crossings since military took ‘operational control’ of the southern border
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By Jamie McIntyre, Washingon Examiner
Before heading to the U.S.-Mexico border with Vice President J.D. Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was already declaring victory in sealing the border against what President Donald Trump has characterized as an invasion of America by “inadmissible and removable aliens.”
“President Trump gave us a charge: 100% operational control of the Southern border. Border security is national security,” Hegseth said in an appearance on Fox and Friends. “Over 20 million people … poured in across our open-border policy, which created recklessness, death, drugs for our communities. We’re sending those folks home and we’re not letting more in, and you’re seeing that right now.”
Hegseth cited a historic low level of border crossings since Trump took office, and the Pentagon deployed thousands of additional troops in support of the Department of Homeland Security to secure the border. “Not quite to zero yet — 97% drop,” Hegseth said. “The deterrent effect is there. We’ve brought in the military.”
Hegseth said some of the credit goes to Mexico, who responded to Trump’s entreaties by dispatching some 10,000 Mexican troops to its side of the border. “Right now, we have historic cooperation, military-to-military, but we’re letting them lead. It’s their country. It’s their fight. We want them to lead that fight. So far, they have stepped up, which is a very good sign.”
“My message to Mexican leaders and Mexican military leaders has been, ‘We want to cooperate with you, and we will cooperate with you. But if you don’t police up the cartels on your side of the border, then we’ll be forced to do it for you. We don’t want to do that.’”
In his joint address to Congress Tuesday night, Trump said his election sent a clear message to migrants who, in the past, would enter the United States with impunity. “They heard my words, and they chose not to come. Much easier that way. In comparison, under Joe Biden, the worst president in American history, there were hundreds of thousands of illegal crossings a month.”
“Within hours of taking the oath of office, I declared a national emergency on our southern border. And I deployed the U.S. Military and Border Patrol to repel the invasion of our country. And what a job they’ve done,” Trump said. “As a result, illegal border crossings last month were by far the lowest ever recorded. Ever.”
Tracking illegal immigration is tricky because trends fluctuate. Most of the statistics measure “encounters” at the border, which can include both legal and illegal immigration. They also do not include so-called “got-aways,” people who managed to sneak across the border undetected.
Hegseth said those “got-aways” could be measured in the “single digits.”
Trump continues to portray “virtually all” illegal migrants as “murderers, drug dealers, gang members and people from mental institutions and insane asylums.”
It’s a characterization echoed by Trump border czar Tom Homan. “President Trump promised American people we’re going to shut down illegal alien crime in this country. That’s exactly what we’re doing,” Homan told Laura Ingraham on her Fox News program, responding to criticism from Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, who said her sanctuary policies were actually making the city “the safest it has been in anyone’s lifetime.”
“Mayor Wu should be standing side-by-side with me. Who does not want to bring hell to an illegal alien that raped a child, not one, many,” Homan said. “Look, we took two murderers off the streets of Chicago. Is that city safer? We took child predators off the streets of Chicago. Does that make that city safer?” Homan said. “Every crime committed by an illegal alien, every child raped by an illegal alien, every public safety threat by an illegal alien could have been prevented because they’re not supposed to be here.”
“We got a safer border because we got a safer border. Ninety-seven percent less people are coming. Less women are being raped; less children are drowning in the river. Less Americans dying from fentanyl overdoses. Less sex traffic in women and children,” Holman said. “Look, they can hate me all they want. We’re coming. I said I’m going to bring hell. I meant it.”
Good Thursday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Christopher Tremoglie. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre.
Before heading to the U.S.-Mexico border with Vice President J.D. Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was already declaring victory in sealing the border against what President Donald Trump has characterized as an invasion of America by “inadmissible and removable aliens.”
“President Trump gave us a charge: 100% operational control of the Southern border. Border security is national security,” Hegseth said in an appearance on Fox and Friends. “Over 20 million people … poured in across our open-border policy, which created recklessness, death, drugs for our communities. We’re sending those folks home and we’re not letting more in, and you’re seeing that right now.”
Hegseth cited a historic low level of border crossings since Trump took office, and the Pentagon deployed thousands of additional troops in support of the Department of Homeland Security to secure the border. “Not quite to zero yet — 97% drop,” Hegseth said. “The deterrent effect is there. We’ve brought in the military.”
Hegseth said some of the credit goes to Mexico, who responded to Trump’s entreaties by dispatching some 10,000 Mexican troops to its side of the border. “Right now, we have historic cooperation, military-to-military, but we’re letting them lead. It’s their country. It’s their fight. We want them to lead that fight. So far, they have stepped up, which is a very good sign.”
“My message to Mexican leaders and Mexican military leaders has been, ‘We want to cooperate with you, and we will cooperate with you. But if you don’t police up the cartels on your side of the border, then we’ll be forced to do it for you. We don’t want to do that.’”
In his joint address to Congress Tuesday night, Trump said his election sent a clear message to migrants who, in the past, would enter the United States with impunity. “They heard my words, and they chose not to come. Much easier that way. In comparison, under Joe Biden, the worst president in American history, there were hundreds of thousands of illegal crossings a month.”
“Within hours of taking the oath of office, I declared a national emergency on our southern border. And I deployed the U.S. Military and Border Patrol to repel the invasion of our country. And what a job they’ve done,” Trump said. “As a result, illegal border crossings last month were by far the lowest ever recorded. Ever.”
Tracking illegal immigration is tricky because trends fluctuate. Most of the statistics measure “encounters” at the border, which can include both legal and illegal immigration. They also do not include so-called “got-aways,” people who managed to sneak across the border undetected.
Hegseth said those “got-aways” could be measured in the “single digits.”
Trump continues to portray “virtually all” illegal migrants as “murderers, drug dealers, gang members and people from mental institutions and insane asylums.”
It’s a characterization echoed by Trump border czar Tom Homan. “President Trump promised American people we’re going to shut down illegal alien crime in this country. That’s exactly what we’re doing,” Homan told Laura Ingraham on her Fox News program, responding to criticism from Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, who said her sanctuary policies were actually making the city “the safest it has been in anyone’s lifetime.”
“Mayor Wu should be standing side-by-side with me. Who does not want to bring hell to an illegal alien that raped a child, not one, many,” Homan said. “Look, we took two murderers off the streets of Chicago. Is that city safer? We took child predators off the streets of Chicago. Does that make that city safer?” Homan said. “Every crime committed by an illegal alien, every child raped by an illegal alien, every public safety threat by an illegal alien could have been prevented because they’re not supposed to be here.”
“We got a safer border because we got a safer border. Ninety-seven percent less people are coming. Less women are being raped; less children are drowning in the river. Less Americans dying from fentanyl overdoses. Less sex traffic in women and children,” Holman said. “Look, they can hate me all they want. We’re coming. I said I’m going to bring hell. I meant it.”
Good Thursday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Christopher Tremoglie. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre.
Chicago resident slams Democrats' attempts to 'racialize' immigration issues amid sanctuary city hearings
Read the article here
By Madison Colombo, Fox News
Sanctuary city mayors are facing intense scrutiny following their testimony before Congress, where they defended their resistance to federal immigration enforcement.
Chicago resident P-Rae Easley, who traveled to Washington for the House Oversight Committee hearing, voiced frustration over her city’s handling of the migrant crisis, arguing that taxpayer money should not be spent on individuals who entered the country illegally.
"Our goal is to protect our families, not people who chose to skirt our U.S. immigration laws and sneak into our country," Easley said Wednesday on "America Reports."
"It’s not fair that they’re held to a lesser standard than us. It’s like they’re special. And we want to know what makes these people so special that they can't be prosecuted, they get our tax dollars, they get free housing, they get free healthcare. It’s like we’re at a disadvantage because we’re citizens."
She expressed gratitude to Congress for shedding light on what she sees as mismanagement by Democratic city leaders, including her own mayor.
"We have been in a situation where our tax dollars, resources, and time have been allocated to illegal aliens because our city has been magnetized for illegal immigration through sanctuary policies," she said.
The mayors of Chicago, New York, Denver, and Boston testified before the House Oversight Committee regarding their response to President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. Their testimony comes as many sanctuary cities struggle with growing financial and logistical challenges linked to the influx of migrants.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson defended his administration’s stance, arguing that deportation policies could increase crime by discouraging cooperation with law enforcement.
"Any actions that amplify fears of deportations makes Chicago more dangerous," Johnson said to lawmakers. "Those fears cause witnesses and victims to avoid cooperating with police. The cooperation of all people, regardless of their immigration status, is essential to achieving the city’s goals of reducing crime and pursuing justice for victims."
Johnson has repeatedly reaffirmed Chicago’s status as a sanctuary city, rejecting federal intervention. But residents like Easley say the policies place an unfair burden on taxpayers.
"We don’t go to work to pay for illegal immigrants," she said. "We don’t fight the snow, and the rain, and the heat to go out into this world to pay taxes in order to pay for the entire third world."
Chicago has spent over $638 million on its "New Arrivals Mission," which funds housing, healthcare, and other services for migrants. New York City is projected to spend $3.3 billion in fiscal year 2025 to support its migrant population.
Easley, who identifies as an "eighth-generation free American," said she finds the city’s priorities "insulting."
"It’s not fair to us, especially me as an American Negro woman. I’m not an immigrant at all. So this is none of my business as a 100% eighth-generation free American," she said. "The laws and our sovereignty are not being respected."
Easley also pushed back against claims that opposition to sanctuary policies is racially motivated.
"They want to try to make this a racialized issue, they want to try to make this xenophobic," she said. "But by doing that, it ignores people like myself who are not a part of the White majority but are 100% Americans. We can’t stand for this."
Sanctuary city mayors are facing intense scrutiny following their testimony before Congress, where they defended their resistance to federal immigration enforcement.
Chicago resident P-Rae Easley, who traveled to Washington for the House Oversight Committee hearing, voiced frustration over her city’s handling of the migrant crisis, arguing that taxpayer money should not be spent on individuals who entered the country illegally.
"Our goal is to protect our families, not people who chose to skirt our U.S. immigration laws and sneak into our country," Easley said Wednesday on "America Reports."
"It’s not fair that they’re held to a lesser standard than us. It’s like they’re special. And we want to know what makes these people so special that they can't be prosecuted, they get our tax dollars, they get free housing, they get free healthcare. It’s like we’re at a disadvantage because we’re citizens."
She expressed gratitude to Congress for shedding light on what she sees as mismanagement by Democratic city leaders, including her own mayor.
"We have been in a situation where our tax dollars, resources, and time have been allocated to illegal aliens because our city has been magnetized for illegal immigration through sanctuary policies," she said.
The mayors of Chicago, New York, Denver, and Boston testified before the House Oversight Committee regarding their response to President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. Their testimony comes as many sanctuary cities struggle with growing financial and logistical challenges linked to the influx of migrants.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson defended his administration’s stance, arguing that deportation policies could increase crime by discouraging cooperation with law enforcement.
"Any actions that amplify fears of deportations makes Chicago more dangerous," Johnson said to lawmakers. "Those fears cause witnesses and victims to avoid cooperating with police. The cooperation of all people, regardless of their immigration status, is essential to achieving the city’s goals of reducing crime and pursuing justice for victims."
Johnson has repeatedly reaffirmed Chicago’s status as a sanctuary city, rejecting federal intervention. But residents like Easley say the policies place an unfair burden on taxpayers.
"We don’t go to work to pay for illegal immigrants," she said. "We don’t fight the snow, and the rain, and the heat to go out into this world to pay taxes in order to pay for the entire third world."
Chicago has spent over $638 million on its "New Arrivals Mission," which funds housing, healthcare, and other services for migrants. New York City is projected to spend $3.3 billion in fiscal year 2025 to support its migrant population.
Easley, who identifies as an "eighth-generation free American," said she finds the city’s priorities "insulting."
"It’s not fair to us, especially me as an American Negro woman. I’m not an immigrant at all. So this is none of my business as a 100% eighth-generation free American," she said. "The laws and our sovereignty are not being respected."
Easley also pushed back against claims that opposition to sanctuary policies is racially motivated.
"They want to try to make this a racialized issue, they want to try to make this xenophobic," she said. "But by doing that, it ignores people like myself who are not a part of the White majority but are 100% Americans. We can’t stand for this."
Canadians are 'fed up,' says Alberta lawyer leading delegation to Washington for statehood talks
Read the article here
By Madison Colombo Fox News
A Canadian lawyer is leading efforts to explore the possibility of Alberta joining the U.S., as President Donald Trump continues to push for closer ties with Canada’s energy-rich province.
"There’s literally hundreds of Albertans that are reaching out and volunteering to join our delegation," Jeffrey Rath said Thursday on "FOX & Friends."
Rath and a small group of Albertans are planning to travel to Washington, D.C., to discuss potential pathways for Alberta, including independence with economic ties to the U.S., territorial status, or full statehood.
He believes the movement will gain traction as dissatisfaction with Canada’s federal leadership grows.
"It’s a steering committee of people that are looking to come to Washington on an exploratory basis and meet with a representative appointed by President Trump," Rath explained.
"To explore the benefits of either Alberta becoming an independent sovereign nation with economic union to the United States, becoming a U.S. territory, or pursuing full statehood."
Rath argues that Alberta, home to 4.9 million people and a major hub for oil, manufacturing, and construction, has little in common with Canada’s political elite.
"They’ve completely lost their way," he said, criticizing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s administration.
"Trudeau and [former Bank of Canada Governor Mark] Carney, you know, are all wringing their hands over tariffs. They’re going to be kicking Albertans in the teeth and bringing in a 21% carbon tax increase in April."
Rath claims that Albertans feel alienated from Ottawa’s policies and share more cultural and economic ties with Montana than with the rest of Canada.
"People in Alberta are fed up with being governed by idiotic politicians back in Ontario, that do not understand our province and do not understand that culturally, we’re far more closely affiliated with our friends to the south in Montana, than we are with all of the people in Ottawa," he said.
Canadian leaders have rejected the notion of Alberta leaving the country. Trudeau reaffirmed Canada’s sovereignty, telling reporters there is "not a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada will ever be the 51st state."
Rath, however, believes Alberta should have the right to choose its own future. He and other local leaders are drafting a proposal to present to Trump’s administration, urging the U.S. to support Alberta’s push for self-determination.
"Please support Alberta self-determination. Promise that to Alberta in the same way you promised it to Greenland. We’ll be an excellent partner to the United States and we’ll all prosper," Rath said.
A Canadian lawyer is leading efforts to explore the possibility of Alberta joining the U.S., as President Donald Trump continues to push for closer ties with Canada’s energy-rich province.
"There’s literally hundreds of Albertans that are reaching out and volunteering to join our delegation," Jeffrey Rath said Thursday on "FOX & Friends."
Rath and a small group of Albertans are planning to travel to Washington, D.C., to discuss potential pathways for Alberta, including independence with economic ties to the U.S., territorial status, or full statehood.
He believes the movement will gain traction as dissatisfaction with Canada’s federal leadership grows.
"It’s a steering committee of people that are looking to come to Washington on an exploratory basis and meet with a representative appointed by President Trump," Rath explained.
"To explore the benefits of either Alberta becoming an independent sovereign nation with economic union to the United States, becoming a U.S. territory, or pursuing full statehood."
Rath argues that Alberta, home to 4.9 million people and a major hub for oil, manufacturing, and construction, has little in common with Canada’s political elite.
"They’ve completely lost their way," he said, criticizing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s administration.
"Trudeau and [former Bank of Canada Governor Mark] Carney, you know, are all wringing their hands over tariffs. They’re going to be kicking Albertans in the teeth and bringing in a 21% carbon tax increase in April."
Rath claims that Albertans feel alienated from Ottawa’s policies and share more cultural and economic ties with Montana than with the rest of Canada.
"People in Alberta are fed up with being governed by idiotic politicians back in Ontario, that do not understand our province and do not understand that culturally, we’re far more closely affiliated with our friends to the south in Montana, than we are with all of the people in Ottawa," he said.
Canadian leaders have rejected the notion of Alberta leaving the country. Trudeau reaffirmed Canada’s sovereignty, telling reporters there is "not a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada will ever be the 51st state."
Rath, however, believes Alberta should have the right to choose its own future. He and other local leaders are drafting a proposal to present to Trump’s administration, urging the U.S. to support Alberta’s push for self-determination.
"Please support Alberta self-determination. Promise that to Alberta in the same way you promised it to Greenland. We’ll be an excellent partner to the United States and we’ll all prosper," Rath said.
Stranded astronaut confirms Biden shot down Musk’s offer to bring pair home: ‘Absolutely factual’
Read the article here
By Jared Downing, New York Post
One of the NASA astronauts trapped on the International Space Station said he believes Elon Musk’s claim that the Biden administration rejected the SpaceX CEO’s offer to help bring the team home.
Barry “Butch” Wilmore made the comment Tuesday during an in-orbit press conference with fellow castaway Sunita Williams nine months after their Boeing Starliner capsule malfunctioned and left the pair stuck on the ISS.
One questioner asked about Musk’s recent claim that former President Joe Biden had intentionally stalled their rescue for “political reasons.”
In an earlier question, Wilmore denied that politics had anything to do with the team’s delayed departure, but he seemed to shift his stance when answering the later question.
“I can only say that Mr. Musk, what he says, is absolutely factual … I believe him,” he said.
SpaceX launched a Crew Dragon capsule to rescue the pair last September, but after it docked at the space station, NASA opted to stall its return.
Musk, who donated $288 million to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that working with him to bring the astronauts back would have made Trump “look good” and that Biden “didn’t want the publicity” so close to the presidential election.
Although Wilmore said he trusts Musk, he added that he and Williams knew nothing about the behind-closed-doors discussion regarding their rescue.
“We have no information on that, though, whatsoever. What was offered, what was not offered, who it was offered to, how that process went. That’s information that we simply don’t have,” he said.
Wilmore also voiced his support for both the new president and the world’s richest man.
“All of us have the utmost respect for Mr. Musk, and obviously, respect and admiration for our president of the United States, Donald Trump. We appreciate them. We appreciate all that they do for us, for human space flight, for our nation,” Williams said.
The comment came two weeks before Wilmore and Williams’ belated return to Earth.
The pair also fielded a question about Musk’s recent statement on X that the international community should take the ISS out of orbit “as soon as possible” and devote its resources to reaching Mars.
“I actually was extremely impressed coming up here and seeing how much science is going on,” Williams said. “This place is ticking. It’s just really amazing. So I would say we’re actually in our prime right now. … I would think that right now is probably not the right time to say, quit, to call it quits.”
One of the NASA astronauts trapped on the International Space Station said he believes Elon Musk’s claim that the Biden administration rejected the SpaceX CEO’s offer to help bring the team home.
Barry “Butch” Wilmore made the comment Tuesday during an in-orbit press conference with fellow castaway Sunita Williams nine months after their Boeing Starliner capsule malfunctioned and left the pair stuck on the ISS.
One questioner asked about Musk’s recent claim that former President Joe Biden had intentionally stalled their rescue for “political reasons.”
In an earlier question, Wilmore denied that politics had anything to do with the team’s delayed departure, but he seemed to shift his stance when answering the later question.
“I can only say that Mr. Musk, what he says, is absolutely factual … I believe him,” he said.
SpaceX launched a Crew Dragon capsule to rescue the pair last September, but after it docked at the space station, NASA opted to stall its return.
Musk, who donated $288 million to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that working with him to bring the astronauts back would have made Trump “look good” and that Biden “didn’t want the publicity” so close to the presidential election.
Although Wilmore said he trusts Musk, he added that he and Williams knew nothing about the behind-closed-doors discussion regarding their rescue.
“We have no information on that, though, whatsoever. What was offered, what was not offered, who it was offered to, how that process went. That’s information that we simply don’t have,” he said.
Wilmore also voiced his support for both the new president and the world’s richest man.
“All of us have the utmost respect for Mr. Musk, and obviously, respect and admiration for our president of the United States, Donald Trump. We appreciate them. We appreciate all that they do for us, for human space flight, for our nation,” Williams said.
The comment came two weeks before Wilmore and Williams’ belated return to Earth.
The pair also fielded a question about Musk’s recent statement on X that the international community should take the ISS out of orbit “as soon as possible” and devote its resources to reaching Mars.
“I actually was extremely impressed coming up here and seeing how much science is going on,” Williams said. “This place is ticking. It’s just really amazing. So I would say we’re actually in our prime right now. … I would think that right now is probably not the right time to say, quit, to call it quits.”
University of Virginia Spends $20 Million On 235 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Employees
Read the article here
by James Bacon
The following is an excerpt from an article published by OpenTheBooks], a nonprofit group dedicated to transparency in government spending, for which The Jefferson Council contributed research and fact-checking. OpenTheBooks CEO Adam Andrzejewski will speak at The Jefferson Council 3rd annual meeting April 9.
The University of Virginia has at least 235 employees under its “diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)” banner — including 82 students — whose total cost of employment is estimated at $20 million. That’s $15 million in cash compensation plus an additional 30 percent for the annual cost of their benefits.
In contrast, last Friday, the University of Florida dismissed its DEI bureaucracy, saving students and taxpayers $5 million per year. The university terminated 13 full-time DEI positions and 15 administrative faculty appointments. Those funds have been re-programmed into a “faculty recruitment fund” to attract better people who actually teach students.
No such luck for learning at Virginia’s flagship university — founded by Thomas Jefferson no less. UVA has a much deeper DEI infrastructure.
Reform or abolition must await this summer’s anticipated changes in the school’s Board of Visitors. At least until then, the very highly compensated, generally non-teaching, DEI staffers are safely embedded throughout the entire university — while costing students and taxpayers a fortune.
Our team of auditors at OpenTheBooks.com reviewed the university payroll file for 2023 to sort out the DEI position head counts, compensation, and then estimated the cost of benefits.
Meet The Top Paid DEI Executives
Martin N. Davidson, senior associate dean of the Darden School of Business & global chief diversity officer, earns the most in a DEI role, at $452,000, or $587,340 including benefits. For comparison, Glenn Youngkin, the governor of Virginia earned $175,000.
The second most highly compensated DEI executive is Kevin G. McDonald, the vice president for diversity, equity, inclusion and community partnerships, who takes home $401,465, or an estimated $520,000 with benefits.
Those in DEI leadership roles such as vice presidents, associate/assistant deans, directors, assistant directors and managers earned up to $312,000 last year, or $400,000 with benefits.
When McDonald began in his position in August 2019, he was making $340,000, eligible for a 10-percent bonus every year. His first year, he was given a $25,000 recruitment bonus and up to $30,000 for relocation costs, according to UVA records provided through the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.
Some of the DEI chiefs have been transparent about their philosophies during their public comments. For example, Rachel Spraker, an assistant vice president for equity & inclusive excellence — where she earned $186,800 last year or $242,840 with benefits — described the opioid epidemic in Appalachia as an example of “white toxicity.”
DEI staff aren’t the only well-paid employees in controversial roles at UVA.
Lanice Avery, an assistant professor of psychology in the departments of Psychology and Women, Gender and Sexuality, makes $102,200 ($132,860 with estimated benefits). She runs the Research on Intersectionality, Sexuality, and Empowerment (RISE) Lab at UVA and writes and speaks about black, female sexuality, and describes herself as a “board-certified sexologist” and speaks online about her orgasms.
UVA’s DEI Infrastructure
What does the DEI bureaucracy do?
There are 187 UVA employees and students dedicated to “assist and monitor all units of the University in their efforts to recruit and retain faculty, staff, and student from historically underrepresented groups and to provide affirmative and supportive environments for work and life…”
Here are some of the university agencies committed to the DEI mission. If you think you are seeing double in this list, you are right:
Then, there are another 48 employees and students working in roles related to DEI and advancing equality for women, minorities, etc.
Adding to the confusion, the university has consistently undercounted DEI staffers in presentations to the public. In April 2023, Kevin McDonald told the New York Times that UVA had only 40 DEI employees. In May 2023, a presentation to the Board of Visitors claimed UVA had only 55 DEI positions.
Even our list of 235 employees is not complete. Here is a great example of an executive with a hidden DEI mission:
Kimberley Barker, Librarian for Digital Life ($80,000, or $104,000 with benefits). Barker isn’t in our database, however, she is the DEI leader for the Health System Library — the “IDEA (Inclusion Diversity Equity Accessibility) lead. Her university bio page lists her as the “Librarian for Belonging and Community Engagement.”
UVA was founded by Thomas Jefferson, the author of our Declaration of Independence. Jefferson’s work presented the moral case for a common freedom among all men. The university has an historic opportunity to promote the time-tested principles:
But, instead of working towards the ideal of the Shining City on the Hill under Jeffersonian principles, his university embraced the divisive quotas of the neo-Marxist DEI crowd.
Tens of millions of dollars in student tuition and taxpayer monies are flowing into promoting anti-American notions and radical philosophies that judge the color of one’s skin instead of the content — and competence — of their character.
Students, taxpayers and all who care about learning can look to Florida as the beacon of a new day. Perhaps Virginia, a birthplace of our Constitutional republic, home to birth places of individual rights and freedoms in America, will emulate the model.
The following is an excerpt from an article published by OpenTheBooks], a nonprofit group dedicated to transparency in government spending, for which The Jefferson Council contributed research and fact-checking. OpenTheBooks CEO Adam Andrzejewski will speak at The Jefferson Council 3rd annual meeting April 9.
The University of Virginia has at least 235 employees under its “diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)” banner — including 82 students — whose total cost of employment is estimated at $20 million. That’s $15 million in cash compensation plus an additional 30 percent for the annual cost of their benefits.
In contrast, last Friday, the University of Florida dismissed its DEI bureaucracy, saving students and taxpayers $5 million per year. The university terminated 13 full-time DEI positions and 15 administrative faculty appointments. Those funds have been re-programmed into a “faculty recruitment fund” to attract better people who actually teach students.
No such luck for learning at Virginia’s flagship university — founded by Thomas Jefferson no less. UVA has a much deeper DEI infrastructure.
Reform or abolition must await this summer’s anticipated changes in the school’s Board of Visitors. At least until then, the very highly compensated, generally non-teaching, DEI staffers are safely embedded throughout the entire university — while costing students and taxpayers a fortune.
Our team of auditors at OpenTheBooks.com reviewed the university payroll file for 2023 to sort out the DEI position head counts, compensation, and then estimated the cost of benefits.
Meet The Top Paid DEI Executives
Martin N. Davidson, senior associate dean of the Darden School of Business & global chief diversity officer, earns the most in a DEI role, at $452,000, or $587,340 including benefits. For comparison, Glenn Youngkin, the governor of Virginia earned $175,000.
The second most highly compensated DEI executive is Kevin G. McDonald, the vice president for diversity, equity, inclusion and community partnerships, who takes home $401,465, or an estimated $520,000 with benefits.
Those in DEI leadership roles such as vice presidents, associate/assistant deans, directors, assistant directors and managers earned up to $312,000 last year, or $400,000 with benefits.
When McDonald began in his position in August 2019, he was making $340,000, eligible for a 10-percent bonus every year. His first year, he was given a $25,000 recruitment bonus and up to $30,000 for relocation costs, according to UVA records provided through the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.
Some of the DEI chiefs have been transparent about their philosophies during their public comments. For example, Rachel Spraker, an assistant vice president for equity & inclusive excellence — where she earned $186,800 last year or $242,840 with benefits — described the opioid epidemic in Appalachia as an example of “white toxicity.”
DEI staff aren’t the only well-paid employees in controversial roles at UVA.
Lanice Avery, an assistant professor of psychology in the departments of Psychology and Women, Gender and Sexuality, makes $102,200 ($132,860 with estimated benefits). She runs the Research on Intersectionality, Sexuality, and Empowerment (RISE) Lab at UVA and writes and speaks about black, female sexuality, and describes herself as a “board-certified sexologist” and speaks online about her orgasms.
UVA’s DEI Infrastructure
What does the DEI bureaucracy do?
There are 187 UVA employees and students dedicated to “assist and monitor all units of the University in their efforts to recruit and retain faculty, staff, and student from historically underrepresented groups and to provide affirmative and supportive environments for work and life…”
Here are some of the university agencies committed to the DEI mission. If you think you are seeing double in this list, you are right:
- Equity Center (110 employees total: 37 employees +73 students),
- Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (17 employees +1 student),
- Multicultural Student Services (6 employees +10 students),
- Office of Diversity & Engagement (3 employees + 4 students)
- Center for Diversity (4 students)
Then, there are another 48 employees and students working in roles related to DEI and advancing equality for women, minorities, etc.
- Maxine Platzer Lynn Women’s Center (21 employees, including 4 undergrad students/interns)
- Office of Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights (16 employees working on Title IX compliance, sexual misconduct investigations and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, among other things)
- Office of African American Affairs (4 employees)
- Center for Global Health Equity (4 employees and 3 student employees working on providing health services to mostly Third World countries)
Adding to the confusion, the university has consistently undercounted DEI staffers in presentations to the public. In April 2023, Kevin McDonald told the New York Times that UVA had only 40 DEI employees. In May 2023, a presentation to the Board of Visitors claimed UVA had only 55 DEI positions.
Even our list of 235 employees is not complete. Here is a great example of an executive with a hidden DEI mission:
Kimberley Barker, Librarian for Digital Life ($80,000, or $104,000 with benefits). Barker isn’t in our database, however, she is the DEI leader for the Health System Library — the “IDEA (Inclusion Diversity Equity Accessibility) lead. Her university bio page lists her as the “Librarian for Belonging and Community Engagement.”
UVA was founded by Thomas Jefferson, the author of our Declaration of Independence. Jefferson’s work presented the moral case for a common freedom among all men. The university has an historic opportunity to promote the time-tested principles:
Quote:“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…”
But, instead of working towards the ideal of the Shining City on the Hill under Jeffersonian principles, his university embraced the divisive quotas of the neo-Marxist DEI crowd.
Tens of millions of dollars in student tuition and taxpayer monies are flowing into promoting anti-American notions and radical philosophies that judge the color of one’s skin instead of the content — and competence — of their character.
Students, taxpayers and all who care about learning can look to Florida as the beacon of a new day. Perhaps Virginia, a birthplace of our Constitutional republic, home to birth places of individual rights and freedoms in America, will emulate the model.
University of Virginia to remove its DEI office: 'Voted for commonsense'
Read the article here
By Brie Stimson, Fox News
The University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors Friday voted to close its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) office after President Trump’s executive orders against DEI efforts in the federal government.
"DEI is done at UVA," Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin wrote on X Friday. "Today, the University of Virginia Board of Visitors voted for commonsense saying NO to illegal discrimination and YES to merit-based opportunity. Students at Mr. Jefferson’s University—and across America—deserve unlimited intellectual freedom, not ideological gatekeeping."
The university's Board of Visitors is made up of 17 voting members appointed by the governor.
"This is a huge step to restoring the values of Mr. Jefferson, who founded the university, who understood that we are all created equal, and that’s exactly what this is about — ending illegal discrimination and restoring merit-based opportunity," Youngkin said on the "Ingraham Angle" Friday.
He said the university’s resolution also eliminates "any program that violates the Constitution, the Civil Rights Act or, of course, President Trump’s executive order that laid all of this out and prohibits moving these programs someplace else where they would be hidden or using third-party contractors."
Youngkin said his administration has been working against DEI efforts in the state since his election.
"We, of course, embrace the idea that we come from a diverse society, diverse experiences, and, of course, diverse views, and that, of course, is one of our strengths as a nation, but we have to eliminate illegal discrimination," he explained.
"And now we’re in a moment where we have our flagship university make a very clear statement that DEI is done at the University of Virginia," he added.
The resolution said the "University’s Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Community Partnerships is hereby dissolved," adding the school "shall immediately transfer permissible programs to a new organizational home."
The resolution didn’t specify what would count as a "permissible" program.
The resolution added that the university’s president would update the board on compliance within 30 days.
The board cited the university’s mission statement, which "includes a commitment to [developing] the full potential of talented students from all walks of life" in its resolution.
It continued by saying that the board "highly values diversity, including diversity of thought and experience, and fosters an inclusive environment, encouraging a culture of opportunity for all, which immensely enriches our Grounds, and is committed to providing every student an education that is free from discrimination and grounded in merit."
The University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors Friday voted to close its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) office after President Trump’s executive orders against DEI efforts in the federal government.
"DEI is done at UVA," Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin wrote on X Friday. "Today, the University of Virginia Board of Visitors voted for commonsense saying NO to illegal discrimination and YES to merit-based opportunity. Students at Mr. Jefferson’s University—and across America—deserve unlimited intellectual freedom, not ideological gatekeeping."
The university's Board of Visitors is made up of 17 voting members appointed by the governor.
"This is a huge step to restoring the values of Mr. Jefferson, who founded the university, who understood that we are all created equal, and that’s exactly what this is about — ending illegal discrimination and restoring merit-based opportunity," Youngkin said on the "Ingraham Angle" Friday.
He said the university’s resolution also eliminates "any program that violates the Constitution, the Civil Rights Act or, of course, President Trump’s executive order that laid all of this out and prohibits moving these programs someplace else where they would be hidden or using third-party contractors."
Youngkin said his administration has been working against DEI efforts in the state since his election.
"We, of course, embrace the idea that we come from a diverse society, diverse experiences, and, of course, diverse views, and that, of course, is one of our strengths as a nation, but we have to eliminate illegal discrimination," he explained.
"And now we’re in a moment where we have our flagship university make a very clear statement that DEI is done at the University of Virginia," he added.
The resolution said the "University’s Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Community Partnerships is hereby dissolved," adding the school "shall immediately transfer permissible programs to a new organizational home."
The resolution didn’t specify what would count as a "permissible" program.
Glenn Youngkin - X/Twitter Wrote:DEI is done at UVA. Today, the University of Virginia Board of Visitors voted for commonsense saying NO to illegal discrimination and YES to merit-based opportunity. Students at Mr. Jefferson’s University—and across America—deserve unlimited intellectual freedom, not ideological gatekeeping.
The resolution added that the university’s president would update the board on compliance within 30 days.
The board cited the university’s mission statement, which "includes a commitment to [developing] the full potential of talented students from all walks of life" in its resolution.
It continued by saying that the board "highly values diversity, including diversity of thought and experience, and fosters an inclusive environment, encouraging a culture of opportunity for all, which immensely enriches our Grounds, and is committed to providing every student an education that is free from discrimination and grounded in merit."
DHS chief Noem says two ‘leakers’ of ICE raid info will be referred to DOJ for ‘felony prosecutions’
Read the article here
By Victor Nava, New York Post
Two individuals accused of leaking details about immigration raids have been identified and will be referred to the Justice Department for “felony prosecutions,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revealed Friday.
“We have identified two leakers of information here at the Department of Homeland Security who have been telling individuals about our operations and putting law enforcement lives in jeopardy,” Noem said in a video posted on X.
“We plan to prosecute these two individuals and hold them accountable for what they’ve done,” she added. “And we’re going to continue to do all that we can to keep America safe.”
The DHS secretary did not disclose the identities of the two alleged leakers.
The department is preparing to refer both individuals to the DOJ “for felony prosecutions,” Noem said.
“These individuals face up to 10 years in federal prison,” she wrote on X. “We will find and root out all leakers.”
“They will face prison time & we will get justice for the American people.”
Noem and border czar Tom Homan have been working since last month to find the source of leaks related to planned Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids.
One leak reportedly involved the dissemination of information that allowed alleged members of Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua to evade capture by ICE agents in Aurora, Colo.
In a separate leaking incident, the Los Angeles Times published an article last month reporting that ICE was preparing for a “large-scale” immigration enforcement operation in Southern California at the end of February.
Noem and Homan have previously suggested the leaks were coming from within the FBI.
“Some of the information we are receiving tends to lead toward the FBI,” Homan told Fox News host Sean Hannity in February.
“The FBI is so corrupt,” Noem tweeted last month. “We will work with any and every agency to stop leaks and prosecute these crooked deep state agents to the fullest extent of the law.”
Sweeping immigration raids have taken place across the country since President Trump took office in an effort to apprehend and deport illegal migrants with criminal records and gang ties.
DHS did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
Two individuals accused of leaking details about immigration raids have been identified and will be referred to the Justice Department for “felony prosecutions,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revealed Friday.
“We have identified two leakers of information here at the Department of Homeland Security who have been telling individuals about our operations and putting law enforcement lives in jeopardy,” Noem said in a video posted on X.
“We plan to prosecute these two individuals and hold them accountable for what they’ve done,” she added. “And we’re going to continue to do all that we can to keep America safe.”
The DHS secretary did not disclose the identities of the two alleged leakers.
The department is preparing to refer both individuals to the DOJ “for felony prosecutions,” Noem said.
“These individuals face up to 10 years in federal prison,” she wrote on X. “We will find and root out all leakers.”
“They will face prison time & we will get justice for the American people.”
Noem and border czar Tom Homan have been working since last month to find the source of leaks related to planned Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids.
One leak reportedly involved the dissemination of information that allowed alleged members of Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua to evade capture by ICE agents in Aurora, Colo.
In a separate leaking incident, the Los Angeles Times published an article last month reporting that ICE was preparing for a “large-scale” immigration enforcement operation in Southern California at the end of February.
Noem and Homan have previously suggested the leaks were coming from within the FBI.
“Some of the information we are receiving tends to lead toward the FBI,” Homan told Fox News host Sean Hannity in February.
“The FBI is so corrupt,” Noem tweeted last month. “We will work with any and every agency to stop leaks and prosecute these crooked deep state agents to the fullest extent of the law.”
Sweeping immigration raids have taken place across the country since President Trump took office in an effort to apprehend and deport illegal migrants with criminal records and gang ties.
DHS did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
Former illegal immigrant aide to AOC self-deports to Colombia amid questions about employment: report
Read the article here
by Louis Casiano
An illegal immigrant who once served as an aide to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has reportedly self-deported to Colombia, praising the "freedom of movement" in the South American nation after working in Congress despite being in the country illegally.
Diego de la Vega was born in Ecuador and immigrated to the United States as a 7-year-old in 2001 on a visitor’s visa that he overstayed, Migrant Insider reported.
The news raises thorny questions about his employment status for the Queens-based congresswoman.
"It’s bittersweet. I hadn’t left the country in 23 years — from age seven to age 30," de la Vega told Migrant Insider. "Now, I can’t go back to the U.S. It feels like exile. It’s a very permanent move. But my wife and I are confident we made the right decision. And, after some time, it’s been a real pleasure to be here.
"It feels surreal to not be illegalized anymore. I don’t have to live in the shadows or constantly worry about paperwork," he added. "That freedom of movement is incredibly satisfying."
After working for an immigrant rights group, he served as communications director for Robert Rodriguez, then a member of the New York State Assembly, who currently serves as president and CEO of the New York State Dormitory Authority, according to his LinkedIn page.
In 2021, de la Vega was hired by Ocasio-Cortez’s re-election campaign and eventually became her deputy communications director.
"Diego is amazing," Ocasio-Cortez told the news outlet. "We love him."
De la Vega worked for Ocasio-Cortez despite not being a U.S. citizen. DACA recipients are barred from paid positions in congressional offices.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the congresswoman's office.
"We were always honest with voters in New York City," de la Vega said of working with Ocasio-Cortez. "We didn’t dumb it down or tell them what they wanted to hear. We engaged with them honestly. We listened, then explained that Alexandria was fighting for reform, but Republicans were blocking it."
He noted that he became frustrated with how the immigration movement was going.
"Protections are going away, regardless of who is in the White House. The strategy hasn’t adapted to the modern era," he said. "Biden had a trifecta — the House, Senate and White House, but dropped the ball."
As a child, de la Vega said he lived in fear but said he had a good childhood in New York. He said he may not be able to return to the U.S. "for many years" but that "it feels fulfilling to be home."
An illegal immigrant who once served as an aide to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has reportedly self-deported to Colombia, praising the "freedom of movement" in the South American nation after working in Congress despite being in the country illegally.
Diego de la Vega was born in Ecuador and immigrated to the United States as a 7-year-old in 2001 on a visitor’s visa that he overstayed, Migrant Insider reported.
The news raises thorny questions about his employment status for the Queens-based congresswoman.
"It’s bittersweet. I hadn’t left the country in 23 years — from age seven to age 30," de la Vega told Migrant Insider. "Now, I can’t go back to the U.S. It feels like exile. It’s a very permanent move. But my wife and I are confident we made the right decision. And, after some time, it’s been a real pleasure to be here.
"It feels surreal to not be illegalized anymore. I don’t have to live in the shadows or constantly worry about paperwork," he added. "That freedom of movement is incredibly satisfying."
After working for an immigrant rights group, he served as communications director for Robert Rodriguez, then a member of the New York State Assembly, who currently serves as president and CEO of the New York State Dormitory Authority, according to his LinkedIn page.
In 2021, de la Vega was hired by Ocasio-Cortez’s re-election campaign and eventually became her deputy communications director.
"Diego is amazing," Ocasio-Cortez told the news outlet. "We love him."
De la Vega worked for Ocasio-Cortez despite not being a U.S. citizen. DACA recipients are barred from paid positions in congressional offices.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the congresswoman's office.
"We were always honest with voters in New York City," de la Vega said of working with Ocasio-Cortez. "We didn’t dumb it down or tell them what they wanted to hear. We engaged with them honestly. We listened, then explained that Alexandria was fighting for reform, but Republicans were blocking it."
He noted that he became frustrated with how the immigration movement was going.
"Protections are going away, regardless of who is in the White House. The strategy hasn’t adapted to the modern era," he said. "Biden had a trifecta — the House, Senate and White House, but dropped the ball."
As a child, de la Vega said he lived in fear but said he had a good childhood in New York. He said he may not be able to return to the U.S. "for many years" but that "it feels fulfilling to be home."
Royal tragedy as Luxembourg’s Prince Frederick dies aged 22
Read the article here
By Lauran O'Toole, The Express
Prince Frederik of Luxembourg has died at the age of 22 after a long battle with a rare genetic condition. Prince Robert of Luxembourg, the first cousin of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, who abdicated last year, announced the tragic passing of his youngest son.
Frederik of Nassau died on March 1, following a long battle with a rare genetic condition, POLG Mitochondrial disease. His devastated father mourned the news in a lengthy, heartfelt message posted to the POLG foundation, a website founded by his son and dedicated to finding effective treatments and a cure for POLG mitochondrial disorders. POLG disease is a rare genetic disorder that robs the body’s cells of energy, in turn causing progressive multiple organ dysfunction and failure, the foundation explained.
In a heartfelt statement, Prince Robert, 69, and his wife, Princess Julie of Nassau, 64, revealed their son's heartbreaking last moments and how he took time to say goodbye to each family member individually.
The statement read: "It is with a very heavy heart that my wife and I would like to inform you of the passing of our son, The POLG Foundation Founder and Creative Director, Frederik.
"Last Friday, February 28th, on 'Rare Disease Day', our beloved son called us in to his room to speak to him for one last time.
"Frederik found the strength and the courage to say goodbye to each of us in turn – his brother, Alexander, his sister, Charlotte, me, his three cousins, Charly, Louis, and Donall, his brother-in-law, Mansour, and finally, his Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Mark.
"He had already spoken all that was in his heart to his extraordinary mother, who had not left his side in 15 years."
"After gifting each of us with our farewells – some kind, some wise, some instructive – in true Frederik fashion, he left us collectively with a final long-standing family joke," Prince Robert added.
"Even in his last moments, his humour, and his boundless compassion, compelled him to leave us with one last laugh… to cheer us all up."
Tragically, in his final days, Frederik was unable to speak but still managed to ask his father a moving question.
"Frederik’s last question to me, prior to his other remarks was: 'Papa, are you proud of me?'" Prince Robert said.
"He had barely been able to speak for several days, so the clarity of these words was as surprising as the weight of the moment was profound.
"He needed reassurance that he had contributed all that he possibly could in his short and beautiful existence and that he could now finally move on."
Calling his son a "superhero", Prince Robert recalled his son's long fight with the condition, one he said Frederik fought valiantly to the end.
He said: "This is the battle that Frederik fought, and this is the burden that he had to carry throughout his life.
"He always did so with grace and with humour. When we asked him if he wanted to create a foundation to find a cure and help others like him, he jumped at the opportunity.
"Though he always made it very clear that he did not want this dreadful disease to define him, he nonetheless immediately identified with and helped define the mission of The POLG Foundation.
Prince Frederik of Luxembourg has died at the age of 22 after a long battle with a rare genetic condition. Prince Robert of Luxembourg, the first cousin of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, who abdicated last year, announced the tragic passing of his youngest son.
Frederik of Nassau died on March 1, following a long battle with a rare genetic condition, POLG Mitochondrial disease. His devastated father mourned the news in a lengthy, heartfelt message posted to the POLG foundation, a website founded by his son and dedicated to finding effective treatments and a cure for POLG mitochondrial disorders. POLG disease is a rare genetic disorder that robs the body’s cells of energy, in turn causing progressive multiple organ dysfunction and failure, the foundation explained.
In a heartfelt statement, Prince Robert, 69, and his wife, Princess Julie of Nassau, 64, revealed their son's heartbreaking last moments and how he took time to say goodbye to each family member individually.
The statement read: "It is with a very heavy heart that my wife and I would like to inform you of the passing of our son, The POLG Foundation Founder and Creative Director, Frederik.
"Last Friday, February 28th, on 'Rare Disease Day', our beloved son called us in to his room to speak to him for one last time.
"Frederik found the strength and the courage to say goodbye to each of us in turn – his brother, Alexander, his sister, Charlotte, me, his three cousins, Charly, Louis, and Donall, his brother-in-law, Mansour, and finally, his Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Mark.
"He had already spoken all that was in his heart to his extraordinary mother, who had not left his side in 15 years."
"After gifting each of us with our farewells – some kind, some wise, some instructive – in true Frederik fashion, he left us collectively with a final long-standing family joke," Prince Robert added.
"Even in his last moments, his humour, and his boundless compassion, compelled him to leave us with one last laugh… to cheer us all up."
Tragically, in his final days, Frederik was unable to speak but still managed to ask his father a moving question.
"Frederik’s last question to me, prior to his other remarks was: 'Papa, are you proud of me?'" Prince Robert said.
"He had barely been able to speak for several days, so the clarity of these words was as surprising as the weight of the moment was profound.
"He needed reassurance that he had contributed all that he possibly could in his short and beautiful existence and that he could now finally move on."
Calling his son a "superhero", Prince Robert recalled his son's long fight with the condition, one he said Frederik fought valiantly to the end.
He said: "This is the battle that Frederik fought, and this is the burden that he had to carry throughout his life.
"He always did so with grace and with humour. When we asked him if he wanted to create a foundation to find a cure and help others like him, he jumped at the opportunity.
"Though he always made it very clear that he did not want this dreadful disease to define him, he nonetheless immediately identified with and helped define the mission of The POLG Foundation.
Up is down, left is right and sideways is straight ahead. - Cord "Circle of Iron", 1978 (written by Bruce Lee and James Coburn... really...)
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