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Over 250 Journalists Sign Letter Demanding ‘Forceful’ Protest Against Trump at White House Correspondents’ Dinner

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A large crowd dressed in formal attire gathers at a banquet hall, enjoying a lavish dinner event under elegant lighting.

A large crowd dressed in formal attire gathers at a banquet hall, enjoying a lavish dinner event under elegant lighting.

More than 250 journalists, including Dan Rather and Sam Donaldson, have signed an open letter demanding that the White House Correspondents’ Association turn this Saturday’s dinner into a stage for a direct, “forceful” confrontation with President Donald Trump.

The letter, sent to the WHCA on Monday, calls on the organization to use the podium at the 2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner to deliver a “forceful defense of freedom of the press and condemnation of those who threaten that freedom, followed by a standing toast to the First Amendment.”

“Speak forcefully, in front of the man who seeks to undermine our country’s long tradition of an independent, strong, and free press,” the letter says.

The letter reads in part:

We understand that some journalists plan to wear pocket handkerchiefs or lapel pins with the words of the First Amendment. And continuing in that spirit, we believe the White House Correspondents Association should take stronger action by issuing – from the podium – a forceful defense of freedom of the press and condemnation of those who threaten that freedom, followed by a standing toast to the First Amendment and a pledge to continue upholding such a critical cornerstone of our democracy. Speak forcefully, in front of the man who seeks to undermine our country’s long tradition of an independent, strong, and free press.

We also urge the WHCA to reaffirm, without equivocation, that freedom of the press is not a partisan issue and that the Association will not normalize this behavior but instead fight back against any officeholder who has waged systematic war against the journalists whose work the dinner celebrates.

The signatories include journalism groups such as the Society of Professional Journalists, the Coalition for Women in Journalism, the National Association of Black Journalists, and the Freedom of the Press Foundation, along with dozens of individual reporters.

The letter accuses President Trump of attacking the press through defamation lawsuits against media outlets, showing favoritism toward conservative voices, actions by FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, and his decision to pardon January 6 Capitol rioters, which they claim sends the message that “attacks on the press will be forgiven.”

Former CBS anchor Dan Rather explicitly urged the Beltway press corps to “forcefully demonstrate opposition” to the president at the event.

Many journalists attending the black-tie event also plan subtler acts of protest, like wearing lapel pins or pocket handkerchiefs emblazoned with the text of the First Amendment.

President Trump is scheduled to attend the dinner. He previously boycotted the event, citing unfair treatment by the press.

In a recent Truth Social post, Trump said he is now looking forward to it and hopes it will be “something very special.”

This letter comes during a time of record-low trust in the media.

Gallup polling last year found that only 28% of Americans have a great or fair amount of trust in mass media, with even lower numbers among Republican voters.

The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is supposed to celebrate the First Amendment and journalism, yet here is a large group of so-called “objective” reporters openly plotting political theater against a sitting president they despise.

The post Over 250 Journalists Sign Letter Demanding ‘Forceful’ Protest Against Trump at White House Correspondents’ Dinner appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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US and Russian Lawmakers Meet in DC in a New Step in the Normalization of Bilateral Relations

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April 22, 2026

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Close-up of a small Russian flag in front of a blurred American flag, symbolizing international relations and diplomacy between Russia and the United States.Close-up of a small Russian flag in front of a blurred American flag, symbolizing international relations and diplomacy between Russia and the United States.(U.S. Air Force photo by Stephanie R. Plichta)

The US and Russia are rebuilding ties.

On the one hand, the US supports Ukraine against Russia in their 4-year war, while Russia supports Iran against the US in their recent military confrontation.

But on the other hand, the United States and the Russian Federation have been engaged in a difficult but potentially rewarding détente.

Reuters reported:

“A delegation of Russian lawmakers has arrived in the United States for meetings with U.S. lawmakers, Russian media said, on the ​first such trip since relations between the world’s two biggest ‌nuclear powers hit rock bottom over the war in Ukraine.”

After the start of the war in Ukraine, US-Russian relations deteriorated to the worst level in history, but after the return of Donald J. Trump, the ties have improved considerably.

“The ⁠lawmakers’ visit to the United States, first reported by Russia’s Vedomosti ​newspaper, includes Vyacheslav Nikonov, a lawmaker who is the grandson of Josef ​Stalin’s foreign minister, Vyacheslav Molotov, according to Russian media reports.”

The Russian lawmakers met US lawmakers today and are expected to meet US officials tomorrow.

“The visit is ‘part of ​the normalization of relations with the United States of America’, Alexei Chepa, first deputy ‌chairman ⁠of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, told Izvestia.”

Read more:

TRUMP TO OIL TANKERS: “SHOW SOME GUTS!” – President Says Iran’s Navy Is Finished, Urges Ships to Sail Through Strait of Hormuz

The post US and Russian Lawmakers Meet in DC in a New Step in the Normalization of Bilateral Relations appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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WATCH: Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso Exposes Democrat Caught on Tape Saying, ‘The People We Care Most About Are the Undocumented’

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24 seconds ago

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April 22, 2026

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U.S. Senator delivering a speech in the Senate chamber, emphasizing key legislative points with hand gestures and a serious expression.

U.S. Senator delivering a speech in the Senate chamber, emphasizing key legislative points with hand gestures and a serious expression.

Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso delivered a blistering floor speech Tuesday, exposing the Democrat Party’s priorities during the ongoing partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

While roughly 50,000 TSA agents are required to work without pay, causing massive airport delays and forcing hundreds to quit, Democrats are laser-focused on protecting illegal aliens.

Barrasso played a clip of Democrat Sen. Chris Murphy admitting on live television, “The people we care most about… are the undocumented.” He explained that the Democrat strategy for over 30 years has been to make undocumented immigrants citizens.

Barrasso stated plainly, “This is a Democrat… ‘the people we care most about,’ he says, ‘are the undocumented.’”

“Not these people who are working every day,” Barrasso said of American TSA agents.

Murphy made the comment during a 2024 MSNBC interview discussing immigration policy.

Murphy said the Democratic approach “has failed to deliver for the people we care about most, the undocumented ‘Americans’ that are in this country.”

Barrasso summed it up by saying, “The American people are wondering today… why the Democrat Party continues to stand up for illegal immigrant criminals against law-abiding citizens.” He warned that Democrats are willing to “make people hurt” to protect their open-border agenda.

WATCH:

The resurfaced admission has gone viral as the DHS shutdown drags into its sixth week.

WATCH:

The partial DHS shutdown began in February after Democrats blocked full funding for the department unless it included restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, such as limits on the use of masks by agents or on warrantless arrests.

Republicans have repeatedly offered clean funding bills and targeted measures to reopen TSA, the Coast Guard, FEMA, and other critical functions, but Democrats have voted them down.

As a result, TSA officers, who are deemed essential workers, have missed multiple paychecks for the third time in six months.

DHS reports that more than 450 TSA officers have already quit since the shutdown started.

Absenteeism has skyrocketed, with over 11 percent of agents calling out on some days and rates approaching 30-50 percent at major hubs like Houston, Atlanta, and New Orleans.

Travelers have been facing hours-long security lines during peak spring break travel.

The post WATCH: Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso Exposes Democrat Caught on Tape Saying, ‘The People We Care Most About Are the Undocumented’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Philly DA Larry Krasner Threatens to Handcuff and Jail ICE Agents Working at Philadelphia Airport: ‘The President Cannot Pardon You!’ (VIDEO)

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30 seconds ago

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April 22, 2026

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Man in a suit gestures while speaking during a presentation in a modern airport terminal, emphasizing key points to an audience.

Man in a suit gestures while speaking during a presentation in a modern airport terminal, emphasizing key points to an audience.

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner threatened to arrest and prosecute federal ICE agents working at Philadelphia International Airport on Tuesday.

Krasner held a press conference at the airport as ICE agents arrived to assist overwhelmed Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers.

The deployment was ordered by President Trump to help ease long security lines and flight delays caused by severe staffing shortages at TSA checkpoints.

The partial government shutdown, caused by Democrats refusing to budge on DHS funding, is now in its 39th day. It has left TSA officers working without pay, and reports of 3,200 agents not showing up for their shifts on Monday alone, and another 458 who recently quit.

During his remarks, Krasner told reporters and the agents on site that he expects them to uphold the law while operating in Philadelphia.

“This is how it works — you commit crimes within the jurisdiction that is the city and county of Philadelphia, I prosecute you,” Krasner said. “That is how it works. No, I don’t take a phone call from the president saying ‘Let em go.’ No, the president cannot pardon you. I’ll say it again, the president cannot pardon you.”

Krasner escalated by bringing up the chaos caused by leftist agitators in Minneapolis, which resulted in two of them being killed during confrontations with agents.

“And yes, I will put you in handcuffs, and I will put you in a courtroom, and if necessary, I will put you in a jail cell if you decide to make the terrazzo floor of this floor anything like you did in the streets of Minneapolis, which involved the criminal homicide of unarmed, innocent people.”

WATCH:

Krasner doubled down in a video posted to X, stating: “To anyone who is an ICE agent, thank you for upholding the law and the Constitution of the United States. But if you don’t, you’re gonna find out.”

WATCH:

The ICE assistance at Philadelphia International Airport, part of a nationwide effort at 14 major hubs, has already been credited with reducing wait times, with some travelers describing the unmasked agents as professional, friendly, and helpful.

President Trump had specifically directed the agents not to wear masks while assisting TSA in order to speed up processing.

The post Philly DA Larry Krasner Threatens to Handcuff and Jail ICE Agents Working at Philadelphia Airport: ‘The President Cannot Pardon You!’ (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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