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Texas Pediatrician Suspended and Removed Over Viral Flood Rant

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    A pediatrician has been fired after politicizing the deadly floods in Texas.

    Dr. Christina B. Propst came under fire over a now-deleted social media post about the tragic and deadly flooding in Texas, which has left at least 79 people dead — including at least 28 children.

    In a now-deleted post that was shared by screenshots on X, Propst, under her old Facebook username Chris Tina, wrote about the flooding and expressed apparent ill-will toward MAGA voters in affected areas, suggesting they should ‘get what they voted for.’”

    “May all visitors, children, non-MAGA voters and pets be safe and dry,” the original post read. “Kerr County MAGA voted to gut FEMA. They deny climate change. May they get what they voted for. Bless their hearts.”

    A screenshot was shared on X and went viral very quickly, taking off especially on Sunday after a quote retweet from the Libs of TikTok account.

    Many more messages followed, both in the originating thread and from other users. Late Saturday night, Blue Fish Pediatrics issued a statement that was shared on their social media accounts, and which at this time shows up as an alert message at the top of their website. The statement was also shared by head of the Texas Medical Board Dr. Sherif Zaafran.

    The statement reads:

    To Our Patients and Community

    At Blue Fish Pediatrics, our hearts are broken for the families impacted by the devastating flooding in our Central Texas communities near Camp Mystic. Like so many across Texas and beyond, we are grieving with those who have lost loved ones and are praying fervently for all families still awaiting news.

    We are aware that a personal social media comment by one of our physicians has caused significant hurt and outrage. The content and timing of that post do not reflect the values, standards, or mission of Blue Fish Pediatrics. We want to be clear: we do not support or condone any statement that politicizes tragedy, diminishes human dignity, or fails to clearly uphold compassion for every child and family, regardless of background or beliefs.

    Our practice exists for one purpose only — to provide excellent, loving, and respectful care to all children and their families. Our patients come from every walk of life, every political belief, and every background, and we are honored to serve each of them with empathy and integrity.

    In moments of crisis, we believe in unity over division, healing over judgment, and humility over rhetoric. We are taking this matter seriously, reviewing it internally, and have placed the physician on administrative leave.

    In the meantime, we extend our full support to the families and the surrounding communities who are grieving, recovering, and searching for hope.

    Sincerely,

    Blue Fish Pediatrics Leadership Team

    Propst’s profile page has been removed from both the Blue Fish Pediatrics website and the Memorial Hermann website. Memorial Hermann also posted a statement on X.

    A former member of Houston’s Food Insecurity Board was also fired after she posted a racially tinged video about the victims of the flash flooding over the Fourth of July weekend, specifically calling out the young girls at Camp Mystic.

    A former member of Houston’s Food Insecurity Board was fired after she posted a racially tinged video about the victims of the flash flooding over the Fourth of July weekend, specifically calling out the young girls at Camp Mystic.

    “I know I’m probably gonna get cancelled for this, but Camp Mystic is a whites-only girls’ Christian camp. They don’t even have a token Asian, they don’t have a token black person. It is a all-white, white-only conservative Christian camp,” Perkins said in the video. “If you ain’t white, you ain’t right. You ain’t getting anywhere, you goin,’ period. And I think that context needs to be said in this matter.”

    “It’s not to say that we don’t want the girls to be found, whatever girls that are missing or whatever right now, but you best believe, especially in today’s political climate, if this were a group of Hispanic girls — especially with them being in east Texas, it should be most likely Hispanic — if this were a group of Hispanic girls out there, this would not begin this type of coverage that they’re getting, no one would give a fuck, and all these white people, the parents of these little girls would be saying things like, ‘They need to be deported, they shouldn’t have been here in the first place,’ and yadda-yadda-yadda,” Perkins continued.

    Perkins then claimed that the parents of the children would have been demanding that Hispanic children be deported before claiming that the camp was an “all-white, whites-only enclave.”

    “Before y’all comment me, before y’all start leaving hate comments on my page about, oh, these are just kids and they don’t know no better, the parents of these children who are choosing — and it is a choice in 2025, it is definitely a freaking choice to go into east goddamn Texas and to make a all-white enclave, exclusionary, just for white people,” Perkins continued. “With all the black people in east Texas, with all the Hispanic people in east Texas, somehow, some way, you have carved out an all-white, whites-only enclave in east Texas for your white children. Yeah, I have a problem with that. I have a big problem with that.”

    “Once again, this is no shade to the girls, I hope they all get found, but once again, y’all have to understand the climate that we’re living in. They want you to have sympathy for these people,” Perkins said. “They want you to get out of your bed and to come out of your home and to go find these people and to donate your money to go find these people. Meanwhile, they are deporting your family members. Meanwhile, they’re setting up concentration camps and prisons for your family members. And I need y’all to keep that in mind before y’all get out there and put on the rain boots and go find these little girls.”

    “We ask for your continued prayers, respect and privacy for each of our families affected. May the Lord continue to wrap His presence around all of us,” said the camp, which describes itself on its website as a “private Christian summer camp for girls.”

    As rescue teams continue to work around the clock to help rescue and recover flood victims, some Democrat officials have attempted to blame the Trump administration for the disaster.

    White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that “Unfortunately, in the wake of this once in a generation natural disaster, we have seen many falsehoods pushed by Democrats such as Senator Chuck Schumer and some members of the media.  

    “Blaming President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie, and it serves no purpose during this time of national mourning,” she told reporters. 

    “In the lead up to this tragic natural disaster, the National Weather Service did its job. Despite unprecedented rainfall, the National Weather Service executed timely and precise forecasts and warnings,” Leavitt added. 

    “On July 3rd, the National Weather Service office in Austin [and] San Antonio, Texas, conducted forecast briefings for emergency management in the morning and issued a flood watch in the early afternoon,” Leavitt continued. “Flash flood warnings were also issued on the night of July 3rd and in the early morning of July 4th, giving preliminary lead times of more than three hours before flash flooding conditions occurred. The National Weather Service office in New Braunfels, which delivers forecasts for Austin, San Antonio and the surrounding areas, had extra staff on duty during the storms, despite claims of the contrary.”  

    “So to any person who has deliberately lied about these facts surrounding this catastrophic event, you should be deeply ashamed,” Leavitt declared. “At this time, the administration’s focus will be giving on giving the victims and their communities the support they deserve during these recovery efforts in this tragic time.” 

    Prominent Trump Critic Stands Up For Alito Following Second Incident With Jan. 6-Aligned Flag

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    The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    Critics are calling for a Supreme Court justice to recuse himself from two cases involving former President Donald Trump, asserting that failing to do so will cause “irreparable damage” to the Court.

    On Wednesday, The New York Times reported that another Jan. 6-aligned flag was seen flying at one of Justice Samuel Alito‘s residences, this time at his New Jersey vacation home. Last week, the paper published a report detailing how an upside-down American flag flew at the Alitos’ Northern Virginia home days after the U.S. Capitol riot. 

    In light of recent developments, some of the most vocal critics of Trump, such as Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), are calling for Justice Alito to recuse himself from the landmark Trump presidential immunity case. They are also requesting his recusal from a case involving a former Pennsylvania police officer and Jan. 6 participant, specifically regarding whether obstruction charges against him should stand.

    “If Justice Alito does not recuse himself from the Trump immunity case and the Fischer January 6 case, he will do irreparable damage to the Supreme Court. And Chief Justice Roberts must step in.” @RepDanGoldman on Alito’s widening insurrectionist flag scandal pic.twitter.com/YQ1rt5VQR2— Alex Wagner Tonight (@WagnerTonight) May 23, 2024

    The calls don’t appear to be subsiding. So far, Alito has not responded. Surprisingly, former National Security Adviser John Bolton strongly defended the conservative justice on CNN, despite being a prominent critic of the 45th president himself.

    As The Hill reports:

    “Absolutely not,” Bolton told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer when asked whether the recent reporting about the flag raised concerns about whether he can serve impartially on the Supreme Court.

    “I think it is outrageous, outrageous and unacceptable, for people to take a flag from the American Revolution and say that because some January 6 protesters flew it, that it’s now unacceptable to fly that flag, and I’d like to hear a Democratic Party politician say that expressly,” added Bolton, who has frequently been critical of former President Trump and the risk he says Trump poses to the country’s national security.

    An “Appeal to Heaven” flag – which has origins dating back to the Revolutionary War but is associated with Christian nationalism and “Stop the Steal” efforts today – was seen flying outside Alito’s New Jersey beach home in July and September 2023, the Times reported, around the same time a high-profile Jan. 6 case arrived at the Supreme Court.

    The flag was also toted by rioters at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

    “The January 6 people flew a lot of flags,” Bolton maintained. “They don’t have the right or the ability to expropriate a patriotic symbol of the United States, and then have everybody else say it belongs to them and condemn Sam Alito or anybody else for flying that flag.”

    Bolton’s remarks are particularly notable as he took the opportunity with Blitzer to insult Nikki Haley for pledging her support to Trump.

    Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News.

    Trump Scores Legal Victory, Case Against Hillary Clinton Resuscitated – What’s Next?

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    Hillary Clinton via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    A federal appeals court on Friday granted former President Donald Trump more time to file a crucial document in his effort to revive his failed lawsuit against Hillary Clinton.

    The lawsuit, originally filed in March 2022, accuses Clinton, the Democratic National Committee, former FBI Director James Comey and others of rigging the 2016 presidential election. Trump’s legal team claims the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to “discredit, delegitimize and defame” him during his first presidential campaign.

    Trump’s request for additional time was aimed at resuscitating the racketeering (RICO) suit. His legal team also sought to expand their arguments in the case.

    Law & Crime reports:

    Now, in the waning days of his third bid for public office, the underlying lawsuit is long-since dead and gone – dismissed as “frivolous” and “hyperbole” by a district court in Florida in September 2022 – but remains on appellate life support in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

    In a terse order, Trump-appointed U.S. Circuit Judge Kevin C. Newsom gave Trump an opportunity to stretch the process a bit further – and to opine about the issues at stake in the appeal at length.

    “Appellants’ unopposed motion to exceed the word limitation in their consolidated reply brief and to enlarge the time to file that brief is GRANTED,” the judge’s order reads. “The consolidated reply brief, which may not exceed 10,000 words, is due by September 27, 2024.”

    In late August, Trump asked Clinton’s counsel for consent in order to obtain the since-granted extension – citing “pressing hearings occurring in other cases.” The original deadline was Aug. 30. The original word limit, under court rules, was 6,500 words.

    Trump’s lawyers replied a few days later with a detailed request for an extension, which the judge found persuasive.

    “The interests of justice and judicial economy will be served by permitting this extension of time in the context of the multiple consolidated appeals,” Trump’s attorneys wrote. “Appellants’ counsel conferred with Appellees’ counsel regarding the relief sought in this motion and all Appellees oppose this extension request.”

    Following the judge’s decision, Clinton reluctantly agreed to the extension without objection.

    This article originally appeared on American Liberty News. It is republished with permission.

    READ NEXT: Jaw-Dropping Revelation: GOP Sensation Takes Down CNN Competitor For Creepy Behavior!

    Report: Trump Eyeing Tucker Carlson As Potential VP Pick

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      Tucker Carlson via Gage Skidmore Flickr

      A new Axios report gives an inside look at a plausible Trump administration cabinet if he’s elected President.

      On Thursday, Axios reported that Trump is looking to fill his cabinet with those “who share his zeal to punish critics, purge non-believers, and take controversial legal and military action.”

      “Trump hasn’t settled on specific roles for specific figures, and hates it when his staff and friends speculate otherwise. It’s not in his DNA to do detailed personnel planning, and a lot depends on the last few people he’s talked to,” the report says. “But in rolling conversations with friends and advisers, he’s been clear about the type of men — and they’re almost all older, white men — he’d want to serve at his pleasure if he were to win a second term.”

      The reported list of Trump’s potential vice president picks consists entirely of conservative stars like Senator J.D. Vance (Ohio), Kari Lake, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA). According to the Axios report, an interesting possible vice president is former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who has become Melania Trump’s top choice.

      From the report:

      She thinks Carlson would make a powerful onstage extension of her husband, a source close to Trump told us. The former first lady has made few campaign appearances this time around — but a Trump-Carlson ticket might encourage her to hit the trail.

      Trump, asked last month about Carlson as a potential V.P., said: “I like Tucker a lot. … He’s got great common sense.”

      Despite Axios’ report indicating Carlson is a potential choice for Trump’s running mate other political pundits have cast doubts on Carlson’s ability to attract votes from any Democrats or Independents.

      Other possible top members of a new Trump administration could be Stephen Miller as attorney general.

      Trump Snub? GOP Incumbents Accused of ‘Borrowing’ President’s Support to Survive Brutal Primaries

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      President Donald Trump gestures to the crowd after delivering remarks at the House GOP Member Retreat, Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at the Donald J. Trump- John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)

      President Donald Trump’s pull inside the Republican Party is still absolute.

      His endorsement? Political gold.

      “The Trump endorsement is king in any primary,” longtime GOP strategist Jesse Hunt told Fox News Digital. Fellow Republican consultant Matt Gorman didn’t mince words either, calling it “an undeniable force.”

      And that reality is driving a new, high-stakes strategy among vulnerable Republicans: if you can’t win Trump’s backing… try to look like you have it anyway.

      PLAYING DEFENSE AGAINST TRUMP-BACKED CHALLENGERS

      Across the country, embattled GOP incumbents are facing serious primary threats from candidates backed by Trump himself. And instead of confronting that head-on, some are leaning into carefully crafted messaging that suggests they’re still aligned with the president.

      Take Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy.

      Cassidy — one of just seven Republicans who voted to convict Trump after the January 6 impeachment — is now locked in a tough primary against Trump-endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow.

      But you wouldn’t know that from his ads.

      In one spot, Cassidy highlights a fentanyl bill he authored, adding:
      “President Trump said it was the most important legislation he would sign this year,”

      Images of Trump appear prominently.

      Another ad goes further, flashing “Trump & Cassidy” on screen while touting tax cuts the two “worked” on together.

      Notably missing? Any mention that Trump is backing his opponent.

      MASSIE’S PHOTO-OP FLASHBACK

      In Kentucky, Rep. Thomas Massie — a longtime Trump critic — is facing a Trump-backed challenger, former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein.

      Massie has repeatedly clashed with Trump, including over the Epstein files and foreign policy. But in a recent campaign ad, he spotlighted an old photo of himself smiling alongside the former president.

      A subtle signal — but a deliberate one.

      Meanwhile, Trump allies are pouring money into boosting Gallrein and attacking Massie.

      CORNERNED IN TEXAS

      In Texas, Sen. John Cornyn is fighting for survival in a runoff against MAGA favorite and state Attorney General John Paxton.

      Trump hasn’t endorsed either candidate — but Cornyn is making sure voters remember their past relationship.

      In one ad, the narrator says Cornyn “had his back,” as footage shows Trump and the senator giving a thumbs-up together.

      “We’re especially grateful to your wonderful senators,” Trump says in an old clip featured in the ad, referring to Cornyn and Sen. Ted Cruz.

      Unlike Cassidy and Massie, Cornyn isn’t contradicting an endorsement — but he’s still leaning hard into Trump’s image.

      HIGH-RISK STRATEGY?

      The tactic may be clever — but it’s also dangerous.

      Hunt warns that implying support from Trump when you don’t actually have it could blow up fast.

      “If you haven’t earned it but portray as though you have, it could be the end of your campaign,” he said. “That’s if the President decides to take issue with it.”

      In today’s GOP, one thing is clear: crossing Trump is risky — but pretending he’s on your side when he isn’t could be even worse.

      Trump Announces Plan To Drop Sanctions On Syria

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      By The White House from Washington, DC - President Trump and The First Lady Participate in an Abraham Accords Signing Ceremony, Public Domain,

      President Donald Trump announced the United States will soon drop sanctions against Syria.

      During lengthy remarks on Tuesday, Trump laid out his vision for the Middle East, sharing a major announcement: He intends to drop sanctions against Syria.

      “I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness,” Trump said in a speech in Saudi Arabia, his first stop on the first international tour of his second term in office. 

      “In Syria, which has seen so much misery and death, there is a new government that we must all hope will succeed in stabilizing the country and keeping peace,” he said. “So I say good luck, Syria.”

      The nation was cut off from the global financial system under ousted President Bashar al-Assad’s government, imposed during 14 years of civil war. 

      Trump called the sanctions “brutal and crippling” but “important” at the time.

      Trump said both Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Erdoğan had encouraged him to lift the sanctions. 

      “Oh, what I do for the crown prince,” Trump quipped. 

      U.S. sanctions had slapped financial penalties on any foreign individual or company that provided material support to the Syrian government and prohibited anyone in the U.S. from dealing in any Syrian entity, including oil and gas, and Syrian banks were effectively cut off from global financial systems. 

      Trump also revealed he has invited Saudi Arabia to join his historic Abraham Accords.

      “It has been an amazing thing, the Abraham Accords,” Trump said at a Saudi Arabia investment conference. “And it’s my fervent hope, wish, and even my dream that Saudi Arabia, a place I have so much respect for … will soon be joining the Abraham Accords. I think it will be a tremendous tribute to your country.”

      Trump negotiated the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, at the end of his first term in office. Now, he is hoping to see Saudi Arabia join it as well.

      During lengthy remarks, Trump laid out his vision for the Middle East. Minutes later, he made a second major announcement: He intends to drop sanctions against Syria.

      Axios Fires Reporter After Calling DeSantis Press Release ‘Propaganda’

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        Ron DeSantis via Gage Skidmore Flickr

        A reporter was fired from the new outlet Axios after calling a news release from Florida’s Department of Education “propaganda” in an emailed response to the department.

        “This is propaganda, not a press release,” Tampa Bay reporter Ben Montgomery said in a reply to a release from Florida’s Department of Education about an event with Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), according to a screenshot posted Monday by the department’s communications director.

        DeSantis’s deputy press secretary Jeremy Redfern replied to the screenshot: “Is this a journalism?”

        Axios’ Editor-in-Chief Sara Kehaulani Goo confirmed that Montgomery is no longer with Axios but declined to discuss the conditions of his departure. Montgomery’s last article listed on Axios’ site is dated Tuesday. 

        Montgomery shared a post from Vanity Fair staff writer Charlotte Klein that said he’d been fired over the email but didn’t comment on the news directly, instead offering a cheeky response to the recent change, “Some personal news: I made crepes this morning for the first time in years. Strawberry compote and whipped cream. They were delicious.”

        The press release Montgomery was commenting on announced that DeSantis would host a roundtable discussion “exposing the diversity equity and inclusion scam in higher education.” The Florida governor in the release argued “the woke mob” is pushing “political indoctrination” onto students.

        House Speaker Called Trump to Apologize After Criticizing 2024 Campaign

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        House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy delivers remarks at the 2021 Capitol Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Washington DC, December 1, 2021. USDA Forest Service photo by Tanya E. Flores.

        Warning: This article contains graphic language.

        House Speaker Kevin McCarthy(R-Calif.) is begging Donald Trump for forgiveness.

        McCarthy reportedly called the 2024 White House hopeful on Tuesday to apologize for casting doubt on the strength of Trump’s campaign against President Joe Biden.

        McCarthy appeared on CNBC Tuesday morning and was asked if Trump could win the election.

        “Can he win that election? Yeah, he can,” McCarthy said. “The question is, is he the strongest to win the election? I don’t know that answer.”

        “We’re told top aides to the former president and allies who know both men quickly traded messages asking, in short: What the fuck? Some called McCarthy a ‘moron,’ we’re told. Others looked to Trump campaign hand Brian Jack, who also advises the speaker and has been a critical bridge between both men, to play mediator as Trump hit the trail in New Hampshire,” Politico reported.

        On CNN’s News Central Wednesday, reporter Lauren Fox called Tuesday a “a day of cleanup” for the House Speaker. She continued:

        He held a call, called the former president yesterday to apologize, according to new reporting from our colleagues Melanie Zanona and Kristen Holmes. He told the former president he misspoke, and, of course, he blamed reporters for taking the comments out of context, according to McCarthy, but that isn’t where it ended…He had an exclusive interview with Breitbart News, a right-leaning news agency, to try to talk more about why he believed Donald Trump was the strongest candidate to beat Joe Biden. Later, his campaign sent out a fundraising email saying that Donald Trump was stronger than ever.

        This just goes to show you that Kevin Mccarthy knows that his right flank is so important for him to hold on to his speakership. He cannot anger people in his conference who are getting behind the former president, who are fervently behind him at all times, no matter what that means in term of defending Donald Trump, and that is why Kevin McCarthy went out of his way yesterday to go ahead and apologize to the former president, and then in subsequent interviews, make it clear that he does believe Donald Trump could be a strong contender to beat Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential election.

        Former ABC News Anchor Suggests Replacement For Ousted National Security Official

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        By The White House - https://www.flickr.com/photos/202101414@N05/54325633746/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=159707159

        Former ABC News journalist Mark Halperin suggested a replacement for President Trump’s National Security Council after Thursday’s shakeup.

        Halperin said Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff was Waltz’s likely replacement.

        Trump administration National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and other staffers are out at the National Security Council, sources confirmed to Fox News.

        Watch:

        Fox News confirmed Waltz and his deputy Alex Wong were purged Thursday. 

        Waltz, who previously served as a Florida congressman, has come under fire from Democrats and critics since March, when the Atlantic magazine’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg published a firsthand account of getting added to a Signal group chat with top national security leaders, including Waltz, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, while they discussed strikes against Yemen terrorists. 

        Waltz took responsibility for the inclusion of a journalist in the group chat in April, telling Fox News’ Laura Ingraham: “I take full responsibility. I built the group. … It’s embarrassing. We’re going to get to the bottom of it.”

        Alex Wong served as Waltz’s principal deputy national security advisor, who was detailed in the Signal chat leak earlier this year as the staffer charged with “pulling together a tiger team” in Waltz’s initial message sent to the Signal group chat in March, the Atlantic reported at the time. 

        White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital earlier Monday when asked about reports claiming Waltz and other would be shown the door: “We are not going to respond to reporting from anonymous sources.”

        President Donald Trump held a meeting with members of his Cabinet Wednesday, following his 100th day back in office on Tuesday, with Waltz attending the meeting. 

        Fix The NSC: A Warning & Roadmap For Trump’s Second Term

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        [Photo Cred: Office of the President of the United States, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons]

        A Call to Action: Reforming the National Security Council

        Joshua Steinman, the former senior director for cyber on President Trump’s National Security Council (NSC), has issued a stark warning to the incoming president that demands immediate attention. Steinman, who loyally served from Trump’s first day in office to his last, cautions that mistakes in NSC staffing could spell disaster for the administration’s second term, leading to either ineffectiveness or outright betrayal. His insights form a compelling argument for a complete overhaul of the NSC as the cornerstone of Trump’s efforts to govern effectively.

        The NSC, as Steinman explains, is not merely a bureaucratic appendage. It is the quarterback of the White House—the entity tasked with ensuring that the president’s directives are executed seamlessly across the vast machinery of the federal government. “If the president is the owner of the football team, the NSC is the quarterback,” he asserts, underscoring the centrality of this institution in driving the administration’s policy agenda. And yet, Steinman’s concerns suggest that the team surrounding this quarterback may not be up to the task.

        Reflecting on Trump’s first term, Steinman identifies a critical error: the decision to retain approximately 50% of the NSC staff from the Obama administration. This hesitation to implement a sweeping purge, according to Steinman, allowed disloyal actors to undermine Trump’s policies. Some of these holdovers allegedly continued to operate under Obama-era guidance until explicitly instructed otherwise. Steinman’s message is clear: “Removing people like this isn’t personal; it’s just prudent.”

        The stakes are high. Steinman contrasts Trump’s initial approach with the swift and decisive action taken by President Biden, who executed a comprehensive purge of Trump-aligned NSC staff upon taking office. This move ensured that Biden’s team could implement his agenda without interference from ideological adversaries. Critics labeled Biden’s actions a “purge” and raised concerns about the politicization of traditionally non-partisan roles, but his administration’s determination to align its personnel with its policies proved effective in consolidating its power.

        Steinman’s critique does not stop at holdovers. He raises alarms about new hires, questioning their loyalty and expertise. Among those rumored to join Trump’s team is Adam Howard, GOP Staff Director for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), who is set to take the critical role of senior director for intelligence programs. Steinman questions whether Howard’s background equips him to confront potential interference from the intelligence community—a task vital to ensuring Trump’s agenda is not derailed.

        The urgency of Steinman’s warning lies in the fundamental truth that personnel is policy. For Trump’s administration to succeed, the NSC must be staffed with individuals who are not only loyal to his vision but also possess the subject-matter expertise to navigate the complexities of their roles. Steinman’s concerns about Anne Neuberger, the Biden-appointed NSC cybersecurity director, exemplify this need. Her alignment with policies on artificial intelligence and tech censorship could undermine Trump’s objectives, should she remain in place.

        Trump’s response to these challenges is beginning to take shape. Key appointments to his NSC include:

        • Michael Waltz, National Security Advisor: A Republican Congressman and retired Army Green Beret with a hardline stance on China.
        • Alex Wong, Deputy National Security Advisor: A seasoned diplomat who oversaw North Korea policy during Trump’s first term.
        • Sebastian Gorka, Senior Director for Counterterrorism: A known advocate for robust counterterrorism strategies.
        • Brian McCormack, Senior Advisor: An energy consultant focusing on energy security.
        • Andrew Peek, Middle East Policy Adviser: A seasoned expert on the region’s complexities.

        While these appointments reflect a renewed emphasis on loyalty and alignment, Steinman’s cautionary tale lingers. The success of Trump’s second term hinges on avoiding the missteps of the first. The NSC’s ability to serve as an effective quarterback depends entirely on the quality of its staff. As Steinman aptly puts it, “The Intel Senior Director position is one of the most CRITICAL posts in U.S. Government.”

        The broader implications of Steinman’s warning extend beyond Trump’s presidency. The debate over Biden’s NSC purge highlighted the tension between ensuring policy alignment and maintaining non-partisan governance. Critics, including the Heritage Foundation, argued that Biden’s actions undermined the apolitical nature of advisory roles, while supporters contended that loyalty is essential for effective governance. Trump’s administration must navigate this delicate balance, prioritizing mission alignment without descending into the partisanship that critics decry.

        As Trump prepares to assume office once more, the lessons of his first term and Biden’s purge are clear: the NSC must be reimagined, restructured, and resolutely loyal to the President’s agenda. Failure to act decisively could jeopardize the very goals Trump has championed—from ending unnecessary conflicts to revitalizing the economy. Steinman’s call to action is both a warning and a roadmap: “Fix the NSC, fix the presidency.”

        Sponsored by the John Milton Freedom Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping independent journalists overcome formidable challenges in today’s media landscape and bring crucial stories to you.