jd vance

The public release of a Young Republican group chat that included racist language, jokes about rape and flippant commentary on gas chambers prompted bipartisan calls for those involved to be removed from or resign their positions.

The Young Republican National Federation, the GOP’s political organization for Republicans between 18 and 40, called for those involved to step down from the organization. The group described the exchanges, first reported by Politico, as “unbecoming of any Republican.”

Republican Vice President JD Vance, however, has weighed in several times to speak out against what he characterized as “pearl clutching” over the leaked messages.

Politico obtained months of exchanges from a Telegram conversation between leaders and members of the Young Republican National Federation and some of its affiliates in New York, Kansas, Arizona and Vermont.

Here’s a rundown of reaction to the inflammatory group chat, in which the operatives and officials involved openly worried that their comments might be leaked, even as they continued their conversation:

Vance

After Politico’s initial report Tuesday, Vance posted on X a screen grab from 2022 text messages in which Jay Jones, the Democratic candidate in Virginia’s attorney general race, suggested that a prominent Republican get “two bullets to the head.”

“This is far worse than anything said in a college group chat, and the guy who said it could become the AG of Virginia,” Vance wrote Tuesday. “I refuse to join the pearl clutching when powerful people call for political violence.”

Jones has taken “full responsibility” for his comments and offered a public apology to Todd Gilbert, who then was speaker of Virginia’s House of Delegates.

Vance reiterated his initial sentiment Wednesday on “ The Charlie Kirk Show ” podcast, saying when asked about the reporting that a “person seriously wishing for political violence and political assassination is 1,000 times worse than what a bunch of young people, a bunch of kids say in a group chat, however offensive it might be.”

Vance, 41, said he grew up in a different era where “most of what I, the stupid things that I did as a teenager and as a young adult, they’re not on the internet.”

The father of three said he would caution his own children, “especially my boys, don’t put things on the internet, like, be careful with what you post. If you put something in a group chat, assume that some scumbag is going to leak it in an effort to try to cause you harm or cause your family harm.”

“I really don’t want to us to grow up in a country where a kid telling a stupid joke, telling a very offensive, stupid joke is cause to ruin their lives,” Vance said.

Republicans

Other Republicans demanded more immediate intervention. Republican legislative leaders in Vermont, along with Gov. Phil Scott — also a Republican — called for the resignation of state Sen. Sam Douglass, revealed to be a participant in the chat. A joint statement from the GOP lawmakers termed the comments “unacceptable and deeply disturbing.”

Saying she was “absolutely appalled to learn about the alleged comments made by leaders of the New York State Young Republicans,” Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York called for those involved to step down from their positions. Danedri Herbert, chair of the Kansas GOP, said the remarks “do not reflect the beliefs of Republicans and certainly not of Kansas Republicans at large.”

In a statement posted to X on Tuesday, the Young Republican National Federation said it was “appalled” by the reported messages and calling for those involved to resign from their positions within the organization. Young Republican leaders said the behavior was “disgraceful, unbecoming of any Republican, and stands in direct opposition to the values our movement represents.”

Democrats

Democrats have been more uniform in their condemnation. On Wednesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote to House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer asking for an investigation into the “vile and offensive text messages,” which he called “the definition of conduct that can create a hostile and discriminatory environment that violates civil rights laws.”

Speaking on the Senate floor, Senate Democratic leader Charles E. Schumer of New York on Tuesday described the chat as “revolting,” calling for Republicans including President Trump and Vance to “condemn these comments swiftly and unequivocally.”

Asked about the reporting, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called the exchanges “vile” and called for consequences for those involved.

“Kick them out of the party. Take away their official roles. Stop using them as campaign advisers,” Hochul said. “There needs to be consequences. This bulls—- has to stop.”

Kinnard writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Michelle L. Price contributed to this report.

SACRAMENTO  — Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office is weighing whether to close parts of Interstate 5 beginning Friday amid concerns over what it says is a White House-directed plan to use live ordnance during a military anniversary celebration off Camp Pendleton’s coast in San Diego County — where Navy ships are expected to fire over the freeway onto the base.

Newsom’s office has received, but not confirmed, reports that live ordnance will be fired from offshore vessels during the event commemorating the Marine Corps’ 250th anniversary. The event is titled “Sea to Shore — A Review of Amphibious Strength” and will feature Vice President JD Vance.

Newsom’s office said it has received little information about the event or safety plans. The military show of force coincides with No Kings rallies and marches across the state on Saturday that are expected to draw large crowds, demonstrations challenging Trump and what critics say is government overreach.

“Donald Trump and JD Vance think that shutting down the I-5 to shoot out missiles from ships is how you respect the military,” Newsom posted on the social media site X Wednesday.

A military media advisory said the celebration will include a live amphibious assault demonstration. The Times could not confirm whether live ordnance will be fired over the freeway. The White House and Marine Corps did not respond to questions from The Times.

“California always honors our Marines — but this isn’t the right way to go about it,” said a Newsom spokesperson. “The White House should focus on paying their military, lowering grocery prices and honoring these soldiers for their service instead of pompous displays of power. The lack of coordination and communication from the federal government on this event — and the overall impact to our society and economy — is evident of the larger disarray that is the Trump Administration.”

Freeway closures are being considered for a section of I-5 between Orange County to San Diego County from Friday to Saturday, which would cut off a major traffic artery that moves upward of 80,000 travelers a day. A closure with little notice would likely result in massive gridlock from Dana Point in the north to well past Del Mar in the south.

Vance, the first Marine veteran to serve as vice president, is expected to attend the event Saturday along with 15,000 Marines, Sailors, veterans and their families, according to event’s media release. Along with Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to deliver remarks.

Camp Pendleton advised nearby residents that there will be live-fire training with high explosive munitions through Sunday, which will result in some roads on base being closed.

The Trump administration previously had plans for a major celebration next month for the 250th anniversary of the Navy and Marines, which would have included an air and sea show — with the Blue Angels and parading warships — attended by President Trump, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Plans to host that show in San Diego have been called off, the paper reported.

Camp Pendleton is a 125,000-acre base in northwestern San Diego County that has been critical in preparing soldiers for amphibious missions since World War II thanks to its miles of beach and coastal hills. The U.S. Department of Defense is considering making a portion of the base available for development or lease.

US Vice President JD Vance has announced the identity of the ‘new ABC late night host’ after Jimmy Kimmel was pulled from the air indefinitely following his Charlie Kirk comments in Monday’s opening monologue

US Vice President JD Vance has made a surprising announcement on X, formerly known as Twitter. He revealed that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be stepping in to fill the shoes of Jimmy Kimmel on ABC.

The network has yet to officially confirm this news, but Vance dropped the bombshell on Thursday morning. This comes just a day after the sudden cancellation of the comedian’s long-standing late-night programme, Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Jimmy’s show was abruptly axed by the broadcaster following his opening monologue earlier this week, where he mentioned Charlie Kirk.

In an unexpected turn of events, the VP announced, “Everyone please congratulate @marcorubio, the new host of ABC’s late-night show!”.

ABC, which is owned by Disney, pulled the plug on Jimmy Kimmel Live! after his comments about the death of right-wing podcaster Charlie Kirk. Specifically, his remarks about the suspected killer and his mockery of Trump’s icy response to questions about his associate’s death, according to the Irish Star.

Charlie Kirk, the host of the podcast Turning Point, was attending the first event of The American Comeback Tour at Utah Valley University when he was shot in the neck. Officials believe the weapon used was a high-powered rifle.

Kirk did not survive his injuries and has since become a martyr for the Republican Party.

Jimmy declared, “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA Gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”

He continued, “In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.

“On Friday, the White House flew the flags at half staff, which drew some criticism, but on a human level, you can see how hard the president is taking this,” he continued, cutting to a clip of Trump being interviewed by the press on the White House lawn talking about the new ballroom when asked about how he was holding up after his friend’s death.

“Yes, he’s at the fourth stage of grief: construction. This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he called a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish, okay? And it didn’t just happen once,” Jimmy said, before showing another clip of the president on Fox News talking about the ballroom when asked about how he heard the news of Charlie’s death.

The host went on to ask, “Why are we building a $200 million ballroom in the White House? Is it possible that he’s doing it intentionally so we can be mad about that instead of the Epstein list?” His sudden dismissal has left the country rattled amid fears over freedom of expression.

Marco Rubio, despite having no previous experience as a television host apart from guest appearances on Fox News and other networks, is rumoured to be taking up the Vice President’s post.

However, it remains unconfirmed whether the politician will be hosting his own show on ABC.

In a surprising move, some affiliate stations are planning to broadcast a Charlie Kirk memorial instead of the usual Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Friday during its regular time slot.

STRICTLY Come Dancing star Thomas Skinner has revealed that he had terrifying death threats after meeting up with the vice-president of the United States JD Vance.

The American politician reached out to him after seeing his social media posts saying he admired his positive attitude for life.

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And he invited him to the barbecue of the summer at 18th-century Dean Manor near Chipping Norton in the Cotswolds.

But afterwards The Apprentice star and market stall holder proudly posted a photo of them together on social media – and received a shocking backlash.

In an exclusive interview he admits: “Since I posted that picture I’ve had loads of death threats. People saying they want me dead, saying I am this political figure that I’m actually not. I actually really ain’t. I couldn’t tell you what’s going on in the world right now.

“Now the left seems to be attacking me every day on social media. The right seems to see me as this figurehead and it’s all been a bit much for me, if I’m honest with you.

“I was getting death threats and people calling me controversial. I was thinking, what have I ever done? What have I ever said that’s controversial? When you actually go through my tweets, apart from saying that knife crime is bad in London, yeah?

“I’m not this political figurehead that people believe that’s got my hand.

“I’ve had loads of death threats over the years, you know.

“I didn’t see it as anything more than a barbecue, if I’m honest with you. But I’ve been turned into this political figure that I’m actually not.”

But the East Londoner does admit he was nervous after accepting the invite along with Cambridge academic James Orr and Tory MP Danny Kruger.

He said: “I was very nervous about it, I didn’t know what to wear. When I arrived he literally was like, ‘Why have you got a suit on?’

“He was actually a normal bloke. We spoke about English cheese being so much better than American cheese, West Ham United and how they call football ‘soccer’.”

Fry-up fan Thomas was blown away by the food, laid on by the local pub, describing it as “the b******s.”

He said: “There was a pub in the town, and Jay wanted to go to a traditional English pub, but he knew by going to this pub it would obviously have to shut, because I’ve never seen so many security guys in my life… a proper entourage… he didn’t want it to affect the locals.

“So he asked the pub if they would kindly – he paid them a lot of money – bring some of their staff to cook at the place, and they did, they actually left this beautiful pub in the Cotswolds, they’d come round to the garden, and they cooked this fantastic spread, it was steaks, kebabs, halloumi, honestly it was unreal.  Everyone was really friendly.”

He didn’t take pictures, he says, because he didn’t want to “disturb his privacy”.

Joking, he adds: “When Trump comes he might invite me to a BBQ too.”

NO REGRETS

Despite the furore online Thomas insists he doesn’t regret posting the picture. He said: “I don’t regret it, I am a normal bloke and it was an amazing opportunity.

“Put yourself in my shoes. What would you do?  You’re a normal person.  And, I’ve been given this opportunity to sit with the Vice President of the most powerful country in the world, the United States of America. To me that was, “Wow’.

“And I would have gone, whether it was the leader of France, Germany, I think to sit there and learn, and experience that, whether you agree with him politically or not, it wasn’t about that for me, it was literally to say, ‘I’ve sat there and met the Vice President of the United States of America’.”

Yesterday, dad of three Thomas told how he had cheated on his wife – but bitterly regrets his mistake.

Sinead has been by his side since they got together nearly a decade ago.

Thomas began working part time as a market trader at 13 after being expelled from school. He found several businesses before starring on The Apprentice in 2019 after Sinead encouraged him to apply.

Since then he has appeared on Celebrity MasterChef, 8 Out of 10 Cats, and Michael McIntyre‘s Big Show.

But he is also known for his motivational videos on social media where he shares his love of kebabs and pints.

It was his conservative political views that led to US Vice President JD Vance actually getting in touch with him.

SPREADS POSITIVITY

He says he loves spreading positivity.

He said: “Even when JD Vance sent me a DM, he was like, ‘Look I love your energy, keep it up, I love seeing the high energy and the positivity you spread’.

“Which is literally all I do, all I do is share videos of me having a roast dinner, and do a morning video to say, ‘Have a good day’,  because I know what it’s like to wake up and feel like you can’t do this. I’ve been there, and that’s why I won’t ever give up spreading the positivity.”

Throughout the ups and down in his life Sinead – who he dubs Super sensible Sinéad – has been at his side throughout.

He admits the past few weeks have been tough and he has struggled with the public scrutiny.

He said: “It does affect you. I’ve always put on this brave face. But it’s alright to be vulnerable and be down and be upset. There are times I’ve felt low.”

CLOSE PALS WITH RYLAN CLARK

His close pal Rylan Clark also faced backlash recently over his views on migrant hotels which sparked over 700 Ofcom complaints.

Thomas said: “Rylan has been a friend of mine since I was a teenager. I love him. He’s a family friend, he comes to our family events. I go round to his and I bring him round to ours.

“He’s a top guy. And the thing that I just worry about is nowadays, whether someone’s got a different opinion to you, or you say something that might be slightly incorrect or you don’t agree with, everyone should be allowed to have their opinion, and everyone should be allowed to express it and argue it and talk about it.

“But if your opinion is different to someone else’s, people shouldn’t be able to attack you and ram it down your throat, and I think that’s wrong, if I’m honest with you.

“Poor old Rylan got a bashing, and obviously I know what it feels like, because I’ve had a bashing in the last couple of years.”

What Rylan said was: “How come if I turn up at Heathrow Airport and I’ve left my passport in Spain, I’ve got to stand at that airport and won’t be let in? But if I arrive on a boat from Calais, I get taken to a four-star hotel?

“I find it absolutely insane that all these people are risking their lives coming across the Channel like they are. But when they get here, it seems, ‘Welcome, come on in’.”

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He later said he was angry at being “put in a box” over his opinions and called for more intelligent debate. Rylan posted on X: “You can be pro immigration and against illegal routes. You can support trans people and have the utmost respect for women.

“You can be heterosexual and still support gay rights. Stop with this putting everyone in a box exercise and maybe have conversations instead of shouting on Twitter.”

Thomas says the pressure that he and other celebrities receive due to fame can be hard to deal with.

And key to helping keep his mental health stable is the group of friends from the market that he still meets every Friday for “a pint”.

He said: “I think that’s so important, they think it’s funny I’m going on Strictly.

“Every Friday, and I’ve done this for years, you know, since I started out, no matter what, me and my group of little pals have a pint on a Friday afternoon.

“Some of us could be skint on our arse, some of us could be flying, we’re all having the same beer, in the same circle, talking the same thing, and we always, we always talk about what’s been a bad week, sad week, a happy week, a good week, a great week, and we all support each other, and I think that’s so important.”

And his biggest fan – his mum couldn’t be prouder.

Both his parents still work and are real “grafters” – which is where he says he gets his work ethic from.

His mum works in a call centre – but until this week hadn’t revealed who her famous son was, because she says they “never asked”.

He said: “She’s one of the people, when your boiler goes, she’ll ring up, my mum’s the one that you abuse on the phone saying, ‘My boilers gone,” she’s got one of the hardest jobs in the world. bless her.

“When she asked for the day off she said her son was on Strictly. They said, ‘What who’s your son? What do you mean?’ She showed them a picture of me.”

Her son is still a market trader with his own stall selling mattresses and pillows. He survives on just five hours sleep a night and even when rehearsing for the BBC show he says he will set up his stall first.

He still loves his work and feels proud to be helping Britain’s High Street.

Thomas said: “I’m going to try and set up at 6am. Markets help the shops, but then the shops are suffering, the high street’s dying.”

One thing that isn’t dying is his fan base.

Thomas confesses that he has been inundated with direct messages from celebrities on social media offering support for the new dance show.

He said: “I’ve had hundreds of messages, footballers, TV stars, all sorts.

“But I don’t think it’s fair to say who, because they’ve said that to me confidentially, and I respect that.

“People like my energy and the positivity I spread, which is literally all I do.”

Thomas has experienced financial highs and lows, and even homelessness.

He said: “I know what it’s like to have a few quid in my pocket, when everything’s going well, and your business is flying, and you’ve got everyone around you.

“But I also know what it’s like to be on your a***, not having anywhere to live, and not knowing how you’re going to pay your next bill. I’ve been at both spectrums.

“It’s taught me to be strong, and taught me to try and help other people, because life can be so hard.”

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WASHINGTON — Bringing prominent White House support to the streets of Washington, Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday visited with National Guard troops at the city’s main train station as protesters chanted “free D.C.” — the latest tense interlude from President Trump’s crackdown in the nation’s capital. “We brought some law and order back,” the vice president asserted.

“We appreciate everything you’re doing,” Vance said as he presented burgers to the troops. Citing the protesters whose shouts echoed through the station, Vance said “they appear to hate the idea that Americans can enjoy their communities.”

The appearance, which also included White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, was a striking scene that illustrated the Republican administration’s intense focus on the situation in Washington and its willingness to promote an initiative that has polarized the Democrat-led city.

An estimated 1,900 troops are being deployed in D.C. More than half are coming from Republican-led states. Besides Union Station, they have mostly been spotted around downtown areas, including the National Mall and Metro stops.

An early morning accident involved an armored vehicle

The intersection of life in the city and a military presence produced another striking scene early Wednesday when an armored vehicle collided with a civilian car less than a mile from the U.S. Capitol. One person was trapped inside the car after the accident and had to be extricated by emergency responders, according to D.C. fire department spokesman Vito Maggiolo. The person was taken to a hospital because of minor injuries.

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash. A video posted online showed the aftermath of the collision, with a tan-colored armored vehicle twice the height of the civilian car with a crushed side.

“You come to our city and this is what you do? Seriously?” a woman yelled at the troops in the video.

Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi said more than 550 people have been arrested so far, and the U.S. Marshals are offering $500 rewards for information leading to additional arrests. “Together, we will make DC safe again!” Bondi wrote on social media.

City officials work to navigate the situation

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, trying to balance the constituency that elected her and the reality in front of her, acknowledged the changing situation in the city as she attended a back-to-school event with teachers and staff.

“This is not the same time, is it, that we experienced in opening school last year,” she said. Bowser said she would worry about the politics and told school employees that “your job is to love on the kids, teach them and make sure that they are prepared and to trust that I’m going to do the right thing for all of us.”

Despite the militarized backdrop, Bowser said it’s important that children “have joy when they approach this school year.” Public schools around Washington reconvene Monday.

The skewer-everyone cartoon TV show “ South Park,” which has leaned into near-real-time satire in recent years, this week made the federal crackdown fodder for a new episode. A 20-second promo released by Comedy Central depicts the character “Towelie” — a walking towel — riding in a bus past the U.S. Supreme Court building and White House, where armed troops are patrolling. A tank rolls by in front of the White House.

“This seems like a perfect place for a towel,” the character says upon disembarking the bus.

“South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone recently signed a reported $1.5-billion, five-year deal with Paramount for new episodes and streaming rights to their series, which began its 27th season this summer.

The season premiere mocked the president’s body in a raunchy manner and depicted him sharing a bed with Satan.

Whitehurst, Brown and Megerian write for the Associated Press. AP writers David Bauder and Michelle Price contributed to this report.

The farm shop is in the news again this week because US vice president JD Vance arrived with a huge entourage of security and police — I visited earlier this summer and one thing was glaring long before I got inside

I’ve never been anywhere quite like this — it’s got to be the poshest farm shop anywhere in Britain. Nestled in the middle of the stunningly beautiful Cotswolds countryside, Daylesford Organic sells hampers for £690.

The manicured shelves feature £36 honey, £10 chocolate and cashew butter sourdough cookies, £175 tablecloths, £40 mushroom coffee and a £23 “immunity formula”.

Outside, a beautiful garden centre displays £1,600 garden dining furniture and £1,000 trees. Walking around it in the sunshine was one of the highlights of my summer. The whole place is gorgeous — and the customers (and their dogs) are as meticulous and beautifully presented as the shop. I came away with a bag full of Isle of Wight tomatoes (the best I’ve ever tasted) and a lavender bush which cost £20.

Daylesford Organic has made headlines for its prices in the past. But it’s back in the news this week because the US vice president, JD Vance, called in. Donald Trump’s second-in-command is in the Cotswolds for a holiday with his family and footage shows his huge entourage of security and police at the farm shop and in the surrounding lanes on Monday. He reportedly spent hours there.

But on my visit, the first thing that struck me wasn’t the food or the prices. It was the cars in the car park. I immediately spotted two Ferraris, several Porsches and too many Range Rovers to count. Right outside the front door was a white Ferrari with a number plate reading “cash”. I parked my car in a distant corner of the car park and then did my best not to look too gobsmacked as I walked around.

But this level of ostentatious wealth isn’t surprising when you consider the area. The farm shop is around halfway between Chipping Norton and Stow-on-the-Wold in the Cotswolds, every inch of which belongs on a postcard. People who call this area home include the Beckhams, David and Samantha Cameron, Mike and Zara Tindall, Princess Anne, Kate Moss, Ellen DeGeneres, Simon Cowell, Richard E Grant and many, many more.

Jeremy Clarkson has made it even more famous with his huge Amazon Prime Video hit Clarkson’s Farm, on which you’ll see sweeping drone-shot views of the sunlit countryside and farmland. I’ve been to his (very different) farm shop too, which you can read about here, as well as his sensational pub, which you can read about here.

Its towns and villages, like Bourton-on-the-Water (read about it here), Bibury (known as Britain’s most beautiful village), Burford, Broadway and Stow-on-the-Wold are among the most beautiful you’ll find anywhere.

And the farm shop itself was founded in 2002 by Lady Carole Bamford, whose husband is JCB founder Lord Anthony Bamford. The couple are said to have a joint fortune of £9.45bn, making them comfortably one of the very wealthiest people in the UK. Earlier this summer, Lady Bamford was pictured alongside King Charles and Queen Camilla at Ascot Racecourse. The Bamfords own several prize-winning horses, including one bought for £1.4 million.

Walking around the shop and its outdoor garden centre, I enjoyed trying to figure out if I recognised some of the more glamorous customers (I didn’t). But visitors this week would have had no trouble figuring out who the most famous customer was, given the convoy of black SUVs he arrived with.

Locals in the Cotswolds have likened the security lockdown around Vance’s holiday to the Men in Black as roads, footpaths and village lanes were blocked.

One said: “Stopped off at a farm shop…so did JD Vance. Security everywhere.” Another said: “There were a few American SUVs and then loads of Mercedes. And a full police riot van and about three police motorbikes. “Because of this, there are loads of police everywhere at the moment – normally, you’d never see a police car around here.”

One local said: “You do seem to get a few political celebrities round here – Kamala Harris has been, David Cameron lives around here, and Boris Johnson often comes. I go to Daylesford Organic most days with my kids. It’s not often you see a presidential motorcade here though!”

I’d go most days myself if I could and am certainly looking forward to my next visit. It would have been wonderful if Cotswolds farm shop rival Clarkson had decided to pop in at the same time to check out the competition. He has described Vance as “a bearded God-botherer who pretty much thinks that women who’ve been raped should be forced to have the resultant child”.

Clarkson, whose Diddly Squat Farm Shop is no more than a mile from the vice-president’s fortress-like holiday mansion, also said: “I’ve searched for the right word to describe him and I think it’s ‘t**t’.”

Oh well, I still hope Vance, who has also said the UK is a “truly Islamist” country, enjoyed his visit as much as I did. At least he could probably afford to buy a bit more than I could.

Since the start of President Trump’s second term, the Department of Homeland Security’s social media team has published a stream of content worthy of a meme-slinging basement dweller on 4chan.

Grainy, distorted mug shots of immigrants. Links to butt-kissing Fox News stories about MAGA anything. Whiny slams against politicians who call out la migra for treating the Constitution like a pee pad. Paeans to “heritage” and “homeland” worthy of Goebbels. A Thomas Kinkade painting of 1950s-era white picket fence suburbia straight out of “Leave It to Beaver,” with the caption “Protect the Homeland.”

All of this is gag-inducing, but it has a purpose — it’s revealing the racist id of this administration in real time, in case anyone was still doubtful.

In June, DHS shared a poster, originally created by the white-power scene, of a grim-faced Uncle Sam urging Americans to “report all foreign invaders” by calling Immigration and Customs Enforcement. On July 14, the DHS X account featured a painting of a young white couple cradling a baby in a covered wagon on the Great Plains with the caption, “Remember your Homeland’s Heritage.”

When my colleague Hailey Branson-Potts asked about the pioneer painting and the Trump administration’s trollish social media strategy, a White House spokesperson asked her to “explain how deporting illegal aliens is racist,” adding that haters should “stay mad.”

Now, behold the latest DHS salvo: a July 23 X post of a 19th century painting by John Gast titled “American Progress.”

A blond white woman robed in — yep — white, with a gold star just above her forehead, floats in the center. She holds a book in her right hand and a loop of telegraph wire that her left hand trails across poles. Below her on the right side are miners, hunters, farmers, loggers, a stagecoach and trains. They rush westward, illuminated by puffy clouds and the soft glow of dawn.

The angelic woman is Columbia, the historic female personification of the United States. She seems to be guiding everyone forward, toward Native Americans — bare breasted women, headdress-bedecked warriors — who are fleeing in terror along with a herd of bison and a bear with its mouth agape. It’s too late, though: Covered wagon trains and a teamster wielding a whip have already encroached on their land.

The white settlers are literally in the light-bathed side of the painting, while the Native Americans are shrouded in the dusky, murky side.

It ain’t subtle, folks!

“A Heritage to be proud of, a Homeland worth Defending,” DHS wrote as a caption for “American Progress” — a mantra you may soon find printed on the $20 bill, the way this administration is going.

Gast finished his painting in 1872, when the U.S. was in the last stages of conquest. The Civil War was done. White Americans were moving into the Southwest in large numbers, dispossessing the Mexican Americans who had been there for generations through the courts, squatting or outright murder. The Army was ramping up to defeat Native Americans once and for all. In the eyes of politicians, a new menace was emerging from the Pacific: mass Asian migration, especially Chinese.

Scholars have long interpreted Gast’s infamous work as an allegory about Manifest Destiny — that the U.S. had a God-given right to seize as much of the American continent as it could. John L. O’Sullivan, the newspaperman who coined the term in 1845, openly tied this country’s expansion to white supremacy, expressing the hope that pushing Black people into Latin America, a region “already of mixed and confused blood,” would lead to “the ultimate disappearance of the negro race from our borders.”

O’Sullivan also salivated at the idea of California leaving “imbecile and distracted” Mexico and joining the U.S., adding, “The Anglo-Saxon foot is already on its borders. Already the advance guard of the irresistible army of Anglo-Saxon emigration has begun to pour down upon it, armed with the plough and the rifle.”

This is the heritage the Trump administration thinks is worth promoting.

Vice President JD Vance, center, speaks next to officials including, from left to right, HUD Regional Administrator William Spencer, U.S. Atty. for the Central District of California Bill Essayli, FBI Los Angeles Asst. Director Akil Davis, U.S. Border Patrol Sector Chief Gregory Bovino and ICE Field Office Director Ernie Santacruz at the Wilshire Federal Building in Los Angeles in June.

(Jae C. Hong / AP)

Administration officials act shocked and offended when critics accuse them of racism, but the Trump base knows exactly what’s going on.

“This is our country, and we can’t let the radical left make us ashamed of our heritage,” one X user commented on the “American Progress” post. “Manifest Destiny was an amazing thing!”

“It’s time to re-conquer the land,” another wrote.

DHS seems to be vibing with the Heritage American movement, now bleeding into the conservative mainstream from its far-right beginnings. Its adherents maintain that Americans whose ancestors have been here for generations are more deserving of this nation’s riches than those whose families came over within living memory. Our values, proponents say, shouldn’t be based on antiquated concepts like liberty and equality but rather, the customs and traditions established by Anglo Protestants before mass immigration forever changed this country’s demographics.

In other words, if you’re white, you’re all right. If you’re brown or anything else, you’re probably not down.

Our own vice president, JD Vance, is espousing this pendejada. In a speech to the Claremont Institute earlier this month, Vance outlined his vision of what an American is.

“America is not just an idea,” Vance told the crowd. “We’re a particular place, with a particular people, and a particular set of beliefs and way of life.”

Weird — I learned in high school that people come here not because of how Americans live, but because they have the freedom to live however they want.

“If you stop importing millions of foreigners,” the vice president continued, “you allow social cohesion to form naturally.”

All those Southern and Eastern Europeans who came at the turn of the 20th century seem to have assimilated just fine, even as Appalachia’s Scots-Irish — Vance’s claimed ethnic affiliation — are, by his own admission, still a tribe apart after centuries of living here.

Trump, Vance added, is “ensur[ing] that the people we serve have a better life in the country their grandparents built.” I guess that excludes me, since my Mexican grandparents settled here in the autumn of their lives.

The irony of elevating so-called Heritage Americans is that many in Trumpworld would seem to be excluded.

First Lady Melania Trump was born in what’s now Slovenia. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is the child of Cuban immigrants. Vance’s wife’s parents came here from India. The Jewish immigrant ancestor of Trump’s deportation mastermind, Stephen Miller, wouldn’t be allowed in these days, after arriving at Ellis Island from czarist Russia with $8 to his name. Even Gast and O’Sullivan wouldn’t count as Heritage Americans by the strictest definition, since the former was Prussian and the latter was the son of Irish and English immigrants.

But that’s the evil genius of MAGA. Trump has proclaimed that he welcomes anyone, regardless of race, creed or sexual orientation (except for trans people), into his movement, as long as they’re committed to owning the libs.

Americans are so myopic about their own history, if not downright ignorant, that some minorities think they’re being welcomed into the Heritage Americans fold by Vance and his ilk. No wonder a record number of voters of color, especially Latinos, jumped on the Trump train in 2024.

“American Progress” might as well replace red hats as the ultimate MAGA symbol. To them, it’s not a shameful artifact; it’s a road map for Americans hell-bent on turning back the clock to the era of eradication.

Like I said, not a subtle message at all — if your eyes aren’t shut.

A holidaymaker who wanted to visit pals in New York claims a political meme put him in hot water but The U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a robust denial

Political memes are hugely popular on the internet but one holidaymaker with a funny picture on his phone claimed he was “made to feel like a terrorist” when he tried to enter the United States.

Tourist Mads Mikkelsen, 21, had arrived at New Jersey’s Newark Airport on June 11 with plans to visit friends in New York City before making his way to Austin, Texas.

Mads said that when immigration officers found a meme of US Vice President JD Vance on the Norwegian’s phone, he wasn’t allowed into the country.

“I was subjected to abuse of power and harassment,” he told Norwegian newspaper Nordlys. “They took me to a room with several armed guards, where I had to hand over my shoes, mobile phone and backpack.”

The tourist claimed he was quizzed about “drug trafficking, terrorist plots, and right-wing extremism… totally without reason” before being thrown in a cell. But The U.S. Customs and Border Protection, operating under the Department of Homeland Security, hit back with a firm denial, saying: “Mads Mikkelsen was not denied entry for any memes or political reasons”.

READ MORE: Foreign Office warns 800,000 Brits risk ‘harsh’ detention under new travel rules

Mads said officials threatened him with jail or a $5,000 (£3,600) fine if he didn’t give them access to his phone. He claimed agents then found the Vance meme, which distorted the politician’s face to make it cartoonish, chubby and bald and it was game over.

“The picture had been automatically saved to my camera roll from a chat app but I really didn’t think that these innocent pictures would put a stop to my entry into the country,” said Mads, who claimed he was next forced to give blood samples and supply fingerprints.

“It felt like I was a terrorist suspect where I was sitting,” he added. “I tried to pull myself together several times but in the end, I just wanted to get home.”

But The U.S. Customs and Border Protection stated that the story wasn’t quite as Mads had painted it. “Fact Check: FALSE,” they wrote on X. “Mads Mikkelsen was not denied entry for any memes or political reasons, it was for his admitted drug use.”

Mads told Nordlys that he was questioned at the airport about illegal drug use. He admitted to having used cannabis on two occasions – in Germany and in New Mexico. “It’s legal in both places, so in my mind it was irrelevant,” he said.

The tourist also said he never got the impression that the drug-related questions were an issue at the time of questioning.

The Norwegian was flown back to Norway the same day and when his claims reached social media, supporters branded his US ban “authoritarian”. “Remember when JD Vance went to Germany to lecture them about free speech?” said one user on X.

“So much for free speech. Note to visitors: Best not come for a few years,” added another supporter.

Mads’ ban comes after reports last month that an Australian woman was detained and jailed overnight before being deported. Nikki Saroukus, a former police officer from Sydney who was visiting her US military husband, had arrived for a three week holiday with her mum when she was taken in for questioning.

“They were asking me about ice and meth and whether I knew how much was being imported from New Zealand,” said Nikki, who was allegedly forced to sign a document stating she was not a part of a cartel and had no affiliation with gang members.

The Australian claimed she was handcuffed and subjected to an in-depth cavity search before being detained overnight and flown back home.

Sen. Alex Padilla blasted the Trump administration Saturday, calling it “petty and unserious” after Vice President JD Vance referred to him as “Jose” during a news conference in Los Angeles the previous day.

“He knows my name,” Padilla said in an appearance on MSNBC on Saturday morning.

Vance visited Los Angeles on Friday for less than five hours after several weeks of federal immigration raids in the city and surrounding areas, sparking protests and backlash from state and local officials.

Padilla was thrown into the heated nationwide immigration debate when he was dragged to the ground by federal law enforcement officers and briefly detained when he attempted to ask U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem a question during a news conference earlier this month.

Vance characterized the move by California’s first Latino senator as “political theater” in his remarks.

“I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question, but unfortunately I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn’t a theater, and that’s all it is,” Vance said.

Vance served alongside Padilla in the Senate and is now the president of the upper chamber of Congress. Vance’s press secretary, Taylor Van Kirk, told Politico that the vice president misspoke and “must have mixed up two people who have broken the law.”

Padilla, in his TV interview, said he broke no laws.

He suggested the misnaming was intentional — and a reflection of the administration’s skewed priorities.

“He’s the vice president of the United States.” Padilla said. “You think he’d take the the situation in Los Angeles more seriously.”

Padilla said Vance might instead have taken the opportunity to talk to families or employers affected by raids carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Other California Democrats rallied behind Padilla after the misnaming incident.

“Calling him ‘Jose Padilla’ is not an accident,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a Friday post on the social media platform X.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass highlighted racial undertones in Vance’s comments.

“I guess he just looked like anybody to you, but he’s not just anybody to us,” she said during a press conference on Friday. “He is our senator.”

ROME — U.S. Vice President JD Vance extended an invitation to Pope Leo XIV to visit the United States during a meeting at the Vatican on Monday ahead of a flurry of U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to make progress on a ceasefire in Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Vance gave the first American pope a letter from President Trump and the first lady inviting him. The Chicago-born pope took the letter and put it on his desk and was heard saying “at some point,” in the video footage of the meeting provided by Vatican Media.

Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, also gave the Augustinian pope a copy of two of St. Augustine’s most seminal works, “The City of God” and “On Christian Doctrine,” the vice president’s office said. Another gift: A Chicago Bears T-shirt with Leo’s name on it.

“As you can probably imagine, people in the United States are extremely excited about you,” Vance told Leo as they exchanged gifts.

Leo gave Vance a bronze sculpture with the words in Italian “Peace is a fragile flower,” and a coffee-table sized picture book of the papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace. Leo noted that Francis had chosen not to live in them and added, “And I may live in, but it’s not totally decided.”

Vance led the U.S. delegation to Sunday’s formal Mass opening the pontificate of the first American pope. Joining him at the meeting on Monday was Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also a Catholic, Vance spokesperson Luke Schroeder said. The two then also met with the Vatican foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher.

“There was an exchange of views on some current international issues, calling for respect for humanitarian law and international law in areas of conflict and for a negotiated solution between the parties involved,” according to a Vatican statement after their meeting.

According to the photo of the visits released by the Vatican, Leo’s brother, Louis Prevost, a self-described “MAGA-type,” and his wife, Deborah, joined the delegation during the visit.

The Vatican listed Vance’s delegation as the first of several private audiences Leo was having Monday with people who had come to Rome for his inaugural Mass, including other Christian leaders and a group of faithful from his old diocese in Chiclayo, Peru.

The Vatican, which was largely sidelined during the first three years of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has offered to host any peace talks while continuing humanitarian efforts to facilitate prisoner swaps and reunite Ukrainian children taken by Russia.

After greeting Leo briefly at the end of Sunday’s Mass, Vance spent the rest of the day in separate meetings, including with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He also met with European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Italy’s Premier Giorgia Meloni, who said she hoped the trilateral meeting could be a “new beginning.”

In the evening, Meloni spoke by phone with U.S. President Trump and several other European leaders ahead of Trump’s expected call with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Monday, according to a statement from Meloni’s office.

‘Every effort’

Leo, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost, is a Chicago-born Augustinian missionary who spent the bulk of his ministry in Chiclayo, a commercial city of around 800,000 on Peru’s northern Pacific coast.

In the days since his May 8 election, Leo has vowed “every effort” to help bring peace to Ukraine. He also has emphasized his continuity with Pope Francis, who made caring for migrants and the poor a priority of his pontificate.

Before his election, Prevost shared news articles on X that were critical of the Trump administration’s plans for mass deportations of migrants.

Vance was one of the last foreign officials to meet with Francis before the Argentine pope’s April 21 death. The two had tangled over migration, with Francis publicly rebuking the Trump administration’s deportation plan and correcting Vance’s theological justification for it.

Winfield and Martin write for the Associated Press.

POPE Leo XIV meets Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday after the pontiff’s inauguration mass.

The bells of St Peter’s Basilica earlier rang out as Chicago-born Leo waved from the popemobile that slowly went round the square

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Guests at the mass also included Prince Edward and US Vice President JD Vance.

Vance paid his respects at the late Pope Francis‘s tomb upon arriving in Rome late on Saturday before heading to the US delegation honouring Chicago-born Leo.

The pope, 69, has publicly criticised Vance, previously sharing an article condemning the Republican’s comments about a hierarchy of who you love in Christianity on a social media account under his name.

Both the United States and Peru get front-row seats at the historic event due to Leo’s dual citizenship as well as strict diplomatic protocol.

Catholic convert Vance – who tangled with Pope Francis over Donald Trump’s mass migrant deportation plans – was joined by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Rubio arrived in Rome ahead of time to try to advance tense Russia-Ukraine peace talks.

Images showed Vance smiling as he shook the hand of President Zelensky – despite the two engaging in the brutal three-way Oval Office shouting match earlier this year.

Moscow last night fired a total of 273 exploding drones and decoys targeting Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, as well as Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk regions – the biggest Russian drone attack since the start of the war.

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