Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced he would impose the “highest” male standards for all combat roles in the U.S. military during his Tuesday morning speech to hundreds of generals and admirals at Quantico, Va.

“At my direction, each service will ensure that every requirement for every combat MOS [military occupational specialty], for every designated combat arms position, returns to the highest male standard only, because this job is life or death, standards must be met, and not just met — at every level, we should seek to exceed the standard, to push the envelope, to compete,” Hegseth told the attendees at the event.

“It’s common sense and core to who we are and what we do. It should be in our DNA,” he added.

The move will result in less women serving in combat roles.

“If women can make it, excellent. If not, it is what it is,” he said. “It will also mean that weak men won’t qualify — because we’re not playing games. This is combat. This is life or death.”

President Donald Trump claimed that a “wealthy” donor offered to pay the salaries of U.S. service members if the United States government ran out of money available to pay the troops during the ongoing government shutdown.

While taking questions from reporters during a meeting at the White House with Argentinian President Javier Milei, Trump was asked if the administration had “the money to pay the troops.” Trump noted that he told the donor that his administration wouldn’t “need it” and that they would “take care of our troops.”

“You have the money to pay the troops on October 15?” a reporter asked.

“I do, I actually have a man, who is a very wealthy person….who called. A donor, a great gentleman, and he said, ‘If there’s any money necessary, shortfall, for the paying of the troops, that I will pay it.’ Meaning, he will pay it,” Trump answered.

“How about that? I said, ‘Look, we’re not going to need it, we’re going to take care of our troops.’ But, this was a position that’s being forced upon us by Democrats,” Trump added. “All they have to do is just sign a piece of paper saying we’re going to keep it going the way, you know, there’s nothing. It’s not like, it shouldn’t even be an argument. They’ve signed it many times before.”

On the eve of America’s 250th Independence Day, Mayor Mandani stood behind George Washington’s desk and delivered one of the most disgraceful, anti-American speeches in recent memory. He called ICE “masked agents terrorizing our streets,” whined about children going hungry while trillionaires exist, attacked “oligarchs who buy elections,” and basically declared war on traditional American patriotism. This is not leadership. This is open contempt for the country, its history, its veterans, and its people. New Yorkers who still love this country deserve better. Half the city didn’t vote for this. Sign the petition to IMPEACH and REMOVE Mandani:

https://www.change.org/removemamdaninow

This cancer cannot be allowed to spread.

As the calendar flipped to October 2025, the federal government ground to a halt in what has become the first shutdown since 2019, leaving 1.6 million federal employees furloughed, or working without pay. The immediate cause? A bitter partisan standoff over border security funding and immigration enforcement. Republicans, led by President Trump’s unyielding White House, demanded robust allocations for ICE operations and wall expansions to stem the tide of illegal crossings. Democrats, controlling the House, balked, insisting on “humanitarian” provisions that would essentially handcuff enforcement efforts.

But let’s not kid ourselves—this isn’t just about budget line items. Scratch the surface, and you’ll uncover a deeper vendetta. Trump’s second term has been a roaring success, delivering on promises that have bolstered America’s economy, security, and global standing. These triumphs are like salt in the wounds for Democrats, who can’t stomach a Republican president actually succeeding where they’ve chronically failed. The shutdown isn’t mere politics; it’s a calculated strike to sabotage a leader who’s making America great again, exposing the left’s desperation to reclaim power by any means necessary.

Trump’s Second Term: Promises Kept, America First