(The Washington Stand)—Former President Donald Trump has promised he will pardon or commute the sentences of sidewalk counselors, pro-life advocates, and “every political prisoner who’s been unjustly persecuted by the Biden administration” on the first day he returns to office, he told the 2023 Pray Vote Stand Summit on Friday.
Trump also vowed he would prohibit transgender procedures for children and prosecute left-wing officials who enacted laws that facilitate children to run away from home and begin to receive transgender procedures.
The 45th president shared these and other specific policies during his speech, which closed Friday’s proceedings at the conservative Christian summit, hosted by FRC Action. And he said, “Americans of faith are the soul of our country.”
Trump said he will overturn the Biden administration’s attempt to criminalize its political opponents—a fate the president says conservatives have in common.
“Marxists and Stalinists in the administration got a Washington, D.C., jury to convict five pro-life activists who are now facing up to 11 years in prison for simple acts of protest,” said Trump inside the Omni Shoreham Hotel.
Five members of the Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising—Lauren Handy, John Hinshaw, Heather Idoni, William Goodman, and Herb Geraghty—were convicted in August of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act over their protest at the Washington Surgi-Clinic abortion facility.
“Under [President Joe] Biden, others are being sentenced to 10, 15, and even 20 years in prison for retribution for their political beliefs, while Antifa and other groups burn-down cities like Portland, like Minneapolis. … They kill people, they loot, they plunder, and they go free.”
“To reverse these cruel travesties of justice, tonight I’m announcing that the moment I win the election, I will appoint a special task force to rapidly review the cases of every political prisoner who’s been unjustly persecuted by the Biden administration … so that I can study the situation very quickly and sign their pardons or commutations on Day One,” the president said. “Never again will the federal government be used to target religious believers.”
Targeting believers threatens the very essence of the United States, said the former president.
For nearly 250 years, our nation has been propelled by the power of prayer and guided by the hand of God in Heaven. It was faith that led the Pilgrims across the perilous seas of Plymouth Rock. They came to Plymouth Rock, and that was a long, arduous, and deadly journey. It was faith that moved our Founding Fathers to change history forever and proclaim that our rights do not come from anywhere other than from our Creator. And it was unflinching faith that inspired generations of pastors and patriots, chaplains and soldiers, farmers, workers, laborers, and pioneers to make America the greatest country in the history of the world.
“It was God-fearing patriots like you who built this country, and it is God-fearing patriots like you who are going to save our country,” Trump added. “Americans of faith are not a threat to our country; Americans of faith are the soul of our country.”
“Through four magnificent years, I was proud to be your relentless champion for freedom, for life, for liberty, and for the great biblical traditions of Western civilization,” he said.
With patriots on his side, “this election will decide whether America will be ruled by Marxists, fascists, communist tyrants who want to smash the Judeo-Christian heritage, or whether America will be saved by God-fearing, freedom-loving patriots like all of the people in this room,” said Trump. “We’re going to take back our culture. And we’re going to make America great again, greater than ever before.”
Persecution is a shared activity on the Right, said Trump, who has been indicted multiple times by liberal prosecutors.
“The radical Left is coming after all of us, because they know that our allegiance is not to them; our allegiance is to our country and to our Creator,” said Trump. Under the Biden administration, America has become “like a banana republic. We’re like a Third World country.”
The former president then turned to a number of policies he plans to enact if he wins the 2024 presidential election, which would make him only the second president in history to serve two nonconsecutive terms in office.
“Probably No. 1 on my list … I will sign a law prohibiting child sexual mutilation—think of it, sexual mutilation—in all 50 states,” Trump said, expressing disbelief he had to address the issue. “They mutilate our children and we’re not going to let that happen.”
He also took aim at “California’s depraved new laws that strip parents of parental rights and that encourage minors to be transported across state lines for sexual mutilation,” he said. “And we will prosecute those involved in this sick California scheme for violating federal laws against kidnapping, sex trafficking, child abuse, and the deprivation of their civil rights.”
Trump also promised to clear out the federal bureaucracy indoctrinating students in extreme gender ideology.
“I will close immediately the Department of Education and we will move everything back to the states,” Trump said to applause, repeating a policy embraced by Ronald Reagan during his 1980 landslide victory over Jimmy Carter. (Trump allowed, “We’ll keep a few people there just to make sure they’re guaranteeing they’re going to teach English.”)
He endorsed school choice and promised to “sign a new executive order to cut federal funding for any school pushing critical race theory, transgender insanity, and other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content on our children,” as well as denying taxpayer funding to any school with a COVID-19 mask or vaccine mandate.
Clearing out the federal education bureaucracy constitutes one step of his plan to “totally obliterate the deep state,” the hive of unelected bureaucrats who draft regulations and enforce, or refuse to enforce, existing laws according to their own whim.
Trump took pride in appointing three of the six Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision last June. The Dobbs ruling “moves the issue back to the states, which all legal scholars wanted on both sides,” said Trump.
Coffee the Christian way: Promised Grounds
The former president added that Democrats “are the radical ones” on abortion. “They’ll kill babies in the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth month. And they’ll even kill babies, in some cases, after birth.” Trump, who won more votes than any sitting president in history, said Republicans have to address abortion head-on, “and if they don’t speak about it correctly, they’re not going to win.”
The Supreme Court also won Trump’s praise for its ruling in Students for Fair Admissions, which eliminated race-conscious affirmative action programs in college admissions and reinstitute “merit-based education again.”
Trump invoked the Bible when he promised to end the war between Russia and Ukraine because the world is perilously “close to World War III.”
“As the Bible says, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers.’ And I was a peacemaker,” said Trump, quoting the Sermon on the Mount. “We got out of Syria. We got out of Iraq. We defeated ISIS.”
The president held up his record on religious liberty, supporting the Little Sisters of the Poor, not enforcing the Johnson Amendment, ending “Barack Hussein Obama’s hateful and bigoted assault on faith-based adoption and foster care services,” and opposing religious persecution overseas.
On illegal immigration, Trump praised the “patriots” in the Border Patrol, whose hands have been tied by the Biden administration. “I will also use Title 42 to end the child trafficking crisis by returning all trafficked children to their families in their home countries immediately,” he said. Quoting actor Jim Caviezel’s dialogue in “Sound of Freedom,” Trump declared, “God’s children are not for sale.”
He promised to return to his fiscal policy of economic nationalism (especially against China), further tax reductions and regulatory reform, forecasting that the economic rebound will produce more revenue, as it did during his first term in office.
Trump also highlighted the importance of reliable news outlets. “We are a nation that no longer has a free and fair press. Fake news is all you get, and they are the true enemy of the people.”
Playing dramatic music underneath his speech, Trump highlighted the decline of the nation under his successor. “We are a nation that has lost its confidence, it has lost its willpower, and it has lost its strength. We are a nation that, quite frankly, has lost its way,” he said, vowing to reverse the damage in one year.
“We will take back our country with a righteous and magnificent victory on Election Day 2024.”
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
