I also download on a DC City Councilmember Trayon White, Ward 8. He was arrested a little over two years ago for bribery, and eventually the City Council ousted him from office. He allegedly took $156,000, $35,000 of which was cash, during an FBI sting. But, as the seat became vacant and a special election got underway, he decided to run for it again, and his ward reelected him. He was free to run because he had not been convicted—only charged. As of this writing, he has yet to go to trial! He’s been serving for over two years while indicted for bribery, a charge that if convicted that carries a 15 year prison term. Jury selection for White’s trial is expected to get underway late next month. Stay tuned. The trial could remind you of former Mayor of DC, Marion Barry.

Our nation’s capital is the most unique metropolitan place in the nation because it sits on federal land, but has home rule, or local governance. As such there are many issues which intersect at the crossroads of the “Feds” and the “City.” Sometimes there’s conflict, and sometimes it’s smooth sailing. But it’s always interesting.

However, the other and more important element of this story is why are they returning at all. They took a hard pass on royal duties after their $34 million royal wedding when they chose civilian life among America’s super-wealthy, though non-royal gentry, like Oprah Winfrey for example, in Montecito, California. Still, the move raises the prospect that they might do royal duties sometime later on.

Kind of a back to the future for The Crown?

How the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will thread the needle of being formerly Royal, yet living a normal life in Britain, is anyone’s guess. If they think they’ll have a kind of California Dreamin’ culture back home, their thinking is off. If they think they won’t be in the spotlight much, they’re kidding themselves. I suspect they’ll be center stage more than ever before. First, the British state has still refused to provide the family with police protection, meaning they’ll have much less privacy and security as before. And despite Meghan’s complaints after getting married, about the unbearable pressure of life in the public eye, by moving back to Britain they’re moving right into more of it. If she thought the paparazzi were interested in them then, just wait until they find out their new address. They’ll be much more interested in peeping in just to see how they’re managing as commoners. The traditional British press such as the BBC will be kinder, but not the Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, Daily Express or The Sun.

Now the King, for his part, seems pleased for an opportunity to see his other grandchildren on a regular basis, and more of Harry, in particular, as the two have been chatting on the phone regularly, thus improving their relationship. As for a royal welcome to Meghan? Meh, not so much…but that’s nothing new. Charles, who remains in treatment for cancer—most likely prostate—is getting older and more nostalgic for his full family to be around. He wants to see all his grandkids grow up, for them to get to know each other, and be not just family, but friends. Harry who seems to have had his fill of the US, is actually homesick and wants Archie and Lilibet to have genuine British experiences. In the father-son phone calls, perhaps Charles got a mea culpa out of Harry and will welcome him back as a kind of prodigal son. Harry could show up and help Dad with few ribbon cuttings, you know….

The non-royal Royals are expected to retain their home in Montecito, as well as another home, in Portugal. Meghan will busy herself running her lifestyle brand, “As Ever” and Harry will do his charity work. And then the world will see if the pair gets to have it both ways. That is, do they get to be both non-royal and Royal at the same time? It’s something they probably want badly, and of course, couldn’t get in America. I say, it’s possible. The King could have them around for highfalutin festivities and grandiose goings-on, without revisiting the idea that they do anything with royal duties attached, for Harry has been dismissed of those. But it could come to pass that they could get a half-in, half-out lifestyle without the work and stress of being true blue blood.

Yes, a hybrid lifestyle could be theirs, I suppose. But only under the King, his own father. With brother William, Harry has not reconciled. Their relationship remains quite fractured. And while it’s possible for a future King William and Queen Kate to forgive a prodigal brother, I don’t expect it will happen.

In 2018, I covered the Sussex’s royal wedding. Listen to the short piece below. It was another extravaganza, like all royal weddings. The pageantry, the pomp, the cathedral, the candles, the clergy, the ceremony, the coach, the castle…the over-the-top spectacle. All of it. It was all to be expected. But Harry and Meghan aren’t royal, anymore. As they return to Britain, will they get the red carpet treatment and greeted with extravaganza this time around?

Of course not, but they might get their cake and eat it too!

“The Royal Wedding”. From Terry’s Take on the Topics, Salem Media Group, 2018.

It’s been announced recently from the WH that The National Guard will be in DC until the end of Trump’s term, which is Inauguration Day 2029. The Guard seems to like this order. They walk in groups of four or six, not making a scene, but are on the watch. Their presence deters crime and promotes peace. They’re not allowed to make arrests, but they help the local Metropolitan Police force. When they see something, they say something. Some locals approach them and say, “Thank you for your service,” or “We’re glad you’re here.” They seem to appreciate it. They know it’s controversial for them to be deployed to the nation’s Capitol, but they go about their duties in their assignment.

And there’s no denying it—the beautification is obvious.

Why this is criticized by the Left is anyone’s guess. Do they really love living in squalor? Do they love rats? Do they love urine in the metro? My guess is that since they hate the President and this Administration so much, they have to criticize anything achieved during 2.0. As Trump once said, “If I came up with a cure for cancer, they would say he should have done it years ago. There is not a thing I can do where these people are going to give me credit.”

It appears he’s right.

Our nation’s capital is the most unique metropolitan place in the nation because it sits on federal land, but has home rule, or local governance. As such there are many issues which intersect at the crossroads of the “Feds” and the “City.” Sometimes there’s conflict, and sometimes it’s smooth sailing. But it’s always interesting.

Move over Kamala.

Even President Trump predicted recently that AOC will try to succeed him. May God have mercy on us all! Still, if her eggs are on hold, and it’s full steam ahead to the White House, she’ll need to change her positions from radical, to less radical. What that means exactly, nobody knows, but given it’s AOC, she’ll come up with some way to wax philosophically and spin politically, or simply tell the world she’s “evolved over time.”

Right now she’s warming up with this statement, “Woke 1.0 was crazy!”

When she entered Congress in 2019 as a member of the House of Representatives, Ocasio-Cortez bypassed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who tried to rein her in, along with the rest of “The Squad.” Remember the high-profile political and public struggle between Pelosi, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Ayanna Pressley, and the ever-so-toothy AOC? Pelosi tried to manage her party’s messaging and assert leadership over the four, but the gal-group would have none of it. In June of that year, Congress voted on a multi-billion-dollar border spending bill which The Squad voted against, because it lacked extra protections for migrants. Nancy returned fire by dismissing them in a NY Times interview in that they were only four votes:

“All these people have their public whatever and their Twitter world. But they don’t have any following. They’re four people, and that’s how many votes they got.” --Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Four people… Well, Nancy, not any more.

AOC, the belle of The Squad, has helped grow the Democratic Socialists of America significantly. As of July, there are more than 120,000 members in the DSA, making it the largest socialist organization in the United States. Zohran Mamdani is among them and he’s the Mayor of NYC. Abdul El-Sayed, too, and he’s the Democratic nominee for the US Senate in Michigan, and then there’s Angie Nixon, the Democratic nominee for the US Senate in Florida.

Blame Bernie, then AOC.

So how will Ocasio-Cortez navigate away from positions such as defund the police, abolish prisons, abolish ICE, eliminate cash bail, keep open borders, keep sanctuary cities, keep the Green New Deal, establish universal healthcare, establish free college, free childcare, government-backed housing, a higher minimum wage, and tax the rich through the roof, is yet to be seen. Her DSA colleagues are now running on these ideas! Mamdani also wants government-run grocery stores, and more radical than him are those who want to abolish the Senate, the Presidency and the Supreme Court. They would replace the presidency with an executive, and the judiciary would be chosen by, and subordinate to, Congress.

Maybe “Socialist” is too soft a word. Do I hear “Communist?”

So what exactly would AOC’s platform be, if she runs for the Oval? Trump was clear on what he ran on: MAGA: Make America Great Again, and with that he beat both establishment Democrats and Republicans. What might she come up with? MASA: Make America Socialist Already! ??

In 2019, I logged the following take on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. I pulled it from my files and reposted it below. It points out how AOC says a lot of things which she hasn’t thought out, and she links issues together in odd ways. At the time she warned that if America didn’t do anything about climate change, the world would end in 12 years. Hmm, think about it…

If she’s President in 2028, the world would end while she’s Commander in Chief. Enough to make one yearn for Kamala.

—From Terry’s Take on the Topics “Ocasio-Cortez’s Strange Thinking,” 2019.

Since 1973, DC has had Home Rule, but the District sits on federal land and is therefore under the authority of Congress. From time to time, the President and Congress have been dissatisfied with the local governance, but have never abolished it altogether. For example, during the term of then-Mayor Marion Barry, who was convicted for cocaine usage in 1990, Congress along with President Clinton, were very dissatisfied. After much debate about doing away with Home Rule, they chose to allow it to stay, but established an oversight Control Board, which stripped Mayor Barry and the D.C. Council of budgetary and operational powers from 1995 to 2001.

These days President Trump often discusses “federalizing” the District, especially with the rise of the Democratic Socialist Mayoral candidate Janeese Lewis-George, whose policies he opposes. Time will tell what kind of a fight the two may have.

Our nation’s capital is the most unique metropolitan place in the nation because it sits on federal land, but has home rule, or local governance. As such there are many issues which intersect at the crossroads of the “Feds” and the “City.” Sometimes there’s conflict, and sometimes it’s smooth sailing. But it’s always interesting.

There was something else in the mix too, though you didn’t hear about it on the news. That something was called monoclonal antibodies—laboratory-made molecules that act as substitute antibodies helping the immune system recognize and respond more effectively to the virus, thus making it more difficult for the virus to reproduce and cause harm. When I got Covid, I was lucky to get a round of monoclonal antibodies, and within hours I started to feel better, especially feeling less lethargic. But these rounds were doled out sparingly, and Fauci never talked about them, either!

As the months went by, I got to know several of the docs who challenged the pandemic’s public health measures. They were like David to Goliath. They included Dr. Peter McCullough, Dr. Simone Gold, Dr. Elizabeth Vliet, Dr. Peter Breggin, Dr. Scott Atlas, Dr. Jay Battacharya, Dr. Meryl Nash, Dr. Richard Urso, Dr. Mark Sherwood, Dr. Stella Immanuel, Dr. Robert Malone, Dr. Lee Merritt, Dr. Harpal Mangot, Dr. Angie Farella, Dr. Aaron Kheriaty, Dr. Ryan Cole, and Dr. Pierre Kory who was my guest in the interview attached below. They were a small group indeed, considering there were roughly a million doctors or so in the US. And they were the ones censored, smeared, besmirched, ridiculed, mocked, and called names not fit to print. When they posted something online, it was quickly taken down by Big Tech, which was in bed with Big Government and Big Pharma. As they tried to recommend treatment options, they were disgraced when their advice was labeled misinformation, disinformation, or worse, “mal-information,” as in evil. When they dared to write a prescription for Hydroxychloroquine or Ivermectin, the pharmacy wouldn’t fill it. This meant pharmacists overrode the doctors, thus practicing medicine without a license, which was/is illegal. And no pharmacist suffered consequences because they were following government edicts. In time, many of these docs lost patients, some lost their jobs, some lost their licenses, and one that I know of was arrested and jailed.

The whole scene got particularly nasty when President Biden went from recommending the vaccine, (again standing behind Fauci), to all-out mandating it. That’s when “The Doctor Wars” went to a whole new level of fight. The “vaccine” had arrived, but taking it was not mandated by law. Still, the Government put out a pressure campaign for the nation to take it anyway, and soon afterwards, the small group of docs began to speak up about the vaccine being worse than the disease! They cited the growing number of cases referred to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), including those who died from the shot. It was an awful time. The nation was masked, sick, afraid and puzzled as to why they were mandated to take two shots and three boosters of a serum, not approved by the FDA, even AFTER they already had Covid and became naturally immune.

It was surreal.

As is often the case, if you follow the money, you might get a good explanation of things. One could argue that with Covid-19, it was largely about pharmaceutical companies getting richer, and not about following the science or practicing good medicine. Dr. Kory in the interview below went on the record and said as much. When Fauci finally advocated for other treatment drugs such as expensive Remdesivir—in addition to getting the shot—he himself made the argument that it’s about the money.

When Fauci’s file is investigated and hopefully prosecuted through today’s DOJ under Attorney General Todd Blanche, I hope they examine this element. That is, how Fauci’s doctor-peers were mocked, censored and discriminated against which came to ruin their reputations and their practices. Today, Dr. Pierre Kory treats patients affected with long-haul Covid and post-vaccine injuries. When we talked in 2022, he had already started to create detoxing protocols. He’s detoxing patients every day. Here’s my interview with him at the time.

—From Timeline with Terry. 2022.

And what about the Dulles Airport? Yup, covered that too, on this show. There’s a proposed $20B facelift on the table for this airport. Sketches show Concourse C and D in particular with improved upgrades. We talk about all this and more below.

Our nation’s capital is the most unique metropolitan place in the nation because it sits on federal land, but has home rule, or local governance. As such there are many issues which intersect at the crossroads of the “Feds” and the “City.” Sometimes there’s conflict, and sometimes it’s smooth sailing. But it’s always interesting.

Cry me a river.

Since the hearing in which the “good” doctor took the fifth 111 times, several Democratic lawmakers and many left-leaning media personalities were singing his praises and standing by their man. They say that in spite of his diaries and all the evidence showing he was behind gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Lab, Sen. Rand Paul just had it in for him. That Sen. Paul, who is also a medical doctor, just didn’t understand infectious diseases, because the Senator is an ophthalmologist.

Gotta love that logic!

It’s astonishing to me that they’re defending and backing a guy who just received a Contempt of Congress vote for not answering any questions at all last week. The whole world witnessed his lack of cooperation and how his obstinate lawyer had to be thrown out of the hearing! Sen. Paul chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where the vote came in 8-5 in favor of contempt. This means that Sen. Paul will refer the contempt decision to the Justice Department for potential prosecution. As well he should. This is why the Left is defending him so. They’re trying to say whatever they can that would favor the infamous Fauci, and to somehow get ahead of what’s coming down the pike for the him, which is not good.

Unlike former AG Merritt Garland’s Justice Department, this DOJ is not prosecuting Covid charges that are bogus. Charges against Dr. Fauci would certainly not be bogus. In addition, this DOJ is looking at cases of Americans who were wrongly prosecuted and who lost everything due to Fauci’s directives. They lost their their health, their jobs, their reputations. These include all kinds of Americans—doctors, nurses, lawyers, pilots, teachers, service workers, grocery clerks, transportation and transit workers, retail workers, folks in leisure and hospitality, folks in sales, construction, mining, manufacturing and production people, maintenance and repair people, clerical and office workers, small business owners, artists and designers. The list goes on.

Remember America’s Front Line Doctors who stood on the Capitol steps with a second opinion about the coronavirus? I do. They were doing all they could to let the public know that Covid could, in fact, be treated, rather than have patients go home and wait until they turned blue, and then rush them to the ER and put on a ventilator! That group of doctors successfully treated patients with a cocktail of antibiotics, zinc, hydroxychloroquine, and ivermectin, vitamins and minerals, until they couldn’t anymore because to do so would be medical malpractice. Those doctors were especially hurt because they were also mocked publically and then censored for spreading “mis-information, dis-information or mal-information”. It was all ludicrous, especially since it was Fauci who was the consummate liar.

Remember a chiropractic doctor named Eric Nepute? I do. I interviewed him when he gained national attention. The-then Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against him for marketing zinc and vitamin D supplements as treatments for Covid-19, resulting in a federal consent decree and civil penalties. I remember him stating that he had always recommended a vitamin regime to his patients especially ones with colds and flu, and did not ever say such treatments “cured” Covid, for there was/is no cure. He recommended them as treatments, only. But the government sued anyway. In the end, Nepute made no admission of liability or wrongdoing. A settlement was entered solely to avoid the ongoing expense and uncertainty of a prolonged federal case. I wonder what the current DOJ’s view of Eric’s case would be? Much different than Merritt Garland’s!

Meet Dr. Eric Nepute in my interview with him in the show below. He explains what happened to him. While Dr. Anthony Fauci was spewing lies, sitting for photo ops and making money as “Mr. Science,” Dr. Nepute was recommending vitamins and losing his business, his reputation, and his mental health.

From “Timeline with Terry” 2022.

Our nation’s capital is the most unique metropolitan place in the nation because it sits on federal land, but has home rule, or local governance. As such there are many issues which intersect at the crossroads of the “Feds” and the “City.” Sometimes there’s conflict, and sometimes it’s smooth sailing. But it’s always interesting.

—The DC Dispatch, July 23, 2026, Washington DC

Fauci lied, people died.

A lot of people.

Most Americans are well aware of his crimes. Me too. So, I won’t rehash them now. I’m more interested in the psychological makeup of the man. Who is this man who stared at a camera from the White House day in and day out and told the America public, and indeed the world, that SARS-COV2 came from an animal wet market, and that social distancing, masking, mRNA shots and boosters work against the onset and spread of Covid? What kind of a man would snooker the President and Vice President of the United States convincing them to lockdown the nation, the result of which reeked economic havoc? Trump allowed Fauci to have the mic every day in early 2020, and while VP Mike Pence was the head of the Covid Task Force, it was Fauci calling the shots. What kind of man makes up recommendations for the American public during a pandemic and then flip flops on those recommendations over and over and over again?

Fauci’s personal diaries tell us who. They show a man both flattered and fascinated by his own national celebrity status, and extremely gratified by his interactions with public figures once he became well-known. He loved hobnobbing with the political gentry and rubbing elbows with international movers and shakers, like Bill Gates, for example. While he may have been a more humble civil servant in his earlier years, the acclaim he got early on with Covid turned him into a narcissist. He doubled-down on: wet market, social distancing, masks, shots. In a CBS News interview in November 2021, he referred to himself as representing science. For the cover of InStyle magazine, but put on dark sunglasses and sat by his pool for the photo shoot. For the cover of TIME magazine, which named him 2020 Guardian of the Year, he took off his reading glasses, held them in his left hand, and then positioned his head to lean into his right palm as if to say, “Okay, I’ll let you take my picture, while I take a break to look up from the arduous academic work of guarding the nation from an virus that has befell the world. Oh, wonderful me!”

From TIME on Instagram,

…In Washington, Fauci led not only the battle against COVID-19 but also the fight for truth—clear, consistent messaging being fundamental to public health. With steadfast integrity, Fauci nudged, elided and gently corrected a President used to operating in a reality of his own construction, buoyed by the fervent repetition of lies.

Yet, who’s lying now?

Fauci’s private diary writings show a kind of Napoleon-style ego that loved the limelight and praise by an adoring legacy media hell-bent on publishing his falsehoods. Bernard Madoff had a Napoleon-style ego, too. His investors came to believe him because he repeated his lies over and over, while his hubris knew no bounds. Fauci’s journal revealed he received substantial cash prizes and financial gains as a result of his status as a celebrity, after selling the public on his tall tales for months on-end. In his emails and in over 1000 pages of his diary, we learned that he accepted The Dan David Prize which plopped $899,960 directly into his bank account. Emails showed that he also pursued at least 8 additional lucrative awards, from the Adelson Prize, to awards from The Partnership for Public Service, and from The National Academy of Medicine. He wrote that he actually used federal employees from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to help compile, bolster, and pursue personal cash award applications. At Sen. Paul’s hearing, Sen. Josh Hawley accused Fauci of turning his government staff into an "application machine" to chase over $1 million in personal cash prizes during Covid. OOOF!

Fauci closely tracked his public image. Many pages showed how he put his ego ahead of human lives. His mismanagement and falsities regarding the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted billions of people, killed millions of people, and destroyed millions more. Now, years later, the economic, educational, psychological, and social fallout remain devastating. If Anthony Fauci is Mr. Science, than he is the Bernie Madoff of Science. His journal was private the way the 17th floor of the Manhattan Lipstick Building was private for Bernie to carry out his Ponzi scheme. But then, through the Freedom of Information Act, Sen. Paul obtained the diaries. And through Mark and Andrew Madoff, their father’s 17th floor office was ultimately exposed. The issue with Fauci, like Madoff before him, is how such figures can repeatedly lie to the public with no shame. A person has to enjoy a certain kind of evil to do this. Fauci deemed himself Mr. Science. Madoff deemed himself Mr. Stocks. And as the saying goes, tell the people who you are enough times, and they’ll come to believe it. In truth, however, both men were consummate liars who were in love with power, fame, control, and money.

While Fauci was basking in the applause by the media, other doctors were getting censored. Their voices were so silenced, that some gave up speaking out and turned to writing, instead. One, in particular, I got to know after reading his book, COVID-19 and the Global Predators: We are the Prey. He is psychiatrist Peter Breggin, a sharp Fauci critic then, as he is now.

Below is my hour-long television interview with Dr. Breggin. He pegged Dr. Fauci early on and was silenced for it, which is exactly why I put him on my show. I wanted to understand what he thought of the man and what the Covid pandemic was really doing to the country, and to the world. Here is his astute and prophetic response, which has played out over time. Enjoy.

from Timeline with Terry, March, 2022.

Our nation’s capital is the most unique metropolitan place in the nation because it sits on federal land, but has local governance otherwise known as home rule. As such there are many issues which intersect at the crossroads of the “Feds” and the “City.” Sometimes there’s conflict, and sometimes it’s smooth sailing. But always it’s interesting.

—The DC Dispatch, July 16, 2026, Part 2, Washington DC

Far too young.

I can’t say I knew Senator Graham well, but I met him a number of times. He was always cordial, upbeat, and took time with his supporters and with the press. At least, that’s what I observed. I liked him. He was hard not to like. As a former Air Force lawyer, a JAG officer, he could talk out of both sides of his mouth—what lawyer can’t? But Lindsey had a unique way with words, was often funny, and could readily debate whichever side of an issue he chose. He brought to light different angles on a subject matter and explained them in lay-speak. I only observed him angry once, but it was righteous anger. It was when he read the riot act to Democratic members of Congress at the Supreme Court Justice hearing for nominee Brett Kavanaugh. He erupted at them for running an unethical sham to destroy Kavanaugh's life, so as to hold the court seat open until 2020, and win back the White House. He believed the Democrat rollout of accusations against Kavanaugh was a cynical political trick designed to ruin a good man's reputation. And he let them have it! It may have been Graham at his impassioned best:

“….the most unethical sham since I’ve been in politics. … This is not a job interview. This is hell….What you want to do is destroy this guy’s life, hold this seat open, and hope you win in 2020…If you really wanted to know the truth, you sure as hell wouldn’t have done what you did to this guy… Boy, you guys want power. God, I hope you never get it. I hope the American people can see through this sham.”

The month prior had been a hard on Graham. In late August, 2018, he lost one of his closest friends, Senator John McCain. Then by mid-September Hurricane Florence hit his home state of South Carolina, and late September brought the 5th Kavanaugh hearing. Some would say later that his verbal explosion was out of sadness and frustration for not being able to do anything about McCain’s death or an act of God known as a hurricane. Perhaps. But without Graham’s dress down of the Democrats, Kavanaugh might not have been confirmed.

He took that nomination as a personal cause to champion.

Lindsey Graham served in Congress for more than three decades—both in the House and in the Senate, which was quite a run! He was known as a foreign policy hawk, probably in some measure because of his life in the Air Force, serving the country. Over the years, he became one of the most influential figures in Washington. He took it upon himself to travel the globe advocating for an aggressive US foreign policy. It was his way, he believed, to keep America safe. He was all in for “Peace through Strength,” but if our enemies didn’t seem to understand that, he was all in for “War through Strength.” He was one of President Trump’s closest allies and an advisor on matters such as the Iran war and Russia. On the Friday before his death, he announced an agreement with the Trump administration to move forward on a package of sanctions toward Russia. On a visit to Kyiv, in the days preceding his death, Graham said that the White House had agreed to the latest version of the sanctions, which he co-sponsored with Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal. Yes, Lindsey, like John McCain before him, liked to work bi-partisan legislation. Posthumously, perhaps, the bill may become law.

Graham had a distant, and then close relationship with President Trump. He ran against Trump for President, but when Trump read out his personal phone number publicly and later belittled John McCain, Lindsey made it clear he would not support him. However, things changed when Trump became #45 and Lindsey got to know the President better. He realized Trump wanted a peaceful world and favored deals over war, while at the same time wanted a build-up of the military. What also moved Lindsey to support the President was McCain himself telling him later that after presidential elections the country must move forward, and that lawmakers have an obligation to help any President. Graham said of Trump:

“You can be a better critic when people understand that you’re trying to help them be successful.”

With that, he became a defender of Trump during the two first-term impeachments, despite his critics reminding the public that he was a House prosecutor during President Bill Clinton’s impeachment.

Graham was also a chief backer of Trump’s approach to Iran and spoke publicly about how Iran had enhanced uranium to the point of having 11 nuclear bombs at-the-ready just weeks before the start of the conflict in Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said of Graham that he understood that the security of Israel and the United States was inseparable. And former President George W. Bush said Graham “understood how the world works.” Indeed, he was never naive…

Graham’s views on immigration, particularly an endorsement of a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. without legal status, put him at odds with some Republicans but after President Biden and DHS Secretary Mayorkas handled the influx at the border, he came around to the Trump’s way of thinking—that the wall had to be finished and illegal criminal aliens deported.

It was in the Senate when Lindsey became a real force on the Hill. He worked across the aisle so as to get things done, but remained loyal to Trump. He used his sense of humor to diffuse tensions. He’ll be remembered for his wit, laughter and smile. He loved the country, loved South Carolina, and loved serving the people. In short he was a true patriot, and a happy warrior.

What I liked about this Senator the most was his work ethic and dedication. From humble beginnings and taking care of his young sister as a young man himself when both his parents died, he turned to taking care of his state and his country. He never married so his full time focus was on service, even at the expense of his own health. His sister is now filling-in for him until another Senator is elected, but whomever gets the job, will have big boots to fill. A special Republican primary election is set for Aug. 11. Lindsey Graham was a diplomat in his work both at home and abroad, and gave a guiding hand to some of the most important leaders in the world.

He will grace us from afar.

Shortly after I met Senator Graham in 2019, I produced this short 90 second commentary on the way he worked. With his guiding hand, he had the ear of many VIP statesmen then and up until his death. Have a listen.

—The Guiding Hand of Lindsay Graham, Terry’s Take on the Topics, Salem Media Group, 2019

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo didn’t wear a lot of hats…

Rubio has handled American diplomacy, foreign aid, the apparatus of our national security, our border safety, our archives, and has negotiated peace treaties with other nations. He was involved in the decision to take down President Maduro of Venezuela, and is also known as the go-to guy for Cuba. This is a far cry from “Little Marco” as Trump used to call him. He’s more like “Maestro Marco” because he has puppeteered and driven the administration’s policy on all these fronts. By putting forth pressure to unseat Cuba’s communist regime, he’s utilizing economic sanctions, and helping with the execution of indictments of top Cuban leadership. By being a front face for this Administration’s “America First” policy, he’s helping reset the world’s political chess board. President Trump wants America to relate to other countries on a one-on-one sovereign nation-state basis, such as nation-state America doing business with, say, nation-state Venezuela, or doing business with nation-state Italy or nation-state Germany, Russia, Canada, and so on. Trump has already said goodbye to global unelected organizations, international corporations, and narco-terrorist states, and Maestro Marco has been the main man helping re-establish America’s new one-on-one relationship with other individual sovereign nations.

In the meantime, by wearing so many hats, Rubio has also grown in confidence. His speeches are much more powerful and poignant. At the Munich Security Conference last February to a room packed with anti-Trumpers and pro-war globalists, he brought up the idea of “conscious policy of economic destruction” with regard to deindustrialization:

“Deindustrialization was not inevitable,” Rubio said. “It was a conscious policy choice, a decades-long economic undertaking that stripped our nations of their wealth, of their productive capacity, and of their independence.”

Ouch! The globalists wanted to plug their ears.

That Munich Conference had an theme that was quite appropriate: “Under Destruction.” Indeed. It was a gathering of the political global gentry who were trying to figure out what to do with the wrecking ball before them—Trump’s policy of national sovereignty and America First. They also wrestled with the issue of what to do with the 50 years-old post-industrial model, now kaput! And this big one, too: what to do about Trump’s interest in peace and prosperity in the world, over war and financial decline. Trump said goodbye to 66 international corporate organizations, unelected entities, and useless treaties. In short, the wrecking ball hit the globalists who are no longer in control of the current world dynamic.

Maestro Marco has explained this new America at other conferences too, along with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and of late, Federal Reserve chairman Kevin Warsh. All three have stressed that America’s new economic priorities are the physical economy and household incomes, as opposed to America saving the international banks, because for decades, the Federal Reserve has backstopped European financial markets. No more. The wealth and value of America lies in what Americans can do, and that Americans are “can do” people. Bringing back manufacturing, for example, is a first step in repairing our hallowed-out industrial base.

It’s exciting to see Maestro Marco at work on the world stage, and also here at home. He nailed it with his address about Islamism and far-left extreme terror during his latest keynote speech in Washington on July 16, 2026. At the Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism summit, Rubio stated that domestic jihadist attacks and plots in the US have decreased by two-thirds since the peak of ISIS, but that domestic far-left terror is equally troubling. He cited the summer of the George Floyd riots, when far-left extremists produced some of the same violence, but those agitators, like Antifa, weren’t prosecuted because the harm they inflicted was somehow considered moral, given it served a far left-wing cause. Rubio stressed this point, and then pointed to prior Administrations’ looking the other way at the terror caused by Antifa. But no more.

Marco the Maestro is on a roll and looking Presidential. He’s covering more bases than Pompeo did, and giving more important speeches than Pompeo ever did. He’s pulling the wagon for Trump on many fronts, as he clearly explains in lay-speak Trump’s thinking and chess moves. Back during Trump 1.0, Mike Pompeo made the case for no nukes in North Korea, similar to Rubio making the case that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. But Rubio’s addresses are more clear and impassioned and given he’s been wearing many hats, the public trusts his assessments far more.

So, is Donald Trump training Marco Rubio to be his presidential successor? Hum, too early to say. Vice-President JD Vance is also hitting the trail of travel and sitting for media interviews as often as possible, so he’s out there, too. Plus, it’s worth noting that Trump is not pitting either man against the other, and at this juncture there’s no overt sign Rubio even wants Trump’s job. Would Marco make a better president than JD? Perhaps, because he’s just more experienced in political life. But if Marco runs for the Oval against JD, that could present a very nasty cage fight and could upset a pre-set Republican winning streak, should Republicans hold the mid-terms—meaning JD ascends to President and Marco ascends to VP.

Either way, though, no more Little Marco.

In the audio below from some years back, I produced a 90 second take on Mike Pompeo. About this same time I met and spoke with Marco Rubio, years away from becoming the Secretary of State. Have a listen and see if you agree that Maestro Marco is Mike Pompeo and so much more.

“Gangster Like Pompeo,” from Terry’s Take on the Topics, Salem Media Group, 2018.

b

Our nation’s capital is the most unique metropolitan place in the nation because it sits on federal land, but has home rule, or local governance. As such there are many issues which intersect at the crossroads of the “Feds” and the “City.” Sometimes there’s conflict, and sometimes it’s smooth sailing. But always it’s interesting.

—The DC Dispatch, July 16, 2026, Washington DC

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is one of them, too. After volunteering for the Bernie Sanders 2016 campaign for President, AOC found Democratic Socialism an identifier that could work for her campaign, even though Bernie lost in the primary to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. AOC had virtually no money when she decided to run, but was assisted by organizations such as Brand New Congress and Justice Democrats, both of which had ties to veterans of Sanders’ presidential campaign. In short, she hitched her wagon to Sanders’ style of Socialism.

These days the term comes trippingly off the tongue. Driven by widespread economic frustration and the rising cost of living, Socialism—particularly that of the democratic variety—is capturing hearts and minds, especially those of Gen Z-ers and Millennials. They weren’t around at the time of the Soviet Union, so teaching them about Socialism, Marxism, or Communism during the Cold War falls on deaf ears and blind eyes. Their interest isn’t in how awful Socialism is, but rather how awful the cost of housing is, and healthcare, and education. And, unlike former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi who initially resisted AOC and The Squad, today’s older Democrats are embracing these younger politicians, so as to hold onto seats of their own.

Put another way, Chuck Schumer could lose to AOC in the Senate.

Democratic Socialism appears sexy and is a growing force in American politics, albeit presently in only large deep-blue cities. It’s flexing its muscle especially as the mid-term elections approach with a loud call for free healthcare, free college, free childcare, free transportation, government-run grocery stores and rent stabilization. The question is whether this kind of Socialism will spread and grow in appeal.

Below is another pithy take I produced in 2018 on this subject. I point out that “sexy” Socialism, however, has the most appeal when a population is very poor, but that being poor in America is not like being poor anywhere else in the world. In America, freebies are nice, but not needed in the way they’re needed by the poor in other countries. This is especially true today as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reports that more than 900,000 private sector jobs have been added under Trump 2.0 since Inauguration Day! If the Democratic Socialists want to continue to make inroads, they need to be doing so now, while they can. The Trump 2.0 economy is also flexing its muscle. Manufacturing is coming back. Trade is coming back. And America is back leading on the world stage.

—From Terry’s Take on the Topics, Salem Media Group, 2018.

Our nation’s capital is the most unique metropolitan place in the nation because it sits on federal land, but has home rule, or local governance. As such there are many issues which intersect at the crossroads of the “Feds” and the “City.” Sometimes there’s conflict, and sometimes it’s smooth sailing. But always it’s interesting.

Our nation’s capital is the most unique metropolitan place in the nation because it sits on federal land, but has home rule, or local governance. As such there are many issues which intersect at the crossroads of the “Feds” and the “City.” Sometimes there’s conflict, and sometimes it’s smooth sailing. But always it’s interesting.

—The DC Dispatch, July 9, 2026, Washington DC

Our nation’s capital is the most unique metropolitan place in the nation because it sits on federal land, but has home rule, or local governance. As such there are many issues which intersect at the crossroads of the “Feds” and the “City.” Sometimes there’s conflict, and sometimes it’s smooth sailing. But always it’s interesting.

—The DC Dispatch, July 2, 2026

“The Court finds that the Policy imposes a tax on H-1B petitions without the requisite delegation by Congress.”

This came as a relief to many workers here from India. Since the 90s, America has recruited workers from India because they are highly skilled in IT, in software engineering, in chip design, in creating cloud systems, and in having great STEM skills. In fact, many Indian immigrants are credited with helping build all of Silicon Valley.

But today is 2026; we’re well into Trump 2.0; and the administration is looking seriously at whether the highly skilled visa system requires reform to prevent manipulation. Indeed, some say that the Indian immigrant assimilated too rapidly to the point of “taking over,” and along the way, manipulated the system through loopholes.

Is this true?

On The Terry Gilberg Show, TNT, Dynamite Discussions below, I sit down with the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington, Mark Krikorian. I produced this edition of the show for Gold Media (Michigan) which has an interest in Indian diaspora issues in the United States. Here is my discussion.

—from The Terry Gilberg Show, TNT, Dynamite Discussions, June 2026.

/

God Bless America.

—from Terry’s Take on the Topics, 2018, Salem Media Group.