Randy Fine Backs Off Effort To Get Trump Adviser Alex Bruesewitz Fired

Republican Florida Rep. Randy Fine backed down from his threat to derail President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda unless White House adviser Alex Bruesewitz was fired, ending a days-long standoff fueled by tensions within the GOP over Israel.

Bruesewitz, an influential outside adviser who holds no official position in the administration, announced on X that he and Fine had a “respectful” 15-minute conversation Friday morning in which the congressman agreed to stop holding up votes in the House.

He explained that he and Fine had “agreed to disagree on a few issues,” with the discussion remaining “polite” and “cordial.”

For weeks, the Florida Republican had privately urged colleagues to press Trump to cut ties with Bruesewitz.

Recently, Fine raised the stakes, warning that he would vote against every House rule until Bruesewitz was sidelined.

Fine’s sustained opposition would have further complicated House Speaker Mike Johnson’s already razor-thin majority and made it harder for Republicans to move major legislation before the midterms.

Bruesewitz told the Daily Caller, “Randy Fine and I agreed to disagree on certain issues, particularly those involving foreign policy. I’m grateful we were able to clear the air, and I thank him for apologizing for suggesting that I hate Jews. I remain confident that he will continue to support President Trump’s agenda 100 percent of the time.”

The outside adviser to Trump also pushed back on what he described as efforts by some “pro-Israel” figures within the Republican Party to police whom conservatives can engage with over disagreements about Israel, arguing that there is a double standard.

“I don’t believe in purity tests, especially the ones some on the pro-Israel side have tried to enforce,” Bruesewitz said. “They object to conversations with Tucker Carlson or Megyn Kelly, yet they have no problem when people engage with CNN. That double standard makes no sense.”

“It should be acceptable to speak with those you disagree with,” he told the Caller. “The Republican Party has room for a range of foreign policy views, as long as the priority is always putting America first.” (RELATED: House Reopens Floor Days After Holdouts Shut It Down Over SAVE America Act)

Bruesewitz has been outspoken about foreign influence in politics since reports emerged that Israel used paid influencer campaigns to sway American public opinion. He has repeatedly emphasized that a foreign country should not be paying American influencers to shape domestic discourse.

Bruesewitz has generally supported pro-Israel viewpoints, though he emphasizes that he is ultimately America First.

Fine, meanwhile, has said that people in Gaza can “starve away” until Hamas releases Israeli hostages and has hinted at dropping nuclear weapons on Palestine.

The Caller reached out to Fine’s office but did not receive a response in time for publication.


https://dailycaller.com/2026/07/17/randy-fine-alex-bruesewitz-fired-donald-trump/

DEMOCRAT DISASTER IN WISCONSIN: Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez DROPS OUT of Governor Race After “Serious Mismanagement and Inaccuracies” in Campaign Finance Reports Force Her Exit

In a humiliating collapse just weeks before the August 11 Democratic primary, Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez (D) has DROPPED OUT of the race for governor.

Rodriguez announced her exit Friday morning, July 17, admitting that the campaign finance scandal rocking her bid had become an “ongoing distraction” she could no longer afford to carry into the primary or the general election Democrats desperately want to win.

A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel review of Rodriguez’s January campaign finance report found more than $100,000 in apparent duplicate contributions, the same donor listed as giving the exact same amount on the exact same day, sometimes twice in one entry.

Other reviews put the overstated totals even higher, with one analysis identifying more than $275,000 in duplicate donations in December alone.

The report itself was filed late, at 2:13 a.m. on January 16, hours after the deadline, then amended twice in the early morning hours at 3:23 a.m. and again at 5:01 a.m.

Rodriguez had been telling donors and the public she had the resources for a $1 million ad buy. She reportedly believed her campaign had around $1.5 million on hand. Reality hit hard: after the errors were uncovered, her campaign had only about $200,000 in cash on hand.

Rodriguez held a Monday press conference where she called the fiasco a “bump in the road,” claimed she was taking swift accountability by firing her longtime campaign manager, Kara Spencer, in a desperate bid to shift blame and contacting the Wisconsin Ethics Commission to file amended reports, and insisted voters shouldn’t worry about her ability to manage the state’s $111+ billion biennial budget.

That spin didn’t hold. By Friday, she was gone.

Rodriguez: I want to start by thanking my family and every single person who showed up for this campaign over the past week. Your support has meant more than I can put into words.

As we have continued to dig into our financial reports, it has become clear that there are issues that would be an ongoing distraction—not just for this campaign, but for the primary and for Wisconsin.

This race is too important to let that happen.

I am deeply hurt and betrayed by what happened.

As I said on Monday, part of being a leader is taking swift action, doing the right thing, and being as honest as possible when there’s a problem.

I got into this race because I wanted what was best for Wisconsin, and that hasn’t changed. And because I believe that, I cannot, in good conscience, allow these questions to become a cloud over an election that Democrats need to win.

Wisconsin deserves better than that.

This was never just about any one race or any one candidate. This is about protecting Wisconsin from a legislature hellbent on putting corporations over schools and insurance companies over patients. It’s about showing the rest of the country that we can win here, govern here, and fight for the middle class, and that Wisconsin will lead the way.

To everyone who showed up, knocked doors, made calls, and believed in what we were building, please don’t stop.

Wisconsin has always been a place of resilience, where everyday citizens show up and accomplish extraordinary things.

Better days are ahead because of people like you.

Let’s keep fighting. I’ll be right there with you.

WATCH:

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/07/democrat-disaster-wisconsin-lt-gov-sara-rodriguez-drops/

BREAKING REPORT: Trump tells Israel it’s sending LOTS more refueling planes ahead of Iran war expansion

President Trump reportedly told Israel that it’s sending lots more refueling planes to the country in anticipation of a big expansion of the war against Iran.

Here’s the report via Axios:

The Trump administration notified Israel it is sending dozens more refueling planes to the country ahead of a potential expansion of military operations against Iran, three U.S. and Israeli officials said.

After he was presented with several new military plans in a Situation Room meeting Tuesday, President Trump is considering a massive offensive in Iran that would be wider in scope than the current strikes around the Strait of Hormuz.

Among the options being considered are bombing Iranian infrastructure facilities like power plants, conducting more attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities in order to bury Iran’s enriched uranium even deeper, and bombing the Pickaxe Mountain underground site that is suspected to be a facility in the making.

Trump hasn’t made a final decision yet, but he appears willing to escalate the war to cause enough damage that the Iranian regime will open the Strait of Hormuz and accept Trump’s nuclear demands.

Trump could order an escalation in the coming days, U.S. and Israeli officials say.

It’s about time. Although knowing Trump, he’s still hoping Iran will concede to his terms at the negotiating table so that he doesn’t have to pull the trigger on this new offensive.

https://therightscoop.com/breaking-report-trump-tells-israel-its-sending-lots-more-refueling-planes-ahead-of-iran-war-expansion/

'Screeching Like a Hyena': Randi Weingarten’s Viral Rant Proves Why Teachers’ Unions Are Toxic

Randi Weingarten is going to have a stroke if she keeps this up.

Ma'am, you are too old for that kind of hootin, hollerin, and carrying on.

Also, watch it with the sound off and it's really hilarious. With the sound on, it will make you want to jump out a window.

The crazy part is she thinks all American kids are 'her' kids.

And the Union has been running the school system for decades now. It's only gotten worse. Why do Americans continue to trust them to fix the issue?

Return schools to local control.

That is a perfect description of Randi.

It explains why our government schools are such a mess.

And there has been zero consequences. 

And boy are those consequences steep.

Eerily similar.

They could use that voice to torture terrorists. 

https://twitchy.com/justmindy/2026/07/17/weingarten-teachers-union-convention-n2430326

Andy Burnham Officially Set to Become UK Prime Minister Following Labour Leadership Victory.

Andy Burnham, the recently elected Labor Member of Parliament for Makerfield, will replace Sir Keir Starmer as British Prime Minister, having officially been declared leader of the governing Labour Party.

  WHAT HAPPENED: Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Makerfield Andy Burnham has officially been declared leader of the Labour Party as outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer steps down, and will be elevated to the premiership on Monday.

 KEY QUOTE: “We’re going to give them hope back… This is a proud moment you have given me and my family today, and an emotional one, but it is one for which I am ready.” – Andy Burnham

 DETAIL: On Friday, Andy Burnham, Labour MP for Makerfield in Northern England, was officially declared leader of the governing Labour Party. Burnham was elected as leader uncontested after receiving support from 379 out of 403 Labour MPs. This is despite the fact that most British people wanted a contest to hold the incoming Prime Minister to account. Burnham previously served as Mayor of Greater Manchester and MP for Leigh. He also served as a Cabinet minister in previous Labour governments in the 2000s. In his first speech as Labour leader, Burnham signaled a leftward shift in government policy. Burnham criticized the “toxic” and “polarized, poisonous” state of British political discourse, promising to change how politics is conducted, both within the Labour Party and nationally. “The path we’re on, if we are not careful, is a path towards the politics of the United States of America,” he said in June while campaigning in the Makerfield by-election (special election).

 IMPACT: Burnham’s victory in the Labour leadership contest means that he will become the next Prime Minister. Outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced his intention to resign following a catastrophic result for the Labour Party in the United Kingdom’s local elections and a historic result for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party. At present, Starmer is still officially Prime Minister, although he is expected to tender his resignation to King Charles III in a matter of days, at which point Burnham will be invited by the monarch to enter Number 10, the Prime Minister’s official residence.

 FLASHBACK: Burnham’s speech coincided with an exposé by The National Pulse, in which it was revealed that Burnham’s newly-appointed head of strategy, Matthew McGregor, described supporters of the Brexit Party (the predecessor to Reform UK) as “racist and Islamophobes.” McGregor also described Farage as a “racist piece of s**t” and President Donald J. Trump as a “maniac with fascist tendencies.” McGregor deleted his account less than 24 hours later.

https://thenationalpulse.com/2026/07/17/andy-burnham-officially-set-to-become-uk-prime-minister-following-labour-leadership-victory/

Iran Attacks Kuwait Water Plant: Major Blow to Desert Nation's Supply

On Friday, Iran managed a major strike on the Gulf nation of Kuwait, launching a missile and drone attack on a major Kuwaiti desalination plant. Some Kuwaiti military personnel were injured in the attack, which could potentially put a big dent in Kuwait's fresh water supply.

Iranian missile and drone attacks struck a power and water desalination plant in Kuwait Friday, damaging a key source of drinking water in the tiny desert nation.

Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy confirmed the strike had started a fire and damaged several power generation units. The ministry added that the fire had been contained and repairs to the damaged equipment were underway.

Most of the desert states around the Persian Gulf get almost all of their potable water from plants like this:

About 90% of Kuwait’s drinking water comes from desalination, in which salt is removed from seawater — typically by pushing it through ultrafine membranes in a process known as reverse osmosis.

Approximately 86% of nearby Oman’s potable water and 70% of Saudi Arabia’s drinking water comes from the same process.

The Iranian leadership, or what's left of it, may be crazy, but they aren't stupid. The Gulf states' dependence on desalination plants for water makes them a major strategic target. 

A 2010 CIA analysis warned attacks on desalination facilities could trigger national crises in several Gulf states, and prolonged outages could last months if critical equipment were destroyed.

More than 90% of the Gulf’s desalinated water comes from just 56 plants, the report stated, and “each of these critical plants is extremely vulnerable to sabotage or military action.”

Meanwhile, Kuwait’s army confirmed that Iranian drone attacks had injured an unspecified number of military personnel.

Iran, on the other hand, only gets about three percent of its potable water from desalination. 

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Read More: New: Iran Now Calling on Houthis to Block Red Sea Gateway

Watch: U.S. Forces Board Ship That Tried to Run Blockade; Take Out Bridges, Cut Off Critical Area in Iran

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What's a trifle baffling about, and has been since the beginning of hostilities back in February, is Iran's willingness to launch attacks on its neighbors. The attacks on Saudi Arabia in particular are a head-scratcher, as Saudi Arabia has the largest military of any of the Arab Gulf states. The Saudis' army is only roughly half the size of Iran's, but the Iranians have been taking a pounding from American and Israeli forces since February; they aren't in the best shape. And, this has been primarily an air war, and the Saudis have an air force of close to a thousand modern aircraft.

Iran's actions here don't seem to make much sense, unless we presume that what's left of their leadership, or at least their military leadership, has decided to go down swinging. There have been indications that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has effectively taken control of what's left of Iran's military, and while they have been taking a beating the likes of which the United States military hasn't dealt out in some time, they clearly still have a few missiles and drones hidden away.

So far, there has been no military response from Kuwait. Historically, though, there has been little love lost between the Gulf Arab states and Persian Iran. This is something that the ever-less-rational Iran may want to think twice about.

https://redstate.com/wardclark/2026/07/17/iran-attacks-kuwait-water-plant-major-blow-to-desert-nations-supply-n2204433