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Top 10 “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” Repeal Lies That Never Came True

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Despite a year of Congress’ wrangling and dirty tricks, false testimony, lies, paranoia, and prejudice, the promise President Barack Obama made at his 2010 State of the Union Address, to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” came true when Congress finally passed the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010 in December of that year, and President Obama signed it into law one year ago today.

As you know, the law provided a roadmap to repeal the ban on openly gay service members, and certification that repealing the ban would not harm “military readiness and effectiveness, unit cohesion, and military recruiting and retention” took place in July. The ban officially ended in September.

Below is only a sampling, but they are ten of the worst lies about repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” told to the American people by military, political, and so-called “moral,” leaders and “experts,” only during the past few years. No doubt far worse ones were told by some of them, in private. Certainly, these and others were told by other “experts,” in public. Yet here we are, and none have come true.

The eminent Dr. Nathaniel Frank, a Senior Research Fellow at the Palm Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and an adjunct professor of history at New York University, is author of the book, Unfriendly Fire: How the Gay Ban Undermines the Military and Weakens America, and the author of the just-published, extensive report, “Accountability And DADT.”

All the statements below are directly from Dr. Frank’s excellent report, and from his Huffington Post article, “Will Defenders of DADT Stand By Their Dire Predictions?,” and we thank him. I hope you’ll take a moment to read the report and his article, and I hope you’ll take time to share them and this list below with everyone you know.

Lastly, Happy Anniversary.

Top 10 “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” Repeal Lies That Never Came True

  •  “[Lifting the ban] may even prove decisive to the viability of the all-volunteer force. That viability may, in turn, determine our ability to avoid in the years ahead — as we have for the past four decades — a return to conscription to meet our requirements for warriors in those conflicts.”
    –Frank Gaffney, Jr., Center for Security Policy, 2011
  • “I hope that when we pass this legislation that we will understand that we are doing great damage, and we could possibly and probably — as the commandant of the Marine Corps said and I’ve been told by literally thousands of members of the military — harm the battle effectiveness, which is so vital to the support, to the survival of our young men and women in the military.”
    –Sen. John McCain, 2010
  • “When your life hangs on the line, you don’t want anything distracting… Mistakes and inattention or distractions cost Marines’ lives… Assimilating openly homosexual Marines into the tightly woven fabric of our combat units has strong potential for disruption at the small unit level.”
    –General James Amos, Commandant of the Marine Corps, 2010, discussing his reasons for opposing openly gay service
  • “If the law is overturned and open homosexuals are welcomed into the military, the number of homosexuals in the armed forces can only increase — leading to a corresponding increase in same-sex sexual assaults.”
    –Peter Sprigg, Family Research Council, 2010
  • “What if [proponents of lifting the ban] are wrong? Is there any way to find out without taking a real risk with national security? Are the advocates of gays in the military prepared to say, fiat justitia, ruat caelum [‘Let justice be done, though the sky may fall’]? And if so, do the rest of us, the majority of gays and straights alike who would prefer not to take such a risk with our lives, property, and freedom, have any say in the matter?”
    –James Bowman, Ethics and Public Policy Center, 2009
  • Lifting the ban would lead to “inappropriate passive/aggressive actions common in the homosexual community,” “forcible sodomy” and “exotic forms of sexual expression.”
    – Elaine Donnelly, Center for Military Readiness, 2008 
  • “The presence of open homosexuals in the close confines of ships or military units opens the possibility that eros—which unlike philia is sexual, and therefore individual and exclusive—will be unleashed into the environment. Eros manifests itself as sexual competition, protectiveness and favoritism, all of which undermine the nonsexual bonding essential to unit cohesion, good order, discipline and morale.”
    – Mackubin Thomas Owens, Naval War College, 2011
  • “24,000 current members of the armed forces might be lost over and above normal discharge attrition in a one-to-three year period… Because these personnel would be completing one or more terms of service, they would, in fact, represent a hemorrhage of mature, skilled losses from the professional ranks. This is an enormous risk to the viability of our armed forces… If you vote to [lift the ban,] I believe you will inflict significant damage on the All-Volunteer Force.”
    – General Carl Mundy, former Commandant of the Marine Corps, 2010, in a letter addressing Congress 
  • “When your life hangs on the line, you don’t want anything distracting… Mistakes and inattention or distractions cost Marines’ lives.”
    – General James Amos, Commandant of the Marine Corps, 2010, discussing his reasons for opposing openly gay service 
  • “If this kind of agenda is forced on the Marine Corps, if it’s okay for the Marines, why is it not okay for the local school, the local marriage bureau, ultimately all of civilian life will be affected.”
    – Elaine Donnelly, Center for Military Readiness, 2010 
  • “When you’re in training situations, where you have an individual that has the power, really, of life and death, in some circumstances, over individuals, there can be a lot of coercion. And this can be a very dangerous situation and very intimidating situation. It’s just not healthy for the well-being of the military.”
    – Tony Perkins, Family Research Council, 2010 

Sorry, I couldn’t stop at just ten. That was eleven.

Every one of the people on this list owes a profound apology not only to the gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members who are or who have served our nation, but to all the heterosexual service members as well, whose reputation was diminished by these lies.

Telling lies about gay people doesn’t only affect — or implicate — gay people. It infects and diminishes straight people, too. For example, by saying straight soldiers would quit if openly-gay service members were allowed to serve. Soldiers — good ones at least — don’t cut and run.

Tony Perkins, Senator McCain, Elaine Donnelly, Peter Sprigg, General Amos (who at least changed his opinion), General Mundy, Mackubin Thomas Owens, Frank Gaffney, Jr., and all the others whose lies diminished our service members, and our nation, we’re waiting. Apologize. It really is the very least you can do.

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News

Trump Says Progressive Dems Will ‘Attack Christianity’: ‘They’re Animals!’

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President Donald Trump teased his upcoming Faith and Freedom Coalition speech on Friday with a long screed fear-mongering that progressive Democrats will “attack all Religions, but in particular, Christianity.”

Trump posted the warning to his social media platform, Truth Social shortly before he was scheduled to speak to the conservative advocacy organization at its annual conference.

“I will be speaking at 1:30 P.M. to The Faith and Freedom Coalition, and one of the Statements I will be making, perhaps the most important of them all, concerns the recent Election of Communists in our Country. Communism is very easy to sell. I’d be the Greatest Communist in History. I’d give free rent, free houses, free food, everything is free. Unfortunately, after two or three years, the Country where this is taking place would fail. It always does, and then you’ll start living in squalor. There will be no food, there will be no housing, there will be no Military, there will be no nothing,” Trump wrote.

READ MORE: ‘Rededicating the Country to God’: Trump White House Hosts Evangelical Christian Festival

“You’ll be Third World every way, and everyone will suffer or die. I’m sorry to say, but Assassinations of those who oppose them is a very important element of their Ideology. They’re animals! In many cases, not smart but, in some cases, they are,” he continued, railing against the Democratic party establishment for not “fighting back” against them, saying establishment Dems are not “smart enough or tough enough” to block progressive Democrats from winning primary elections or serving if elected.

“If they fought them the way they fight Republicans, or me, they’d be victorious, but they don’t have the courage to do so,” Trump said.

Referring to progressives that have recently won primaries—most notably in New York where the three candidates endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani trounced establishment Democrats this Tuesday—Trump said they were not “social Dumocrats” but “hard core, godless Communists.”

Of the three candidates, while Claire Valdez does not appear to have discussed her religious affiliation, Brad Lander is Jewish and Darializa Avila Chevalier is a convert to Islam, according to the Guardian.

Trump called the candidates the “most serious threat to our Country since its existence 250 years ago.”

“These ruthless Communists will attack all Religions but, in particular, Christianity – They always do. All Communist Countries attack Religions violently. As you know, we recently struck Nigeria, and largely ended the slaughter of their Great Christian population. They know that if they go further, the attack will be far greater and, in that, they don’t want to get involved. I am saving Christians throughout the World, even though we are not in those various Countries, by hitting these Terrorists violently and hard. They will close your Churches, they will kill your people. This is what they’re about. This is the Greatest Threat to our Country since its Founding 250 years ago!” Trump wrote.

progressive dems truth social 6-26 full text

Trump ordered strikes in Nigeria last year after accusing its government of not stopping the persecution of Christians, according to The Guardian. At the time he accused Islamic State militants in the country of “targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!”

Nigeria’s government has countered claims that extremists are primarily targeting Christians, but rather people of all faiths. While some clashes have been along religious lines, like between Muslim herders and Christian farmers, the Guardian reported, the skirmishes have been over land and water rather than religion. Likewise, though priests have been kidnapped in Nigeria, the cause is related more to money than religious persecution, according to the Guardian.

“Terrorist violence in any form, whether directed at Christians, Muslims or other communities, remains an affront to Nigeria’s values and to international peace and security,” the Nigerian Foreign Ministry said at the time of Trump’s strikes.

The Faith and Freedom Coalition is holding its Road to Majority Conference at the Washington Hilton Friday. This marks the first time Trump has returned to the Hilton since the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner this year. During that dinner, a shooter was stopped by Secret Service agents from carrying out an alleged assassination attempt against Trump, according to The Hill.

Image via Reuters

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Trump Threatens ‘100% TARIFF’ on Countries Who Levy Digital Services Tax on U.S. Companies

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President Donald Trump used his favorite threat, a tariff, against countries that levy a digital service tax against American companies.

Trump made the threat on his social media platform Truth Social on Friday.

“Numerous European Countries have been discussing the imminent implementation of a Digital Services Tax on American Companies. Some of these Countries are close to actually doing this. Please let this statement serve to represent that any Country that imposes such a Tax will immediately be met with a 100% TARIFF on any and all Goods sent to the United States of America. This TARIFF will supersede Trade Deals made with the Country, whether implemented, signed, or not. Additionally, the 100% TARIFF will be immediately imposed, if they proceed. Thank you for your attention to this matter,” Trump wrote.

READ MORE: Senate Dems Give Trump Administration 90 Days to Refund Tariffs

This is not the first time Trump has threatened a tariff over a digital services tax. Earlier this month, he threatened French exporters with a 100% tariff on wine and champagne.

“I asked [French President Emmanuel Macron] not to charge American companies, and if they do, I have no choice but to charge a 100% tariff on all champagnes and all wines coming out of France,” Trump told The New York Post. “All he has to do is get rid of the sales tax, and he wouldn’t have that kind of pressure.”

Digital service taxes are a way to tax income on companies without a physical presence in a country, but do business there via the internet, according to Public Citizen. It’s a tax on gross revenue earned from users in a specific country. As an example, if someone in Freedonia buys a book off Amazon.com, a DST would cause Amazon to pay income tax to Freedonia based off that sale. (Amazon does not have a presence in Freedonia on account of it being a made-up country from the film Duck Soup.)

A number of countries have or are considering implementing digital service taxes, and not just in Europe. Canada had one until recently, but it was repealed earlier this year. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has been organizing a proposal, Pillar One, which would set up a international DST across its more than 130 member nations.

Though Pillar One has not yet been enacted, a number of European countries have implemented DSTs, including Poland, Hungary, Denmark and Portugal. Many other countries, including France, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Spain, Italy and Austria have DSTs that will be repealed should Pillar One become law, according to the Tax Foundation. In France, for example, big tech companies pay 3% based on gross revenue earned from the country, earning the nation $700 million last year, according to Quartz.

Image via Reuters

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GOP Rep. Jim Jordan Says He Hopes U.S. ‘Hockey Team’ Wins World Cup

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Unlike many folks around the world, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) clearly doesn’t have World Cup fever—he just said he hopes America’s hockey team can take home the cup.

In a clip surfaced by journalist Aaron Rupar, Jordan made the comment as a button for a Friday morning Newsmax report about the House Judiciary Committee threatening to hold the Southern Poverty Law Center in contempt.

“Hi, Chairman. Wednesday night, 8 o’clock Team USA. What are our chances? How far can we go?” Newsmax host Shaun Kraisman asked.

“Well, I hope we go all the way to the championship and win it. I mean, golly, we’re on a run. Look at the hockey team, look at the UFC fight… where the American beat the Spanish guy in the main event. I mean, we’re on a roll, so let’s hope the hockey team can do the same,” Jordan said.

READ MORE: ‘Threats and Intimidation’: House Republicans Publicly Blast Jim Jordan’s ‘Tactics’

“World Cup, baby, I’ve got the fever. I know Chairman does too,” Kraisman replied.

Jordan appeared on the show to talk about the House Judiciary Committee, which he chairs, threatening to hold the Southern Poverty Law Center in contempt. He says the anti-hate research and activist group has not turned over documents relating to sources embedded in hate groups.

“The committee has made several good-faith efforts to work with your counsel to obtain documents responsive to the subpoena,” Jordan, wrote in a letter to SPLC’s incoming president and CEO Ryan Haygood, according to right-wing news outlet the Daily Signal. “To date, the committee has still not received any such documents. Therefore, the SPLC must promptly produce all materials responsive to the committee’s subpoena as soon as possible, but not later than 5:00 p.m. on July 9, 2026.”

The Trump administration has gone after the SPLC, alleging that it has manufactured extremist rallies and funded hate groups via its policy of paying informants. The DOJ has accused the organization of wire fraud, money laundering and making false statements, according to CNN. The SPLC denies these charges.

“We’ve already asserted in our filings that we did not lie to our donors, that we did not fund any hate groups,” Bryan Fair, interim president and CEO told the House Judiciary Committee earlier this month. “The Department of Justice knew that we were working with them.”

Image via Reuters

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