First, the bad news. In a number of states now, particularly the Rust Belt states, it appears that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.‘s independent candidacy is hurting Donald Trump more than Joe Biden.
 
In head-to-head matchups, Trump leads or ties Biden in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. But with Kennedy in the race, Biden leads all three. 
 
The good news is that Fox News, which has historically underestimated Trump’s vote, just released new polling results in four states that are really encouraging. They show Trump winning Florida by a slightly larger margin than he won in 2020. But the other results must be scaring the daylights out of the White House.
 
In Arizona and Nevada, Trump has a five-point lead over Joe Biden, with and without third-party candidates. Biden won both states four years ago.
 
The next surprise is Virginia, which was not close at all in 2020. Biden won Virginia by a 10-point landslide. We all know why — the state is being “fundamentally transformed” through massive immigration and the massive growth of the federal government, which is turning suburban and exurban counties blue.
 
But the Fox poll found Biden and Trump tied in Virginia. And the Fox News poll isn’t the only survey finding a close race in the Old Dominion. There is no scenario that political analysts are looking at that requires Donald Trump to win Virginia in order to win the White House.
 
If he wins the states he won four years ago and secures Arizona, Georgia, and Nevada, he can win the White House with just a couple of congressional districts in Maine and Nebraska, which split their Electoral College votes. Under this scenario, Trump doesn’t even need Michigan or Pennsylvania or Wisconsin.
 
Meanwhile, Biden is rapidly losing the one advantage he did have — money. The outrageous Manhattan verdict turbocharged Trump’s fundraising.
 
The Trump campaign and a pro-Trump superPAC have raised $370 million, with a significant portion of that figure coming in just the past week. Thursday night, Trump brought in another $12 million at a fundraiser in liberal Silicon Valley. 
 
 
 
Building A Broad Coalition
 
It’s been an extraordinary few days for Donald Trump.
 
In spite of record heat, thousands of people turned out to see Trump at a Turning Point Action event in Phoenix, Arizona, Thursday. The event was held at a packed megachurch. Turning Point represents the evangelical base of the MAGA movement.
 
But there’s more.
 
For many years, Russell Brand was an edgy, controversial, “progressive” actor and comedian. But after being canceled by the left, he caught on to the left’s growing intolerance and its threat to free speech. He has since become a Christian and formally endorsed Donald Trump Thursday.
 
Dr. Phil did an interview with Donald Trump that aired Thursday. He told Trump that people he has known for years who didn’t like Trump before are now saying they are inspired by him and plan to vote for him. 
 
Rapper Fifty Cent said last week that he hasn’t decided yet whether he’s voting for Joe Biden or Donald Trump, adding that he increasingly sees black men “identifying with Trump.”
 
This is the new broad-based MAGA coalition that is emerging. And thank God it is broad because there are not enough people like us to elect a president by ourselves.
 
 
 
Major War By November?
 
Will we be in a major war by November? If not a major war, it may be a major war scare to rally the American people around the commander-in-chief, which is what we historically do.
 
I am raising this frightening prospect because Joe Biden recently gave Volodymyr Zelensky permission to use American weapons to attack targets inside Russia. This is a major reversal of previous U.S. policy.
 
Speaking to ABC News, Biden said, “We’re not authorizing strikes on Moscow, on the Kremlin.” And no, he wasn’t being funny. He was trying to reassure us.
 
But the fact remains that U.S. weapons will now be used to kill Russians on Russian soil — a big leap toward all-out war with Russia. Biden is playing Russian roulette, and he’s not using Hunter’s gun.
 
Vladimir Putin responded to this new policy exactly as you would expect. He said that if this is where Biden wants to go, Russia will provide arms to enemies of America and give them permission to attack targets in the continental United States.
 
Then it was confirmed Thursday that Russia will soon conduct military exercises involving a flotilla of warships and long-range bombers in the Caribbean. The Russian warships will dock in Cuba and Venezuela, something they have not done for years. But all of a sudden, they are doing it again.
 
Are we headed for another Cuban missile crisis?
 
 
 
D-Day Diss
 
Joe Biden did something else disturbing at Normandy Thursday, and if anyone thinks this is a good idea, drop me a note. He gloated over the number of Russians killed and wounded in the Ukraine-Russian war. 
 
Is that wise? Is that prudent? Does that help the world avoid a major war?
 
I know all of you know your history, but I doubt many young Americans have thought much about WWII. During the ceremonies recognizing the 80th anniversary of D-Day, one country was missing from the platform — Russia.
 
Now, I wouldn’t expect them to be there when they are in a war with one of their neighbors. But it is worth remembering that in the alliance that defeated Nazi Germany and the Japanese warlords, Russia lost 27,000,000 people — far more casualties than the United States, Britain, and France combined.
 
Yet, from that venue, celebrating the victory over Nazism and with Russia absent from the ceremony, Biden thought it was a good idea to gloat over how many Russians are dying now.
 
 
 
Lost Again
 
Here’s something else that should frighten us all.
 
When Joe Biden arrived for D-Day ceremonies at Omaha Beach, he got out of his SUV and appeared completely confused about where he was and what he was supposed to be doing. He seemed totally lost, like he often does when he finishes a speech and can’t find his way off the stage.
 
I would again say to my friends in the strong defense wing of the GOP, of which I am a member in good standing, do you really have no second thoughts about pushing this guy to be more aggressive with Russia?
 
 
 
The Double Standard
 
As we reported last week, Steve Bannon has been ordered to report to jail by July 1st for ignoring a congressional subpoena. Curiously, his four-month sentence is exactly the remainder of the presidential campaign. It will take him off the chess board right up to the election. I’m sure that’s purely coincidental.
 
Trump’s former trade adviser, Peter Navarro, is currently in jail for ignoring a congressional subpoena.
 
Bannon was the first person in 38 years to be charged with contempt of Congress. Navarro was the first person in more than 70 years to be sent to prison for contempt of Congress.
 
Meanwhile, Attorney General Merrick Garland just announced that he intends to defy congressional subpoenas. Will the Justice Department prosecute the attorney general? Of course, not.
 
The double standard is obvious — only Republicans go to jail, not Democrats.
 
Wake up, America!
 
 
 
Defending Faith, Family, & Freedom
 
In last week’s Defending Faith, Family, & Freedom podcast for the James Dobson Family Institute, I examine what happened in the obviously rigged trial in New York City that convicted former President Trump of 34 felonies. This trial is much more significant than Trump. The far-reaching ramifications should terrify all Americans.
 
You can listen to the podcast here.
 
 
 
Good News

• Parents are voting with their feet, and failing government-run schools are shutting down in Florida as educational choice expands opportunities for parents and students. 

• New Jersey gym owners who defied draconian COVID lockdowns were vindicated when a court dismissed more than 80 charges against them. 

• South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster signed legislation protecting children from sterilizing drugs and mutilating surgeries, making South Carolina the 25th state to do so. (Hard to believe it is even necessary!) 

• Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed legislation strengthening parental rights in education. 

• Left-wing smear machine Media Matters is laying off dozens of staffers in the wake of multiple state investigations and lawsuits by Elon Musk.