Raqqa, the capital of the Islamic State, fell to U.S.-backed Kurdish forces Tuesday.

During the Obama presidency, ISIS emerged and prospered. As Obama fiddled, ISIS ensnared more and more people into its web of Islamic slavery. ISIS tortured prisoners. It persecuted Christians. It executed journalists. It exported jihad all over the world.

Since Donald Trump was elected, ISIS lost Mosul, its stronghold in Iraq, and now its self-declared capital in Raqqa, Syria. But ISIS is not yet defeated.

Its presence grew dramatically in many countries during the Obama years. It will take time to defeat the ideology of radical Islamic supremacism. And because of the lax immigration policies pushed by the Left, many jihadists have dispersed throughout the West.

But it is unconscionable that the media are not reporting what is happening on the ground in Raqqa. The caliphate was ISIS’s biggest recruiting magnet. Faithful Muslims believe that the caliphate will unite the world under Islam, leading to Armageddon. ISIS propaganda has been telling Muslim youth that their scripture was being fulfilled.

Trump won the election and took the leash off our warriors. One thousand ISIS fighters recently surrendered. Under Obama, ISIS was gaining 1,000 fighters a month.

That said, the war against radical Islam is far from over. While the radical Sunnis of the Islamic State may be on the run, the radical Shiites of the Islamic Republic of Iran are on the rise.


The NFL Surrenders


President Trump is right — NFL owners are afraid of their players. Commissioner Roger Goodell met Tuesday with players and owners to discuss the ongoing protests against the national anthem. Here’s how The New York Times summed up the meeting:

“The NFL for now will continue to let players kneel or sit during the national anthem without a penalty, capitulating to demands by the athletes.”

Responding to this news, President Trump tweeted, “The NFL has decided that it will not force players to stand for the playing of our National Anthem. Total disrespect for our great country!"


Make no mistake about this: These protests started as anti-police, anti-American protests. Colin Kaepernick was very clear about that when he said:

"I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color… There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

Kaepernick and other players joining his protest are accusing the police of engaging in social injustice. Crime is the social injustice the police are fighting. And as we have repeatedly pointed out, the left-wing anti-police narrative is false. Rather than entertaining this slander against the brave men and women in law enforcement, the NFL ought to push back against it.

It is telling that week after week, year after year, black youth in every major city are being killed by black youth and no football players ever took a knee against the gangs and drugs that are making life hell for black women and children.

One CNN commentator claimed over the weekend that some players were taking a knee for “the gender pay gap.”

Wow! Who knew that the 300-pound guy waiting to knock down another 300-pound guy took a knee because he was really upset that some women might not be getting paid as much as men.


But maybe this is progress. Some people are saying the NFL stands for the “National Felon League.” Sadly, there’s a website devoted to tracking arrests and charges of NFL players. DUI, drugs and domestic violence are the top three offenses.

If players have stopped beating their wives and girlfriends and are now worried about the gender pay gap, that is real progress.


An Apology of Sorts


Some in the NFL realize they have a huge problem on their hands. Mark Lamping, president of the Jacksonville Jaguars, sent a letter to local military leaders in Jacksonville, Florida, which has a large military presence, apologizing for his team taking a knee overseas.

Apparently they just didn’t realize how it would look to have players disrespecting our national anthem while standing for “God Save the Queen.”

I couldn’t help but think of the incredible irony. These players live in a country that has elected and re-elected a black president. We have had black attorneys general, black Supreme Court justices, black senators and representatives. We have revered black entertainers, business executives and academics.

While I love history, I’m really not familiar with the first black prime minister of Great Britain. In fact, I’m not aware of any progressive European nation that has elected a black leader. Who was the first black president of France? Who was the first black German chancellor? America’s record looks good.

These players taking a knee because of social injustice in America should have stayed on their knees when “God Save the Queen” was played!

Here’s the bottom line: If you asked 100 players taking a knee why they were doing it, you’d probably get 100 different answers. If you asked why they never took a knee over all the things hurting minority families and communities, they would probably have a very hard time explaining why they never felt strongly enough about those issues.

Here’s an idea for social justice: Why doesn’t the NFL start classes on marriage and families?

Imagine the impact of some of these football “heroes” going into inner city classrooms and telling young kids about the importance of staying in school, staying off drugs and committing to marriage. After all, the best anti-poverty program is the traditional two-parent family.



Exploiting Everything


From natural disasters to personal tragedies, it seems there is nothing that the Left won’t try to politicize. The latest example involves a phone call President Trump made to the widow of one of our fallen heroes, Sgt. David Johnson, who was killed during an ambush in Niger.

Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL) characterized Trump’s remarks during multiple interviews on left-wing media outlets. On MSNBC, she said the president’s call “was horrible. It was insensitive. It was absolutely crazy."



What was so horrible and crazy? Rep. Wilson told Miami reporters that Trump "sarcastically” said, “But, you know, he must’ve known what he signed up for.”

First of all, I don’t mean to diminish Mrs. Johnson’s grief. But there is no way the president was being “sarcastic.” I have heard that phrase used before in reference to fallen police officers, first responders and those in the military who died doing what they loved.

Rep. Wilson likely heard what she wanted to hear. She despises Donald Trump. She boycotted the president’s inauguration. She has accused him of being mentally unstable and she has called for his impeachment.

The president, as he is prone to do, hit back, tweeting, “Democrat Congresswoman totally fabricated what I said to the wife of a soldier who died in action (and I have proof). Sad!”

At the White House, the president doubled down, telling reporters, “I didn’t say what that congresswoman said. Didn’t say it at all.” Asked what “proof” he has, the president answered, “Let her make her statement again and then you’ll find out.”