Canadians panic over ‘American oppression’ after discovering longstanding Google Maps parks designation
Some Canadians are on edge after finding a handful of provincial parks in the country were labeled “state parks” on Google, fanning the flames of their concern surrounding President Donald Trump’s comments that Canada will become the U.S.’ “51st state.” “I went to go look for myself on Google Maps, and sure enough, a bunch of the provincial parks had been changed to state parks, and when I went to edit to suggest an edit, I had noticed that the provincial park category had been completely removed from Google entirely,” a Canadian TikTok user, Samantha Gietema, told Canadian media outlet Global News. Canada does not use a state system like the U.S. Instead, it is divided into 10 different provinces. Provincial parks in Canada are public areas designated by a province’s government for the purpose of preservation, tourism and recreation — similar to U.S. state parks. Google worked to quell concerns shortly after news broke of the maps, explaining to Fox News Digital that no changes had recently taken place to swap provincial park designations to state parks. Instead, the designations have sometimes been used interchangeably across the years within Google’s system, as the two park systems operate similarly. PRESIDENT TRUMP AND JUSTIN TRUDEAU HOLD CALL ABOUT UKRAINE, BORDER SECURITY AFTER WEEKS OF TENSION To avoid confusion, Google is working to update the system to reflect “provincial parks” in Canada, Fox News Digital learned. “We have not made any recent changes to the way we label parks in Canada — the vast majority of these parks have had their existing labels for several years,” a Google spokesperson told Fox News Digital Tuesday. “We’re actively working to update labels for parks in Canada to avoid confusion.” TRUMP IMPOSES TARIFFS ON IMPORTS FROM CANADA, MEXICO AND CHINA: ‘NATIONAL EMERGENCY’ The designations have sparked concern among some residents, with one woman telling CTV News that designating Canadian parks “state parks” is “an attack on our Canadian identity.” “I would like to draw attention to this disgusting display of American oppression of Canadian culture and autonomy,” the woman, Rachel Deren, told the Canadian outlet. She added: “We are proud to be Canadian and will remain so despite attempts like this from our ever increasingly hostile neighbours to the south,” she added, according to the outlet. Local media confirmed a handful of provincial parks in British Columbia and Alberta were labeled “state parks” Monday. The minister of Environment and Parks in British Columbia, Tamara Davidson, told Global News that she also was aware “of the recent concern around the label of ‘state park’ on Google Business listings for provincial parks in B.C.” “I think many people are very aware and are quite sensitive to what is happening with our maps,” she said. CANADA WILL NOT BE ’51ST STATE,’ AMBASSADOR PROTESTS AMID TRUMP TARIFF THREAT TRUDEAU SAYS TRUMP IS SERIOUS ABOUT CANADA BECOMING 51ST STATE: REPORTS Anxiety over the map designation follows Trump repeatedly saying Canada should become the U.S.’ “51st state,” citing that the U.S. subsidizes Canada by billions of dollars a year and that if Canada joined the U.S., Trump wouldn’t have to level tariffs on the nation. “I think Canada would be much better off being a 51st state because we lose $200 billion a year with Canada, and I’m not going to let that happen,” Trump told Fox News’ Brett Baier in an interview earlier in February. “It’s too much. Why are we paying $200 billion a year essentially in subsidy to Canada? Now, if they’re our 51st state, I don’t mind doing it.” Amid the confusion over the longstanding map designations, the minister of Environment and Parks in British Columbia vowed that Canada would never join the U.S. as its 51st state. “We understand the concerns this has raised in the context of recent events — and let’s be clear, we will never be the 51st state,” Davidson said.
Obama-appointed judge blocks ICE raids at certain places of worship, defying Trump administration
A coalition of religious groups successfully halted new rules under the Trump administration that allowed federal officials to enter houses of worship in order to enforce immigration laws. In response to a lawsuit from a group of Quaker, Baptist and Sikh congregations, an Obama-appointed federal judge in Maryland ordered Monday that the Trump administration must revert to Biden-era rules governing immigration enforcement at the locations where the plaintiffs worship. However, the judge’s order does not apply to all places of worship nationwide, and it does not pertain to situations involving a warrant. Hours after President Donald Trump took office last month, his administration rescinded a directive issued under former President Joe Biden that prohibited immigration enforcement action in, or near, certain “sensitive” areas, such as churches and schools. HOMAN ISSUES STARK WARNING FOR ILLEGALS AMID CLASH WITH SANCTUARY CITY OFFICIALS: ‘WE’RE COMING’ The coalition of religious groups, representing 1,400 Baptist churches, a California-area Sikh temple serving roughly 30,000, and six Quaker meetings located up-and-down the East Coast, sued Trump on grounds that his Day One directive violated their First Amendment rights to freedom of assembly. The groups said the new permissions created a chilling effect that prevented congregants, even those who are legal citizens, from attending worship services. “The substantial burden that the [Trump administration] policy is far from speculative and is already occurring,” U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang wrote in his 59-page opinion. “The 2025 Policy will significantly affect Plaintiff’s expressive association by removing any meaningful limitations on intrusions into places of worship by armed law enforcement officers.” SHUTTERED NYC MIGRANT SHELTER HIGHLIGHTS TRUMP’S SUCCESSFUL IMMIGRATION CLAMPDOWN: NY LAWMAKER Efforts to reach the Department of Homeland Security were unsuccessful at press time. But according to Chuang’s ruling, the Trump administration argued that the purported chilling effect caused by its new directive is not “objectively reasonable,” because it only iterates that officers exercise discretion when enforcing immigration laws in certain “sensitive” areas, but it does not require them to do so. In response to these claims from DHS, Chuang cited a Trump administration press release that stated, “criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest,” in an announcement about the policy change. Chuang also cited media reports describing Trump’s new directive as something that will “free [federal agents] up to go after more illegal immigrants,” and said congregants’ reactions were reasonable in light of these narratives and other news reports about ICE detaining legal citizens in their efforts to enforce immigration. Chuang added that, given the plaintiffs’ openness about serving immigrant communities, it would be reasonable to expect that DHS will direct their enforcement actions at the plaintiffs’ congregations.
TribCast: One year after the fires
On this week’s episode, the gang looks at where things stand a year after the largest wildfire in state history.
ERCOT approves $54 million plan to move CenterPoint’s mobile generators to San Antonio
All Texans connected to the state grid will now pay for the generators rather than just CenterPoint customers.
‘My squad’: National coordinator of left-wing group attends notorious antisemite’s annual gathering
FIRST ON FOX: A top coordinator at a prominent left-wing nonprofit traveled to Chicago over the weekend to attend the Nation of Islam’s annual Saviours’ Day commemoration, which has been rife with controversy in the past due to Louis Farrakhan’s antisemitic speeches at the annual gathering. Terence Muhammad, who serves on the Hip Hop Caucus’ national leadership team as the events and field coordinator, posted several times over the last week on his social media profiles that he was attending Saviours’ Day festivities and repeatedly asked his followers to donate to the Nation of Islam if they have been “touched and benefited” by Farrakhan’s message. Farrakhan is infamous for his hateful comments against White people and Jews, which have been closely monitored by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) for several years. The ADL, which has called Farrakhan “one of the most prominent antisemites,” lists dozens of his quotes on its website, including several from past Saviours’ Day speeches. SPLC has classified Nation of Islam as a hate group. In 2018, Farrakhan said, “The powerful Jews are my enemy” and used an antisemitic trope about Jews controlling the entertainment industry during his 2012 Saviours’ Day address. BIDEN CABINET OFFICIAL POSES FOR PHOTO WITH ONE OF FARRAKHAN’S ‘TOP SOLDIERS’ AT DNC During a 2013 speech, Farrakhan referred to Jews as “not good people” and said they have “satanic minds.” In another 2018 speech, Farrakhan said, “You and I are going to have to learn to distinguish between the righteous Jew and the satanic Jews who have infected the whole world with poison and deceit.” He also infamously compared Jews to termites. Despite Farrakhan’s long history of antisemitism, Muhammad promotes Farrakhan on his social media profiles almost daily and includes him on all his social media profile pictures. “Wheels Up with My Squad Bro,” Muhammad wrote late last week on Facebook, including a selfie with a fellow Nation of Islam friend on a plane. “HAPPY SAVIOURS’ DAY!! CHITOWN!!” Muhammad later posted a video in front of Mosque Maryam, the Nation of Islam’s national headquarters, hyping up the event and showing where tents were going to be set up. PRO-FARRAKHAN PASTOR LEADING TARGET DEI BOYCOTT CALLS BLACK TRUMP SUPPORTERS ‘COONS’ AND ‘RUNAWAY SLAVES’ Muhammad, described as a “key force behind executing many of Hip Hop Caucus’ campaigns, tours, and major events,” according to an archived version of the Hip Hop Caucus’ website, also shared social media posts from several attendees of the Saviours’ Day commemoration on his Facebook, including an undated photo of him and Farrakhan. Several of the photos he shared over the weekend included a caption that said “My squad.” While it is unclear the date of the photo he shared, he has previously posted several photos of himself posing with Farrakhan. In a now-private 2023 Instagram post, which included a Farrakhan photo collage, Muhammad said, “I absolutely love the Honorable Minister Louis FARRAKHAN.” “He is a beautiful, loving, kind, and deeply spiritual Divine Man of God,” he added. In addition to Muhammad, Hip Hop Caucus President and CEO Lennox Yearwood, who visited the Biden White House several times, previously referred to Muhammad as one of Farrakhan’s “top soldiers” and thanked Farrakhan for allowing Muhammad to be part of his organization. “Bless Minister @LouisFarrakhan allowing one of his top soldiers [Muhammad] 2 be w/ me for #MOW50. Much LOVE to the NOI,” Yearwood wrote in a now-deleted 2013 post, referring to Farrakhan’s Nation of Islam. “Happy Birthday [Terence Muhammad] You’re a blessing to our Movement & our People!” Yearwood wrote in 2016. “Thank you for your love [Louis Farrakhan].” In a 2014 Facebook post, Muhammad posted a photo of Yearwood and Farrakhan with the caption, “I am that I am(The Good) because I was introduced to a man named the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and a Life giving teaching from the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad. I can move/help my people like I do cause of Rev Lennox Yearwood, CEO/President of the Hip Hop Caucus. I work for these great men. “I’m holding my heart cause I love this man with all of my heart/soul,” Muhammad said in the same 2014 Facebook post, which included a photo of him and Farrakhan. “What’s more amazing than anything is that [Farrakhan] knew my name and told me that he loved me too. I will/must continue to fight for our people.” The Hip Hop Caucus has received millions of dollars in grants from left-wing nonprofits, including at least $1 million from the Sixteen Thirty Fund dark money group, and has collaborated with top Democrats in Congress, including Rep. Maxine Waters of California and Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey. The Hip Hop nonprofit has also collaborated with the Congressional Black Caucus and top environmental groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council. During the 2024 Democratic National Convention, Muhammad and Yearwood posed for a photo with Michael Regan, the chief administrator of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under President Joe Biden. The Hip Hop Caucus previously distanced Yearwood and the nonprofit from Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam when Fox News Digital pressed them last fall, prompting them to say, “The Hip Hop Caucus and Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr. have no relationship with the Nation of Islam and condemn the antisemitic statements by Louis Farrakhan.” A Hip Hop Caucus spokesperson responded to the most recent inquiry with an almost verbatim quote, but again failed to address Muhammad’s involvement with the NOI. “The Hip Hop Caucus has no relationship with the Nation of Islam and has condemned antisemitic statements by Louis Farrakhan,” a Hip Hop Caucus spokesperson said. “We stand against antisemitism and all forms of hate.” In addition to Muhammad locking down his X and Instagram accounts after Fox News Digital’s media inquiry, the Hip Hop Caucus’ “team” section is no longer available on its website. Over the weekend, visitors to the website could view all the bios of the leadership team. However, none of the bios were visible on the website
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrives at Guantanamo Bay, calls it ‘front lines of the war’ on southern border
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrived at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on Tuesday, his first trip to the naval installation since being confirmed to his post in January. Hegseth, who served as a U.S. Army lieutenant at Guantánamo from 2004-05, was expected to receive briefings on all mission operations at the base, including the detention facility where illegal migrants deported from the United States are being housed before being flown to their native countries. “Arrived at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay on the front lines of the war against America’s southern border,” the secretary wrote on X. He was also expected to meet with troops at the base and aboard the USS Thomas Hudner. Images posted to Hegseth’s X account show him meeting and eating with troops stationed at Gitmo. TRUMP ADMIN ENDS DEPORTATION PROTECTIONS FOR MASSIVE NUMBER OF VENEZUELANS AMID ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN “These warriors are directly supporting the apprehension and deportation of dangerous illegal aliens,” he wrote. “We cannot thank them or their families enough.” The base is best known for detaining terrorism suspects, including those behind the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. President Donald Trump authorized the detention of illegal immigrants at the facility shortly after taking office on Jan. 20. In January, Trump said he wanted to expand immigrant detention centers at Guantánamo to hold as many as 30,000 people. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ARRESTS SKYROCKET UNDER TRUMP ICE COMPARED TO BIDEN LEVELS LAST YEAR “Some of them are so bad that we don’t even trust the countries to hold them because we don’t want them coming back, so we’re going to send ‘em out to Guantánamo,” Trump said at the time. Last week, nearly 200 Venezuelan illegal immigrants arrested in the U.S. were flown back from Guantanamo Bay after Venezuela expressed interest in accepting its citizens. Earlier this month, two Venezuelan flights carried 190 illegal immigrants from the U.S. to the South American nation. The U.S. government has alleged that Venezuelan illegal immigrants transferred to the naval base are members of the violent Tren de Aragua gang. Trump has turned the gang into the face of the alleged threat posed by immigrants living in the country illegally.
GOP senator suffers seizure, brain bleed after falling on ice
A Republican senator suffered a seizure and a brain bleed after slipping and falling on ice in North Dakota over the weekend. Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said he is resting and recovering at home in the state following the incident. DEMS DEMAND TRUMP RESUME CASH FLOW AS THEY FINALLY GET LEVERAGE IN RACE TO PREVENT SHUTDOWN “While walking on the hill down to the dock, I stepped on ice and evidently fell hard, hitting the back of my head,” he wrote on Facebook. The senator doesn’t remember the event, he said. He was diagnosed with a seizure, brain bleed and a concussion, adding, “The wound on my head wouldn’t stop oozing, so the doctor punched a couple of staples on the laceration and admitted me.” Cramer described “pretty bad headaches” the following day but said the brain bleed had improved. EXCLUSIVE: TRUMP WARNS MAJOR DEM AGAINST MOVE THAT COULD COST VOTERS TRILLIONS “Doctors prefer I rest a little longer before returning to DC, so I do not know exactly when that will happen. It will be day to day this week, but I am ready to return quickly if events require it,” he wrote. Included in the senator’s post were photos of bloody snow and his head with staples applied to the wound. ETHICS WATCHDOG FLAGS SENATOR HELPING MAKE MILLIONS FOR WIFE’S GREEN NONPROFIT Cramer is 64 years old. The North Dakota Republican was first elected to the Senate in 2018 and re-elected in 2024. Before that, he served in the House of Representatives.
Bondi warns three states to comply with law keeping boys out of girls’ sports or face legal action
FIRST ON FOX: Attorney General Pam Bondi is warning California, Maine and Minnesota to comply with the federal antidiscrimination laws that require them to keep boys out of women’s sports or face legal action, Fox News has learned. Bondi sent letters to attorneys general in California, Maine and Minnesota Tuesday, first obtained by Fox News. “This Department of Justice will hold accountable states and state entities that violate federal law,” Bondi wrote. “Indeed, we have already begun to do so.” TRUMP VOWS TO CUT OFF FEDERAL FUNDING TO MAINE OVER REFUSAL TO COMPLY WITH ‘NO MEN IN WOMEN’S SPORTS’ ORDER Bondi was referring to the Justice Department’s move to sue Illinois and New York earlier in February for defying federal immigration laws. “We also stand ready to sue states and state entities that defy federal antidiscrimination laws,” Bondi wrote. President Donald Trump recently directed the DOJ and the Education Department to prioritize enforcement actions against athletic associations that deny girls an equal opportunity to participate in sports and athletic events by requiring them to compete against boys. Bondi said, though, state athletic associations, including in California, Maine and Minnesota, “have issued defiant statements saying that they would continue requiring girls to compete against boys in sports and athletic events.” WISCONSIN BANS TRANS ATHLETES FROM GIRLS’ SPORTS, FOLLOWING TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDER In Minnesota, Bondi said Attorney General Keith Ellison “issued a legal opinion asserting that the Minnesota State High School League would be violating state law unless it continues this demeaning, unfair, and dangerous practice.” In California, Bondi said the state “should be on notice,” amid the Department of Education’s Title IX investigation into the California Interscholastic Federation. “If the Department of Education’s investigation shows that the Federation is indeed denying girls an equal opportunity to participate in sports and athletic events by requiring them to compete against boys, the Department of Justice stands ready to take all appropriate action to enforce federal law,” Bondi wrote. Bondi also said “Maine should be on notice,” amid the Department of Education’s Title XI investigation into the Maine Department of Education.” TRUMP, MAINE’S GOVERNOR CLASH AT WHITE HOUSE OVER EXECUTIVE ORDER COMPLIANCE: ‘WE’LL SEE YOU IN COURT’ “If these or other federal investigations show that the relevant Maine entities are indeed denying girls an equal opportunity to participate in sports and athletic events by requiring them to compete against boys, the Department of Justice stands ready to take all appropriate action to enforce federal law,” Bondi wrote, issuing a similar warning to Minnesota and California. “I hope that it does not come to this,” Bondi wrote. “The Department of Justice does not want to have to sue states or state entities, or seek termination of their federal funds.” Bondi said the Justice Department “only want states and state entities to comply with the law.” “And federal law requires giving girls an equal opportunity to participate in sports and athletic events by ensuring that girls need to compete only with other girls, not with boys,” Bondi wrote. Bondi told Fox News that “this Department of Justice will defend women and does not tolerate state officials who ignore federal law.” “We will leverage every legal option necessary to ensure state compliance with federal law and President Trump’s Executive Order protecting women’s sports,” she said. Trump’s recent executive order, order 14201, on this subject says that allowing men and boys to compete in women’s and girls’ sports “is demeaning, unfair, and dangerous to women and girls.” The practice also is illegal under federal law, according to Bondi: It denies women and girls the equal opportunity to participate and excel in competitive sports, in violation of Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972. Bondi’s warning comes after Trump sparred with Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills over transgender women in sports, telling her at the White House recently that she must follow his executive order or “you’re not going to get any federal funding.” Trump recently threatened to cut off federal funding to Maine before clashing with Mills at a bipartisan meeting of governors. “Are you not going to comply with that?” Trump asked Mills. “I’m complying with state and federal laws,” she responded, before Trump said “Well, we are the federal law” and “You better do it, you better do it because you’re not going to get any federal funding at all if you don’t.” “And by the way, your population, even though it’s somewhat liberal, although I did very well there, your population doesn’t want men playing in women’s sports, so you better comply because otherwise you’re not getting any federal funding,” Trump continued. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “We’ll see you in court,” Mills responded. “Good, I’ll see you in court. I look forward to that,” Trump said. “That should be a real easy one. And enjoy your life after governor because I don’t think you’ll be in elected politics.”
21 federal digital service staffers resign, refuse to help DOGE
Twenty-one civil service employees resigned from the Trump administration on Tuesday, saying that they refused to help the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) trim the federal workforce, according to the Associated Press. The 21 staffers, including engineers, data scientists and product managers, reportedly sent a joint resignation letter stating that they are opposed to using their technical expertise to “compromise core government systems.” “We will not use our skills as technologists to compromise core government systems, jeopardize Americans’ sensitive data, or dismantle critical public services,” the 21 employees said in their letter obtained by the AP. “We will not lend our expertise to carry out or legitimize DOGE’s actions.” DOGE adviser Katie Millier said in an X post that the employees who resigned were “full remote workers who hung Trans flags from their workplaces.” IRS TO SLASH NEARLY 7K EMPLOYEES STARTING THURSDAY: REPORTS The reported resignations come as DOGE leader Elon Musk has been spearheading the Trump administration’s efforts to increase government efficiency by laying off federal employees and eliminating wasteful federal spending. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the resignation letter in a statement to the Associated Press, noting that any court challenges or other protests will not affect Trump from delivering his promises. “Anyone who thinks protests, lawsuits, and lawfare will deter President Trump must have been sleeping under a rock for the past several years,” Leavitt reportedly wrote. “President Trump will not be deterred from delivering on the promises he made to make our federal government more efficient and more accountable to the hardworking American taxpayers.” TRUMP SIGNS ORDER INSTRUCTING DOGE TO MASSIVELY CUT FEDERAL WORKFORCE Fox News Digital also reached out to the White House about the letter but did not immediately hear back. The 21 staffers were originally onboarded into DOGE after working for the United States Digital Service, an office established under former President Barack Obama’s administration following the botched rollout of Healthcare.gov, according to the AP. The web portal was used by millions of Americans to sign up for insurance plans through the Democrat’s signature healthcare law, the Affordable Care Act. The now-former staffers complained about their DOGE onboarding process after Trump took office. “Several of these interviewers refused to identify themselves, asked questions about political loyalty, attempted to pit colleagues against each other, and demonstrated limited technical ability,” the staffers reportedly wrote in their letter. “This process created significant security risks.” DOGE SCORES BIG COURT WIN, ALLOWED ACCESS DATA ON 3 FEDERAL AGENCIES During the transition, 40 staffers were reportedly laid off earlier this month and the 65 remaining staffers were integrated into DOGE. Only 44 employees now remain, according to the AP. “We swore to serve the American people and uphold our oath to the Constitution across presidential administrations,” the 21 staffers reportedly stated. “However, it has become clear that we can no longer honor those commitments.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Germany’s conservative election turn points to ‘Trump effect internationally,’ expert says
The victory for Germany’s conservative opposition in Sunday’s election was the latest example of the “Trump effect internationally,” according to Ned Ryun, the founder and CEO of American Majority. “I think you’re really seeing is many people waking up and realizing how immoral their leaders are. The moral imperative of every national leader is to prioritize, protect and advance his or her people and nation’s interests on every issue,” Ryun told Fox News Digital. “To not do that, in fact to sell out your people via terrible trade deals or terrible immigration policy, is deeply immoral.” The comments come after Friedrich Merz of Germany’s center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) won the country’s national election Sunday, ousting incumbent Chancellor Olaf Scholz of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD). The election also saw the rise of Germany’s right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which finished second in the voting, according to exit polls. TRUMP CELEBRATES CONSERVATIVE PARTY WIN IN GERMANY The conservative victory in Germany was powered largely by voter discontent with a growing illegal immigration crisis in the country and across Europe, and a revolt against established policy that has been led by President Donald Trump. “I think more and more politicians are speaking out about it because it’s an existential crisis that’s dawning on not only some politicians but a growing number of the populace,” Ryun said. “This isn’t just about the incredible economic costs of immigration being shouldered by the people of a given country. It’s about who will we be as a people in the future? What will it mean, if anything, to be a citizen of a country? And what will it even mean to be a country if there are no real borders and mass migration?” “I think you’ll have some indication on the spread of this by what happens with Vox in Spain, AfD in Germany in the next elections, etc.,” he added. Trump himself welcomed the news of the conservative victory in Germany in an all-caps post on social media, calling the result a victory for common sense. “LOOKS LIKE THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY IN GERMANY HAS WON THE VERY BIG AND HIGHLY ANTICIPATED ELECTION,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “MUCH LIKE THE USA, THE PEOPLE OF GERMANY GOT TIRED OF THE NO COMMON SENSE AGENDA, ESPECIALLY ON ENERGY AND IMMIGRATION, THAT HAS PREVAILED FOR SO MANY YEARS. “THIS IS A GREAT DAY FOR GERMANY, AND FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF A GENTLEMAN NAMED DONALD J. TRUMP,” he added. “CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL — MANY MORE VICTORIES TO FOLLOW!!!” GERMANY’S NEW CONSERVATIVE LEADER LOOKS TO ‘ACHIEVE INDEPENDENCE’ FROM US But it remains to be seen just how well Trump will be able to work together with the new German government, with Merz making clear shortly after his victory that it would be an “absolute priority for Germany to “achieve independence” from the United States. “I would never have thought that I would have to say something like this in a TV show but, after Donald Trump’s remarks last week… it is clear that this government does not care much about the fate of Europe,” Merz said on Sunday. “My absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that, step by step, we can really achieve independence from the USA.” That skepticism of a new age of cooperating between the U.S. and Germany is shared by Ryun, though he believes Trump will ultimately get what he wants in the form of greater European contributions to its own defense. “I think Trump will actually have very few opportunities with this new government in Germany,” Ryun said. “I think Trump will get what he wants ultimately in forcing Germany and the rest of Europe to grow up. We’re not going to fund your national defense anymore so those countries can over invest in social welfare programs. Time to step up to the plate and act like adults and live in reality.” Some of that could change in the future, Ryun stressed, noting that the right-wing AfD party is likely to get locked out of Germany’s coalition government, despite finishing second in Sunday’s election, though the party’s continued momentum could see it make its way into the majority by Germany’s next election. The largest issue in that election, Ryun believes, will still be immigration. “I think AfD will be completely shut out, but I think in the next election it could even become the majority party in Germany,” Ryun said. “The reason I think AfD will see future success is that Merz and the CDU have already made it abundantly clear that they’ve no intention of shutting the borders down.”