Photo by: Jeff J. Newman/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images

A wild new story on former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and her Hare Krishna guru’s influence on her policy actions has sent shockwaves through social media.

Sunday’s Washington Post article by investigative journalist Jon Swaine comes just days after Gabbard stepped down to manage her husband’s cancer treatments.

Swaine wrote that Gabbard grew up in “eccentric religious leader” Chris Butler’s breakaway Hare Krishna group that has been described by some ex-members as a “cult,” although the group denies that characterization.

Swaine set out on a year-long investigation to learn whether the “reclusive guru been secretly trying to steer Gabbard’s actions as a public official.” He reviewed tends of thousands of documents, declaring that “Their content was extraordinary.”

“Dozens of attached memos appeared to document directives and advice for Gabbard from her time in Congress. Some contained instructions on what legislation she should propose, which policies she should embrace and how she should conduct herself on television. They had an air of authority,” Swaine wrote.

Research fellow Kareem Rifai wrote on social media, “This is an utterly insane story: 25,000 documents reviewed by WaPo indicate that throughout Tulsi’s career, her political moves were controlled by her guru, cult leader Chris Butler. This woman was leading the world’s largest intelligence apparatus.”

The Atlantic’s Anne Applebaum wrote, “So @jonswaine @washingtonpost has seen hundreds of documents containing evidence that Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump’s Director of National Intelligence, was directed throughout her career by the leader of the cult she grew up in.”

The Atlantic’s Shane Harris hailed Swaine’s “Extraordinary new reporting,” while former WaPo reporter said Swaine’s investigation, “presents powerful evidence that director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was deeply under the sway of her lifelong guru, a cultic leader who told her what to say and how to say it.”

Former WaPo reporter Marc Fisher wrote that Swaine’s investigation “presents powerful evidence that director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was deeply under the sway of her lifelong guru, a cultic leader who told her what to say and how to say it.”

More reactions below:

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The post ‘Utterly Insane!’ WaPo Story On Tulsi Gabbard’s Link to Religious ‘Guru’ Who Allegedly Guided Her Career Sends Shockwaves first appeared on Mediaite.

(Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images)

A New Washington Post exposé raises questions about former National Intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard and her Hare Krishna guru’s desire to shape world politics.

Investigative journalist Jon Swaine published his findings Sunday in a lengthy feature for the Washington Post about Gabbard’s relationship with Chris Butler, “the eccentric religious leader Gabbard once described as her guru.”

Swaine wrote that “Gabbard grew up in Butler’s breakaway Hare Krishna group” and that “Her parents held senior positions in the organization.”

“Butler’s followers practice a form of Hinduism that involves devotion to a single deity, in their case Krishna, and certain expectations around meditation, yoga and diet,” Swaine wrote. “Some former members, however, have called the group a cult and said disciples were isolated from the outside world, characterizations the group has denied.”

Swaine said he set out on a year-long investigation to learn whether the “reclusive guru been secretly trying to steer Gabbard’s actions as a public official” — first as a Democratic member of Congress, then as an independent, and most recently as a Republican Trump administration official.

Those two times, Gabbard took the oath of office on the sacred Hindu text the Bhagavad-Gita, “and has said she was proud to be the first Hindu American member of Congress,” Swaine wrote.

Gabbard, just days ago, officially stepped down from the Trump administration, saying she’s caring for her husband who’s battling cancer.

A former member of Butler’s sect turned over internal records to Swaine, “because she felt Gabbard misled voters about Butler’s role and his influence on her decision-making,” Swaine wrote. He also noted that some former members “have called the group a cult.”

Swaine said he reviewed thousands of emails and documents while reporting his story.

“Their content was extraordinary,” Swaine wrote. He added, “Dozens of attached memos appeared to document directives and advice for Gabbard from her time in Congress. Some contained instructions on what legislation she should propose, which policies she should embrace and how she should conduct herself on television. They had an air of authority.”

He continued:

I found a 173-page dossier from 2014 titled “TG Issues.” It compiled advice for Gabbard on dozens of topics — from taxes to the mysterious disappearance that year of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 and more. The document was peppered with imperatives. “Start introducing bills,” it said on one issue. “Need to get on it and hit hard. Stop being weak,” it said on another.

“I thought, the documents suggested that someone had been telling Gabbard what to do. And…she appeared to have done it,” Swaine wrote.

“With Post colleague Aaron Schaffer, I compared Gabbard’s remarks in 32 TV interviews between 2014 and 2016 with the talking-points memos intended for them,” Swaine continued. “On 24 occasions, Gabbard used language in the memos almost verbatim. In the eight other instances, Gabbard used different words but promoted some of the same ideas.”

A source told Swaine that “Butler was obsessed with politics and wanted “to rule the world.”

Butler and his organization declined to comment for Swaine’s piece. After repeated requests for comment, Gabbard’s chief of staff sent Swaine a statement saying, the allegations “are a blatant example of anti-Hindu bigotry.”

A spokeswoman added, “I cannot imagine WaPo’s readers would be interested in yet another uncredible, bigoted attack on the DNI’s faith.”

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The post Tulsi Gabbard’s Entire Career Was Guided By an ‘Eccentric Religious Leader’ She Once Called Her ‘Guru’ — Wild Washington Post Story Suggests first appeared on Mediaite.

Joel Rubin, who served as deputy assistant secretary of state under former President Barack Obama, questioned Saturday why Israel and Lebanon aren’t at the peace talks in Switzerland, along with the U.S. and Iran.

Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed earlier Saturday, after Israel and Hezbollah exchanged fire, reportedly killing 16 in Lebanon. U.S. Central Command spokesperson Tim Hawkins defiantly told reporters, “Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz. Traffic continues to flow, and U.S. forces are monitoring the situation to ensure this remains the case.”

Vice President JD Vance was expected to head to Switzerland, where Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff are preparing for peace talks with Iran on Sunday.

CNN’s Danny Freeman, in for Fredericka Whitfield, asked Rubin if he thought the talks would be “meaningful” and productive.

“I think talks will begin, but meaningful is a whole other order of magnitude, because, quite frankly, the hot issues that you just described a moment ago — like the fighting inside of Lebanon — that needs to be top of mind,” Rubin answered, continuing:

Yet, the Lebanese and the Israeli government officials to deal with it are not going to be there. They’re going to be here in Washington. And this symbolizes the whole disconnect that we have right now in this diplomacy, which is that it seems like there’s multiple parts that aren’t connecting to each other. And therefore, we’re seeing spoiler opportunities, like Hezbollah attacking Israeli troops and Israel responding. The Strait of Hormuz will be open or closed, it’s up to the Iranians on a daily basis. It’s a really unsynchronized diplomatic process right now.

President Donald Trump’s 14-point memorandum of understanding with Iran calls for an immediate end to military operations in Lebanon — a ceasefire that both the Israelis and Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters have defied. Iran blames the U.S. for failing to keep Israel in check.

Hezbollah controls southern Lebanon, where the majority of the fighting with Israel has taken place. Hezbollah’s leaders have refused to negotiate with Israel, and the Lebanese government has failed to controlled Hezbollah, both of which have made any peace deal difficult to enforce.

Watch above via CNN.

The post ‘Unsynchronized Diplomatic Process’: Former Obama Official Questions Why Lebanon and Israel Aren’t At Peace Talks first appeared on Mediaite.

Mariam Zuhaib/AP Images (Left)/Nancy Mace X (Right)

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) lashed out after facing a wave of mockery and fact-checking over her complaints about American taxpayers supposedly paying for “trans mice.”

“Animals should not be used for radical transgender experiments,” Mace wrote on X this week. “This is not science. This is ideological cruelty paid for by the American taxpayers.”

Included in Mace’s post was an image of a mouse touching a gloves hand with the message: “NO TRANS MICE.”

“Our TRANS MICE Act ends it. No federal funds may be used to conduct, support, or fund research aimed at altering an animal’s biological sex,” Mace wrote. “No hormones. No surgeries. No taxpayer dollars spent mutilating animals in the name of transgender ideology. his legislation brings accountability, ends taxpayer-funded cruelty, and ensures science serves the public, not ideology.”

The congresswoman was hit with a community note from X that added context about “trans mice,” noting a “transgenic mouse” is not a transgender animal. It is a term used to define mice who have received foreign DNA.

“‘Trans mice’ refers to transgenic mice not transgender mice. Transgenic mice are defined as mice that have incorporated foreign DNA into their genome, allowing for the study of gene function and disease mechanisms, particularly in cancer research,” the community note reads.

Mace pushed back, claiming she wasn’t actually talking about transgenic mice, but “federally funded transgender-related experiments on animals.” She did not deploy the term “trans mice” again.

“This post is not about transgenic mice. It is about federally funded transgender-related experiments on animals,” she wrote. “The bill is called the Transgender Research on Animals Now Stops and Money for Ideological Cruelty Eliminated Act, also known as the TRANS MICE Act. The Community Note addresses “transgenic mice,” which is a completely different topic.”

Critics were quick to roast Mace’s “trans mice” declaration, informing her “transgenic mice” have nothing to do with debates involving anyone being transgender.

“Transgenic mice are laboratory animals that have had foreign DNA, such as a human gene or a specific genetic marker, artificially inserted into their genome. They are used for scientific testing,” journalist Molly Jong-Fast wrote in response.

President Donald Trump claimed last year that taxpayers were funding “making mice transgender,” though he appeared to be referring to the same thing as the medical experiments in question were not studying gender-affirming care. He also had bragged also bragged about the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cancelling such contracts.

“The idea that scientists are making mice transgender is false,” journalist Laura Barrón-López noted for PBS at the time in a fact-check of the president. “The kinds of research experiments that President Trump and the White House were pointing to is basic scientific research. These studies were not studying if gender-affirming care works. That’s a legal medical treatment that’s endorsed by major U.S. medical associations.”

Others also ran fact checks on Trump’s claims, noting the mice-involved research being referenced was used to research asthma, cancer, and more.

The post Nancy Mace Roasted and Fact-Checked Over Post About Supposed ‘TRANS MICE’ Funded By Taxpayers first appeared on Mediaite.

Conservative journalist Jonah Goldberg slammed President Donald Trump on CNN’s Inside Politics for alienating U.S. allies like Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni.

Meloni fired back Friday at Trump’s claim that she “begged” him for a photo at the G7 this week, and that he acquiesced because he “felt sorry for her.”

Host Phil Mattingly, in for Dana Bash, played video of Meloni saying, “Donald Trump’s statements are completely made up. I am frankly astonished. I don’t know why the President of the United States behaves like this toward his allies. It’s not the first time. Moreover, I can only say it is disappointing that he does not show the same determination with the enemies of the west and of the United States, whose leaders he instead treats with far greater indulgence. There is one thing he should remember: neither I, nor Italy, ever beg.”

Goldberg began talking about ally alienation by referencing a sit-down interview Trump had with Axios Thursday, where he claimed he achieved “unconditional surrender” from Iran, and there were “no limits” on his power.

“Let’s go back to the context of that interview where he says, ‘We totally defeated Iran militarily. There are no limits to my power,'” Goldberg said. “The fact that he’s coming out of this week with this deal, saying that there are no limits to his power when he was forced to negotiate ending a blockade to open up the Strait of Hormuz is preposterous.”

Goldberg continued:

And why was the Strait of Hormuz such a problem? They begged to get allies to come in and help with the minesweeping, because our European allies have better equipment for that kind of stuff. Couldn’t get them to do it. Why couldn’t they get them to do it? Because he threatened to militarily take over Greenland, and made himself so unbelievably radioactive. The most brilliant thing Trump did, he was already unpopular in the middle and with the left in Europe. But the Greenland thing made the nationalists hate him, too.

And so, the idea that all these allies were going to jump and help him out in the Strait of Hormuz, when it would be political suicide for any elected leader in Europe to act to save Trump’s bacon about anything. I think his approval rating in Denmark is like 4%, right? So like, those are limits to his power! We would be a much more powerful country if we had allies that were willing to get our back and help us out. Those are limits. What’s disturbing is he’s so delusional he can’t see the limits to his power, and that’s something that’s going to get him into more mistakes.

Watch the clip above via CNN.

The post ‘So Unbelievably Radioactive’: Jonah Goldberg Slams ‘Delusional’ Trump For Alienating US Allies first appeared on Mediaite.

LEFT: Mark Levin (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) RIGHT: JD Vance (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Fox News’ Mark Levin called out Vice President JD Vance, the architect of the Trump administration’s memorandum of understanding with Iran, directly after Vance’s press conference at the White House on Thursday.

Here’s the exchange that appeared to incense the prominent conservative commentator:

JORDAN CONRADSON: Jordan Conradson with the Gateway Pundit. I want to talk back to the Lebanon component.

There’s a report in Axios that [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu is fuming over this. Israel doesn’t feel bound to MOU as it relates to Lebanon.

As you mentioned, your frustration with Israel striking in Beirut hitting apartment buildings.

If that continues, could it torpedo the deal? And what would the U.S.’s response be to a broader war in Lebanon involving Israel?

JD VANCE: Yeah, well, I don’t want to get into hypotheticals that could torpedo the deal because I think the president’s expectation is that all of our friends, the Israelis, the Arabs in the region, we’re going to work together and actually see this deal to completion.

Now, I saw the Axios report that Netanyahu is fuming. That’s not reflective of the conversations that I’ve had with him, but maybe he’s saying something to somebody else that he’s not saying to me.

What I will say, and this does bother me, is that you’ve seen people within Bibi’s cabinet who have come out and attacked the deal and in some ways very personally attacked the president of the United States.

And I guess my message to them would be twofold.

Number one, Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time. And he happens to be the head of state of the world superpower.

If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world.

And the second message I would give to some of those cabinet members, Bibi, to his credit, has not gone down this path. But to some of these cabinet members in Israel who are attacking the president of the United States, the other thing that I would say is that over the last three months… Two-thirds of the defensive weapons that have protected your homeland have been built by American hands and paid for by American tax dollars.

The problem for Israel is not Donald J. Trump. And anybody in Israel who thinks their biggest problem is the president of the United States needs to wake up and smell the reality of the situation that country is in. Thank you all.

Shortly after Vance made his comments, Levin fired off a tweet that read, “I think it’s terrific that people who will likely seek the GOP nomination for president are revealing themselves. Amazing how Iran is being talked about as increasingly reasonable and moderate as Israel is being smeared left and Woke Right.”

“Here’s a novel idea: stop bullying our ally and cozying up to our enemy,” he added in a follow-up.

In an earlier tweet on Thursday, Levin responded to Vance’s declaration that he is “not uncomfortable” with the idea of a photo op alongside Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf.

“Fwiw, bad idea,” commented Levin. “You’ll regret it certainly down the road. But always a bad idea to stand with a top official of a terrorist regime that killed and maimed thousands of Americans and tens of thousands of Iranians just a few months ago.”

The deal has faced criticism from a wide range of elected Republicans and other prominent conservatives. For his part, Levin offered a point-by-point takedown of the deal on Wednesday.

“Iran’s pattern of conduct over the last 47-years makes clear that it uses negotiations as a tactic to further its aims. Yet, we abandoned the military destruction of Iran and did not use all of our capabilities to destroy the regime, including not arming the Iranian people due, in part to polling and gas prices,” argued Levin. “DURING THE NEXT 60-DAYS THIS MOU REQUIRES SERIOUS CHANGES IF NOT OUTRIGHT ABANDONMENT.”

The post Mark Levin Calls Out JD Vance Directly as MAGA Civil War Heats Up first appeared on Mediaite.

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