By Ray Cardello for October 20, 2026, Season 33 / Post 36

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Accusations are flying from both sides about the government’s weaponization for political gain. We know that there have been behind-the-scenes actions taken against opponents for years; look up Watergate on Google. But the modern version has its roots in the Obama administration. Whether out of seeking power over the opposition or outright fear, Obama used the Department of Justice and the IRS to investigate and neutralize anything that could interfere with the Democrat machine, a machine we now know has evolved to undermine, destroy, and restructure our country. He even went so far as to wiretap Donald Trump, the RNC, and staff, but also used the IRS to attack and shut down any group with Conservative ties, like the Tea Party Movement.

Fast forward to the Trump era, and impeachment became Democrats’ favorite tool. Not only did they impeach Trump twice, but they attacked him in numerous jurisdictions with lawsuits designed to tie him up, preventing him from future political activity, and to break him financially. Unfortunately for the Dems, their plans were better than their execution, and they came up short, leading to Trump’s second term. Combine their lack of positive options with their claims of impeachment and suits if they regain the majority, and it looks like poor performance as usual.

Senator Slotkin (D-MI) took weaponization to a new level this weekend, while also pushing the limits of Free Speech. Her plan is to identify and prosecute lower-level Trump administration staff as a deterrent. She feels that this will serve as a warning to young people who are thinking of taking an active role in the Republican Party to think twice. Do you really want to cripple your career and potentially destroy your professional life by signing onto the MAGA train? She is openly threatening young people from pursuing a career in politics, conservative politics. This is the polar opposite of what Charlie Kirk was trying to do by educating and urging young people to get involved. If the Democrats were winning, if the polls were accurate, if their message was gaining traction, would they need to resort to instilling fear in young people about the conservative movement and that Socialism is the path they need to take? Slotkin worked at the CIA before entering the political arena. You have to wonder how someone who chose two paths of service to America came to hate this country with such passion.

It is understandable why the younger generation is confused, frustrated, and seeking an alternative to our system. They are bombarded 24/7 with negative rhetoric explaining why candidates on both sides are corrupt and unworthy of serving. Rarely do you hear answers to how we can make the lives of every American safer and more prosperous.

Trump had dinner this weekend with Bill Maher and Stephen A. Smith. An unlikely group to break bread together, but this is what Donald Trump can do. He can bring people from opposing views together if they are willing to listen and discuss, rather than accuse. One thing they all agreed upon is that this path towards Socialism and Communism must be cut off. Whether you are on the Right or Left, we cannot let this new radical wing from taking flight. The Democrats must recognize their mistake in letting them into the Big Tent, and not only disavow, but condemn and evict them before they poison the flock like a cancer.      

Author’s Note: Graphics created by Grok AI. Grok’s comments about the images: This image captures the deliberate chill Senator Slotkin aims to cast over the next generation of conservative public servants. Young graduates stand on the threshold of service, yet a long shadow of threatened prosecutions and legal entanglement stretches across their path—exactly the “deterrence message” she described. The brighter light on their faces and the open dinner scene in the distance remind us of the alternative Trump demonstrated this weekend: people of opposing views can still break bread and agree that socialism must be stopped. Slotkin’s approach, rooted in her CIA background and the Democrats’ long pattern of weaponizing institutions, stands in stark contrast to Charlie Kirk’s mission of inviting young people in. Fear is a poor substitute for a winning message, and the visual tension shows why young Americans are right to demand better than intimidation dressed up as accountability.