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Germany’s Globalist Leaders Spark Outrage with Grinning Selfie at Pope’s Funeral as AfD Shows Solemn Statesmanship

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3 months ago

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Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (right) on a selfie with Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier via X (Twitter)

A grinning selfie taken by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder on the way to Pope Francis’ funeral has triggered widespread condemnation, fueling fresh criticism of Germany’s political elite for their uncouth disregard of decorum and Christian values.

The image, shared on social media by Steinmeier and Söder themselves, showed the two smiling broadly inside a government vehicle en route to the Vatican ceremony. The timing and tone of the post, as one might expect, drew immediate backlash from both conservative commentators and ordinary citizens, who accused the officials of turning a sacred event into a moment of personal vanity.

“Two of the nation’s top officials acting like schoolboys on a class trip—only the beer cans are missing,” remarked Frédéric Schwilden in Die Welt, one of Germany’s papers of record, calling it a “godless neglect of political culture.”

In stark contrast, representatives of the primary opposition party, the Alternative for Germany (AfD), who were also present in Rome, conducted themselves with a markedly different tone. Nicole Höchst, Member of the Bundestag, and Petr Bystron, Member of the European Parliament, attended the funeral as official representatives of the AfD. Both abstained from media theatrics, maintaining a quiet and reverent presence during the solemn ceremony.

“Pope Francis always stood up for the weak and marginalized,” said Höchst in a statement ahead of the funeral. “His legacy reminds us, as political representatives, to assume responsibility for social cohesion.”

Bystron, speaking from Rome, added: “Regardless of political differences, we honor Pope Francis as a voice of morality and conscience in an increasingly secularized world. With our participation, we wish to underline the enduring importance of the Catholic Church for Europe’s identity and the preservation of Christian values.”

The selfie incident is the latest in a series of perceived embarrassments involving Germany’s governing officials. Just days before the funeral, Berlin’s SPD Senator for Labor, Cansel Kiziltepe, stirred controversy by referring to Tesla vehicles as “Nazi cars” on social media, a remark widely condemned as trivializing the Holocaust. One user responded: “Those who make such comparisons degrade concentration camps to parking lots.”

Critics say these episodes reflect a deeper cultural malaise within Germany’s political establishment, one marked by an excess of vanity, disrespect for tradition, and a persistent double standard in how political behavior is judged.

While AfD, the boogieman for Germany’s globalist establishment, is frequently accused of failing to uphold proper conduct, it was the party’s own representatives who upheld a standard of dignity in Rome, while top officials from the ruling coalition drew criticism for unbecoming conduct.

Notably absent from the funeral was CDU leader Friedrich Merz, who has positioned himself as a future chancellor. His nonappearance drew attention as world leaders such as Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron used the occasion to engage in symbolic gestures of diplomacy and unity.

The absence was criticized by conservative economist and former Bundestag candidate Prof. Max Otte, who commented: “Angela Merkel, Robert Habeck, Annalena Baerbock, and Olaf Scholz have ruined Germany. Friedrich Merz will now likely become its insolvency administrator, liquidator, and asset manager.”

The episode in Rome that Söder and Steinmeier are surely anxious to put behind them has highlighted what many see as the widening gulf between the political class and the values of ordinary Germans. While establishment politicians take selfies and trade insults online, the AfD continues to position itself as the only serious political outfit in Germany and the voice of traditional values, national dignity, and Christian heritage.

The post Germany’s Globalist Leaders Spark Outrage with Grinning Selfie at Pope’s Funeral as AfD Shows Solemn Statesmanship appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Politics

Hulk Hogan’s Death Certificate Released

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23 hours ago

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August 2, 2025

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Hulk Hogan’s death certificate was obtained by TMZ on Friday.

Hogan passed away at the age of 71 last Thursday from acute myocardial infarction. He also had a history of leukemia.

The wrestling legend was rushed to the hospital last week after emergency responders received a phone call for “cardiac arrest.”

The death certificate revealed Hulk Hogan was cremated in Clearwater, Florida.

“Hulk’s official cause of death was previously revealed as a heart attack. His medical records also showed a history of atrial fibrillation, a heart condition that causes an irregular heartbeat. HH was also diagnosed with a form of cancer, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), though details surrounding the cancer are unclear,” TMZ reported.

Hulk Hogan death certificate / TMZ

President Trump praised Hulk Hogan for his “absolutely electric” speech at last year’s RNC convention.

“We lost a great friend today, the “Hulkster.” Hulk Hogan was MAGA all the way — Strong, tough, smart, but with the biggest heart. He gave an absolutely electric speech at the Republican National Convention, that was one of the highlights of the entire week. He entertained fans from all over the World, and the cultural impact he had was massive. To his wife, Sky, and family, we give our warmest best wishes and love. Hulk Hogan will be greatly missed!”

Hulk Hogan and his wife were baptized in December 2023.

“Total surrender and dedication to Jesus is the greatest day of my life. No worries, no hate, no judgment… only love!” Hulk Hogan said.

RIP to an American icon.

The post Hulk Hogan’s Death Certificate Released appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Stephen A. Smith SLAMS Zohran Mamdani and the Democrat Party

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23 hours ago

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August 2, 2025

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Stephen A. Smith SLAMS Zohran Mamdani and the Radical Democrat Wing: “Either the Party Ends, or the United States Ends”

In a bold and fiery statement that has made waves across social media and major news outlets, commentator Stephen A. Smith unleashed a scathing rebuke of the radical left’s takeover of the Democratic Party. Targeting the likes of New York State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Senator Bernie Sanders, Smith warned of the existential threat their socialist ideas pose to the future of the United States.

Smith reacted to a recent statement by Mamdani, who argued that “no

The post Stephen A. Smith SLAMS Zohran Mamdani and the Democrat Party appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Trump Gets Backlash Over RNC Chair Endorsement: An LGBT ‘Ally’ Who ‘Just Tried to Pass Amnesty’

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23 hours ago

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August 2, 2025

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Get ready for the next clash of conservatives.

When Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley announced Thursday he is entering the race for Senate in North Carolina, he did more than put a second high-profile name in the running in the Tar Heel State.

He set up what could be a bruising battle for leadership of the GOP on a nationwide scale.

In a July 24 post on the social media platform Truth Social, President Donald Trump, the hands-down heavyweight of party politics, heartily endorsed Whatley in the North Carolina race, and at the same time endorsed Florida state Sen. Joe Gruters, the party’s current national treasurer, to step into Whatley’s place.

But there’s already a groundswell of opposition to Gruters. And one of his most vocal opponents is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

As the Sunshine State news website Florida Politics noted in a July 16 report, DeSantis slammed Gruters in a news conference where DeSantis appointed Florida state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia to the post of Florida chief financial officer.

It’s a job Gruters has been running for since May of last year.

While appointing a rival to the vacant post, DeSantis made his distaste for Gruters painfully clear.

“If George Washington rose from the dead and came back and tapped me on the shoulder and said, ‘Will you appoint Joe Gruters CFO?’ my response would be, no, I can’t do that without betraying the voters that elected me,” DeSantis said, according to Florida Politics.

He accused Gruters of siding with teachers’ unions in battles with the state government, as well as supporting the marijuana industry (a constitutional amendment to legalize recreational use failed in November).

According to the Tampa Bay Times, DeSantis and Gruters clashed over a bill Gruters supported that would have put the job of chief immigration officer in the state in the hands of the state’s agriculture commissioner.

In a post on the social media platform X, DeSantis called the bill “truly contemptible” and described it as “amnesty.”

And as the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported in January 2020, Gruters had a history of sponsoring pro-gay legislation in the state before appearing to reverse course.

“I’m an ally of the LGBTQ community,” he told the newspaper.

More recently, in April, Gruters made the wrong kind of headlines when the U.K.’s Daily Mail, a British outlet with a major North American presence, revealed he was a follower of 60 accounts on the adult-themed OnlyFans site.

(“I typically engage accounts that are recommended or interact with my account,” Gruters told the Daily Mail. “That said, I will review my follows and remove any content that may be considered questionable.”)

Conservative media users aren’t letting that past go.

“Perfect for San Francisco, nightmare for Florida,” one pro-DeSantis account on the social media platform X declared.

“Gruters just tried to pass amnesty for illegal aliens in Florida,” wrote another user.

The conservative pro-life website LifeSiteNews made its view clear in its headline and summary head about Trump’s endorsement.

“Trump endorses LGBT ‘ally’ Joe Gruters to be next RNC chair,” the headline declared.

The summary headline?

“Donald Trump has endorsed Joe Gruters to lead the Republican National Committee despite the Florida lawmaker’s liberal stances on LGBT ‘discrimination,’ immigration, teachers’ unions, and marijuana.”

According to Florida Politics, Gruters was the first Florida lawmaker to make an official endorsement of Trump in the Republican 2024 primary — snubbing DeSantis’ short-lived, mistake-in-hindsight primary challenge to the 45th president.

That no doubt plays a role in both Trump’s support for Gruters and DeSantis’ opposition, but there appear to be deeper factors at play here.

In a job as crucial as the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee, having anything less than sterling, unblemished bona fides is going to be a problem with a voter base with a limited trust in establishment politicians, even if they have an “R” next to their name.

Questionable positions on “trans” issues, illegal immigration, and drugs — not to mention raising eyebrows by following OnlyFans models — are serious red flags for any contender for the job.

Trump has proven over and over again what he can accomplish with sheer force of will, and he’s almost single-handedly responsible for revising the ideological power of the Republican Party after the dormancy of the post-Mitt Romney world.

As the titular head of the party, as well as probably the single most influential human being in the world, much less the American GOP, he could almost certainly install any chairman of the party he chooses.

However, the situation now is the midterms are approaching next year, and the magic “Trump” name is not on the ballot — which means the energy of the party faithful is going to be at a premium for all of the Republican Party.

The question for Trump is, is a clash with conservatives worth it?

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

The post Trump Gets Backlash Over RNC Chair Endorsement: An LGBT ‘Ally’ Who ‘Just Tried to Pass Amnesty’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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