Question: do married people observing the modern dating scene feel like they caught the last chopper out of ‘Nam?

Answer: Obviously, yes.

Anyone who found their significant other in a time before dating apps ruled the internet and swiping left and right became a national pastime is bound to feel a sense of deep relief. 

Yes, the dating pool has grown into a vast dating ocean, allowing individuals to narrow down their choices on a granular level. But with this change comes a slew of new problems, including shifting cultural values, a deepening political divide, and what seems like a whole lot more predators and psychopaths lurking in our midst.

It’s enough to make even the most optimistic person consider a life of intentional solitude.

And the stats back it up:

• 47% of Americans say dating is harder today than ever before​.
• 63% of men under 30 are single—double the rate of women​.
• 75% of young adults say finding a committed partner is nearly impossible​.

It happened for a myriad of reasons. Once upon a time, a man was expected to pursue a woman (except for the Sadie Hawkins dance) and then the pair would explore a partnership if they both liked and were attracted to each other. 

These days, singles practically need a pre-date screening form before anything resembling a date can occur. This vetting process might include questions on topics that people from ten years ago couldn’t begin to understand: 

✅ Polyamory

✅ Digital consent

✅ Ethical non-monogamy

✅ Situationships

✅ OnlyFans

✅ Soft launches

✅ Ghosting

While keeping clear about your intentions and not treating dating like a marketplace might help with some of this, one solution is a lot of fun.

With the new Yes or No: Dating & Relationships Expansion Pack, you can finally cut through the nonsense and find out what people really think about love, relationships, and dating in the current era. Think of it as that modern vetting form, but in game form. It’s the ideal item to break out and play before devoting any time to someone who thinks it’s possible to have a committed relationship with an AI chatbot.

This expansion pack is designed to help you cut through the noise and discover the truth about modern dating. With 125+ new cards covering the toughest relationship questions, you’ll finally get the real answers and narrow down the field to people who are worth your while. 

Some sample questions include:

• Are interfaith marriages doomed to fail?
• Are “fur babies” replacing real children?
• Is it okay to date multiple people at once if you’re not exclusive?

No more dodging. No more pretending. This special Yes or No game inspires real, raw discussions that help cut the nonsense and weed out the worst candidates for your affection so you can both stop wasting your time.

Modern dating is a mess — but you can navigate it better when you know what people actually believe. Instead of opting out, take a chance on love and figure out how to best navigate the challenges of dating in this strange new era.

Stop swiping and start living. Get your Yes or No: Dating & Relationships Expansion Pack today and take back control of the conversation.

ORDER NOW!

Rep. Maxine Dexter (D-OR) made vulgar remarks at a protest on Tuesday as Democrats look to gain traction in their attempts to stop President Donald Trump’s momentum after coming back into power.

She made the remarks outside the U.S. Capitol at the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) “Rally To Save The Civil Service.”

“I’m a doctor from Oregon and a proud former UFCW member where I got my start,” she said. “I am proud to be part of this labor family, and so grateful for the strong position you all are taking, holding the line, protecting working families.”

“I’m going to tell you that we do have to — I don’t swear in public very well — but we have to f*** Trump!” she yelled.

“Please, don’t tell my children that I just did that,” she added.

WATCH:

Other House Democrats made similar remarks during the event, including Rep. Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), who said: “We are going to beat—I was going to say ‘f***,’ but no.”

“I’m not going to say that,” she said. “We are going to beat and we’re going to pull him down.”

Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) joined in, saying “f*** Donald Trump” and “Elon Musk,” according to the Free Beacon.

The remarks from congressional Democrats come as Trump and Elon Musk, who is leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) project, look to gut wasteful spending in government departments and agencies.

Democrats have raged over the cuts to programs and buyout offers of federal employees, many of whom are Democrats.

Elon Musk schooled a reporter in the Oval Office on Tuesday night who pressed him on the issues of being transparent and accountable to the American people.

The reporter noted that the White House said that Musk would identify any potential conflicts of interest that he may have while leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

“Does that mean that you are, in effect, policing yourself?” the reporter asked. “What are the checks and balances that are in place to ensure that there is accountability and transparency?”

Musk responded: “Well, we actually are trying to be as transparent as possible. In fact, our actions, we post our actions to the DOGE handle on X and to the DOGE website. So, all of our actions are maximally transparent. In fact, I don’t think there’s been, I don’t know of a case that where an organization has been more transparent than the DOGE organization.”

“And the kind of things we’re doing are, I think, are very, very simple and basic,” he continued. “These are not individual judgment decisions. These are about simply having sensible checks and balances in the system itself to ensure that taxpayer money is spent well. So it’s got nothing to do with like, say a contract for some company of mine at all.”

When asked about the billions of dollars his companies have received for federal contracts, Musk said that all of DOGE’s actions “are fully public.”

“So if you see anything, you say, like, ‘Wait a second, hey Elon, that doesn’t, that seems like maybe there’s a conflict there.’ It’s not like people are going to be shy about saying that,” he said. “They’ll say it immediately.”

“Transparency is what builds trust, not simply somebody asserting trust,” he said. “So not somebody saying they’re trustworthy, but transparency, so you can see everything that’s going on, and you can see, am I doing something that benefits one of my companies or not? It’s totally obvious.”

WATCH:

Border Czar Tom Homan slammed Pope Francis for his hypocrisy surrounding the issue of securing borders.

Homan made the remarks Tuesday morning outside the White House when asked about the Pope’s recent criticism of President Donald Trump’s border and immigration policies.

“What is built on the basis of force, and not on the truth about the equal dignity of every human being, begins badly and will end badly,” the Pope wrote in decrying U.S. federal immigration laws.

He later added, “I exhort all the faithful of the Catholic Church, and all men and women of good will, not to give in to narratives that discriminate against and cause unnecessary suffering to our migrant and refugee brothers and sisters.”

Homan responded to the Pope’s remarks by saying that he should focus on fixing the Catholic Church and not worry about U.S. border policy.

“The Pope ought to fix the Catholic Church,” he said. “I’m saying this is a lifelong Catholic, baptized Catholic.”

He said that he should “concentrate on his work and leave border enforcement to us.”

“He wants to attack us from securing our border?” Homan continued. “He’s got a wall around the Vatican, does he not? So he’s got a wall around to protect his people and himself, but we can’t have a wall around the United States?”

He added, “So I wish he’d stick to the Catholic Church and fix that and leave border enforcement to us.”

WATCH:

By this point everyone knows Hollywood award shows include nothing but preachy speeches from entitled, overpaid, and overhyped celebrities. These cultural elites gather together in a room to congratulate themselves on making movies that feel more like lectures than entertainment and releasing songs that barely qualify as music.

These celebs love to lecture the masses about their progressive causes as they accept gold trophies from each other. This year’s Grammy Awards included speeches referencing illegal immigration, “trans rights,” and an award winner saying “DEI is not a threat, it’s a gift.”

It’s always the same during these self-congratulatory monologues. We normal people roll our eyes, laugh out loud, and change the channel.

If you’re ready to give up on woke awards shows but you’re not ready to switch off the television, it’s time to reclaim your screen time with films and documentaries that celebrate faith, family, and, above all, common sense. 

From action-packed thrillers to thought-provoking deep-dive documentaries, we’ve come up with a list of the best content that won’t make you cringe.

Am I Racist?

This hilarious documentary features Daily Wire podcast host Matt Walsh going deep undercover as a DEI expert, exposing some of the biggest grifters and charlatans in the industry with his token deadpan delivery and willingness to tell the truth, even when it’s extremely uncomfortable. 

“Am I Racist?” exceeded expectations at the box office by becoming the top-grossing documentary of the past decade, bringing in $11.9 million. The film has a 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes with more than 2,500 verified reviews. While no mainstream critics were willing to review it, podcast host Joe Rogan said it was “one of the best comedies” he’d seen in a long time.

A newly released behind-the-scenes cut called, “Clearing the AIR: The Making of Am I Racist?” delves even deeper into the genius behind this project. 

JOIN DAILYWIRE+ TO WATCH

What Is a Woman?

The unraveling of radical Left-wing gender theory begins with one simple question. Join Daily Wire host Matt Walsh as he goes on a journey of discovery seeking the answer from a variety of so-called experts, medical professionals, professors, regular people, and even a tribal community in Africa as he reveals the absurdity of believing there are more than two sexes. 

Walsh uses provocative interviews and humor throughout this hit documentary, allowing trans advocates to expose their own hypocrisy at every turn.

JOIN DAILYWIRE+ TO WATCH

Run Hide Fight

This action-thriller centers on high school student Zoe Hull, who uses her wits, survival skills, and compassion to fight for her life and the lives of her classmates as she confronts a group of school shooters who are live-streaming their crime. 

This tightly wound thriller pulls from nostalgic teen films like “The Breakfast Club” while channeling the relentless stoic heroism of John McClane in “Die Hard.” Here, the victim becomes the victor, with the whole film emphasizing themes of courage, self-defense, and resilience.

JOIN DAILYWIRE+ TO WATCH

Lady Ballers

A down-on-his-luck former high school basketball coach, Rob, will do anything to win — even if that means teaching his team of men radical modern gender theory and leading them to identify as women so they can cheat their way into dominating multiple women’s sports in this hysterical sports comedy.

This biting social commentary is outlandish yet rooted in deep truth as the assault on women’s sports by radical trans activists continues in the real world. Starring Daily Wire co-founder Jeremy Boreing and featuring several fun cameos, this is one comedy you don’t want to miss.

JOIN DAILYWIRE+ TO WATCH

The Gospels with Jordan B. Peterson

This isn’t an average Bible study. This isn’t even a typical Peterson lecture. This is something entirely different — a collision of intellect and spirit, of reason and faith, of skepticism and belief, all captured in vivid, full-color glory that the likes of ancient philosophers Aristotle and Plato could have only dreamed of. 

In this ten-part follow-up to the highly acclaimed Exodus series, Dr. Jordan B. Peterson gives an in-depth analysis of the Gospels, with insights into their historical, psychological, and philosophical significance. Join Dr. Peterson and nine of the world’s most brilliant minds as they unravel the mysteries of the Gospel story.

JOIN DAILYWIRE+ TO WATCH

Identity Crisis

The Daily Wire and Turning Point USA’s new documentary scrutinizes the radical gender ideology movement by exposing the reality of “gender transition” surgeries, which are sometimes performed on children.

This project exposes how society is failing our most vulnerable members by allowing these destructive, irreversible surgeries to continue, plus delves into the shocking origin of the movement. “Identity Crisis” features raw interviews with victims of the movement, including individuals who have detransitioned themselves, and parents who are currently mired in the transgender madness.

JOIN DAILYWIRE+ TO WATCH

You know what they say: you get what you pay for. And while free content has its place, there’s a case to be made for supporting insightful, transformative content that goes deeper and makes a lasting impression. 

That’s exactly what you’ll find here on DailyWire+ with Dr. Jordan Peterson’s exclusive projects, including in-depth lectures and series, that are designed to help you improve your mindset, relationships, and overall life experience. 

Jordan Peterson is a clinical psychologist, professor, and best-selling author known for his deep insights into psychology and self-improvement. His lectures and books have influenced millions of people and made him a globally recognized authority on navigating the challenges of life itself. 

CHECK OUT JORDAN PETERSON’S EXTENSIVE LIBRARY ON DAILYWIRE+

Below is a breakdown of Peterson’s most powerful exclusive content on the platform — and how it can help you become the best version of yourself.

On Marriage

It’s become a common refrain in modern discourse: “Why get married?” Dr. Peterson offers a practical answer.

In this series, Peterson explores the complexities of marriage, emphasizing the importance of trust, sacrifice, and communication. Whether you’re preparing for marriage or looking to strengthen an existing relationship, his insights will set you up for long-term success by offering practical tips and tools for making a long-term commitment.

Depression & Anxiety

Mental health struggles are everywhere, but Peterson’s unique perspective offers a practical way to understand and combat them. He discusses the role of responsibility, meaning, and discipline in managing two of the most common issues: depression and anxiety. He also provides actionable strategies to regain control over your mind and emotions. 

This groundbreaking five-part series utilizes powerful psychotherapy techniques from his clinical work to uncover the roots of mental anguish and arm you with tools to reclaim your life.

The Gospels

Peterson’s deep dive into the Gospels reveals the significance of biblical stories and their relevance to modern life. Through this series, he delves into lessons on morality, resilience, and personal transformation, showing how these ancient texts translate into modern wisdom.

This ten-part follow-up to the highly acclaimed Exodus series is part of his lifelong effort to rescue society from the meaning crisis that seeks to devour our culture. Peterson invites nine of the world’s most brilliant minds to unravel the mysteries of the Gospel story and to resurrect the anchoring principles of the text that formed the West.

Exodus

In this expansive 17-part series, Peterson examines the biblical book of Exodus and explores themes of leadership, freedom, and faith. He and a team of formidable scholars gather for an unprecedented, in-depth analysis of Exodus, seen as an academic work to be taken seriously in the modern era. 

Together this group dissects how these historical narratives offer guidance on personal growth, social structures, and the pursuit of truth that are still highly relevant in modern times.

Success

What does it take to succeed? Money, fame and power are only the beginning. In this fascinating series, Dr. Peterson examines common indicators of success and explores their drawbacks and cautions. Peterson explains the ways success can look like between the sexes and what matters most to each. 

Peterson dissects the practical elements of achieving success in various aspects of life, including discipline, goal-setting, and personal accountability. This series provides a no-nonsense approach to self-improvement and ambition.

Dragons, Monsters, and Men

Drawing from mythology, psychology, and real-world examples, this series explores the eternal battle between chaos and order. Peterson illustrates how confronting personal “dragons” is essential for true transformation. This content is particularly powerful for those who are facing major life challenges or anyone hoping to become more resilient.

Discover your purpose and slay the dragons that stand in your way with this 4-part series on men, masculinity, and the pursuit of greatness.

Negotiation

Success in life so often comes down to negotiation. These skills are useful everywhere, whether it’s in your career, relationships, or through personal growth. Peterson provides practical advice for improving negotiation skills, emphasizing the power of honesty and strategy.

Learn to navigate personal and professional challenges and create win-win scenarios in every interaction. Part of the “Mastering Life” catalog, this series reveals how mastering negotiation leads to a richer, more fulfilling existence.

Vision and Destiny

Do you have a clear vision for your life? In this series, Peterson discusses the importance of defining personal goals and understanding your role in the grand scheme of the universe. By developing a strong sense of purpose, you can overcome challenges to create a meaningful future using the power of visualization.

Peterson draws upon his extensive research and relatable real-life experiences to illustrate how to develop attainable goals for intimate relationships, meaningful friendships, and your career. Transform the chaotic potential of the future into actuality — with a vision.

CHECK OUT JORDAN PETERSON’S EXTENSIVE LIBRARY ON DAILYWIRE+

If we’ve learned anything from the past few months it’s that the American people have drawn a clear line in the sand on women’s sports. Women should compete against women and men should compete against men. Apparently, the NFL and Nike missed that lesson, or they just don’t care.

On Super Bowl Sunday, two ads — one from the NFL and another from Nike — were promptly blasted by social media users. In the NFL’s commercial, the league suggests that girls can play football just as well — or even better — than boys. The ad begins with some nostalgia, taking place in a typical high school in 1985, but the viewer quickly realizes that this commercial isn’t about the nostalgia of the ’80s — it’s about making fun of how people thought about sex and gender in the ’80s. According to the NFL, that argument is so 1985. In the ad, a young girl shows her quick hand-eye coordination and athleticism in the school hallways and then on the football field, making fools of the toughest guys on the football team. 

The ad cuts to a black screen with the sentence, “Leave the past behind,” before fast-forwarding to the present and showing girls playing high school flag football.

“Let’s make girls flag football a varsity sport in all 50 states,” the commercial reads. 

Nike then gave the NFL a run for its money for the wokest commercial of the Super Bowl. In Nike’s ad, multiple women athletes are shown competing in their sports while a narrator laments all of the things women “can’t” do because of our society’s perceived misogyny. 

“You can’t be demanding, you can’t be relentless, you can’t put yourself first. So put yourself first,” the ad states. “You can’t be confident, so be confident. You can’t challenge, so challenge. You can’t dominate, so dominate. You can’t flex, so flex. You can’t fill a stadium, so fill that stadium. You can’t be emotional, so be emotional. You can’t take credit, you can’t speak up, you can’t be so ambitious, you can’t break records, you can’t have fun, you can’t be proud, you can’t make demands, you can’t keep score, you can’t stand out. Whatever you do, you can’t win — so win.” 

Maybe Nike’s commercial would’ve been received better if the company had taken a stand to protect women’s sports from male athletes.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with girls playing flag football or with women striving to be better at their sports, but our culture is sick of the woke idea that says men and women aren’t really that different. Last week, President Trump signed an executive order that banned men from women’s sports, an order that was advocated for by countless women who know that it’s unfair to be expected to compete against men. The NFL and Nike are preaching the opposite — that women should pride themselves in trying to be better than men. 

If you thought woke was dead, think again. The Left still has a stranglehold on much of our culture, and we have to keep pushing back, because they won’t let go without kicking and screaming the whole way. At Jeremy’s Razors, we are still pushing back, because we know men and women are different, and we’ve never been afraid to say it. Jeremy’s Precision 5 Razor is made to give a damn good shave to men who know they are men and act like it. It’s not just a razor, and it’s not just a statement; the Precision 5 is the ultimate tool to keep your jawline sharp and your integrity intact.

Because men and women are different, so are their razors. For the ladies who live in reality, Jeremy’s Razor for women is designed with premium blades for silky-smooth shaves, plus a gracefully pivoting head and comfortably curved handle because control belongs in their hands, not progressive corporate boardrooms.

Last week, we released our fully AI-generated commercial that cuts through the noise of corporate virtue-signaling with sharp wit, bold messaging, and a smooth shave.

Our culture is ready to move on from this woke insanity, and we’re leading the march to a better future. Masculinity isn’t toxic and femininity doesn’t need to prove its power by measuring up to men. Both are essential in and of themselves.

Jeremy’s Razors shares common ownership with The Daily Wire.

The following is an edited transcript of an interview with Daily Wire culture reporter Megan Basham and Daily Mail columnist Maureen Callahan on the growing, public PR battle between actress Blake Lively and film director Justin Baldoni. Catch the full interview on Morning Wire.

* * *

Actress Blake Lively and director Justin Baldoni are continuing their public feud over their hit film, “It Ends With Us,” with both sides filing lawsuits. But even more than a legal battle, this has become an all-out PR war with leaked texts, calls, and film footage, as well as allegations of sexual harassment and spousal jealousy. The first trial date is set for March. Daily Wire culture reporter Megan Basham speaks with award-winning journalist, author and Daily Mail columnist Maureen Callahan to get insight into a drama only Hollywood could produce.

MEGAN: Thanks for being here, Maureen. So, especially for those of us who are kind of catching up with this story, I’m wondering if you can give us the 10,000 foot summary of this scandal?

MAUREEN: Sure. So about a month ago, the New York Times ran a blockbuster, I think 4,000 word piece, in which Blake Lively was alleging her director and co-star Justin Baldoni, on their film “It Ends With Us,” had subjected her to almost ritualistic sexual harassment — and that she suffered so greatly, it was a concerted effort in which he involved multiple people to not only harass her while filming, but then once the movie was about to be released, orchestrated an online smear campaign against her. A couple of weeks later, Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman filed a countersuit in which he alleged that the text messages obtained by the New York Times had been selectively edited. They sort of threw open their document dump, which seemed to absolve Justin of many of the things that Lively has been claiming. Nonetheless, these two are now locked in a bitter, bitter, expensive lawsuit. Baldoni is countersuing Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds for $400 million, which is, I believe, what he thinks their estimated net worth is. And the trial is tentatively set for March 2026.

MEGAN: So, before we get to some of the legal ramifications, there have obviously been a lot of leaks, a lot of shifting in public loyalties back and forth. At least that’s been my experience. At the outset, I was kind of on Team Justin. And then I thought, “Well, wait a minute. That New York Times piece was really persuasive.” But then Justin Baldoni’s team released some new audio leaks and they sort of shifted the game a little bit. What’s your sense right now of who’s on top in the PR war?

MAUREEN: I think Blake Lively is suffering mightily right now and the collateral fallout is affecting not just her husband, Ryan Reynolds, but her so called “Dragon,” her BFF Taylor Swift, who it’s reported has been taking a step back from her friendship with Blake because she doesn’t want any of this runoff affecting her career. Justin’s team has been very smart in what they’re leaking and when. They leaked footage of the two of them while filming a scene, rehearsing a scene, in which they were dancing very closely and Justin had his mic on. And so they’re working out how they’re going to do this scene. Justin is saying, “I think we should be kissing.” And Blake says, “No, I think we should be talking. I think that’s even more intimate.” And Justin says, “Okay.” So that sort of takes some wind out of her sails. They also released another lengthy voice memo that Justin had sent to Blake in which he’s praising her to the high heavens and saying he has let her down by not taking all of her notes, and she’s so brilliant and so smart, and he’s going to do everything he can to make her happy. Again, a counter narrative to Lively’s claims that he was doing everything possible to sabotage her and make her feel unsafe on that set. So I think right now Baldoni’s team is in the power position, but that of course could shift in another few days.

MEGAN: Well, you know, it seems like there was a moment where Lively could have disengaged and, and just moved on. And this would have been something of a blip on Hollywood’s gossip radar. Why do you think she escalated to a lawsuit that opened up so much more of these internal communications?

MAUREEN: This is such a great question, Megan, because if you think about it the damage has already been done to her. Think about it, there are like five female directors working in Hollywood today. What male director is going to put himself and his career and reputation at risk by working with Blake Lively, who launched this all out assault on a guy who is not as well capitalized as she and Ryan are, who doesn’t have the reputation, the lengthy career — who on earth would risk it? And I have to wonder why she did it, because like you said, it could have just been, you know, a thing where they butted heads, they didn’t see eye-to-eye, but they each walked away clean to do their next project. I have a theory — and it is just my own theory and supposition — that something went on between these two. Perhaps it was an unrequited crush on Blake’s part and Justin didn’t respond in kind; perhaps they did in some way have a physical relationship outside of the filming and that went south. There’s something about this that just feels way too intense, way too personal. I think the real undergirding, the real story is why she did this.

MEGAN: Well, I’m glad that you bring that up, because I do want to talk a little bit about those messages between Baldoni and Lively. And I know some media outlets characterize them as “flirty,” I don’t know that I necessarily saw them that way, but I at least saw them as very familiar, let’s put it that way.

MAUREEN: I kind of read them as flirty — even the text messages between Justin and Ryan Reynolds. Look, if anybody listening wants to get a taste of what it’s like to deal with Hollywood people, this is it. And it’s really quite vile because they’re just mooning over each other. I mean, they’ve just met and Ryan hasn’t responded to Justin’s text for two weeks and then he replies and says, “I happen to adore you, Justin.” It’s like, buy me dinner first before you start talking to me like this. It’s disgusting. And, you know, Justin and Blake are having a very familiar texting relationship that, whether they were that familiar, whether it was this sort of hastened intimacy because they were working so closely together so quickly, who knows? But now we’re going to see. I don’t think there’s any slight that’s not going to be weaponized. I just read an item yesterday that Blake Lively blew a good chunk of the movie’s budget on her wardrobe. I mean, this is how petty we’re going to get. I love it, but it is the strangest Hollywood war. I’m going to say it’s maybe the biggest one since Brad versus Angie.

MEGAN: Do you think Lively and Reynolds, at least as a couple, their image — like maybe Reynolds individually, Lively individually — do kind of come back from this? Because, you know, Brad and Angelina eventually did. But does their image as this blissful “It” couple bounce back?

MAUREEN: Well, Megan, first of all, when I said Brad versus Angie, I meant like when they divorced, when they separated, and it was like the bombshells were going off: “He was abusive. She was out of her mind.” This will be the thing that shows the strength of their marriage. I’m very cynical, so I really do believe that if this blowback against Blake gets to be too much, Ryan’s going to cut her loose. I think Ryan Reynolds has his eyes firmly set on becoming a billionaire, and I believe he’ll get there. And I don’t think he’s going to stand for his reputation getting muddied in all of this, even though he’s already in it with these lawsuits and all of these text messages and these documents. And he was famously brought in by Blake to write a whole scene in the movie and be some sort of unpaid advisor. So I think that’s really where you’re going to see the strength of this countersuit against Justin, if it really does sort of crater their marriage.

MEGAN: Well, maybe just a couple more questions, Maureen. One of them is that The New York Times has come under a lot of scrutiny for the role it played in sort of rehabilitating Lively’s claims when she was on the outs in terms of public affection. I have seen some claims that they handled the coverage in a biased way, clearly working hand in glove with Blake Lively’s team. What do you think? Is there any validity to that claim?

MAUREEN: Yes, I think there is. It seems as though, perhaps, they didn’t do their full due diligence. I think it was probably seen, initially, as a strength, but is now a liability. I forget how many bylines were on that piece, but one, Megan Twohey, was one half of the team at the Times that broke the Harvey Weinstein story and became synonymous with MeToo. They wrote a book. They made a lot of money off of it. And I think the Times is already struggling in many ways reputationaly and this does not help. If I recall correctly, I could be mistaken so forgive me, but if I recall correctly I think they went to Baldoni’s team and gave them two hours to respond to that laundry list of accusations. So if that’s true, it’s not a great look. [NOTE: Some outlets report The New York Times gave Baldoni approximately 12 hours to respond.]

MEGAN: Well, you kind of intuited where I was going to go next. And that was the role that MeToo has played in this, with these claims, that it was a sexual harassment issue. So, do you think on a broader level, the tide has turned? And maybe this is because of Johnny Depp. Because before, I think there was a period of time when even the public was willing to say, “Hey, I don’t know that that’s a MeToo allegation.” I’m thinking of something like Aziz Ansari where there was a lot of back and forth debate about that. In this case, it seems like some of these men in Hollywood who don’t even possess the power of some of these women are now willing to challenge these MeToo allegations. So, do you think this sort of shifts the balance on where we are with MeToo?

MAUREEN: Yes, I think this case is very important in terms of where we are and where we’re going. I agree with you. The Aziz Ansari thing was ridiculous. If that allegation had come out maybe a year later, his career would not have been destroyed. I think we are now seeing a pendulum swing back towards sanity where just because a woman says a man did something to her, it’s not automatically received as gospel, that the man does get a chance to tell his side of the story and back it up with documents, receipts, screenshots, texts, voicemail, and it certainly helps when you have movie footage. So I think this is going to be an interesting case in terms of the cultural corrective that is underway.

MEGAN: Okay. Well, last question: Any predictions for the March trial?

MAUREEN: You know, I’ll be amazed if it gets there. Because I would think saner heads would prevail, and both sides should really just drop it and walk away. Justin Baldoni’s lawyer has already said he’s pretty much bankrupted by this, financially and emotionally. I don’t know what good it does for Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds to have this be the headline of their careers for the next calendar year, and that’s just to start. So, I think it’ll be interesting to see if it ever really comes to fruition, and if there is some sort of settlement reached, who pays who? This is really just Hollywood writ large, right? The egotism, the narcissism, the ridiculous sums of money, the victimization, the weaponization perhaps, we don’t know yet, but perhaps of MeToo, it’s such a great, weird stew of stuff.

MEGAN: Well, thank you Maureen. That was enlightening. I kind of can’t wait to see where this goes next.

MAUREEN: I know, it’s like every day we get another tidbit. Yes, thanks for having me.

* * *

Catch the full interview on Morning Wire.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) advocated over the weekend for saving some foreign aid programs funded by USAID that he said help people around the world and provide a tremendous benefit for the U.S. by creating goodwill toward the U.S. amongst many of the world’s poorest countries.

McCaul made the remarks during a Sunday CBS News interview with Margaret Brennan when asked about some of the spending cuts.

He noted that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has already placed waivers on humanitarian assistance in PEPFAR, which he said was “the most successful global health program, initiated by President Bush.”

“The peace through food program dates back to the ’50s, after the Marshall Plan,” he said. “It is to provide stability in fragile, unstable countries. It is to counter Russia, China, and terrorism. It is our diplomatic power. Otherwise, we’re talking about bullets, as Mattis talked about, and Lindsey Graham.”

He said that there was a tremendous amount of waste being spent on bogus programs around the world, like drag shows in Ecuador, that he said should absolutely be cut.

“I can always speak to the program that President Bush started, and it was to save millions of lives,” he said. “That is probably one of the — been the best goodwill missions in the United States — and put the best face, no pun intended, on the nation, overseas, with our adversaries, countering them, with these people. We’re saving their lives.”

“The best global health program ever implemented by the United States was PEPFAR. I’d hate to see that go away,” he added. “It will sunset once we achieve the mission. However, programs like that, when you look at the National Security importance of USAID, need to be maintained. And I go back to why it was implemented in the first place.”

National security adviser Mike Waltz would not directly answer over the weekend just how serious President Donald Trump was about the U.S. potentially taking over Canada.

Waltz was asked about the matter during a Sunday interview with NBC News’ Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press” when asked about remarks that outgoing Canadian Prime Minister reportedly made last week to members of his government, warning them that Trump was serious about taking over Canada.

“Is President Trump serious about planning to annex Canada?” Waltz asked.

“Look, I think the Canadian people would – many of them would love to join the United States with no tariffs, with lower taxes, and I have all kinds of neighbors down in Florida that are Canadians that are escaping many of the liberal policies,” he said.

Welker repeatedly interrupted Waltz and asked him to state “yes or no” on whether Trump was seriously going to annex Canada.

“Well, I don’t think there’s any plans to invade Canada, if that’s what you’re talking about,” he said. “But there are a lot of people that like what we have in the United States and do not like the last 10 years of liberal progressive governance in Trudeau.”

“But really what you’re seeing is a reassertion of American leadership in the Western hemisphere, from the Arctic all the way down to the Panama Canal,” he continued. “And that’s what we’re talking about, from Greenland to Arctic security to the Panama Canal coming back under the United States. America has avoided our own hemisphere where we have the energy, the food, and the critical minerals for way too long. And you’re seeing a reassertion of President Trump’s leadership.”

Trump’s National Security Advisor Mike Waltz says there is no plan to invade Canada when asked if Trump is serious about annexing us.
Waltz says many Canadians want to join the US and the US is asserting leadership from the Arctic to the Panama Canal.

pic.twitter.com/wIt15IJPoD

— Brian Lilley (@brianlilley) February 9, 2025

National security adviser Mike Waltz rejected claims over the weekend that the Trump administration gutting USAID would allow America’s adversaries around the world to advance their interests.

Waltz made the remarks during an interview with NBC News’ “Meet The Press” when asked about criticisms from a former government official who claimed: “This assistance is one of the most powerful tools Washington has to push back against Chinese and Russian influence and to prevent transnational threats such as disease and terrorism from reaching U.S. soil.”

When asked if the U.S. would be allowing Russia and China to expand their influence around the world by cutting back, Waltz said: “No, absolutely not.”

“And in fact, this is exactly what President Trump, Secretary of State Rubio, Elon Musk, myself and many others who have worked with USAID are talking about,” he said. “All too often these missions and these programs, number one, are not in line with strategic U.S. interests like pushing back on China. They’re doing all kinds of other things that, frankly, aren’t in line with strategic interests or the president’s vision, number one.”

“Number two, often, all too often, only cents on the dollar actually makes it to people in need,” he continued. “Between the big contractors, the subcontractors, the local contractors, the dollars aren’t being used wisely. We need to take a hard look at it. We need to move quickly. And that’s exactly what’s being done.”

Waltz said that when he was deployed in the Middle East he personally saw how USAID wasted money.

“We saw a radio station with a big ‘Built by America USAID,'” he said. “We go inside and there is literally a black-turbaned mullah backed by Iran preaching anti-American hate. And yet, the USAID officer in charge told me, as a Green Beret, ‘Well, we’re just building radio stations. We’re just handing out food. That’s our job, to just be humanitarian.’ No, we need to realign their mission and line it up with the president’s foreign policy vision.”

WATCH:

.@MikeWaltz47 on USAID: All too often, these missions and these programs are not in line with strategic U.S. interests… Number two, only cents on the dollar actually makes it to people in need. pic.twitter.com/my76zaCF5L

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 9, 2025

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said this week that was completely comfortable allowing Elon Musk to have access to American’s “personal data” that is stored inside DHS.

Noem made the remarks during a Sunday interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” with host Dana Bash when asked about Musk’s role leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

When asked if she had authorized Musk and his team to have access to “Americans’ personal data that is housed inside DHS,” Noem responded: “I think it’s important. This is essentially an audit of the federal government, which is very powerful and needs to have happened.”

When asked if she was comfortable with that, Noem responded: “Absolutely.”

Bash noted that Republicans have traditionally been skeptical about the role of government and “unelected people having access to personal data.”

“Well, we can’t trust our government anymore,” she responded. “That’s our — yes, oh, absolutely.”

When Bash noted that Noem is the government now, Noem responded: “Yes, that’s what I’m saying, is that the American people now are saying that we have had our personal information shared and out there in the public.”

.@Sec_Noem on Musk accessing Americans’ personal data: “The president has authorized him to have access to that.”
BASH: “And you feel comfortable with that?”
NOEM: “Absolutely.”
BASH: “I remember a time when Republicans were very careful about and worried about the government,… pic.twitter.com/FybuULSukx

— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) February 9, 2025

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said during an interview over the weekend that the Trump administration is focused on initially sending the most dangerous illegal aliens in the U.S. to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba until they can be deported to their countries of origin.

Noem made the remarks during a Sunday interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” following a trip she made to Guantanamo Bay.

She said that she saw illegal aliens — being offloaded from planes at the facility — who had been convicted of murder, rape, child sex crimes, and drug trafficking.

“They will be there until we work with arrangements to take them back to their countries, where they belong, and have consequences dealt with them there,” she said. “So they will be treated much like many other individuals in this country that are those dangerous criminals that don’t belong here.”

DHS @Sec_Noem on how long migrants could be detained at Guantanamo: “They’ll be there until we work with arrangements to take them back to their countries where they belong.” pic.twitter.com/I3Ayr7kNqA

— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) February 9, 2025

Noem said that those who were being detained had due process and access to legal counsel.

She added that the U.S. was surging resources to the base so that it can be used to hold up to 30,000 illegal aliens.

“If you’re in this country illegally, you should go home,” Noem said. “You should go back to your home country. Don’t wait until we have the opportunity to sweep you up because you have overstayed your orders, you have final removal orders, or you have been committing crimes in our communities.”

.@DanaBashCNN: “Could [migrants charged with nonviolent crimes] end up at Guantanamo?”@Sec_Noem: “You know, I don’t know what the president will decide as far as utilizing it. We want to have the capacity.” pic.twitter.com/ZQEpTZqGPk

— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) February 9, 2025

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) taunted Democrats during a House hearing on Wednesday after they reprimanded her for saying the word “tranny” during the hearing.

Mace made the remarks during a Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing.

“Um, the gentle lady has used a phrase that is considered a slur in the LGBTQ community and the transgender community,” said Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA). “Let me please finish without an interruption.”

Mace interjected: “Tranny, tranny, tranny. I don’t really care. You want penises in women’s bathrooms, and I’m not going to have it. No thank you.”

Connolly responded: “To me, a slur is a slur, and here in the Committee, a level of decorum requires us to try consciously to avoid slurs.”

“You just heard the gentle lady actually, actively, robustly repeat it and I would just ask the chairman that she be counseled that we ought not to be engaged — we can have debate and policy discussion without offending human beings who are our fellow citizens,” he said. “And so I would ask as a parliamentary inquiry whether the use of that phrase is not, in fact, a violation of the decorum rule.”

Mace said that she refused to be counseled by a man on the issue of having men in women’s spaces or men who have mental health issues dressing as women.

Chairman James Comer (R-KY) dismissed Connolly’s concerns in a joking way, saying that he was “not up to date” on his “politically correct LGBTQ terminology.”

WATCH:

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said over the weekend that the U.S. needs to be ready to support Israel if it decides that it is time to eliminate Iran’s nuclear program.

Graham made the remarks on “Fox News Sunday” as the Islamic regime continues to inch closer to acquiring a nuclear weapon.

“We’re trying to define the world in which we live in accurately,” Graham said. “Senator Fetterman has been a champion for the State of Israel.”

“I went to him and asked him, would you work with me to do a census Senate resolution saying that over decades, Iran has been trying to acquire a nuclear weapon, not a nuclear power plant, that they’re the largest state sponsor of terrorism, that they would blow Israel off the map if they had a nuclear weapon, that they would come after us?” he continued. “And he said, I would be glad to.”

“So what this resolution does, it lays out the case against Iran’s nuclear ambition,” Graham said. “Bibi and the Israelis are going to have to make a decision relatively soon what to do about the Iran nuclear program.”

“This is not an authorization to use force, but I am here to tell you and the audience and the world that I think America should support an effort by Israel if they decide to decimate the Iranian nuclear program, because I think it’s a threat to mankind,” he added.

America should unequivocally support Israel if they decide to decimate the Iranian regime’s nuclear program.

If the ayatollah were to obtain a nuclear weapon, it would be a threat to mankind. All options should be on the table to prevent that. pic.twitter.com/fqFQKB7OsM

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) February 2, 2025

Border Czar Tom Homan announced over the weekend that the Trump administration has seen a dramatic drop-off in illegal border crossings since taking over and telling the world that the border is closed.

Homan made the revelation during a Sunday interview on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” after the administration has been in power for nearly two weeks.

“We’ve got the numbers this morning. The crossings on the border are down 93%. 93%!” Homan said. “That’s a bigger decrease than under the first Trump administration.”

“So, look, I said it, President Trump’s the game-changer,” he continued. “No one has had the success he’s had in securing the border. He clearly understands we can’t have strong national security if we don’t have border security. We need to know who’s coming in, what’s coming in, where, and why.”

“We’ve achieved success on the border already,” Homan said. “We’ve got more work to do. And as far as the deportation operation, I think we got 5,000 arrested the first week, and a majority of them being criminals.”

Homan said that the “non-criminals” that the media was talking about were “arrested in sanctuary cities because you force us into the community rather than arresting the bad guy in jail, and when we find that criminal, he’s most likely with others, and they’re going to go, too.”

“If you want to be a sanctuary city, you’re going to get more agents in the community,” he said.

WATCH:

WATCH: Trump Border Czar Tom Homan says that border crossings are down 93%!!

⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️pic.twitter.com/aFZz7TJtVu

— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) February 3, 2025

Left-wing host Margaret Brennan was forced to pivot during an interview on Sunday after a guest she demanded evidence from provided evidence that shut down her line of questioning.

The moment happened when Brennan interviewed Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, during a Sunday interview on CBS News’ “60 Minutes.”

Mast said that he supported the “purging of people throughout the State Department” and “other agencies where we’re freezing aid,” which he said were “very important and necessary steps to make sure that we secure America.”

“You want to authorize purging of State Department personnel?” Brennan asked. “What does that mean exactly?”

“Well, if you want to take a look at the State Department, where DEI has been a priority over, let’s say, diplomacy, in many accounts, I can give you hundreds of examples of where they were authorizing–” Mast began to say before Brennan cut him off.

“What proof do you have of that?” she asked.

“Sure. Let’s list them off. Half a million dollars to expand atheism in Nepal, $50,000 to do, let’s see, a transgender opera in Colombia,” he said. “$47,000 to do an LGBTQ trans comic book in Peru. $20,000 a pop to do drag shows in Ecuador. Shall I continue with more examples of where DEI was the priority?”

Brennan responded by saying that the government could just have “a review of things” and that foreign aid only comprised “less than 1% of the entire federal budget.”

“So we’re talking small amounts of money by comparison,” she claimed.

WATCH:

Margaret Brennan, who recently got humiliated in her interview with VP Vance, gets humiliated again when she asks for examples of DEI waste in foreign aid the US gives.

Rep. Mast came with the receipts and owned Brennan.pic.twitter.com/7LBWGbKmdT

— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) February 2, 2025

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) suggested over the weekend that he was not closed off to confirming Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be the next Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Sanders left the possibility open during a Sunday interview on CBS News’ “Face The Nation” with host Margaret Brennan.

“I have, up to now, voted for some Trump appointees. A few,” Sanders said. “I voted against most, and I’ll make my decisions next week. Where Kennedy is right is, we are an unhealthy society — a point I’ve been making, many others have been making for a long time. One of the things that concerns me very much, and Kennedy mentioned it, is our life expectancy. How long our people live is five years less than other wealthy countries.”

“And if you’re working class in this country, you live six or seven years lower than if you are rich,” he continued.
“It is an issue we have to deal with. And I think the kind of addictive and poisonous food that the food industry is providing our kids is one of the factors, not many. But when you have Kennedy come forward in saying he cannot — he believes, continues to believe that autism is caused by vaccines despite the fact that there have been a dozen studies over the years which disprove that. When he has other conspiracy theories, when he cannot acknowledge that if you’re going to make America healthy, you’ve got to guarantee health care to all people. He was not clear about the need to take on the greed of the pharmaceutical industry and lower prescription drug costs. So I was not particularly happy with his presentation.”

When asked if some of Kennedy’s responses were “red lines” for him, Sanders responded: “I just don’t go around making these announcements.”

“I will vote when I’ll vote,” he said. “But anybody who watched that hearing understands my deep concerns about Kennedy, but I got to tell you, the conspiracy theories that he is throwing out is not unlike what we’re hearing all over the Trump administration. And to me, what is most important in terms of what’s been happening since Trump has been president, it’s not just him having the three wealthiest people in the country stand behind them. By the way, anybody, any working person in this country, should understand what that means. It means that you can have a government working for the very rich, not for the working class of this country, but the movement toward authoritarianism.”

WATCH:

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) won’t say whether he will vote to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary, but he still has “deep concerns” about Kennedy’s stances on vaccines and other health issues.

“The conspiracy theories that he is throwing out, it’s not unlike what… pic.twitter.com/YAr0d6TkBM

— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) February 2, 2025

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said over the weekend that illegal aliens sent to Guantanamo Bay will have the same rights as they would inside the U.S. and that the plan is not to detain them indefinitely.

Noem made the remarks during a Sunday interview on NBC News’ “Meet The Press” with Kristen Welker when asked about the plan that President Donald Trump introduced last week.

“Due process will be followed and having facilities at Guantanamo Bay will be an asset to us in the fact that we’ll have the capacity to continue to do there what we’ve always done,” Noem said. “We’ve always had a presence of illegal immigrants there that have been detained. We’re just building out some capacity. So we appreciate the partnership of the DoD in getting that up to the level that it needs to get to in order to facilitate this repatriation of people back to their countries.”

“So remember that Guantanamo Bay clearly, by this president, has said that it will hold the worst of the worst, that we are going after those bad actors,” she continued. “This last week, I was in New York City. We were going after people that had warrants out for their arrest on murders and rapes, assaults, gun purchases, drug trafficking. In fact, we had a member of TDA that was one of the ringleaders that we picked up that week, had been trying to buy grenades. These are the types of individuals that we are targeting, we’re removing from communities, and that could end up having a stay at Guantanamo Bay before they are returned home to their countries to deal with.”

When asked if illegal aliens could be held indefinitely at Guantanamo Bay, Noem responded: “That is not the plan.”

“The plan is to have a process that we follow that’s laid out in law and make sure that we’re dealing with these individuals appropriately according to what the state and the national law directs,” she said. “So we will work with Congress to make sure that we’re addressing our legal immigration laws and using Guantanamo Bay appropriately. But it is an asset that we have that we fully intend to utilize.”

.@Sec_Noem: Guantanamo Bay will be an asset to us for in detaining the worst of the worst illegal aliens as we facilitate their repatriation BACK to their own countries. pic.twitter.com/Qdc5AZyuuD

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 2, 2025

The following is an edited transcript of an interview between Morning Wire host Georgia Howe and Vani Hari, aka The Food Babe, on her support for RFK Jr. during his Senate confirmation hearings and how her personal story led her to fight to remove harmful chemicals from children’s food. Catch the full interview on a special Sunday edition of Morning Wire.

* * *

Make America Healthy Again champion, RFK Jr., was grilled on Capitol Hill this week as part of his confirmation process to become Health and Human Services Secretary. Despite fierce opposition from some Senators, parents and health advocates on both sides of the aisle have lined up to support him. In this episode we speak with Vani Hari, longtime food activist and New York Times bestselling author who was in the room supporting Kennedy during his Senate confirmation hearings. She explains why she believes parents are finally winning the battle to get chemicals out of kids’ food.

GEORGIA: Joining us to discuss the war over chemical-laced packaged food is Vani Hari, bestselling author, activist, and creator of the Food Babe blog. Vani thanks so much for coming on.

VANI: Thank you so much for having me.

GEORGIA: So first off, tell me a little bit about your path to food activism. How did you become interested in nutrition to begin with?

VANI: My parents came here as immigrants in the 1960s. And when they came to the United States, they were big on adopting the American culture. So when my dad went back to have an arranged marriage to my mother in India and they ended up coming here to live the rest of their lives, the first thing he introduced her to was a McDonald’s hamburger. And that’s how I was raised on an American standard diet. We were one of the only Indian families in Charlotte, North Carolina at that point, where I grew up and where I live now.

So everything was kind of handed to us in terms of what we should be eating and my parents were very trusting of the American food system. As a result, I was really sick as a child. I had eczema, I had asthma, I was in and out of doctor’s offices for most of my life. I was on so many prescription drugs. When my parents would take me to see doctors, they never asked them, like, “What is she eating? What are you feeding her?” They never asked about my diet, they just put me on the next medication. And that is how I grew up.

In my early 20s, I hit rock bottom when I ended up in the hospital having to get my appendix taken out, one of my organs. At the time they said, “Your appendix is something you don’t even need. It’s an organ that just can come out.” They made such a light situation out of it. I started to question what the doctors were telling me. Why did God give us an appendix? Why do we evolve having an appendix? I wanted to find answers. What happened to my appendix and why was it about to burst?

So when I started to research what was happening in my body, I found out that I had extreme inflammation, and that was coming from my diet. When I started to make changes shortly after that scare, I remember getting this one big book and there was a concept in it that hit me like a ton of bricks: The majority of foods on the grocery store shelf are dead. They’re not alive. And I thought, that’s how I’ve felt for most of my life. Like a zombie. Not wanting to get up in the morning to go to school. Not wanting to participate in activities or physical sport activities because I didn’t have the energy because of my asthma. So when I started to take the concepts in that book and apply them to my life, I started to eat as much real living food as possible, things like fruits and vegetables and things that I would find at the farmer’s market — my whole life changes. I mean, it was dramatic to the point where I lost all of the weight that I had put on as a result of this lifestyle.

I also started to realize a level of health that I never thought was possible. I got off nine prescription drugs, and the people around me who grew up with me — my relatives, my friends, my family — they were like, “Whoa, you have made a dramatic transformation in your appearance. What are you doing? We want a piece of what you’re doing.” They actually begged me to start a blog to share this information, to share my recipes and what I was doing, and why I suddenly refused to eat candy because it had artificial food dyes. They wanted to know the green drink that I was drinking and what was in it and how they could make it at home.

And this is before we even had a Whole Foods in Charlotte. Back then it was the little mom and pop natural food stores or the farmer’s market. So I had to really teach people in my community and people around me about these new methodologies of how to take care of your health and actually look at the root cause of what’s happening in your body. I started to realize that there were so many people out there beyond my friends and family who didn’t know the truth about what was happening in our food supply. I wanted to investigate it for them. And I wanted to investigate it for my own personal reasons. There are so many products that I thought were healthy but weren’t actually healthy. Things that I thought were good for me because they only had 400 calories or this many fat grams or they had the marketing of “eat fresh” at their fast food chain — I thought I was eating fresh, but I found out I wasn’t.

So I started to investigate these major fast food chains and major food companies. And then companies started reaching out to me. I think the first one was a yogurt chain who I was very upset with because they were really promoting the fact that they were using “organic milk” in their yogurt. And I thought, “This is amazing. This is so awesome. I could go to the mall and I can have this treat and it’s good for me.” But when you looked at the ingredients, they were coloring their products with artificial food dye. They were putting in preservatives and trans fats. Yes they were starting with organic milk, but they were adding 30 more chemicals to the concoction they put in the machines. So I wrote about that and how duped I felt, and it went so viral that the CEO of the company reached out to me, pulled the marketing off their stores, and apologized.

GEORGIA: Wow.

VANI: That was my first taste of activism, and my first taste of, “Oh my gosh, my voice can make a difference.” And then Chick-fil-A invited me to their headquarters after I wrote an article called “Chemical Filet or Chick-fil-A?” I showed the hundred ingredients that they have in their Chick-fil-A sandwich and how I thought they were healthier than going to McDonald’s. But when I compared them to the McDonald’s ingredients they were virtually the same. And this really shocked people. I mean, it went so viral that the executives at Chick-fil-A invited me to their headquarters to consult on their menu items on how to make their ingredients better. 

When I was taking off work to go there to consult with them, instead of consulting with the banking institutions, I was like, “Okay, something got to give here. Like this is obviously way more impactful than what I’m doing at the banks.” So I ended up deciding to quit my job. I was not making a dime doing Food Babe. It was literally a passion project.

The beautiful thing that happened after I quit my job was, I was able to spend 100% of my time researching the food industry. And the first thing I did — you know, I was an avid traveler. I loved to travel, it’s been a passion of mine since I was a little girl. And whenever I would go to Europe or another country, I’d always feel better. I felt better. I liked the food better, it tasted better. And I thought, “What’s going on here? Why is it so different?” So I started to compare products that we have here in the United States to products that they sell in other countries — the exact same products. Like a Doritos package here in the United States versus a Doritos package in Europe. And I would compare the ingredients. I did this large investigation and I think the title is something like, “How U.S. Companies Are Exploiting Americans.” I showed these stark differences between the same product that’s being sold here and in other countries, and how in other countries they’re using better and safer ingredients. And while here they’re using man-made chemical additives. That side-by-side comparison went so viral that it was an opportunity to finally say, “You know what, we need to hold the food companies accountable for this.”

One of the examples in that investigation was Quaker Oats. Here in the United States, Quaker Oats has a “Strawberry and Cream” Quaker Oat pack, right? They had dyed Apple pieces to make them strawberry — dyed with a Red 40, an artificial food dye, linked to hyperactivity in children and can be contaminated with carcinogens. But in Europe, they’re using real strawberries. And you know, Quaker quickly got caught on that and that product doesn’t exist anymore, thankfully. But it was something that I just couldn’t believe the stark differences.

So I decided to take on one of the largest food companies in the world, which was Kraft at the time. They were serving little children Mac and Cheese with artificial food dyes — Yellow-5 and Yellow-6. Meanwhile, in Europe, they’re using paprika and beta carotene. It was a viral petition. It was so exciting, for the first time we were on national TV.

So I took them on. I remember it [the petition] gained a lot of steam, like 270,000 signatures, very quickly. And on April 1 — it wasn’t Happy April Fool’s Day for Kraft that day because I took the petition to their headquarters and I demanded a meeting and they sat down with me. I sat down and I looked them in the eye and I just said, “Why aren’t you doing this for American children? You already have the formulation in other countries. Why are we getting the man-made additives that are linked to all of these health issues that we’re experiencing? You know we have crazy chronic rates of disease with our kids, we have like close to half of children on some kind of medication. What is going on here?” And they looked at me and they said, “We have to agree to disagree.” And they dismissed me. And I thought, you know what? I’m not going to let up. I’m going to keep leading the charge. I’m going to keep educating the public. I’m going to tell people the truth about these chemicals.

Within six or seven months, they had to change because what happened was we were able to change the marketplace. People went from Kraft Macaroni and Cheese to their competitor, Annie’s, who didn’t use artificial food dyes. And then General Mills saw an opportunity — we’re going to buy Annie’s for $800 million. So, at that point, Kraft’s like, “Shoot, we’re going to lose all our market share. We need to change right now.” And they did.

The funniest part of it all, which just makes me laugh to this day, is whenever they told the press that they were making the change, they’re like, “It had nothing to do with the petition,” right? “It had nothing to do with the worldwide press on this issue.” So I took that momentum and took on more giants…

* * *

Catch the FULL INTERVIEW on Morning Wire