Jerome R. Corsi's Blog
September 22, 2025
From F-1 to green card: How student visas have become America’s silent job killer
In December 2024, Vivek Ramaswamy made headlines for all the wrong reasons. On X, Ramaswamy openly declared that “the reason top tech companies often hire foreign-born & first-generation engineers over ‘native’ Americans isn’t because of an innate American IQ deficit. … A key part of it comes down to the c-word: culture.”
He doubled down by mocking what he called a U.S. “culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math olympiad champ” and warning that “normalcy doesn’t cut it in a hyper-competitive global market for technical talent.”
The reason top tech companies often hire foreign-born & first-generation engineers over “native” Americans isn’t because of an innate American IQ deficit (a lazy & wrong explanation). A key part of it comes down to the c-word: culture. Tough questions demand tough answers & if…
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) December 26, 2024
These remarks were not just tone-deaf, they echoed a false, discriminatory narrative that has circulated for years: that America’s graduates are unworthy and that corporations are justified in overlooking them for cheaper foreign labor. Ramaswamy’s comments mirror the same tired excuse that has been used to erode fair hiring, perpetuate the abuse of visa loopholes and normalize the harsh reality young Americans now face, being massively locked out of jobs in their own country.
Hiring foreign labor on the basis of “culture” or any similar excuse isn’t just wrong: It’s illegal.
Under the Immigration Nationality Act, visas for the temporary employment of foreign workers in the United States are supposed to be issued only when no qualified American workers are available. While some visas bypass labor protections altogether, a majority ultimately flow into the H-1B visa and the PERM labor certification pipeline, with PERM serving as the first step toward granting foreign workers permanent residency through a green card. The result is that by the time Americans are supposed to be considered, they’ve already been shut out of the process.
Manufactured myths to justify exploitation
Those who profit from exploiting America’s immigration system have mastered the art of manufacturing false narratives and polished reports designed to deceive the public.
The truth is that these visa programs have been systematically used to undercut U.S. wages, which in turn have served as a vehicle to accelerate offshoring and inflict lasting damage on America’s workforce, including American graduates unknowingly entering a rigged job market.
For years these myths went largely unchallenged. But dismantling the lies and propaganda with hard evidence is the only way to restore fairness and ensure Americans are prioritized in their own country.
One of the most persistent deceptions is the claim that the United States is importing only the “best and brightest.” A recent piece in the Indian Express, “Beyond the H-1B: Alternative pathways for Indian students to build a career in U.S.,” illustrates this spin perfectly, immediately framing Indian students as Ivy League-level recruits. Yet the numbers show the opposite, causing this narrative to collapse under scrutiny.
‘Best and brightest’: The Ivy League myth vs. reality
The Indian Express paints a picture of Indian students chasing world-class education at Harvard, MIT, Yale and Stanford. But the facts tell a different story. According to the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), in 2024 only 0.79% of F-1 visa students went to Harvard, 0.42% to MIT, 0.45% to Yale and 0.53% to Stanford. Combined, those four schools enrolled just 2.18% of all active F-1 students, and that figure includes all international students, not just Indians.
While the narrative suggests Indian students primarily come for elite universities, the overwhelming majority are not in the Ivy League at all. Instead, they cluster in public universities and STEM programs at state schools. SEVIS records show that in 2024 there were 422,335 Indian students in the U.S., up from 331,602 in 2023, a surge of more than 90,000 students in a single year, representing a 27% increase. By inflating the “prestige” angle, outlets like the Indian Express distract from the actual scale and purpose of this pipeline: a mass labor funnel sold as elite education, importing not the “best and brightest,” but the cheapest and most controllable.
F-1 to H-1B: A backdoor to employment
1B Work Visa Are One in Fifteen
“The H-1B visa is one of the most in-demand US work visas. It gives American companies access to global talent and offers international professionals a chance to work in the United States. Each year, thousands of Indian students travel to the US in pursuit of world-class education and global career opportunities.”
Even in promotional language like this, the truth slips out: The real goal for many Indian students is not education, but a permanent career in America through the H-1B. That intent, however, is not consistent with the student visa system.
The F-1 Visa is a non-immigrant visa meant solely for temporary study. Turning it into a job pipeline through Optional Practical Training (OPT) and later H-1B sponsorship distorts the law’s purpose. Applicants are required to show they have no intent to immigrate and no plans to remain beyond their program. When students enter with the pre-conceived goal of securing U.S. employment, that is misrepresentation and under U.S. law it is visa fraud, rendering both the applicant and any enabling institution legally liable.
Yet Indian media, universities and lobbyists openly acknowledge this is exactly what’s happening. The F-1 has become less a student visa than a backdoor work permit, a stepping stone to long-term residency.
Whether U.S. regulators acknowledge it or not, the numbers speak for themselves. In 2024, Indian nationals accounted for about 83.2% of all foreign students approved for STEM OPT. That same year, international students represented 71% of H-1B approved beneficiaries, roughly 283,570 visas.
Indian nationals also made up 71% of all approved H-1B petitions in 2024, with 283,397 visas issued to India out of the 399,395 total. In other words, nearly 3 out of every 4 H-1B visas went to Indian workers. The second-largest recipient, China, accounted for only 46,780 approvals, a massive gap that highlights just how disproportionately the program has been captured by India compared to all other countries combined.
The I-140, or Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, is the form U.S. employers file to sponsor foreign nationals for permanent residency under employment-based green cards. The latest data shows just how disproportionate India’s role has become in this process. Of the 1,481,069 I-140 petitions filed across all countries, India alone accounted for 644,819, nearly 44%. In the EB-2 category, the most common path used by H-1B workers, the disparity is even starker, with India accounting for 414,653 of the 752,283 total filings, over 55%.
India’s media, policy advocates and even award programs openly celebrate U.S. universities whose international alumni secure green cards, signaling the true intent behind the education-to-employment pipeline.
By their own framing, the system is not about learning, it is about staying. And that, by definition, legally constitutes visa fraud.
Critics may dismiss such statements as words taken out of context, but the actual numbers cannot be spun. From the overwhelming dominance of Indian nationals in STEM OPT (83.2%), to their capture of nearly three out of four H-1B visas, to India’s outsized share of employment-based green card petitions, the evidence reveals a deliberate funnel from F-1 to H-1B to PERM.
America’s regulators may overlook the rhetoric, but the hard data makes the case undeniable.
Why employers prefer OPT over Americans
OPT and STEM OPT are not harmless “training programs.” They are American-taxpayer-subsidized work visas that give employers a financial incentive to bypass Americans. Companies don’t pay payroll taxes on OPT workers and there are no prevailing wage rules.
In other words, Indian students can legally be hired at a discount.
The STEM OPT program extends this discount window for up to three years, making it even more attractive to businesses seeking long-term savings. Beyond wages and taxes, OPT workers are also tied to their visa status, giving employers leverage and discouraging turnover or demands for better pay.
These loopholes create a structural bias against American graduates. While Americans compete for jobs with student loans and rising living costs, employers see OPT and STEM OPT workers as a cheaper, more controllable labor pool. This isn’t about skill shortages; it’s about a system that makes foreign labor artificially less expensive than hiring U.S. citizens.
America’s universities: A backdoor to U.S. jobs
Every year, hundreds of thousands of Indian students attend U.S. schools, not for the diploma, but for the work permit it unlocks. Universities welcome the tuition dollars, corporations welcome the cheap labor – and policymakers continue to look away.
The cost is borne by American graduates. They leave school burdened by debt, only to enter a job market rigged against them by design. Decades of policy failures have created a two-tier system that subsidizes foreign labor while penalizing U.S. citizens.
This is not simply an immigration matter. It is an economic issue, a fairness issue and a sovereignty issue. The F-1 to OPT to H-1B to green card pipeline is not a loophole, but a deliberately constructed architecture, built to serve universities, corporations and foreign governments while stripping Americans of opportunity in their own country.
The numbers prove it. The rhetoric confirms it. And the damage is visible in every layoff, every stagnant wage and every American graduate told he or she is somehow not “competitive” in the nation their families built.
The system is not broken; it is working exactly as designed – overwhelmingly against Americans. Until the pipeline is dismantled and the laws protecting U.S. workers are enforced without exception, the hollowing out of America’s workforce will continue.
The choice now falls to the American people: Accept decline, or fight to reclaim a labor market that belongs to them.
Iranians demonstrate in NYC for ‘snapback’ to save their nation and the Mideast
With the so-called “snapback” mechanism against Iran – part of the 2015 “Iran nuclear deal” (or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) – set to take effect this Sunday, Sept. 28, public demonstrations by Iranians, including several in New York City throughout September, have been dramatizing the widespread desire for peace and stability in the nation at the epicenter of much of the ongoing turmoil and terror in the Middle East.
The snapback process, restoring six U.N. Security Council resolutions, would include the following sanctions:
1. It would reimpose bans on uranium enrichment and other activities related to nuclear weapons in Iran.
2. It would reinstate the U.N.’s arms embargo and restrict missile and drone transfers to and from Iran.
3. It would impose new asset freezes, travel bans and financial restrictions on those involved in Iran’s nuclear and missile programs.
Before and after the recent 12-day war with Israel, Iranian dictator Ali Khamenei sought to maintain a state of inertia – neither war nor peace. Remaining in such a situation carried clear advantages for him:
* He could mobilize his forces and prevent their erosion.
* He could preserve the structure of Iran’s nuclear program, even if enrichment was temporarily halted.
However, the 12-day war accelerated developments and led the international community to the conclusion that the Iranian regime is the central source of regional crises and must be contained. Although belated, the snapback was an undeniable necessity for regional peace. At the same time, the Islamic Republic sought to exploit divisions between Europe and the United States to preserve its strategic inertia.
The activation of the snapback mechanism forces the regime out of this stalemate, leaving it with two possible paths:
* Either the regime halts enrichment inside the country, permanently abandoning its nuclear ambitions and subsequently scaling back its missile program and proxy networks.
* Or, as some factions within the regime advocate, it withdraws from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and openly pursues nuclear weapons.
This situation has given rise to unprecedented alternative voices within the regime. For example, last Thursday, Sept. 18, Hamid Asefi, a reformist figure, wrote on his Telegram channel:
“In these circumstances, the only remaining chance is for [President] Masoud Pezeshkian, together with the Foreign Minister and armed with full written authority from the Supreme Leader, to reach an agreement through direct and official negotiations with the United States, while simultaneously conducting necessary talks within the European Union framework, so that diplomacy can be revived and the Snapback process halted.”
For the Islamic Republic of Iran, abandoning its nuclear program – and by extension its missile arsenal and proxy forces – amounts to surrender. Such a scenario carries enormous risks for the regime, greatly increasing the likelihood of its collapse.
Since the Iran-Iraq war during the 1980s, the theocratic regime has pursued a long-term strategy revolving around the slogans “Death to Israel” and “Death to America.” This strategy rested on nuclear capabilities, missile capabilities and proxy forces. Removing these three pillars would collapse the regime’s aggressive architecture and result in grave consequences for Khamenei. Like any dictator, his foremost concern is the survival of his rule.
Thus, in Khamenei’s view, dismantling this strategy would accelerate his regime’s downfall – even if it would be much better for the Iranian people. For this reason, Khamenei declared in his Aug. 24 speech that there is no resolvable issue between Iran and the United States, thereby rejecting any shutdown of the nuclear project.
The 1988 experience illustrates this pattern: Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic, was forced to accept a ceasefire with Iraq, which he described as “drinking from the poisoned chalice.” To maintain his grip on power afterward, he oversaw the massacre of some 30,000 political prisoners, instilling terror and preserving the regime temporarily.
Today, however, the situation is different: Ali Khamenei is far weaker than Khomeini was at that time and is less capable of carrying out repression on such a massive scale. It is therefore unlikely he would voluntarily abandon Iran’s nuclear program and, in his own words, “surrender.”
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Iranians in the diaspora gathered in Europe on Sept. 6, and thousands more are gathering in New York City on Tuesday, Sept. 23, to call for the activation of the snapback mechanism. For them, this measure represents the path toward the long-awaited liberation of the Iranian people and the beginning of a new era of reconstruction and prosperity.
It would also warn the mullahs in power that relying on repressive measures and killing fields to maintain power are no longer options.
The international community is thus being called to champion the just demands of the long-suffering Iranian people.
‘Wicked’: Teachers subject students to ‘Witchy Wednesday’ indoctrination
One school district in Florida has begun subjecting students, without permission, to a “Witchy Wednesday” indoctrination, and experts who follow the Constitution’s requirements for protected speech and religious liberty are unhappy.
Soon school officials may be unhappy, too.
That’s because Liberty Counsel has sent a demand letter to officials at Orange County public schools calling for opt-out procedures for students who object to a “Witchy Wednesday” video series school officials have started airing school-wide.
“The series, which is aired during mid-week morning announcements, is produced by students providing ‘religious instruction’ on spells, magic, moon worship, and other witchcraft rituals,” the legal team explained.
And it has cautioned officials against making any such indoctrination mandatory.
Further, since that one religious perspective has been promoted officially by the school, now any Christian students “who wish to share their Christian beliefs” must be allowed to do so in the same manner.
Liberty Counsel’s letter asks for school confirmation of plans to let students and staff opt out. And confirmation that students may express their own religious perspectives in the same manner.
The organization reported the “Witchy Wednesday” episodes were aired starting Sept. 10.
“Good morning, witches and [SCHOOL MASCOT NAME]. I’m [NAME REDACTED]. Today is Wednesday, September 10th, and this is our first episode of ‘Witchy Wednesday.’ I am here to guide you through your magical midweek journey every Wednesday. To start, there was a new moon yesterday on September 9th, normally regarded as a blank slate and a new start. This phase invites introspection and intention setting. Simple things to honor this phase could be to write your intentions and bury them or just meditate for an energy reset and healing,” the promotion of witchcraft began.
“There is a full moon coming up on September 18th where the energy is at its highest peak. Creating simple things like moon water and releasing rituals are good ways to cleanse and recharge yourself during this period. In other news, our first ever ‘Witch Tip Spotlight’ is a spell for enlightenment that I call ‘Light of Insight.’ Its purpose is all about inviting clarity, wisdom, and light into your life. You will need a white candle, paper, pen, and incense. You can burn your incense around your area of practice to clear your surrounding energy for a start.
“You write your intuition down on your paper. Fold it three times. Burn your paper into your white candle. Burn it completely and entirely to have your intention released into the universe. That itself is your ‘Light of Insight’ at work. You then cleanse the space around you once more to finalize your spell. That’s all for today, [SCHOOL MASCOT NAME]. Have a Wicked Wednesday.”
The Supreme Court’s perspective on such activity could be pertinent.
In Ma0hmoud v. Taylor, the justices recently said parents have the right to opt their children out of instruction that undermines their religious beliefs.
“The First Amendment compels [the school district] to provide any student who desires a religious opt-out to Witchy Wednesday be afforded that option,” wrote Liberty Counsel.
Further high court rulings have confirmed “Christian expression cannot be denied in an open forum where other viewpoints are expressed.”
Liberty Counsel founder Mat Staver said, “Parents and students with contrary religious beliefs to the religious instruction of ‘Witchy Wednesday” have the right to opt out. The First Amendment does not allow government schools to require this instruction, nor can the school deny differing viewpoints after it has opened its morning announcements forum to student expression. Orange County Public Schools would be wise to proceed by facilitating opt-outs and including other viewpoints.”
The legal team warned the school’s actions could set up some interesting arguments, as the Bible specifically undermines the “Witchy” claims.
For example, the letter explains, “The Bible warns of real spiritual beings who seek to destroy lives: ‘put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places’ (Ephesians 6:11-12). • The Bible states that there ‘shall not be found among you anyone…who practices witchcraft… or one who conjures spells…or one who calls up the dead’ and that these things are a great sin. (Deuteronomy 18:9-12a) • The Bible warns against astrology. (Jeremiah 10:2; 27:9-10; Daniel 2:1-4; 4:7; 5:7-9) • The Bible condemns worship of the sun, moon and stars. (Deuteronomy 4:19; 17:2-5; 2 Kings 21:3, 5; Zephaniah 1:5; Job 31:26-28; Jeremiah 8:1-2). • The Bible instructs people to inquire of God (Isaiah 8:19), not mediums and spiritists (Deuteronomy 18:9-14; Isaiah 44:25; Jeremiah 27:9; 2 Kings 21:6; 23:24; Ezekiel 21:21; Isaiah 19:3; 1 Samuel 28). • God warns that those who practice ‘witchcraft…will not inherit the kingdom of God.’ (Galatians 5:20-21; (Revelation 21:8).”
‘Don’t take it!’ Trump and health officials urge pregnant women to avoid Tylenol to prevent autism
President Donald Trump, joined by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and several other health officials, revealed science on Monday that suggests the exploding number of autism cases in America may be linked to the use of the painkiller acetaminophen, commonly known by the trade name Tylenol, or vaccinations demanded for children.
The result is that new Food and Drug Administration recommendations will discourage women from using it during the entirety of a pregnancy.
RFK Jr. said he ordered research into all causes of autism.
He said the evidence shows clinical and laboratory studies suggest a link between Tylenol use during pregnancy and autism.
Now a physicians’ notice is coming from the FDA about the possible link.
HHS said clinicians should “exercise their best judgment” regarding painkillers needed during pregnancy, he said.
Studies, he said, show Tylenol use can extend some illnesses.
“We expect this to be first announcement over coming years,” he said of autism, a “complex” condition.
He also said further review is going on into childhood vaccines. Research on that potential link he said, has been “actively discredited” in the past and so more studies are under way now.
He said whatever is discovered will be released.
BREAKING: President Trump just announced a link between TYLENOL and AUTISM — especially when taken during pregnancy
FDA is now recommending pregnant women don’t take Tylenol except in cases of extremely high fevers
Nor should Tylenol be frequently administered to young… pic.twitter.com/odBhSl7pgZ
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) September 22, 2025
Tylenol Use in Pregnancy Linked to 3x Higher Autism and ADHD Risk
A Johns Hopkins study of umbilical cord blood found that babies with the highest acetaminophen exposure were three times more likely to be diagnosed with autism or ADHD.
This wasn’t fringe science—it came from… pic.twitter.com/BX6zD8rmeU
— Epoch Health (@epochhealth) September 22, 2025
If the data show Tylenol use in infants is strongly linked to development of Autism, what does this mean for the pediatricians and pediatric professional societies that have told generations of parents that Tylenol is safe and effective for treating fever and febrile seizures in…
— Robert W Malone, MD (@RWMaloneMD) September 22, 2025
The government also announced $50 million in research grants for a variety of projects on the topics at hand.
Scientists will consider environment, biology, genetics and more, officials.
Trump said he’s been alarmed over autism rates for 20 years, when he met with RFK Jr. in his New York business office to talk about the problem.
Trump said the incidence of autism was one in 20,000, then one in 10,000, and most recently is one in 31 among children.
For boys that’s one in 12, he said.
“Everyone should be grateful for those trying to get the answers to this complex situation,” he said.
He suggested the evidence shows “there’s something artificial” impacting children because of the exploding number of cases, and he cited some population groups, like the Amish who avoid shots and vaccinations, who have an autism rate of very near zero.
Trump said, “All pregnant women should talk to their doctors about limiting use of this medication.”
And he said doctors use a “vat of 80 different vaccines” to inoculate children.
Letters are going to all Americans doctors about the new warnings.
Science actually shows that there’s a possible link between the relationship acetaminophen use and autism cases, administration officials said.
A report in USA Today said, “The report comes after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vowed to find the cause of rising autism cases.”
The report claimed acetaminophen, often sold under the brand name Tylenol, has long been considered the “safest” option for managing headaches, fever and other pain during pregnancy.
The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine suggested large surveys have reported that between 40% and 65% of pregnant women use acetaminophen at some point during their pregnancy.
The report confirmed, “By 2022, the U.S. autism rate in 8-year-olds was 1 in 31, or 3.2%, up from 2.77% in 2020, 2.27% in 2018 and 0.66% in 2000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
Kennedy has cited an “autism epidemic” in the U.S., from “environmental toxins.”
The concept is not entirely new. Multiple prior studies have suggested such a link, while other studies have claimed to have discounted it.
The report said, “A large study encompassing over 100,000 participants found that higher-quality studies tended to find a link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders in children, according to the report published Aug. 14 in BMC Environmental Health.”
“Given the widespread use of this medication, even a small increase in risk could have major public health implications,” said study author Dr. Diddier Prada, assistant professor of population health science and policy, and environmental medicine and climate science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
“More than two dozen studies around the world have linked a pregnant person’s frequent use of acetaminophen to autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, in their child. But several studies have also found competing evidence,” the report said.
Kenvue, the makers of Tylenol, said acetaminophen continues to be the safest pain-relieving option for pregnant women and, without it, women are in danger of suffering a potentially harmful fever or using riskier alternatives to alleviate pain, the report said.
Tylenol’s parent company breaks its silence as the Trump administration prepares to drop a bombshell report linking the drug to autism.
“We believe independent, sound science clearly shows that taking acetaminophen does not cause autism. We strongly disagree with any suggestion… pic.twitter.com/wumHwR8OGH
— Vigilant Fox (@VigilantFox) September 22, 2025
The Mayo Clinic explained the autism spectrum disorder is a condition “related to brain development that affects how people see others and socialize with them. This causes problems in communication and getting along with others socially. The condition also includes limited and repeated patterns of behavior. The term ‘spectrum’ in autism spectrum disorder refers to the wide range of symptoms and the severity of these symptoms.”
It explained, “Autism spectrum disorder includes conditions that were once thought to be separate — autism, Asperger’s syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder and a form of widespread developmental disorder that isn’t specified.”
The Scientific American said, “There is no simple answer to what causes autism, more than 50 years of scientific research has shown. It is a complex neurodevelopmental condition that arises from a constellation of genetic factors and environmental influences.”
Charlie Kirk is dead. Long live Charlie Kirk
Erika Kirk delivers remarks during the Memorial Service for Charlie Kirk at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025.(Official White House photo by Daniel Torok)The assassin who took Charlie Kirk’s life on Sept. 10 may have thought he could kill Kirk’s ideas with the same bullet that he used to steal the lifeblood from the conservative icon, but he was wrong.
The outpouring not just of grief but of fellowship that followed the assassination has shown that people who are vessels for an ideal continue to pour forth inspiration even when the vessel is shattered.
No one under the age of 60 can properly remember the events of 1968, but I was 12 years old that spring when two other icons were brought down by assassins’ bullets, and I vividly recall the pain caused by the loss of Martin Luther King Jr. and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.
The deaths of those two leaders provide a sort of palimpsest over which we can see Kirk’s death emblazoned.
In the case of RFK, the nation was deprived of a political leader and very likely a president. Although Kirk was not a political leader in the traditional sense, he wielded tremendous power to influence elections and, in the opinion of many, would have also very likely been elected president someday. In that regard, the assassin robbed us of the future. We can never know what an RFK presidency would have been like, and we can never know what Charlie Kirk could have achieved if he had been allowed to live. That part of Charlie Kirk is dead.
But perhaps the death of MLK provides a template for how Kirk’s legacy can survive him, and how the nation could still benefit from Kirk’s example – as a staunch defender of the First Amendment’s rights of freedom of speech, religion, and assembly, but also as a faith-based proponent of restoring traditional values to our public discourse.
Martin Luther King was the very embodiment of how faith could empower a mission for justice. He achieved greatness in life, negotiating on behalf of black Americans for equal rights, but it was after his death when his greatest impact was felt. The public execution of this good man changed the national discussion and did more than any law to accelerate the change needed in the American spirit to heal the wounds of slavery.
So too does the sacrifice of Charlie at the age of 31 have the potential to lift up the movement he established and sustain its mission to restore the nation to its founding principles. What we have seen in the short time since Kirk’s murder gives hope that his ideas will live long after him.
As Kirk’s widow Erika said in her powerful address to the nation two days after his murder, “The movement my husband built will not die.” And she spoke directly to the assassin and anyone who agreed with his dark agenda:
The evildoers responsible for my husband’s assassination have no idea what they have done. They killed Charlie because he preached a message of patriotism, faith, and of God’s merciful love. They should all know this. If you thought that my husband’s mission was powerful before, you have no idea. You have no idea what you just have unleashed across this entire country and this world. You have no idea. You have no idea the fire that you have ignited within this wife. The cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry.
Those are bold words, and we have to wait to see how Erika Kirk decides to carry out her own quest to preserve and expand the Turning Point organization now that she has been named CEO. But she is not alone in vowing to keep Charlie’s memory and mission alive. Since the assassination, more than 54,000 inquiries have been received about starting new chapters of Turning Point USA on college and high school campuses. Compare that to the 900 college chapters and 1,200 high school chapters that currently exist and you get an idea of the impact Charlie’s death has already had.
Good people will feel that death deeply. They will mourn and pray for justice. Many of them will redouble their efforts to restore a moral balance to the nation in hopes that their children will live a better life. Evil people, on the other hand, won’t be changed. As Martin Luther King said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.” The murder of Kirk has revealed a callousness in progressive ideology that deprives people of the ability to see their opponents as human. And some people who are neither good nor evil – maybe like that 12-year-old me in 1968 – will be inspired in ways they don’t even understand.
That middle ground is where Charlie always made a difference – convincing one person at a time to pick up a Bible, to register to vote, to run for office, to challenge a teacher. Becoming a martyr will just make it easier for Charlie to reach those people. Erika was right about that. He lived what he preached, setting an example for how to think big and stay humble.
And no, his death is not like the deaths of other good people, the deaths that happen every day across the nation and the world, because there was no one else like him. We mourn those other deaths individually, but we mourn Charlie’s death as a nation. And instead of solace, we seek solutions.
Charlie Kirk is dead. Long live Charlie Kirk.
This article was originally published by RealClearPolitics and made available via RealClearWire.
Disney announces Jimmy Kimmel is returning to late night after all
Disney announced on Monday that Jimmy Kimmel’s suspended program is returning to late night television on Tuesday night.
Executives at Disney announced on Wednesday that Kimmel’s show would be canceled “indefinitely” following his remarks about Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. The executives announced that the program is returning to the airwaves after having “thoughtful conversations” with Kimmel.
“Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country. It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.”
BREAKING: ABC says ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ will resume Tuesday pic.twitter.com/OhMTcc6qdm
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) September 22, 2025
Kimmel sparked backlash after falsely stating in his Sept. 15 monologue that the “MAGA gang” refuses to admit that Kirk’s alleged assassin, Tyler Robinson, is politically aligned with them. He also mocked President Donald Trump’s response to Kirk’s passing by comparing him to a child mourning his goldfish.
“We had some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said during his Sept. 15 monologue. “In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving. On Friday, the White House flew the flags at half-staff, which got some criticism. But on a human level, you can see how hard the president is taking this” … “This is not how an adult grieves the murder of somebody he [Trump] called a friend. This is how a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish, okay.”
Disney CEO Bob Iger and Disney Entertainment co-chairwoman Dana Walden reportedly grew concerned that Kimmel would “fan the flames with the MAGA fan base” after he planned to double down on his comments during his planned monologue for Wednesday. Kimmel reportedly planned to say on-air that conservatives intentionally misinterpreted his words, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Kimmel also reportedly did not plan to apologize and intended to specifically address Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Brendan Carr’s warning during his appearance on “The Benny Johnson Show,” where he said that he could pull the licenses of ABC-affiliated networks over inappropriate and insensitive remarks about Kirk’s assassination.
Since Kimmel did not plan on “turn[ing] down the temperature,” Iger and Walden made the decision to suspend his program, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The suspension sparked protests across the U.S., as well as anger from prominent liberals and Democrats. During a Thursday appearance on “CNN News Central,” Democratic California Rep. Eric Swalwell wore a “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” hat and claimed that the suspension should “shake” every American. Others claimed the cancellation was a blatant free speech violation.
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‘Divine permission to rule’: Don Lemon rages over Christian messaging at Charlie Kirk Memorial
Don LemonWhile millions of Americans were touched and inspired by uplifting messages during Charlie Kirk’s Memorial Service on Sunday, former CNN anchor Don Lemon is seething over the Christian content, saying the event was “about a movement claiming divine permission to rule.”
“If you listened long enough and close enough,” Lemon said during his podcast Monday, “you could feel the ground shifting beneath you, because that wasn’t just about a man who died. This was about a movement claiming divine permission to rule.”
“It was a revival meeting wrapped in a memorial … a political rally dressed as church,” said Lemon, noting he was “from the South. Southern Baptist. Went to Catholic school.”
“This was not only about Charlie Kirk’s death, it was about his afterlife in politics. Donald Trump stood on the stage like a man at the center of prophecy. He called Charlie Kirk a martyr. Other politicians promised to carry out his mission.
NEW: Don Lemon fumes over the Christian messaging at Charlie Kirk’s memorial, says speakers quoted scripture because they were “demanding submission”
“What we saw in that arena was not simply faith finding public expression, it was religious nationalism on full display”
They’re… pic.twitter.com/DbIPMb6p9Z
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 22, 2025
“The crowd cheered as if the passing of the man had lit some sort of sacred fire. To me, this was not mourning. This was a mobilization.
“What we saw in that arena was not simply faith finding public expression, it was religious nationalism on full display. That is the truth. That is my truth. This is my freedom of expression.”
“The language was unmistakable. Take the nation back for God. Restore America’s covenant. This is a holy calling. That’s what it sounded like. This not the language of democracy. This is the language of domination.”
Mike McCoy, Kirk’s friend and former chief of staff, reacted to Lemon’s remarks Monday, telling Martha MacCallum of Fox News: “I don’t think Don Lemon’s very big anymore. His ratings fell off the roof and he doesn’t have a show anymore.”
The long list of famous speakers at the memorial often invoked Jesus Christ and His messages during their tributes to Kirk, who was assassinated Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University.
Vice President JD Vance said on stage: “I’ve been a little uncomfortable talking about my faith in public as much as I love the Lord and as much as it was an important part of my life. I have talked more about Jesus Christ in the past two weeks than I have my entire time in public life!”
WOW! JD VANCE JUST NOW: “I’ve been a little uncomfortable talking about my faith in public…I have talked more about Jesus Christ in the past 2 weeks than I have my ENTIRE time in public life!”
Standing ovation from 60,000+ patriots for this!
“And that is an undeniable… pic.twitter.com/LXcRLbuXEM
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) September 21, 2025
“And that is an undeniable legacy of the great Charlie Kirk. He loved God, and because he loved God, he wanted to understand God’s creation, and the men and women made in His image.”
And in what is being called one of the most powerful moments in American history, Kirk’s widow Erika expressed her personal forgiveness for Charlie’s assassin, whom police say is Tyler Robinson.
“My husband Charlie, he wanted to save young men. Just like the one who took his life,” Mrs. Kirk said through tears.
“That young man. That young man. On the cross our Savior said, ‘Father forgive them for they not know what they do.’ That man, that young man, I forgive him.”
Erika Kirk: “I forgive him!” This is a true testament of Christ! pic.twitter.com/K0ztmGQqwZ
— DeVory Darkins (@devorydarkins) September 21, 2025
“I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and is what Charlie would do.
“The answer to hate is not hate. The answer we know from the gospel is love and always love. Love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us.”
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‘I forgive him’: Watch Erika Kirk voice powerful message for Charlie’s assassin
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WATCH: Here are some of the biggest speeches from the Charlie Kirk memorial
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WATCH: ‘Charlie Kirk was a prophet,’ Turning Point USA official proclaims
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WATCH: Building a legacy, remembering Charlie Kirk at memorial service
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Trump to sign executive order approving TikTok deal
President Donald Trump will a sign an executive order later this week approving the deal to save TikTok after Congress banned usage of the Chinese-owned app in the United States.
“The president is going to issue an executive order later this week, and I expect that ByteDance is going to sign a framework agreement with one or more managing investors, new investors to set out the parameters,” a senior White House official told press Monday morning.
The White House has four-times extended the deadline to reach a deal with Chinese-owned ByteDance to sell TikTok to an American-backed owner. Congress passed a law on April 24, 2024, requiring ByteDance to divest its stake in the U.S. assets of TikTok due to national security concerns.
“President Trump and Vice President Vance have negotiated another outstanding deal on behalf of the American people,” the senior White House official said. “It’s going to save TikTok for over 170 million U.S. users while making sure that it’s safe and secure.”
The deal moves TikTok’s U.S. operations into a new joint venture based in America. It will have a majority of American investors and owners and a majority American Board of Directors. The joint venture also brings in American technology company Oracle as the security provider.
“It’s going to provide sort of top to bottom security throughout the company, including how the app sits in your phone and interacts with the phone, how it’s updated, how American data is stored here in the United States on Oracle systems, and how the content recommendation algorithm works, and really every part of the source code of the app,” the official said.
Vance was very involved in developing a strategy to reach the TikTok deal framework leading up to the U.S.-China summit in Madrid last Sunday. The vice president’s counsel, who has been heavily involved in negotiations on behalf of Vance, also played an important role in the Madrid talks, a White House official previously told The Daily Signal.
The deal will save thousands of jobs and small businesses who use the app to promote their work, an official said.
“The estimates are that it’s going to be hundreds of billions of dollars of economic activity over the next five years,” the official said. “And I think it’s really worth emphasizing as part of this deal that this is a problem that the Biden administration failed to solve, could not solve, and their decisions that they thought it was best to destroy all of its value, to let the app go dark.”
[Editor’s note: This story originally was published by The Daily Signal.]
‘Totally unacceptable’: India rages over Trump’s $100,000 fee on H-1B visas
Indian government officials expressed full-blown outrage over a Trump administration proclamation that dramatically hikes the fee for securing H-1B visas.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday, slapping a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas, making it incredibly difficult for U.S.-based employers to favor foreign nationals over American workers. The Indian government, which benefits from the H-1B visa program more than any other country, quickly denounced the move and called for the Trump administration to address its concerns.
“The executive orders of President of America had come as a shocker to all,” Revanth Reddy, the chief minister of the Indian state of Telangana, said in a public statement following the order. “This is totally unacceptable in the historical context of Indo-American relationships.”
“It is for the Indian Government to immediately set up a mechanism to resolve this amicably keeping the interests of our tech population and skilled workers, who have served America for so long,” Reddy continued. “The suffering for our Telugu techies will be unimaginable.”
Other Indian government officials lined up to speak against the new exorbitant fee.
“The full implications of the measure are being studied by all concerned, including by Indian industry, which has already put out an initial analysis clarifying some perceptions related to the H1B program,” India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in a public statement. “This measure is likely to have humanitarian consequences by way of the disruption caused for families. Government hopes that these disruptions can be addressed suitably by the US authorities.”
The day after Trump signed the executive order, Indian Minister of Commerce Piyush Goyal suggested the U.S. was “a little afraid of our talent,” according to the Times of India.
Established by Congress in 1990, the H-1B program has become an incredibly popular pathway into the U.S. for foreign nationals working in skilled occupations, with new visas capped at 85,000 a year and a lottery system that decides which foreigners obtain them, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). H-1B visa holders can eventually become eligible to apply for legal permanent residence, allowing them to stay in the country indefinitely.
However, the program has long been criticized for suppressing wages, with companies allegedly favoring foreign nationals willing to work for cheaper salaries rather than hiring American workers.
The program is popular with American tech companies, with Amazon, Meta and Apple currently employing thousands of H-1B workers, according to USCIS. Former top Trump ally Elon Musk has also spoken in favor of the H-1B program, publicly arguing that a slowdown in skilled immigration could stymie American innovation. Trump had also previously voiced support for the program before re-entering the White House.
India stands as the biggest beneficiary of the program by far, with a recent Pew survey finding that more than 70% of H-1B visa holders are Indian nationals. Chinese citizens, the second-highest beneficiaries, only make up 12% of the program.
The country’s domination of the program also coincides with the country consistently ranking as one of the top recipients of remittances, with Indian workers in the U.S. sending billions back to their home country every year.
Following confusion over details, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt publicly stated that the proclamation only applies to new H-1B visas, and those who already hold the visa and are outside the U.S. would not be charged $100,000 to re-enter. The new fee, which officially took effect on Sunday, is set to expire within a year unless the Trump administration decides to renew it.
Champions of the American workforce celebrated the order and expressed hope that the move is the first step in supporting American workers.
“The big positive is it moved the Overton Window further to our side,” Kevin Lynn, founder of U.S. Tech Workers, a group that advocates on behalf of American citizens in the tech industry, said to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
“While it was disappointing to learn upon further clarification that the proclamation doesn’t impact H-1Bs that have been currently issued, there is a silver lining in that it does include requiring DOL [Department of Labor] and DHS [Department of Homeland Security] to use proper rule making procedures to raise the prevailing wage levels and to bring about a change wherein the highest paid alien workers v. ordinary workers filling entry level positions, will be prioritized — essentially ending the lottery,” Lynn stated.
The U.S. Tech Workers founder added that, since the program was first legislated into existence, it is up to lawmakers to enact permanent change.
“For far too long, companies have been abusing this guestworker program,” Dale Wilcox, executive director of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, said in a public statement provided to the DCNF. “The new fee is significant enough to discourage employers who merely want to hire lower wage foreign workers, but not so prohibitive that it will prevent them from petitioning for workers whose skills are truly needed.”
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