So Much for the Nobel Peace Prize

The first seven months of Donald Trump’s second term as president has seen a remarkable transformation. In his inaugural address, Trump said that “My proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier.” He promised to “measure our success not only by the battles we win but also by the wars that we end – and perhaps most importantly, the wars we never get into.” “That’s what I want to be,” Trump said, “a peacemaker.”

Seven months later, Trump changed the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War. It is not just a change of name. It is a change of “attitude,” that rebrands the image the Trump administration wants to project to the world. Trump’s executive order says the name change “conveys a stronger message of readiness and resolve compared to ‘Department of Defense,’ which emphasizes only defensive capabilities.”

From 1789 until 1949, the department was named the Department of War. As the Department of War, the U.S. won every war, Trump said. “And then we decided to go woke, and we changed the name to Department of Defense,” Trump said.” Pete Hegseth, whose sign on his door was quickly changed to “Secretary of War,” says that the U.S. is “going to go on offense, not just on defense. Maximum lethality, not tepid legality. Violent effect, not politically correct. We’re going to raise up warriors, not just defenders.” That is not the language of a President or an administration that wants to be remembered as “a peacemaker” that is judged by “the wars that we end” and “the wars we never get into.”

Donald Trump has made no secret of his ambition to win a Nobel Peace Prize. He has brought it up and campaigned for it in interview after interview and speech after speech. In June, Trump took to Truth Social to boast of his role in brokering peace between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. “I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for this, I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for stopping the War between India and Pakistan, I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for stopping the War between Serbia and Kosovo, I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for keeping Peace between Egypt and Ethiopia… and I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for doing the Abraham Accords in the Middle East… No, I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do, including Russia/Ukraine, and Israel/Iran… but the people know, and that’s all that matters to me.”

But the change of names to the Department of War betrays that campaign. And it is more than just a change of name. The rebrand reflects the ever bloating role of the military in the Trump administration to push out diplomacy and law enforcement. Trump pushed aside diplomacy that was working with Iran with an unprecedented bombing of Iran’s civilian nuclear facilities. And he has pushed aside law enforcement with military action against drug cartels in Latin America.

On September 2, the U.S. claims to have identified a speed boat that was running drugs for a Venezuelan drug cartel. They did not turn to law enforcement, as has, until now, been standard operating procedure by having the National Guard interdict the boat and arrest the suspected drug smugglers. Instead, either an attack helicopter or an MQ-9 Reaper drone fired on it, killing all 11 of its crew. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking for an administration that wants to be a “peacemaker” that is judged by “the wars we never get into,” explained that “What will stop them is when we blow up and get rid of them.”

In order to prevent the flow of drugs into the United States, Trump and his Department of War have sent three Aegis guided-missile destroyers, several P-8 spy planes and at least one nuclear-powered fast attack submarine. Apparently insufficient to deal with the problem, the U.S. has now sent ten F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico to help carry out the operation against the drug cartels.

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Washington Projects Its Drug Problem Onto Latin America

A big Cadillac limo with Jersey plates was parked down the block. Few locals in East Harlem even owned cars, let alone new ones. Curious, I asked the street kids what’s up. They casually explained that the mafioso come weekly to collect their drug money. Later I found a playground, which served as a veritable narcotics flea market each night. If a blanquito from the suburbs and some third graders could uncover the illicit trade, I wondered why the officials – who plastered the city with “keep New York drug free” signs – couldn’t do the same.

That was in the late 1960s, and I am still wondering why the US – the world’s largest consumer of narcotics, the biggest money launderer of illicit drug money, and the leading weaponry supplier to the cartels – hasn’t resolved these problems.

One thing is clear: the drug issue is projected onto Latin America. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly warned of “evil narco terrorists [trying] to poison our homeland.” Drug interdiction has been weaponized as an excuse to impose imperial domination, most notably against Venezuela.

Since Hugo Chávez was elected Venezuela’s president in 1998 and initiated the Bolivarian Revolution – a movement that catalyzed the Pink Tide in Latin America and galvanized a counter-hegemonic wave internationally – Washington has tried to crush it. In 2015, then-US President Barack Obama accused Venezuela of being an “extraordinary threat” to US national security when, in fact, the opposite was the case; the US threatened Venezuela.

Obama imposed unilateral coercive measures – euphemistically called “sanctions.” Each subsequent administration renewed and, to varying degrees, intensified the sanctions, which are illegal under international law, in a bipartisan effort. But the imperial objective of regime change was thwarted by the political leadership of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in concert with the country’s people and in firm alliance with their military.

Now that draconian sanctions have “failed” to achieve regime-change, President Trump dispatched an armada of warships, F-35 stealth aircraft, and thousands of troops to increase the pressure.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro responded: “What Washington wants is to control Venezuela’s wealth [including the world’s largest oil reserves]. That is the reason why the US deployed warships, aircraft, missiles and a nuclear submarine near Venezuelan coasts under the pretext of fighting drug trafficking.”

Maduro maintains his country is free of drug production and processing, citing reports from the United Nations, the European Union, and even the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). The Venezuelan president could have also referenced the findings of Trump’s own security agencies absolving him from the charge of directing the Tren de Aragua drug cartel.

And, speaking of collusion with drug cartels, Maduro could have commented on the DEA itself, which was expelled from Venezuela in 2005 for espionage. Regardless, the DEA has continued to secretly build drug trafficking cases against Venezuela’s leaders in knowing violation of international law, according to an Associated Press report.

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez highlights that the DEA “has known connections with the drug trafficking world.” For example, an investigation by the US Department of Justice, revealed that at least ten DEA agents in Colombia participated in repeated “sex parties” with prostitutes paid for by local drug cartels. In 2022 the DEA quietly removed its Mexico chief for maintaining improper contacts with cartels. This underscores a troubling pattern: DEA presence tends to coincide with major drug activity, but does not eliminate it.

The US “is not interested in addressing the serious public health problem its citizens face due to high drug use,” Maduro reminds us. He points out that drug trafficking profits remain in the US banking system. In fact, illicit narcotics are a major US industry. Research by the US Army-funded RAND Corporation reveals that narcotics rank alongside pharmaceuticals and oil/gas as top US commodities.

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X Account That Predicted Charlie Kirk’s Assassination a Week in Advance Also Posted a Future Date for Trump Before Deleting Account

A now-deleted X account appears to have had prior knowledge of the brutal assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk and subsequently posted a threatening date for President Donald Trump.

Trump was shot during an outdoor speech in Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024.

The account, @TallyHallAlbum, posted an eerily specific “joke” on September 3, declaring it would be “funny if someone like Charlie Kirk got shot on September 10th LMAO.”

Just days after the tragedy, the user followed up with a cryptic reply: “did i” – and then escalated the threat by posting “Donald Trump. December 14th.” before scrubbing the entire profile from existence.

The FBI, under Director Kash Patel, has ramped up its investigation into at least seven suspicious social media accounts that displayed foreknowledge of Kirk’s murder, including this one, according to a report from the Washington Free Beacon.

These posts, spanning from August to just hours before the shooting, were deleted in the aftermath, raising serious questions about a coordinated plot involving radical left-wing elements, including ties to transgender and “furry” online communities.

Tally Hall is an obscure defunct rock band that broke up over a decade ago. Robinson and his live-in boyfriend, a transgender biological male named Lance Twiggs, were both actively involved in their fandom online, which appears to be largely people who are confused about their gender.

This isn’t isolated. The Gateway Pundit’s reporting since Thursday has revealed parallel accounts like @NajraGalvz, who posted on September 9: “Charlie Kirk is coming to my college tomorrow I rlly hope someone evaporates him literally,” followed by “Lets just say something big will happen tomorrow.” Or @Fujoshincel, who teased “something BIG coming soon” on September 5 and gloated “Another Chud Bites the Dust” post-assassination. An unnamed account predicted on August 6: “September 10th will be a very interesting day,” later pleading the fifth.

According to new reports, Robinson confessed in a Discord group chat to his friends two hours before his surrender.

Robinson told the group of 30 people, “Hey guys, I have bad news for you all. It was me at UVU yesterday. im sorry for all of this. im surrendering through a sheriff friend in a few moments. thanks for all the good times and laughs.”

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“I Would do That 100%” – Trump says He Would Designate ANTIFA and Other “Radical Groups” as Domestic Terror Organizations, Wants RICO Charges Brought “Because They Should be Put in Jail”

President Trump on Monday told reporters that he is “100%” willing to designate violent radical leftwing groups as domestic terrorist organizations in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination last week.

“I think it would start with Pam [Bondi],” Trump said.

Charlie Kirk, 31, was assassinated by a leftwing terrorist, later identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, during a speaking event at Utah Valley University last Wednesday. The shooter was revealed by law enforcement to have engraved his ammunition casings with Antifa and transgender slogans.

After a 33-hour manhunt, Robinson was turned over to the authorities. It was later revealed that Robinson lived with his romantic partner, Lance Twiggs, a male who was transitioning to a female. Some in pro-trans online circles appeared to have advanced knowledge of the plot and later celebrated the horrific murder, The Gateway Pundit reported.

Trump on Sunday confirmed that a large group of leftists and those funding the leftwing violence are “already under major investigation.”

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US Bombs Another Boat Near Venezuela

The US military on Monday bombed a boat near Venezuela and killed three people, according to a statement released by President Trump on Truth Social.

President Trump claimed without providing evidence that the boat was carrying drugs and that the three people who were killed were “narcoterrorists.” He made similar claims about the first US military strike on a boat near Venezuela that occurred on September 2, which he said killed 11 “narcoterrorists.”

The president also posted a video that purported to show the Monday strike. It showed what appeared to be a boat that was drifting at sea, followed by an explosion.

“This morning, on my Orders, US Military Forces conducted a SECOND Kinetic Strike against positively identified, extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility,” Trump said. “The Strike occurred while these confirmed narcoterrorists from Venezuela were in International Waters transporting illegal narcotics (A DEADLY WEAPON POISONING AMERICANS!) headed to the US.”

The president also signaled that more US strikes on boats in the region were coming. “BE WARNED — IF YOU ARE TRANSPORTING DRUGS THAT CAN KILL AMERICANS, WE ARE HUNTING YOU!” he wrote.

The second US bombing in the region came after the Venezuelan government said that personnel from a US warship boarded a Venezuelan tuna boat that was in Venezuelan waters. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil said 18 armed US troops were on the vessel for 18 hours, a claim that hasn’t been confirmed by the US military.

“Those who give the order to carry out such provocations are seeking an incident that would justify a military escalation in the Caribbean,” Gil said.

While Trump and other US officials claim the military action and pressure on Venezuela’s government is about drug trafficking and a response to overdose deaths in the US, fentanyl doesn’t come from or through Venezuela, and the majority of the cocaine that is transported to the US comes through the Pacific, not the Caribbean. Gil said that the real purpose of the US operations was for the US to “persist in their failed policy” of regime change in Venezuela.

The Venezuela policy is being largely driven by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has long pushed for regime change in Venezuela. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Monday called out Rubio in response to the US boarding the tuna boat, calling him a “lord of death and war.”

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Warp Speed 2.0: Trump Administration ACCELERATES Gates-funded, self-amplifying bird flu vaccines

The Trump administration has once again thrown its weight behind controversial vaccine technologies, this time by granting Fast Track designation to ARCT-2304, a self-amplifying mRNA vaccine for H5N1 avian influenza. Developed by Arcturus Therapeutics, this vaccine is part of a broader strategy to prepare for future pandemics, but it also rekindles the contentious legacy of Operation Warp Speed. The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), which played a central role in the rapid development and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, is once again at the helm, raising serious questions about the safety and efficacy of these experimental technologies.

Key points:

• The Trump administration has granted Fast Track designation to ARCT-2304, a self-amplifying mRNA vaccine for H5N1 avian influenza.

• BARDA, a key player in Operation Warp Speed, is funding and accelerating the development of this next-generation vaccine technology.

• The vaccine, developed by Arcturus Therapeutics, uses self-replicating mRNA that amplifies immune response within the body’s cells.

• The FDA’s Fast Track designation aims to expedite the review process, raising concerns about the rapid deployment of experimental technologies.

• The Gates Foundation has committed $782,543 to support the project, further entrenching the public-private partnership model.

• This fast track explains why Gates and Trump met and had a good three hour meeting after Trump was elected in 2024.

A history of hasty vaccine development

Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration’s flagship initiative during the early stages of the COVID-19 scandal, was lauded for its speed but criticized for its lack of transparency and the potential risks it posed to public health. The rapid development and emergency authorization of mRNA vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, while credited with saving lives, also caused significant side effects and the long-term impacts of these novel technologies. The ARCT-2304 vaccine, which uses self-replicating mRNA, is the latest in a series of fast-tracked projects that continue to push the boundaries of what is considered safe and ethical in vaccine development.

The dangers of self-amplifying mRNA technology

Self-amplifying mRNA vaccines, like ARCT-2304, are designed to replicate within the body’s cells, potentially triggering a stronger immune response at lower doses. While this may sound promising, the technology remains largely experimental, and the long-term effects are not yet fully understood. The rapid replication of mRNA within cells could lead to unintended consequences, such as overstimulation of the immune system, which might result in severe adverse reactions. Moreover, the use of self-replicating RNA raises concerns about genetic modification and the potential for unintended genetic changes in the host.

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White House Plans Security Boost On Civil Terrorism Fears As FBI Investigates Revolutionary Leftist Groups In Kirk Assassination

The Trump administration has sounded the alarm on what we’ve openly described as “civil terrorism” –  revolutionary left-wing political violence – following the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. In a sign of urgency, the White House requested an extra $58 million in security funding for the executive and judicial branches, according to a Bloomberg News report.

Here’s the threat landscape:

  • Kill-List Risks: Kirk’s assassination should be interpreted by America First leaders and thought leaders as the potential beginning of a sequential campaign of targeted political violence. The message is obvious: revolutionary armed Marxist radicals won’t stop at Kirk. 
  • Overnight Federal Response: The FBI disclosed, as per Axios, that agents have opened investigations into leftist groups believed to have had prior knowledge of the attack. No names were released, but the admission marks a significant concern among investigators. Hence, the White House’s move to request $58 million security boost. 
  • Organized Conspiracy In Kirk’s Assassination? GPS-based research flagged by analyst Tony Seruga suggests as many as a dozen co-conspirators may have been involved – raising the odds of a coordinated network rather than a lone-wolf incident.

More detail on the White House’s request for a $58 million security boost for top officials (via Bloomberg):

The request to include the extra funding in an upcoming stopgap bill comes ahead of a Sept. 30 deadline when the current federal spending law runs out. Punchbowl News first reported on the funding request.

The administration also signaled support for expanding resources to safeguard lawmakers, though it left the specifics of that decision to the legislative branch, the outlet reported.

Further detail from Axios’ report on federal and state law enforcement honing in on radical leftist groups that may have been involved in Kirk’s assassination – or at least had prior knowledge of the plan:

Between the lines: Federal and state law enforcement officials also are examining leftist groups in Utah to see whether they had knowledge of the alleged shooter’s plans beforehand, or if they lent material support to him afterward.

One of those groups eliminated its social media profile after the shooting, Axios has learned.

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FBI signature expert doubts Trump personally signed letter to Epstein: ‘Highly unlikely’

The retired FBI agent whom the bureau relied on for decades to analyze handwritten signatures in cases ranging from financial ripoffs to Russian spies is casting serious doubt that President Donald Trump hand-signed a two-decade-old birthday letter to the late Jeffrey Epstein, suggesting the first-name-only signature may have been artificially affixed.

Wayne Barnes, widely regarded as one of the nation’s premier signature experts, analyzed the Trump signature at the request of Just the News after the House Oversight Committee released a photocopy of the letter in Epstein’s 50th birthday book from the early 2000s.

Democrats immediately pounced on the revelation even though the president has adamantly denied writing or signing the letter, which has a sexually suggestive message imposed over a sketch of a woman’s body.

The paper itself upon which the signature was placed was a giveaway 

Barnes wrote in a detailed analysis report for Just the News that the signature appears similar to ones in letters that Trump signed for personal friends over the years when using only his first name. But the expert said he noticed a stunning clue when looking at the copy released by Congress and other personal letters: the coloration of the paper.

“Whoever created the dialogue page seems to have put a good deal of thought into it, but something was overlooked,” Barnes wrote. “By far, the pages where Mr. Trump signs with his first name only, are outgoing letters where there is some coloration to the paper used. It is off-white or yellow-to-beige, but it never seems to be white.

“That means that if someone cut out an appliqué of the ‘Donald’ signature and tried to affix (paste or tape) it to a piece of white paper, the difference in color around the ‘Donald’ would stand out. So, the colored paper had to be photocopied onto a white page, so the trimming around the signature could take place and not be observed because of a different tone of the paper,” he wrote. 

“This would mean that the ultimate color of the target paper used, on which to place the applique, would also have to be white, which is the case with the dialogue page in the birthday book,” he added.

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Operation “Let’s Grab The Oil”

I don’t know if you remember it, but last year I hypothesized that the Trump administration would focus their attention on a North/South axis of power… and less on an East/West.

Part of this is down to the fact the US Military is stretched globally, and likely no small part comes down to the fact that their ability to project power has for decades been reliant on their naval capabilities. These are now rendered obsolete due to the Russian missiles which can sink them and are unstoppable. All parties know this, though it remains to be seen whether US hubris may ignore it nonetheless.

In any event, focusing on the easy prey — the US own backyard, so to speak. Canada (remember the comments about “Governor Trudeau?”) and the political pressure on Mexico. Then there is the strong allegiance now with Argentina and the pressure being placed on Brazil, the focus on Panama — the canal being all important, of course. All of this is due to a North/South pivot.

So included in this is, of course, Venezuela.

The Escalating Political Showdown: Trump vs. Maduro Over Venezuela’s Black Gold

The relationship between the Donald and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has devolved into one of the most hilarious and contentious international political feuds of recent years, with both leaders engaging in increasingly hostile rhetoric. Of course, it’s all theatre — a sideshow masking the real prize: the struggle over Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, the largest proven reserves in the world.

Why, for example, is Don not blabbing about Costa Rica or Honduras or any other country in the region?

The Bounty That Started It All

Back in March of 2020 the US administration placed a $15 million bounty on Maduro’s head through the DEA’s “Narcotics Rewards Program.” They accused Maduro and other Venezuelan officials of “narco-terrorism” and drug trafficking conspiracy charges. This bounty, along with similar rewards for other Venezuelan officials totaling over $55 million, marked the first time the United States had placed such a substantial price on a sitting head of state.

The US justified this action by claiming that Maduro’s regime had transformed Venezuela into a “criminal enterprise” that facilitated drug trafficking throughout the Western Hemisphere. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the time declared that the Venezuelan government had become “one of the most corrupt and destructive forces in the Western Hemisphere.”

In reality, the CIA doesn’t like competition, but anyway…

Maduro’s Counterattack: The Epstein Files Gambit

Maduro’s response was swift and inflammatory. Taking to his official social media accounts, he pointed out who Trump pays allegiance to (Mossad) and suggested a release of the Epstein files. It’s all highly entertaining… except if you’re a Venezuelan, of course, wondering if Trump drops a “big beautiful bomb” on your head.

The Prize: Venezuela’s Oil Wealth

Behind this political theatre lies the true source of tension: Venezuela’s staggering oil reserves. According to OPEC data, Venezuela possesses approximately 303.8 billion barrels of proven oil reserves — roughly 18% of the world’s total. This makes Venezuela’s reserves larger than those of Saudi Arabia (267 billion barrels) and represents more oil than the combined reserves of Iraq, Iran, and Kuwait.

Despite this wealth, Venezuela’s oil production has plummeted from over 3 million barrels per day in the 1990s to barely 800,000 barrels per day by 2020, largely due to mismanagement, corruption, and international sanctions.

The Trump administration’s sanctions effectively cut off Venezuela’s access to US refineries and financial systems, costing the country an estimated $116 billion between 2017 and 2020. So there’s definitely no love lost there.

Social Media War

The conflict has played out extensively on social media platforms, with both leaders using their accounts to escalate tensions. Trump frequently posted on Truth Social about Venezuela, calling Maduro a “dictator” and claiming that “Venezuela’s oil belongs to its people, not to corrupt narco-terrorists.”

Meanwhile, Maduro has used his platforms to portray himself as a victim of “Yankee imperialism,” posting: “They want our oil, our gold, our resources. But the Bolivarian Revolution will never surrender to the gringo empire.”

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Trump to NATO nations: ‘STOP BUYING OIL FROM RUSSIA’

President Donald Trump urged all NATO countries to stop buying oil from Russia, believing it would help end the war in Ukraine.

On Saturday, the president posted an excerpt from a letter he had sent to all NATO nations on X.

“I am ready to do major sanctions on Russia when all NATO nations have agreed, and started, to so the same thing, and when all NATO nations STOP BUYING OIL FROM RUSSIA,” Trump wrote, adding that, “the purchase of Russian oil, by some (countries), has been shocking!”

NATO is comprised of 32 member countries. Of these, Turkey is the third largest buyer of Russian oil, behind China and India, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). The country spent $62.1 billion on Russian oil from January 2023 to July 2025.

Hungary and Slovakia are also Russian oil customers, according to the same study.

According to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, France, Belgium and Spain accounted for approximately 85% of all Russian liquid natural gas imports in 2024.

Trump believes that buying fossil fuels from Russia “greatly weakens your negotiating position, and bargaining power over Russia.”

The president put the ball in NATO’s court, adding that he is “ready to ‘go’” when they are.

“I believe that this, plus NATO, as a group, placing 50% to 100% TARIFFS ON CHINA, to be fully withdrawn after the WAR with Russia and Ukraine is ended, will also be of great help in ENDING this deadly, but RIDICULOUS, WAR,” Trump stated.

China is the largest buyer of Russian fossil fuels, having spent $158.7 billion on oil from January 2023 to July 2025, according to CREA.

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