Tag: donald trump

Did We Just See Trump’s Ukraine Peace Plan?

A leaked document has given us a first glimpse at Trump’s peace plan for Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian online newspaper Strana, U.S. officials handed the plan to European diplomats who then passed it on to Ukraine.

The existence of the plan has not been verified, and Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, has said “no ‘100-day peace plan’ as reported by the media exists in reality.”

If the plan is real, if it is being put on the table by the Trump administration as a finished product that, if rejected, will lead to more sanctions on Russia and more weapons for Ukraine, as Trump has threatened, then the war will go on, and Trump’s promise to quickly end the war will vanish in a puff of delusion. But if the plan is put on the table as a starting point for negotiations, then there is hope. And there is suggestion that it is a starting point.

Here is an item by item analysis of what each side may consider acceptable in the plan and what each side may insist on negotiating further.

The process begins with an immediate phone call between Trump and Putin followed by discussions between Washington and Kiev. That the plan may be intended as a starting point for negotiations is suggested by the fork in the schedule that negotiations will continue if common ground is found or pause if it is not. Further negotiations would lead to an Easter truce along the front line, an end of April peace conference, and a May 9 declaration of an agreement.

Russia has said that the Istanbul agreement could still be “the basis for starting negotiations.” In June, 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin set out a peace proposal based on the Istanbul agreement, but adjusted for current territorial realities. Putin’s proposal had four points. Ukraine must abandon plans to join NATO, they must withdraw from the four annexed territories, they must agree to limits on the size of their armed forces, and they must ensure the rights of ethnic Russians in Ukraine.

The alleged Trump plan can be evaluated by comparison to Putin’s proposal and to recent statements made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

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Audit USAID… Then Shut It Down!

As of this writing, when you attempt to access the US Agency for International Development (USAID) website or social media pages you are informed that, “This site can’t be reached.” The media reports that the new Trump Administration has not only frozen USAID activities but may be planning on bringing it back under control of the US State Department. Other reports, including statements by Elon Musk, suggest that it will be closed completely.

If true, the closing of USAID may be one of the most significant changes President Trump has made among many dramatic actions in his first couple of weeks in office. Many Americans may still have the idea that USAID is a government agency delivering relief at disaster sites overseas. They may still remember the bags of rice or grain with the USAID logo on them. But that is not USAID.

USAID is a key component of the US government’s “regime change” operations worldwide. USAID spends billions of dollars every year propping up “NGOs” overseas that function as shadow governments, eating away at elected governments that the US interventionists want to overthrow. Behind most US foreign policy disasters overseas you will see the fingerprints of USAID. From Ukraine to Georgia and far beyond, USAID is meddling in the internal affairs of foreign countries – something that would infuriate Americans if it was happening to us.

When President Trump ordered a 90 day pause in USAID activities, we quickly learned just how pernicious the agency really is. The US media reported that Ukrainian press outlets were scrambling to keep their doors open when the US dollars stopped flowing. It is reported that 90 percent of the media outlets are funded by the US government!

This means that there is virtually no independent media in Ukraine, only fake news outlets willing to toe the US Administration’s propaganda line. Does anyone think these wholly US-funded “news” outlets would ever publish a story that the US government did not want published?

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Canada announces US tariffs on hold for 30 days after Justin Trudeau holds ‘good phone call with President Trump’

President Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a temporary deal Monday evening to halt the imposition of 25% tariffs on each other’s imports for 30 days while a final border security pact gets hashed out.

Trump, 78, and Trudeau, 53, spoke on the phone twice Monday before announcing the agreement, with Canada set to ensure 10,000 troops will be stationed at the northern border and the PM vowing to take steps to crack down on fentanyl smuggling.

“Canada has agreed to ensure we have a secure Northern Border, and to finally end the deadly scourge of drugs like Fentanyl that have been pouring into our Country,” Trump announced on Truth Social, following the call with Trudeau. “Canada will implement their $1.3 Billion Border plan.”

“As President, it is my responsibility to ensure the safety of ALL Americans, and I am doing just that,” he added. “I am very pleased with this initial outcome.”

In a separate post on X, Trudeau indicated that Canada would move ahead with its $1.3 billion border plan announced in December, weeks after Trump first threatened the 25% duties that were due to take effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday. (Canadian energy products would have been subjected to a lower 10% rate.)

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ICE ramping up arrests, deportations of criminal aliens in Trump’s first two weeks

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is ramping up arrests and deportations of criminal aliens in the first few weeks of President Donald Trump’s second term.

As of Jan. 31, ICE-led operations have resulted in the arrest of more than 8,000 illegal immigrants, based on a collection of the agency’s social media posts since January 23.

ICE officers in Denver arrested an illegal Mexican national on Jan. 30 in Adams County, Colorado who was previously charged with assault and kidnapping. ICE also arrested four criminal aliens each with “convictions or charges related to sexual assault” in Washington state this month.

“Sanctuary Cities” fairly powerless

ICE has been making arrests of illegal immigrants with criminal records in sanctuary cities and counties, which do not cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said this week that it will be up to Trump whether to take direct action against mayors of sanctuary cities. In the meantime, she said ICE will continue its efforts to remove illegal immigrants with criminal records from U.S. communities.

Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), a division of ICE, apprehended Luis Adolfo Guerra-Perez, a 19-year-old Guatemalan MS-13 gang member who was previously charged with drug and weapons crimes. He was arrested in Boston, a sanctuary city, on Jan. 22.

On the same day, they arrested Juan Alberto Rodezno-Marin in Boston. Rodezno-Marin, 39, was “charged in Massachusetts with indecent assault and battery on person over 14, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, masked armed robbery and assault to rape,” according to the agency.

ICE officers in Boston also arrested Wisteguens Jean Quely Charles, a “member of a violent Haitian street gang,” who is illegally present in the U.S. and has 17 criminal convictions in Massachusetts.

ICE “conducted a worksite enforcement operation” on Jan. 28 at Complete Autowash in Philadelphia “based on allegations employees were being subjected to labor exploitation.” Philadelphia is a self-described sanctuary city.

“ICE encountered, interviewed and arrested seven illegal aliens for immigration violations, who were subsequently detained pending removal,” a news release said.

ERO deported Nestor Flores Encarnacion, who is wanted in Mexico for raping a child, to his home country of Mexico on Jan. 23. Flores, a 58-year-old illegal immigrant, had illegally entered the U.S. four times.

Tom Homan, the Trump administration’s border czar, said ICE arrested convicted illegal immigrants with murders, sex offenses and gang affiliations on their records during enforcement efforts in Chicago on January 26.

Trump pledged during the 2024 campaign to conduct mass deportations of illegal immigrants with criminal records.

The illegal immigrants with criminal records that have been arrested by ICE since Jan. 20 are “pending removal” from the U.S. Official removal statistics for the month of January are not yet available.

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Survey: Nearly Half of Canadian Businesses Plan to Move Production to the U.S — 60% Are Looking for Business Acquisitions In Response to Trump Tariffs

A seismic shift is underway in Canada’s business landscape as President Trump’s tariffs drive companies south of the border.

On Saturday, President Donald Trump enacted substantial tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China. These measures are designed to address pressing national concerns, including illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and trade imbalances.

The administration has imposed a 25% tariff on all goods from Canada and Mexico, with a 10% tariff specifically on Canadian energy exports. Imports from China are now subject to a 10% tariff.

According to a new KPMG survey, nearly half of Canadian businesses (48%) are actively planning to move production or investments to the United States to stay competitive, while 60% are exploring acquisitions in the U.S. market.

Recognizing the writing on the wall, an overwhelming 65% of Canadian businesses took proactive measures before President Trump even stepped into office.

Many began shipping goods to the U.S. ahead of potential tariffs, ensuring their products avoided any sudden cost increases.

“The new U.S. administration’s economic and trade policies are having huge ripple effects in Canada and around the world,” says Lucy Iacovelli, Canadian Managing Partner, Tax and Legal, KPMG in Canada. “There are important steps that Canadian businesses can take to prepare for trade disruption and higher costs and build resiliency.

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Trump’s Tariff War

The leaders of Canada and Mexico are indignant because Trump slammed 25 percent tariffs onto their exports. In this dispute, most of the world will side with Canada and Mexico, and Trump will be viewed as mean, erratic and even racist. It is likely that Democrats will also blast Trump, but that will be a mistake — for Democrats.

For years, the nation has talked about massive numbers of fentanyl deaths, yet there has been little or no relief. Trump is taking the only action that is likely to alleviate the problem in a significant way.

On this issue, the resistance offered by Canada and Mexico has been disgraceful. President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico put the blame entirely on the United States, and promised her own 25 percent retaliatory tariffs.

Sheinbaum arrogantly declared that Americans can solve the fentanyl problem by combating “the sale of narcotics on the streets of their main cities, which they don’t do.” In an ideal world, that might be a solution. However, our “main cities” are run by Democrat mayors and district attorneys, and they don’t care much about crime unless it can be pinned onto someone in MAGA world. To solve the illegal migrant and drug problem, we need more cooperation from Mexico, as Sheinbaum should know.

The response of Canada’s prime minister is just as inadequate. Justin Trudeau indicated that Canada will issue its own 25 percent tariffs, targeted towards certain U.S. products. He then tried to sweet-talk Americans by claiming that the border and drug problems are not very significant (“…already safe and secure”), and that Canada has implemented a major plan to remedy the minor problem. Let’s examine Trudeau’s big plan.

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How Trump’s Dismantling Of USAID Marks A Seismic, Historic Shift In America’s Role In The World

The most consequential decision and executive order which came within the opening days of President Donald Trump’s administration has without doubt been his “reevaluating and realigning US foreign aid” — which sent shockwaves through Washington especially given federal funding has been cut to USAID in a shock blow to the agency. But it is also having a massive ripple effect throughout the world. Some foreign powers will welcome the news, while many allies as well as an assortment of US-backed ‘opposition groups’ will feel completely abandoned.

This has meant that pro-Western media outlets, NGOs, and ‘soft power’ organizations are in panic mode. This has basically overnight shutdown a multi-billion dollar regime change apparatus which pushed or often imposed American interests throughout the globe, especially in the very vulnerable Third World, as well as former Soviet satellite regions. The way this works on a practical, on the ground level is detailed in the well-known book Confessions Of An Economic Hit Man. As for Trump’s apparent efforts to dismantle the powerful USAID agency, we compiled some of the best current analysis from around the web outlining the huge significance of this move, which is nothing less than a historic reset (and we say a very welcome reset) of Washington’s relations with the rest of the world.

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Trump Should End the Ukraine War Now

President Trump had a simple but profound message about the Ukraine war during his campaign: “I want everybody to stop dying. They’re dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying.”

About two weeks into his second term in office, Russians and Ukrainians are still dying, and not just soldiers. On January 29, a Ukrainian drone killed a mother and her two-year-old child in Russia’s Belgorod Oblast. The following day, a Russian drone slammed into an apartment building in northeastern Ukraine, killing six people, who were described as three older married couples.

Trump has reportedly given his envoy to the conflict, Keith Kellogg, 100 days to end the war, and a purported leaked plan drawn up by the administration would call for a ceasefire by Easter to begin talks on a lasting peace deal.

But between now and then, many more Ukrainians and Russians will die. And for what? There’s nothing the US can do now to give Ukraine any real leverage over Russia. Time is on Russia’s side, and everybody knows it. Ukraine will have to make serious concessions to achieve peace, and that will be the situation now and in 100 days.

There are other reasons to stop the war besides the daily casualties. The risk of escalation is still very real as Ukrainian drones are flying into Russia on a daily basis and sometimes target very sensitive infrastructure, including nuclear power plants.

Contrary to what many believe, Ukraine did not build up its drone capabilities by itself. In its final days, the Biden administration decided to reveal a once-secret program that funded Ukrainian drone development to the tune of $1.5 billion. We also know that Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia are carried out using intelligence from the West.

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Trump orders review to identify, punish and deport antisemites — including students on visas

President Trump signed an executive order Wednesday instructing federal agencies to identify “all civil and criminal authorities” available to combat antisemitism — including finding ways to deport anti-Jewish activists who violated laws.

The order, first reported by The Post, requires agency and department leaders to provide the White House with recommendations within 60 days and outlines plans for the Justice Department to investigate pro-Hamas graffiti and intimidation, including on college campuses.

“Jewish students have faced an unrelenting barrage of discrimination; denial of access to campus common areas and facilities, including libraries and classrooms; and intimidation, harassment, and physical threats and assault,” the order says.

“It shall be the policy of the United States to combat anti-Semitism vigorously, using all available and appropriate legal tools, to prosecute, remove, or otherwise hold to account the perpetrators of unlawful anti-Semitic harassment and violence.”

The executive order calls for the deportation of resident aliens — including students with visas — who broke laws as part of anti-Israel protests following the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks that sparked the invasion of Gaza.

“[T]he Secretary of State, the Secretary of Education, and the Secretary of Homeland Security… shall include in their reports recommendations for familiarizing institutions of higher education with the grounds for inadmissibility under 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3) so that such institutions may monitor for and report activities by alien students and staff relevant to those grounds and for ensuring that such reports about aliens lead, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, to investigations and, if warranted, actions to remove such aliens,” the order says.

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Canada Has Detailed Retaliation Plan to Harm Republican States the Most in Response to Trump’s Tariffs

Why is Canada targeting Republican-led states?

President Trump officially imposed tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China on Saturday after they had ignored his threats.

Trump slapped the tariffs on the three countries under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

  • 25% tariffs on all Mexico imports
  • 25% tariffs on nearly all Canadian imports — 10% on Canadian energy resources
  • 10% tariffs on all China imports

“Today, I have implemented a 25% Tariff on Imports from Mexico and Canada (10% on Canadian Energy), and a 10% additional Tariff on China. This was done through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) because of the major threat of illegal aliens and deadly drugs killing our Citizens, including fentanyl. We need to protect Americans, and it is my duty as President to ensure the safety of all. I made a promise on my Campaign to stop the flood of illegal aliens and drugs from pouring across our Borders, and Americans overwhelmingly voted in favor of it,” President Trump said on Truth Social on Saturday.

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