Tag: donald trump

President Trump Releases Fiery Late-Night Statement on Iran as U.S. Begins “Major Combat Operations”

President Donald J. Trump released a statement early Saturday morning following reports that the United States has begun what he described as “major combat operations in Iran” after Israeli forces launched pre-emptive strikes on Iranian targets overnight.

The Commander-in-Chief confirmed that American forces are now engaged in what he described as a “massive and ongoing operation” aimed at neutralizing the Iranian regime’s ability to threaten U.S. troops, American allies, and the homeland itself.

President Trump outlined a decades-long pattern of Iranian aggression, reminding Americans that the regime has openly chanted “Death to America” since its inception in 1979 while backing terrorist attacks that have killed U.S. service members across the Middle East.

He specifically cited:

  • The 1979 U.S. Embassy hostage crisis in Tehran, where dozens of Americans were held captive for 444 days
  • The 1983 Beirut Marine barracks bombing that killed 241 U.S. military personnel
  • Iranian-backed militias responsible for killing and maiming hundreds of American troops in Iraq
  • Continued proxy attacks against U.S. forces and commercial vessels in Middle Eastern shipping lanes

From Lebanon and Syria to Iraq and Yemen, the President warned that Tehran has spent decades funding and training terrorist militias responsible for destabilizing the region and spilling innocent blood.

Trump also pointed to Iran’s role in backing Hamas, which carried out the brutal October 7 attacks on Israel that killed more than 1,000 civilians, including dozens of Americans, and resulted in U.S. citizens being taken hostage.

Trump issued a direct appeal to the Iranian people, urging them to reclaim control of their nation from the country’s ruling Islamic regime.

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Trump Admin To Launch New Free-Speech Site To Combat Censorship Abroad

In response to what the Trump administration says is a rising tide of censorship in Europe, the State Department is launching a new app that will give users worldwide access to content that has been censored in other countries.

This includes not only Europe but also China and Iran. The platform, called Freedom.gov, will go live over the next several weeks, according to the State Department, and will be operable on iOS and Android devices.

“Freedom.gov is the latest in a long line of efforts by the State Department to protect and promote fundamental freedoms, both online and offline,” the State Department stated in an email to The Epoch Times. “The project will be global in its scope, but distinctly American in its mission: commemorating our commitment to free expression as we approach our 250th birthday.”

Lauding the move, Jeremy Tedesco, senior counsel at the Alliance Defending Freedom, a civil rights legal group that has been critical of recent EU speech laws, stated on X that “for 250 years, this is what America does,” citing examples such as Radio Free Europe, which broadcast into communist countries during the Cold War.

“If Europe’s bureaucrats don’t want you to see it, that tells you everything,” Tedesco stated. “Because even if your government fears freedom—ours doesn’t.”

The First Amendment, which prohibits the U.S. government from “abridging the freedom of speech,” has provided a legal restraint against government censorship that most other countries lack. 

Recent European speech laws, most notably the Digital Services Act (DSA), were ostensibly written to combat what lawmakers deemed “hate speech,” “harmful speech,” and “misinformation,” as well as pornography and abusive AI deep fakes. But critics of European speech codes say they are becoming increasingly draconian.  

In 2025, Virginie Joron, a French member of the European Parliament, called the DSA a “Trojan horse for surveillance and control.”

In Finland, Paivi Rasanen, a member of parliament, was charged for quoting Bible verses online in 2019, criticizing her church’s participation in a gay pride event. 

“I never imagined that quoting the Bible in a Twitter post would lead to years of criminal charges, yet this is now the reality in Europe,” she told The Epoch Times.

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Researchers Identify Chinese Influence Network That Targeted Trump, Japan Elections

Researchers have uncovered a network of more than 330 social media accounts linked to China that targeted U.S. President Donald Trump, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, human rights organizations, and other countries to push pro-Chinese Communist Party (CCP) narratives, according to a Feb. 26 policy brief.

The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a think tank based in Washington, discovered the network coordinating to push these narratives between December 2025 and February 2026 across X, YouTube, Tumblr, Blogger, and Quora.

The researchers identified six “clusters” of accounts that focused on different narratives, which were aimed at attacking political figures seen as acting against the CCP’s interests.

The largest nexus included 151 accounts that targeted audiences in the United States, including ones posing as American citizens and criticizing Trump’s policies, such as claiming that he had caused or worsened the fentanyl crisis. Notably, accounts with few or no followers made posts that generated thousands of replies, indicating the use of what researchers say is an “inauthentic amplification network.”

“This tactic is used to manipulate platform algorithms into pushing content into the feeds of real users,” the brief reads.

Another cluster attacked Takaichi before the Japanese election, portraying her as “corrupt and militaristic.”

A separate cluster of activity targeted Uyghur activists and promoted anti-Uyghur sentiments among Canadian and Japanese users. The CCP has persecuted the Uyghur minority in the Xinjiang region for years, conducting mass surveillance and forcing them into slave labor. There is also emerging evidence of forced organ harvesting from the group. The United States has designated the Uyghur persecution as a genocide.

A fourth narrative accused U.S. organizations of “collusion” with Taiwan and payouts to undermine China while denying the CCP’s human rights abuses.

A fifth cluster accused the United States of interfering with Honduran elections, and a sixth amplified criticism of and supported protests against the Philippine president.

In some cases, the inauthentic accounts adopted names and images similar to those of official organizations, such as U.S. agencies.

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Trump Admin Plots To FORCE Banks Into Immigration Enforcement

President Trump’s administration is ramping up its assault on illegal immigration by eyeing a bold new tactic: enlisting banks to verify the citizenship of every customer. 

This potential executive order would mandate financial institutions to collect proof like passports from both new and existing account holders, effectively cutting off undocumented migrants from the banking system they’ve exploited under open-border policies.

It’s a commonsense step to safeguard American resources, but watch as Democrats and their corporate allies howl in protest – the same crowd that fights tooth and nail against voter ID requirements won’t back this either.

The move was first reported by the Wall St Journal, with a CNN segment noting “Sources do tell CNN that the industry is concerned here because they’re worried that this kind of action, it could almost compel them to be part of the administration’s immigration crackdown.”

The policy would expand on existing know-your-customer rules, which focus on preventing money laundering but ignore citizenship status entirely. 

Banks currently don’t prohibit non-citizens from opening accounts, allowing illegals to stash funds siphoned from taxpayer-supported programs. 

Under the proposed order, institutions might have to retroactively demand documents like passports, potentially closing accounts for those who can’t prove U.S. citizenship.

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 Biden Judge Rules Trump’s Policy of Deporting Illegal Aliens to ‘Third-Party Countries’ is Unconstitutional

A federal judge on Wednesday ruled that President Trump’s policy of deporting illegal aliens to ‘third-party countries’ is unconstitutional.

The Trump Administration has been deporting illegal aliens to countries where they are not citizens.

US District Judge Brian Murphy, a Biden appointee, sided with a group of illegal aliens who filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration and said that the Trump Administration cannot deport illegals to ‘third countries.’

Judge Murphy halted his decision for 15 days so the Trump Administration can appeal.

CBS News reported:

A federal judge ruled Wednesday that a Department of Homeland Security policy that allows immigration authorities to deport migrants to “third countries” that are not their own, without first giving them notice or the opportunity to object, is unlawful.

U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy in Massachusetts sided with a group of noncitizens who filed a class-action lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security last year. He ruled that the Trump administration’s policy regarding third-country removals must be set aside.

Murphy paused his ruling for 15 days to give the Trump administration time to appeal.

Under the policy issued last March and reaffirmed last July, immigration officers did not need to give notice or an opportunity for migrants to contest their removal to third countries, so long as the government had received word from that country that deportees would not be persecuted or tortured.

Third countries are those other than the ones designated on an immigrant’s order of removal.

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Trump Claims Iran Developing Missiles To Hit US, Contradicting Intel Reports

With nuclear talks hanging in the balance, and the potential for yet another US war of choice in the Middle East, President Donald Trump escalated the rhetoric Tuesday night, warning that Iran is moving beyond just regional missile capabilities and setting its sights farther west by developing missiles capable of hitting the United States.

During his State of the Union address Tuesday night, Trump claimed, “They’ve already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they’re working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America.”

It seemed a transparent attempt to make the American people believe they are under direct threat from Tehran, in order to justify potential near-future strikes, however flimsy the case might be. So far Washington’s main talking point has been that Iran simply can never have a nuclear weapon and so something has to be done – and this actually does resonate with some sectors of the American public.

But Tehran setting its sites on directly attacking the US homeland is a huge stretch, with no serious analyst so much as suggesting the Islamic Republic has the capability or is even close.

US intelligence assessments have been very conservative on this. For example, in 2025, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) stated that Iran could potentially field a militarily viable intercontinental ballistic missile by 2035 “should Tehran decide to pursue the capability.”

Given US intelligence also has not concluded that such a decision had been made, this means Iran is likely at least a decade away from even being close to possessing such an ultra long range missile.

The US mainland is some 6000 miles away from western Iran, and currently Iran’s longest range missile is said to reach just under 1900 miles – a huge gap.

Iran’s ballistic missile focus has always been developing with an eye on the country’s number one nemesis in the region: Israel. 

There’s a broad understanding even among the Western public that in reality Washington’s anti-Iran stance has much more to do with defending Israel than the US homeland, which is clearly not under immediate threat from Tehran. There’s not so much as been a terror attack carried out by a single Iranian Shia operative on American soil in all of history.

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Is the Cartel Uprising in Mexico a Pretext for a U.S. Resource Grab?

Coordinated outbreaks of cartel violence have struck parts of western Mexico, particularly in the states of Jalisco, Guanajuato, and Michoacán. According to statements from Mexico’s Secretariat of Security and citizen reports carried by national outlets, armed groups set fire to cargo trucks and private vehicles, blocked major highways linking Guadalajara to Puerto Vallarta, and exchanged gunfire with federal security forces. Authorities confirmed multiple fatalities, including suspected cartel members and security personnel, while local governments urged residents in affected municipalities to remain indoors as a precaution.

Commercial flights at Puerto Vallarta International Airport experienced temporary delays amid road blockades, though federal officials said core infrastructure remained operational. Security analysts described the unrest as consistent with past cartel retaliation tactics designed to demonstrate territorial control rather than sustained combat. Reports of kidnappings, however, such as a group of tourists from Mexico City abducted in Mazatlán, underscore the human toll.

Setup for U.S. Supply Chains?

This turmoil is unfolding against a backdrop of critical mineral production. Mexico holds vast reserves of lithium, silver, and other critical minerals essential for batteries, electronics, and the Western surveillance capitalism economy — think data centers, electric vehicles, and AI infrastructure. The U.S. Geological Survey identifies Mexico as a top producer of eight critical minerals; it is the world’s largest silver producer and boasts untapped lithium deposits in Sonora. CJNG [i.e., Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación] territories overlap key mining areas, like silver-rich Guanajuato and Jalisco, where cartels extort operations and kidnap workers.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated calls to deploy U.S. military to “sweep away the cartels” may mask deeper concerns about securing supply chains and defending them from China. Echoing historical interventions, such rhetoric recalls propaganda expert Edward Bernays’ campaign in the 1950s, portraying Guatemala’s Jacobo Árbenz as a communist threat to justify a CIA-backed coup over United Fruit Company interests — creating the “banana republic” trope.

Today’s media frenzy over cartel violence, amplified by outlets framing Mexico as a narco-state, could serve as similar propaganda to rationalize invasion. Corruption plagues Mexico, with cartels infiltrating politics. President Claudia Sheinbaum, rejecting Trump’s offers, argued that aggressive tactics against narcos violate legal frameworks and human rights, and prioritized due process over confrontation. Yet, her administration faces criticism for leniency, as violence surges despite claims of restored normalcy. Amid unconfirmed evacuation rumors — amid her appeals for calm — the cartels’ real grip on Mexico could provide the U.S. with a modern “banana republic” excuse.

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Cuba Says It Killed Four People Who Opened Fire From a US-Registered Speed Boat

The Cuban government said on Wednesday that its coast guard killed four people who opened fire from a US-registered speedboat that entered Cuba’s territorial waters, an incident that comes amid a ramped-up US oil embargo on the country that’s meant to bring about regime change.

The Cuban Interior Ministry said in a statement that the vessel approached within one nautical mile northeast of the El Pino channel north of Corralillo, a town in the central Cuban province of Villa Clara. As the Cuban coast guard vessel approached, the Interior Ministry said the people on the foreign boat opened fire, injuring the commander of the Cuban boat.

“As a result of the confrontation, at the time of this report, on the foreign side, four aggressors were killed, and six were injured, who were evacuated and received medical assistance,” the statement said.

The ministry said the boat was registered in Florida, just 90 miles from Cuba. So far, there’s been no comment from the US about the incident.

The Trump administration recently cut off Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba and pressured Mexico to end its oil exports, causing severe fuel shortages in the country. Last week, President Trump boasted of the impact his embargo is having on Cuba.

“Cuba is right now a failed nation, and they don’t even have jet fuel for airplanes to take off, clogging up their runway,” he said, adding that he wanted a “deal” with Cuba, but in the meantime, “there’s an embargo. There’s no oil, there’s no money, there’s no anything.”

It’s unclear what sort of “deal” President Trump wants with Cuba, and whether talks between Washington and Havana are underway. Drop Site News recently reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been blocking negotiations with Cuba while telling President Trump they were ongoing, while Axios reported that Rubio has held some talks with the grandson of Raul Castro.

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Pelosi Loses It – Starts Chomping Her Dentures After Trump Calls Her Out for Insider Trading

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi was caught on camera playing with her dentures on Tuesday after President Trump called her out for insider trading during his SOTU Address.

President Trump roasted Democrats during his State of the Union Address for standing up against insider trading.

Trump called out crooked Nancy Pelosi: “Did Nancy Pelosi stand up for this?

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US Military Boards 3rd Sanctioned Oil Tanker on the Indian Ocean, Pentagon Announces

U.S. military forces boarded a third sanctioned oil tanker on the Indian Ocean after it was tracked from the Caribbean Sea, officials announced Tuesday.

The Pentagon stated that U.S. military forces boarded the Bertha vessel overnight without incident, according to a post on X. Video footage included in the post shows military helicopters flying around the vessel.

“Three boats ran and now all three have been captured,” the Department of War stated. “The vessel was operating in defiance of President [Donald] Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean and attempted to evade. From the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, we tracked it and stopped it. No other nation has the global reach, endurance, or will to enforce sanctions at this distance.”

The post added that the military would continue to “deny illicit actors and their proxies freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain.”

The Bertha, which flies under a Cook Islands flag, is linked to Shanghai Legendary Ship Management Company Limited and falls under sanctions imposed in January 2020, according to the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Following the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in Caracas by U.S. forces in January, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration would move to enforce a quarantine of sanctioned oil tankers operating to and from Venezuela.

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