Tag: donald trump

Trump has yet to provide Congress hard evidence that targeted boats carried drugs, officials say

The Trump administration has yet to provide underlying evidence to lawmakers proving that alleged drug-smuggling boats targeted by the U.S. military in a series of fatal strikes were in fact carrying narcotics, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the matter.

As bipartisan frustration with the strikes mounts, the Republican-controlled Senate on Wednesday voted down a war powers resolution that would have required the president to seek authorization from Congress before further military strikes on the cartels.

The military has carried out at least four strikes on boats that the White House said were carrying drugs, including three it said originated from Venezuela. It said 21 people were killed in the strikes.

The officials, who were not authorized to comment publicly about the matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the administration has only pointed to unclassified video clips of the strikes posted on social media by President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and has yet to produce “hard evidence” that the vessels were carrying drugs.

The administration has not explained why it has blown up vessels in some cases, while carrying out the typical practice of stopping boats and seizing drugs at other times, one of the officials said.

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Trump Says He Will Designate Antifa Foreign Terror Org During Meeting with Independent Journalists Posobiec, Sortor

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he would designate Antifa a foreign terrorist organization after a roundtable on the far-left extremist group with independent journalists,  Jack Posobiec, Nick Sortor, and others who have delivered tremendous on-the-ground reporting on Antifa.

While fielding questions from members of the press pool observing the roundtable, one reporter asked Trump if he would designate Antifa, which he has labeled a domestic terrorist group, as a foreign terrorist group.

“Well, has that been done? Pretty close, right? Would you like to see it done,” Trump asked, to which Posibeic immediately responded, “Yes, Mr. President.”

“They have foreign links all across Western Europe, the Middle East,” Posoibec added.

Trump added he would like to take such action, telling Secretary of State Marco Rubio, “We’ll take care of it.”

When Trump conferred with White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, Miller signed on.

“Yes, it’s true. There are extensive foreign ties, and I think that would be a very valid step to take,” Miller said.

Trump invited both Sortor, who Portland police arrested last week while he covered Antifa at an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protest, and Posobiec to speak during the roundtable.

Sortor brought an American flag he saved from radicals who set it ablaze in the Portland street and displayed it before Cabinet officials and reporters in the room.

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President Trump Suggests that Brandon Johnson and JB Pritzker May Face Criminal Charges – DHS Sec Kristi Noem Reveals that Portland Police Were Cheering on Antifa’s Calls for Violence with Their “Fists in the Air”, Says Officials Should be Prosecuted

President Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called for the prosecution of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker for perpetuating attacks against law enforcement on Wednesday during a “Roundtable on ANTIFA” at the White House.

As The Gateway Pundit reported, federal officers from CBP and ICE were recently ambushed by a convoy of roughly ten vehicles in what officials described as a “coordinated assault” by domestic extremists against law enforcement.

Chicago police, however, were explicitly ordered to stand down and ignore the distress calls from federal agents.

“The governor knew about it, the mayor knew about it,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday, while suggesting criminality.

Trump called for Brandon Johnson and JB Pritzker to be jailed on Truth Social this morning, stating, “Chicago Mayor should be in jail for failing to protect Ice Officers! Governor Pritzker also!“

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Senate Votes Down Resolution Seeking to Halt Trump’s Use of Military Force Against Cartel Boats

The U.S. Senate has voted against legislation seeking to direct the withdrawal of the U.S. military from hostilities that have not been authorized by Congress.

The proposal was a direct challenge to President Donald Trump’s decision as commander in chief to use military force against drug cartels operating in waters around the United States.

The 48-51 vote on Wednesday was mostly split along party lines, although Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Maine) crossed the floor to support the Democrat-led resolution, while Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) crossed the floor to join the majority of Republicans to reject it.

Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) sponsored the measure, which was filed under the War Powers Act of 1973.

The resolution bill sought to direct the removal of the United States military from hostilities that Congress has not authorized. The bill came in response to U.S. military hits on four vessels linked to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. U.S. officials said the ships were involved in smuggling drugs into the United States. At least 21 people have been killed in these military operations.

The resolution said that drug trafficking could not be considered an armed attack or an imminent threat justifying military action, and that designating an organization as a foreign terrorist group did not authorize such use of force. It noted the United States retains the right to act in self-defense against an armed attack.

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Trump blocked from deploying National Guard in OR but can federalize troops, court says

 The 9th Circuit Court has granted an administrative stay on a temporary restraining order that had blocked the federalization and deployment of 200 Oregon National Guard members.

The administrative stay follows a Tuesday order from Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek telling guardsmen to demobilize and go home.

Wednesday’s order from the 9th Circuit judges keeps the Guard under federal control but blocks their deployment until the panel of judges can rule more broadly on the Trump administration’s request to overrule a district judge’s order that blocks the Guard’s deployment in Portland.

Arguments on the federal government’s appeal are scheduled for Thursday morning at 9 a.m.

The initial restraining order, issued on Oct. 4, was in response to a memorandum from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authorizing the deployment.

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National Guard troops begin arriving in Chicago to help with crime despite governor’s opposition

Hundreds of National Guard troops began arriving in Chicago on Wednesday morning to help with the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce violent crime in the Illinois city, despite pushback from the state’s governor.

The National Guard deployment consisted of approximately 200 troops from Texas and 300 from the Illinois National Guard, according to U.S. Northern Command. The troops will be stationed in the city for 60 days.

“These forces will protect U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other U.S. Government personnel who are performing federal functions, including the enforcement of federal law, and to protect federal property,” Northern Command said in a statement. 

The troops will be under Northern Command’s control.

Chicago and Illinois have sued the Trump administration to prevent the deployment of the National Guard and the city and state leaders have furiously condemned federal law enforcement operations in Chicago. 

​“The brave men and women who serve in our national guards must not be used as political props,” Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said on Sunday. “This is a moment where every American must speak up and help stop this madness.”

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Israel Ignores Trump Demand To Stop Bombing During Peace Discussions

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has ignored President Trump’s request to stop the bombing of Gaza during negotiations with the leaders of Hamas over the latest peace proposal. It appears that Trump may be changing some of his views and slowly beginning to realize that, as the Jewish New York Times Columnist, Tom Friedman, wrote last May 9, “Netanyahu is not our friend.”

In just the last few days, Trump has said emphatically that he will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank, criticized Israel’s bombing of Qatar, and has publicly called for Israel to stop bombing Gaza during the peace discussions.

In addition, Axios reported this past weekend that Trump expressed his frustration in a phone call with Netanyahu telling him “You are always so f——ing negative.” Hopefully, Trump was not fooled by Netanyahu’s showy flattery nominating him for the Nobel peace prize at a White House dinner. AI defines flattery as “excessive or dishonest praise given to further one’s interest rather than to genuinely admire another person.” That is exactly what Netanyahu was doing, and everyone knew it.

Several former presidents have been angered by Netanyahu or by actions or demands by earlier Israeli leaders. According to a 2024 CNN story “Netanyahu earned the undying enmity of former President Barack Obama for trying to tank the Iran nuclear deal” and that former President Bill Clinton “exploded” after his first meeting with Netanyahu saying “Who’s the f——ing Superpower here?”

In fact, according to AI and several news reports, almost every U.S. President since Eisenhower, both Democrats and Republicans, have expressed anger or frustration with Israel’s demands, wars, and settlement policies.

Eisenhower went the furthest. According to AI, he was “furious” with Israel for its demand for the U.S. to go with it to war with Egypt over the Suez Canal. “Eisenhower threatened to impose economic sanctions and cut off all aid to force Israel to withdraw its troops from the Sinai Peninsula. The pressure worked and Israel pulled back its forces.” What is most amazing is that Eisenhower did this on national television just one week before the 1956 Presidential election.

A recent Washington Post poll revealed that, “Many American Jews sharply disapprove of Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza, with 61% saying Israel has committed war crimes….and about 4 in 10 saying the country is guilty of genocide against the Palestinians….”

This poll of 815 American Jews also said 68% gave “negative marks to Netanyahu’s leadership of Israel.” The same report said hundreds of thousands had turned out for pro Palestinian demonstrations across Europe, including 250,000 in Rome.

Israel’s genocide against the Palestinians has now been condemned by huge majorities in 95% of the countries in this world in both street protests and official actions by national governments and the United Nations.

The U.S. has stood as Israel’s only significant ally, along with a very few tiny countries afraid of losing American foreign aid. It is obvious that our Congress would have led the condemnation of what has gone on in Gaza if it had happened in any other country than Israel. In this situation, the silence by members of Congress has been deafening, apparently because of fear of money directed by the Israel Lobby.

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‘Epstein bomb set to drop — nobody wants to defend Trump’: 100 GOP Reps to mutiny, congressman warns

A Democratic congressman claimed that a staggering number of his GOP colleagues are ready to defy Donald Trump over the release of the Epstein files because they don’t want ‘to defend a pedo-protector.’

California Rep. Eric Swalwell said on Wednesday he had discussed the issue with ‘a lot of House Republicans’ and that their efforts to stop a vote to release the full documents are ‘fading.’

‘It’s coming to an end guys. I’ve spoken to a lot of House Republicans this week and they’ve confided that Trump’s movement/support is fading,’ Swalwell wrote on X.

‘As one told me, “this Epstein bomb is about to drop and no want [sic] wants to defend a pedo-protector. It’s just a matter of time.”‘

Swalwell then claimed in a follow-up post: ‘One Republican just texted me that if there’s a discharge vote on Epstein they expect a “jail break” of over 100 members. Trump will go nuts!’

Republican Rep. Thomas Massie said on Sunday that he has the 218 signatures required for the vote. A discharge petition allows lawmakers to circumvent party leaders to force a vote.

Some of Swalwell’s critics were quick to seize on the fact that congressman did not specify which Republicans he claimed to have spoken to and accused him of making the whole thing up.

The Democrat’s statement came as the government shutdown stretched into an eighth day Wednesday, with Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson keeping the chamber in recess during the funding the stalemate.

The break has prevented the House from moving forward with the petition, leading Swalwell, Massie and others to accuse Johnson of stalling to avoid a vote.

Arizona Democratic Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, whose signature on the petition would tip the scales in favor of releasing the files, is waiting to be sworn into office as the recess drags on.

On Tuesday, Johnson denied that he is holding up Grijalva’s swearing-in to keep her from casting the decisive vote.

‘It has nothing to do with that at all,’ he said. ‘We will swear her in when everybody gets back.’

MAGA loyalist Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of four House Republicans to join Democrats in signing the petition, said she has never felt more heat on an issue. 

‘My signature is on that discharge petition, and there has not been another issue where I have ever received more pressure than that one, and I’m pretty much shocked by it,’ Greene told NewsNation.  

‘I can’t imagine — I’ve never understood how this is an issue.’ 

She added: ‘I think when it comes to women being raped, especially when they were 14 years old, that’s pretty black and white.’  

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Trump Goes SCORCHED EARTH on Richard “Da Nang Dick” Blumenthal, Demands Investigation Into Lies About His Vietnam War Military Service

President Trump went scorched earth on Democrat Senator Richard “Da Nang Dick” Blumenthal and called for him to be investigated for lying about his military service in Vietam.

Stolen Valor Blumenthal, for decades, lied about being a ‘war hero’ in the Vietnam War.

Blumenthal did not serve in Vietnam. In fact, he joined the Marine Corps Reserve and received five draft deferments according to military records.

After Blumenthal was exposed for lying about his Vietnam War service, he came out and absurdly claimed that he had merely “misspoken” and really meant to say that he served “during the Vietnam era.”

It was all a lie, and now President Trump wants Blumenthal investigated for lying about his military service.

“Sanctimonious Richard “Da Nang Dick” Blumenthal, perhaps the biggest “joke” in the United States Senate, is at it again! “Dick” lied until the midpoint of his political career, convincing everyone, in particular the Fake News Media, that he was a great “War Hero” who lived on the precipice of death in the jungles of Vietnam. He would talk about his life in the military in almost every speech, in particular the death defying dangers he faced in his many years “fight for freedom” while in Vietnam. He stated that “the battles were violent and long, but there was no going back” – And then it happened, Blumenthal was found out to be a FRAUD,” Trump said on Truth Social.

“The soldiers in his so-called “platoon” came forward and said that they had no idea who this guy was. He was revealed, broke down and admitted, tears flowing from his eyes, that he LIED, a Whopper, one that lasted 20 year. This guy shouldn’t even be in the U.S. Senate. It should be investigated, and Justice should be sought. Right now there is a Congressman sitting in prison for lying about his past during a campaign. Well, those lies were nothing compared to those of Richard “Da Nang Dick” Blumenthal, perhaps the greatest phony in the history of the United States Senate. He should be allowed to speak no longer!” Trump said.

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The Monroe Doctrine is back – dressed up as a war on drugs

President Donald Trump has hinted that US forces could soon move from sea to land operations in Venezuela, expanding what he called “a war on terrorist drug cartels.”

Speaking at a Navy anniversary ceremony in Norfolk, Virginia, Trump said American forces had struck another vessel off Venezuela’s coast allegedly carrying narcotics.

“In recent weeks, the Navy has supported our mission to blow the cartel terrorists the hell out of the water … we did another one last night. Now we just can’t find any,” he said.

“They’re not coming in by sea anymore, so now we’ll have to start looking about the land because they’ll be forced to go by land.”

According to Washington, at least four such strikes have taken place in the Caribbean in recent weeks, leaving more than 20 people dead. Trump also declared members of drug cartels to be “unlawful combatants,” a label he said allows the US to use military force without congressional approval.

These remarks mark a sharp escalation in Washington’s so-called “anti-narcotics” campaign – the largest US military operation in the region since the 1989 invasion of Panama. Officially, it targets drug traffickers. In reality, it’s becoming something much larger: a test of American dominance in its old sphere of influence – and a direct challenge to Venezuela.

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