Tag: donald trump

Deploying Troops to U.S. Cities Cost Half a Billion Dollars in 2025

After threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act to put down sometime-violent protests in Minneapolis with military force, President Donald Trump appears to have backed off, standing-down the troops slated for deployment. That’s a win for domestic peace, reducing the chances of worse conflict on city streets than we’ve already seen over the past year. It’s also a boon for taxpayers, given the high price tag—a half-billion dollars to date—that comes with deploying soldiers to patrol American communities.

Military Occupation of American Cities

In response to vigorous resistance to the Trump administration’s often-brutal immigration enforcement, the federal government several times deployed National Guard and active-duty military personnel to American cities. In the name of suppressing crime (in the nation’s capital) and protecting federal personnel and property, the president sent or attempted to send troops to Democrat-led cities including Chicago, Los Angeles, Memphis, Portland, Oregon, and Washington, D.C. The deployments look as much like schemes to humiliate the president’s political opponents as they resemble enforcement of federal policy.

Judicial responses to the deployments have been mixed, though leaning toward deep skepticism. A federal judge ruled that use of the National Guard and Marines in Los Angeles violated the Posse Comitatus Act, which restricts domestic use of the military. The U.S. Supreme Court blocked military deployments to Chicago, also with reference to the limited permissible use of the military. Now, with tensions rising, the White House looks to be pausing its efforts to militarize immigration enforcement.

Given the conflict we’ve already seen related to immigration enforcement, including the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents, that’s a relief to those of us hoping to avoid worse social unrest and to avert—or at least delay—what appears to be a looming national cataclysm. But at a time of rising federal deficits and debt and semi-serious attempts to slash government expenditures, stepping back from sending troops into the streets could also save money.

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Trump backs Bill and Hillary Clinton amid Epstein probe in stunning rebuke to House Republicans

President Donald Trump said he’s ‘bothered’ by a Republican-led investigation into Ex-President Bill Clinton‘s connections to pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. 

The House Oversight Committee has been wrangling with Bill and Hillary Clinton for the couple to sit for a deposition in the panel’s Epstein probe. 

This week, it was announced that Bill will sit for a deposition on February 27, while Hillary will sit before the panel the day before, with the former first lady demanding the proceedings take place in public.  

‘It bothers me that somebody is going after Bill Clinton,’ Trump told NBC News on Wednesday, indicating he may be at odds with the Republican-led investigation.

‘See, I like Bill Clinton. I still like Bill Clinton,’ he added. ‘I liked his behavior toward me. I thought he got me. He understood me.’

His remarks stand in contrast to those of House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, the Republican leading the probe, who has accused the Clintons of delaying their appearances and defying orders from Congress. 

When pressed by the Daily Mail about why the president appears to be defending Clinton, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said it’s because the two presidents share a ‘good relationship.’ 

‘The President has respect for the former president,’ Leavitt explained. ‘They shared a good relationship.’ 

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Leftist Group Gets Millions of Taxpayer Dollars to Help Illegal Aliens After Trump Order Bans It

The Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee is promoting his investigation of a leftist group that received massive amounts of taxpayer dollars from the Biden administration to help illegal immigrants while omitting that the Trump administration kept the cash flowing. In fact, a $200 million program that gives illegal alien minors free lawyers was briefly cancelled and quietly reinstated by the Trump administration within days, though there is no mention of the abrupt about face in the probe announced last week by Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan, a former collegiate wrestling champion serving his tenth term in the House.

Shortly after President Trump issued an executive order, back in mid-February 2025, ensuring taxpayer resources are used to protect the interest of American citizens and not to incentivize or support illegal immigration, the $200 million allocation for migrant kids got axed. The money was going to the same leftwing nonprofit that Jordan’s committee is investigating, though the veteran lawmaker’s new audit only mentions that it is focusing on how the open borders group has spent hundreds of millions of dollars awarded under Biden-Harris. The target is the Acacia Center for Justice, a Washington D.C. nonprofit that partners with a national network of human rights defenders to provide legal defense to immigrants at risk of detention or deportation. “Acacia envisions a nation with a transformed immigration system that embodies freedom from detention, due process, and equal protection, where every person facing the prospect of exile and community separation has access to meaningful legal defense,” the group writes on its website, which assures its network of attorneys fight for all immigrants regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race or previous interaction with the criminal system.

Just a few days after suspending the $200 million annual program that funds the Acacia Center’s initiative to provide illegal alien minors with free legal assistance, the Trump administration quietly restored it with no further explanation. The center’s executive director, Shaina Aber, celebrated the speedy reinstatement of the government’s multi-million-dollar UAC defense program, saying in a press release that “it is unconscionable” that children who arrive in the U.S. unaccompanied by parents or legal guardians should be forced to represent themselves in immigration court. The hefty award is part of a billion-dollar commitment launched in 2022 by a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) agency known as Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to legally represent underage migrants, known as Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC), who cross the border without a parent. Over 600,000 UAC have crossed illegally into the U.S. through Mexico since 2019 and Uncle Sam spends hundreds of millions of dollars to house, educate, feed, entertain and medically treat them. Under Trump’s America First policies—and his executive order banning the use of taxpayer resources to incentivize or support illegal immigration—that was supposed to change.

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Trump: The U.S. Military Used a “Secret Weapon” To Kidnap Maduro

United States President Donald Trump claimed that the American military used a new secret weapon during the abduction of Venezuelan ruler, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife. The weapons supposedly used to disable Venezuela’s air defense systems during the raid on Caracas.

Back in April, Trump did say that the U.S. has several secret weapons.

Trump Says The U.S. Has Secret Weapons

In an interview with the New York Post, which was published on Saturday, Trump said the mysterious weapon, called the “discombobulator,” had “made [enemy] equipment not work.”

“The Discombobulator. I’m not allowed to talk about it,” Trump said during an exclusive interview in the Oval Office. Trump claimed he would love to talk about the weapon, but that it worked. “They never got their rockets off. They had Russian and Chinese rockets, and they never got one off. We came in, they pressed buttons, and nothing worked. They were all set for us,” he said of Venezuela’s readiness leading up to the military campaign.

That revelation followed on-the-ground accounts from Venezuela describing how Maduro’s foot soldiers were brought to their knees, “bleeding through the nose” and vomiting blood. Additionally, a self-identified member of the deposed despot’s team of guards recounted afterward that “suddenly all our radar systems shut down without any explanation.”

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President Trump Discusses Powerful Sonic Weapon Used to Take Out Venezuelan Soldiers During Maduro Capture

President Trump’s Oval Office interview with “NBC Nightly News” anchor Tom Llamas aired on Wednesday evening, and it covered various topics such as the ICE surge in Minneapolis, the crackdown on fraud, the economy, 2028, and more.

At one point during the one-hour interview, Tom Llamas asked President Trump about the sonic weapon used to take out Venezuelan soldiers during the Maduro capture.

Last month, the Army’s Delta Force captured Maduro after President Trump ordered military strikes on the South American country.

Venezuela said over 100 security officials and soldiers were killed in the US’s operation to capture Maduro.

No US forces were killed. President Trump said a few US service members were injured during the operation, but they are recovering.

According to an eyewitness account, the US military used weaponry and technology unlike anything he had ever seen.

“On the day of the operation, we didn’t hear anything coming. We were on guard, but suddenly all our radar systems shut down without any explanation. The next thing we saw were drones, a lot of drones, flying over our positions. We didn’t know how to react,” the security guard recounted.

After those drones appeared, some helicopters arrived, but there were very few. I think barely eight helicopters. From those helicopters, soldiers came down, but a very small number. Maybe twenty men. But those men were technologically very advanced. They didn’t look like anything we’ve fought against before.

“And then the battle began?” the interviewer asked.

“Yes, but it was a massacre. We were hundreds, but we had no chance. They were shooting with such precision and speed. It seemed like each soldier was firing 300 rounds per minute. We couldn’t do anything,” the witness said.

“And your own weapons? Didn’t they help?” the interviewer asked.

“No help at all. Because it wasn’t just the weapons. At one point, they launched something—I don’t know how to describe it. It was like a very intense sound wave. Suddenly I felt like my head was exploding from the inside. We all started bleeding from the nose. Some were vomiting blood. We fell to the ground, unable to move,” he said.

“Those twenty men, without a single casualty, killed hundreds of us. We had no way to compete with their technology, with their weapons. I swear, I’ve never seen anything like it. We couldn’t even stand up after that sonic weapon or whatever it was,” the eyewitness said.

Tom Llamas asked President Trump about the “discombobulator” used to take out the Venezuelan soldiers.

“You talked about the weapon – the discombobulator – what is that?” Llamas asked Trump.

“Discombobulator, well, I’m not allowed to talk about it. Let me just tell you, you know what it does? None of their equipment works, that’s what it does!” Trump said.

“It was my name – I’m very proud of the name. It was discombobulated. It was, you know, practically a shot wasn’t fired. You know, they were ready!” Trump said.

“Tom, it discombobulated everything!” Trump said.

“Nothing worked, even including humans!” Llamas said.

“Well, let’s put it this way. We lost no equipment in a very strong, and they’re good fighters, great fighters, in a very bad environment. It was a military base, the biggest in South America, in a very, because the house was in a base in South, in a very, very tough environment. We lost no men and we lost no equipment,” Trump said.

“It discombobulated.. just knocked everything,” Llamas said.

“Well, it did something!” Trump said.

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Ryan Routh Sentenced to Life in Prison for Trump Assassination Attempt

A federal judge on Feb. 4 sentenced Ryan Routh to life in prison for attempting in 2024 to assassinate President Donald Trump, then a presidential candidate.

Routh was also sentenced to seven years behind bars on a gun charge and received a $500 fine.

During the sentencing hearing, prosecutors sought life imprisonment for his assassination plot, while the defense mounted broad but ultimately unsuccessful objections.

Defense attorney Martin Roth opened by making a blanket objection to all facts in the pre-sentence investigation report, reiterating Routh’s not-guilty plea and disputing any finding that he intended to commit murder. Judge Aileen Cannon of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida pressed Roth on whether he would offer evidence to support the objection. When he said “no,” prosecutors argued that the report contains facts, not allegations. Cannon overruled the objection.

Roth next argued that the federal terrorism statute did not apply, claiming that it does not cover former presidents or major presidential candidates. Cannon read the statute aloud and repeatedly asked Roth to identify a legal gap.

Prosecutors countered that the statute is not exhaustive and clearly covers conduct related to protected individuals, including assault and interference with protective duties. They emphasized that assault under the law includes impeding agents in the performance of their duties. Cannon agreed and ruled that the charges qualified as terrorism offenses, citing overwhelming evidence such as text messages, months of planning, and weapons acquisition.

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President Trump Trashes Grammy Awards Show, Threatens to Sue Host Trevor Noah Over Epstein Smear in Midnight Truth Social Post

President Trump trashed the dumpster fire Grammy Awards show and threatened to sue the host Trevor Noah for falsely claiming he went to Epstein Island.

Singers and performers hit the red carpet at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California on Sunday afternoon.

Grammy winners Kehlani and Billie Eilish shouted “f*ck ICE!” during their acceptance speeches.

The host, Trevor Noah, said Trump spent time on Jeffrey Epstein’s island.

President Trump slammed the “garbage” Grammys in a midnight social media post, and said he is preparing to sue Trevor Noah.

“The Grammy Awards are the WORST, virtually unwatchable! CBS is lucky not to have this garbage litter their airwaves any longer. The host, Trevor Noah, whoever he may be, is almost as bad as Jimmy Kimmel at the Low Ratings Academy Awards,” Trump said.

“Noah said, INCORRECTLY about me, that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein Island. WRONG!!! I can’t speak for Bill, but I have never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close, and until tonight’s false and defamatory, statement, have never been accused being there, not even by the Fake News Media,” Trump said.

“Noah, a total loser, better get his facts straight, and get them straight fast. It looks like I’ll be sending my lawyers to sue this poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C., and suing him for plenty$,” Trump said.

“Ask Little George Slopadopolus, and others, how that all worked out. Also ask CBS! Get ready Noah, I’m going to have some fun with you! President DJT,” Trump added.

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Trump family secretly signed $500m crypto deal with ‘spy sheikh’ who has been pushing for access to US intelligence

The Trump family quietly signed a $500 million cryptocurrency deal with a powerful Abu Dhabi royal just days before Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.

A previously undisclosed agreement that sent nearly $200 million to Trump-linked entities and was followed months later by the US granting the same foreign power sweeping access to sensitive artificial intelligence technology.

The deal, involving Trump-backed crypto firm World Liberty Financial, was signed on January 16, 2025, by Eric Trump and executives tied to Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s national security adviser and brother of the country’s president.

The previously undisclosed deal was confirmed by the Wall Street Journal, company documents and others familiar with the matter. 

The transaction made a foreign government official the largest shareholder in a company tied to the US president. The move is unprecedented in modern American politics, raising questions about conflicts of interest and the influence of foreign powers.

The buyer was Aryam Investment 1, a company controlled by Sheikh Tahnoon, one of the most powerful figures in the Middle East. 

The agreement granted Aryam a 49 percent  ownership stake in World Liberty for $500 million – with $250 million paid immediately, and $187 million of that first installment directed to Trump family entities, according to documents reviewed by the Journal.

Tahnoon, who serves as the UAE’s national security adviser and oversees a sprawling business empire worth more than $1.3 trillion, has long been viewed with suspicion inside Washington’s intelligence and national security circles.

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Trump Administration Begins Suing Illegal Migrants Who Have Not Self-Deported

The Trump administration has begun suing individual illegal migrants for ignoring removal orders and refusing to self-deport back to their home countries, a report says.

The administration has filed suit against an illegal migrant living in Virginia, and is seeking $941,114 plus interest, alleging that Marta Alicia Ramirez Veliz has remained in the country despite being told her request for admittance was rejected by a Justice Department appeals panel in 2022, Politico reported.

The filing notes that Veliz has refused to pay a $998 per-day fine for the 943 days since she was told to return to her home country, and reveals that Immigration and Customs Enforcement sent her an official notice of her total fine in April.

The lawsuit describes Veliz as “an individual and noncitizen residing in Chesterfield County, Virginia,” and does not identify her nationality.

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Trump Again Bypasses Congress To Advance Major Weapons Package for Israel

The Trump administration has approved $6.5 billion in new weapons deals for Israel that include Apache attack helicopters and military vehicles, a step Secretary of State Marco Rubio took without waiting for the normal congressional review process.

According to The New York Times, the approval of the arms deals marks the third time that the Trump administration bypassed Congress to send weapons to Israel.

The arms packages had been under review by the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and the State Department is supposed to wait until the top two members of each committee approve the deals before advancing them, but Rubio didn’t, drawing a rebuke from Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), the ranking member of the House committee.

“Just one hour ago, the Trump administration informed me it would disregard congressional oversight and years of standing practice, and immediately notify over $6 billion in arms sales to Israel,” Meeks said, according to Haaretz.

“Shamefully, this is now the second time the Trump administration has blatantly ignored long-standing Congressional prerogatives while also refusing to engage Congress on critical questions about the next steps in Gaza and broader US policy,” Meeks added.

According to the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the State Department approved a total of four potential arms sales for Israel, which will likely be funded by US military aid. The deals include:

  • AH-64E Apache Helicopters and related equipment for an estimated cost of $3.8 billion
  • Joint Light Tactical Vehicle and related equipment for an estimated cost of $1.98 billion
  • Namer Armored Personnel Carrier Power Packs Less Transmissions and Integrated Logistics Support, and related equipment for an estimated cost of $740 million
  • AW119Kx Light Utility Helicopters and related equipment for an estimated cost of $150 million

The US provides Israel with $3.8 billion in annual military aid under a ten-year Memorandum of Understanding, but since October 7, 2023, and the start of the IDF’s genocidal campaign in Gaza, the US has given Israel significantly more.

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