Tag Archives: White House

National Security Journal: NATO Is Now Dead

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NATO, in its current form, is depicted as a “corpse,” its strategic effectiveness undermined by decades of European defense underfunding (“free-riding”) and US strategic overstretch.

-Most member states fail to meet spending commitments, rendering the alliance a hollow shell, a reality starkly exposed by the war in Ukraine where the US carries the primary burden.

-President Trump’s approach is seen not as the cause of NATO’s decline but as a catalyst for a necessary reckoning, forcing Europe to confront its defense responsibilities.

-A fundamental reset towards a European-led security framework, with US support rather than dominance, is essential for future relevance.

NATO Is Now Dead
President Trump’s approach is seen not as the cause of NATO’s decline but as a catalyst for a necessary reckoning, forcing Europe to confront its defense responsibilities.
NATO Is Now Dead

Washington Post: In rare move, Congress pushes back on Trump over Library of Congress

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Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Congress refuses to accept the appointment of King Donald’s stooge as the head of their library:

In a rare bipartisan effort to defend its institutional authority, Congress is quietly resisting President Donald Trump’s attempt to assert control over the Library of Congress — a move that experts say threatens the separation of powers and the integrity of the legislative branch’s premier research body.

Pushing back on Trump’s designation of Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche as acting librarian, lawmakers said Tuesday that control of the institution remains with its top career official, Robert R. Newlen. Newlen told staff at the library that he is the acting head, according to an email obtained by The Washington Post.

In rare move, Congress pushes back on Trump over Library of Congress
Lawmakers are raising separation-of-powers concerns as the White House seeks to install a Justice Department official at the legislative-branch institution.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/05/13/trump-library-of-congress-power-struggle

The Nation: Don’t Be Fooled by Trump’s Loudmouth Immigration Policy

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As a candidate he promised a “massive” crackdown. But since taking office his actions, though designed to be as frightening as possible, have fallen far short of that.

A desperate family, rushing their sick child to a Texas hospital, is forced back into Mexico… And a young Salvadoran, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, becomes one of the best known of millions of migrants, receiving his Maryland senator while remaining imprisoned—uncharged, untried in the US or in his homeland.

The Trump administration has shown it is willing to test both public tolerance and long-established legal principle. It has repeatedly labeled millions of undocumented residents of the United States “terrorists” and “criminals.” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and “border czar” Tom Homan use exaggerated threats to create a country where an almost entirely law-abiding population—of construction workers, hotel cleaners, home healthcare workers—can be treated with brutality and summary justice.

Throughout his 2024 campaign, Donald Trump promised a swift and enormous federal effort to round up and deport millions of people living long-term in America. Signs calling for “Mass Deportation” were held up in cheering crowds at Trump rallies all over the country. Meeting almost no resistance or reply from Democratic candidates for high office, Republicans were able to define the battlefield, equating millions of workers, students, and homemakers scattered across American communities with cartel drug mules, rapists, and members of the notorious MS-13 gang.

Don’t Be Fooled by Trump’s Loudmouth Immigration Policy
As a candidate he promised a “massive” crackdown. But since taking office his actions, though designed to be as frightening as possible, have fallen far short of that.

https://www.thenation.com/article/society/trump-immigration-crackdown

ABC News: Dems want investigation into whether Trump admin helping Musk make Starlink deals

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As President Donald Trump continues his first foreign trip through the Middle East, a group of Senate Democrats are calling for an investigation into whether the Trump administration is clearing hurdles for Starlink, a company led by White House senior adviser Elon Musk, to strike foreign deals.

In a letter sent Wednesday to Attorney General Pam Bondi [Bimbo #3], acting Director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics Jamieson Greer, acting Inspector General of the State Department Arne Baker and White House ethics official Scott Gast, the senators called for an investigation into whether the administration is “intervening” to benefit Starlink as it “negotiates tariff agreements and other matters with foreign governments.”

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“These reports indicate that Mr. Musk may be using his official role and his proximity to the President as leverage for his own personal financial benefit — even if it comes at the expense of American consumers and the nation’s foreign policy interests,” the senators wrote. “These actions raise questions about whether Mr. Musk or other administration officials may be violating ethics or other laws.”

Senate Democrats want investigation into whether Trump administration helping Musk make Starlink deals
Democratic senators are calling for an investigation into whether the Trump administration is clearing hurdles for Starlink, led by Elon Musk, to strike foreign deals.

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/senate-democrats-investigation-trump-administration-helping-musk-make/story?id=121795283

New York Times: As White House Steers Justice Dept., Bondi [Bimbo #3] Embraces Role of TV Messenger

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Attorney General Pam Bondi [Bimbo #3] has adopted a conspicuously performative approach, willing to execute White House directives with little fuss.

Pam Bondi [Bimbo #3], the attorney general of the United States, circled the Roosevelt Room in late February, handing out bulky white binders labeled “Epstein Files: Phase 1” to a conclave of Trump-allied influencers summoned to the White House for their first visit.

That Ms. Bondi [Bimbo #3], the nation’s top law enforcement official, would prioritize a case of importance primarily to conspiracy theorists was telling. Anxious to appease the restive MAGA base, she hyped the disclosure as “breaking news” on Fox the night before, part of an effort to fulfill President Trump’s campaign promise to reveal new details on the financier Jeffrey Epstein’s misdeeds and death.

It was a dud. There were “no bombshells,” she said, according to one of those invited.

Later, activists on the right lashed out at Ms. Bondi [Bimbo #3]. She responded by blaming others, and then dispatched F.B.I. agents and prosecutors from the Justice Department’s national security division to scour the archives, officials familiar with the situation said. They found little. No one knows when Phase 2 is coming. But it is not likely to amount to much, those people said.

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Since taking office as U.S. attorney general in early February, she has adopted a conspicuously performative approach to survive inside a Trump cabinet that rewards self-promotion, ritualized public flattery and, above all, a willingness to execute White House directives with little fuss.

Over the last few days, Ms. Bondi [Bimbo #3] signed off on Mr. Trump’s acceptance of a luxury Boeing 747-8 plane upgraded to serve as Air Force One donated by the Qatari royal family, which raised a host of ethical and legal questions. As a lobbyist, Ms. Bondi [Bimbo #3] herself received six-figure consulting fees from Qatar.

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But her approach represents a noticeable departure from that of her predecessors at the Justice Department who saw themselves, to varying degrees, as guardians of institutional independence, attentive but not beholden to the presidency.

https://archive.is/fr5Xq#selection-4629.132-4629.368

Associated Press: Trump’s plan to accept free Air Force One replacement from Qatar raises ethical and security worries

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For President Donald Trump, accepting a free Air Force One replacement from Qatar is a no-brainer.

“I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer,” the Republican told reporters on Monday. “I could be a stupid person and say, ‘No, we don’t want a free, very expensive airplane.’”

Critics of the plan worry that the move threatens to turn a global symbol of American power into an airborne collection of ethical, legal, security and counterintelligence concerns.

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But security is the primary concern when it comes to presidential travel. The current Air Force One planes were built from scratch near the end of the Cold War. They are hardened against the effects of a nuclear blast and include a range of security features, such as anti-missile countermeasures and an onboard operating room. They are also equipped with air-to-air refueling capabilities for contingencies, though it has never been utilized with a president on board.

A former U.S. official briefed on the Air Force One replacement project said that while it would be possible to add some features to the Qatari jet, there was no way to add the full suite of capabilities to the plane on a tight timetable.

Trump’s plan to accept free Air Force One replacement from Qatar raises ethical and security worries
For President Donald Trump, accepting a free Air Force One replacement from Qatar is a no-brainer. But Trump’s plan threatens to turn a global symbol of American power into an airborne collection of ethical, legal, security and counterintelligence concerns.

https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-qatar-air-force-one-2ef13d87b71185bde547abe6840b098c

Atlanta Black Star News: ‘Let’s Look at Fraud!’: Jasmine Crockett Shreds Marjorie Taylor Greene Again, Derails Hearing With Insider Trading Accusation

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The escalating feud between Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene and Democrat Jasmine Crockett — two outspoken political firebrands from opposite sides of the aisle — boiled over again Friday, as Crockett derailed a subcommittee hearing led by Greene with pointed accusations of insider trading.

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On Friday, Crockett, assisted by Texas congressman Greg Casar, threw a wrench into a Department of Government Efficiency subcommittee hearing on transgender athletes competing in fencing and other sports as they attempted to breathe new life into an old allegation of insider trading leveled against Greene, the committee’s chair.

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But are the accusations without merit?

Greene purchased tens of thousands of dollars in stock in a number of struggling companies between April 2 and 9, when President Donald Trump’s tariff announcement and subsequent pause led to large shifts in the stock market. Greene insisted the trades were conducted by an independent financial adviser.

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Proving what Greene knew and when she knew it would require an investigation that probably isn’t going to happen.

‘Let’s Look at Fraud!’: Jasmine Crockett Shreds Marjorie Taylor Greene Again, Derails Hearing With Insider Trading Accusation
The escalating feud between Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene and Democrat Jasmine Crockett — two outspoken political firebrands from opposite sides of
‘Let’s Look at Fraud!’: Jasmine Crockett Shreds Marjorie Taylor Greene Again, Derails Hearing With Insider Trading Accusation

Kansas City Star: Republicans ‘Lied’: Governor Exposes Trump Admin’s Threat

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Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has condemned the Trump administration for threats made by Border Czar Tom Homan regarding guidance issued to state employees on federal immigration interactions. Evers argues that the federal government should not misuse its power to intimidate citizens or arrest individuals who have not committed crimes. His criticism follows the administration’s investigation of local officials who do not support its deportation policies.

Evers said, “In this country, the federal government doesn’t get to abuse its power to threaten everyday Americans. In this country, the federal government doesn’t get to arrest American citizens who have not committed a crime. In this country, we don’t threaten to persecute people just because they belong to a different political party.”

Evers added, “But Republicans and their right-wing allies, including Elon Musk, lied about this guidance, spread misinformation, accused me of doing things I didn’t do or say, and fueled a fake controversy of their own creation.”

Republicans ‘Lied’: Governor Exposes Trump Admin’s Threat
More for You

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/republicans-lied-governor-exposes-trump-admin-s-threat/ss-AA1EGqTU

New York Post: Trump lashes out at ‘ABC fake News’ over question about Qatari plane: ‘You should be embarrassed’

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President Donald Trump on Monday lashed out at ABC News reporter Rachel Scott after she questioned whether a $400 million luxury jet donated by Qatar’s royal family to the Pentagon could be perceived as a personal gift to him.

The tense exchange with Scott, whose network recently paid $16 million to Trump as part of a defamation settlement, occurred during a signing ceremony at the White House, where the president praised the aircraft donation and dismissed any suggestion that it was inappropriate.

“I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer,” Trump said.

“I mean, I could be a stupid person and say, ‘No, we don’t want a free, very expensive airplane.’ But I thought it was a great gesture.”

King Donald has no shame whatsoever, only greed!

Trump lashes out at ‘ABC fake News’ over question about Qatari plane: ‘You should be embarrassed’
ABC News’ Rachel Scott questioned whether a $400 million luxury jet donated by Qatar to the Pentagon could be perceived as a personal gift to Trump.

https://nypost.com/2025/05/12/media/trump-lashes-out-at-abc-fake-news-over-question-about-qatari-plane

Latin Times: Trump Adviser Called Kamala’s Plan to End Price Gouging ‘Communist’. Now Trump Plans to End Price Gouging

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Former social media posts from White House adviser Stephen Miller resurfaced on Monday following President Donald Trump’s latest executive order aimed at slashing prescription drug prices.

Miller, who currently serves as Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Adviser, attacked Democratic proposals to lower drug costs through government intervention in a series of tweets posted during the 2024 election campaign.

He called the efforts “communist,” and referred to then-Vice President Kamala Harris as “Comrade Kamala” and “Commie-la,” warning that price controls would lead to “shortages and famine.”

Trump announced the “Most Favored Nation” pricing policy in a Truth Social post on Sunday. The policy, which Trump claimed will immediately reduce costs by 30%-80%, forces pharmaceutical companies to match or beat prices offered in other developed nations, many of which have government-run health systems.

The order puts Trump in the unusual position of expanding government power over the pharmaceutical industry — a move met with silence from Miller, who once tweeted, “Commies gonna commie” in response to similar Democratic proposals.

Ironic, yes, but in reality King Donald and his cronies have no power over a company’s pricing. Only Congress can pass such legislation. Otherwise it’s just hot air.

Trump Adviser Called Kamala’s Plan to End Price Gouging ‘Communist’. Now Trump Plans to End Price Gouging
Former posts where Stephen Miller criticized price controls resurfaced Monday following Trump’s latest executive order aimed at cutting prescription drug costs.

https://www.latintimes.com/trump-adviser-called-kamalas-plan-end-price-gouging-communist-now-trump-plans-end-price-582886