Donald Trump has sweeping plans for a second administration. Here’s what he’s proposed

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Ukraine cedes land in Trump plan

Data: ISW/CTP; Map: Axios Visuals Trump's new Ukraine plan would grant Russia parts of eastern Ukraine it doesn't currently control, a U.S. official with direct knowledge tells Axios' Barak Ravid. ?? In exchange, Ukraine and Europe would get U.S. security guarantees against future Russian aggression. Why it matters: Ukraine and its backers would see that as an enormous concession to Russia. ?? The U.S. view is that Ukraine will likely lose the territory anyway if the war continues. ?? The Trump plan calls for Russia to gain de facto control of Luhansk and Donetsk (together called the Donbas), despite Ukraine still controlling around 12% of that territory. ? The areas in Donbas from which Ukraine would withdraw would be considered a demilitarized zone, with no Russian troops allowed. ? In two other war-torn regions, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, the current lines of control would mostly be frozen in place. Russia would return some land, subject to negotiations. The U.S. and other countries would recognize Crimea and the Donbas as lawfully Russian territory, but Ukraine would not be asked to do so. ? A Ukrainian official claimed the plan also includes limits on its military and long-range weapons. It's unclear what U.S. security guarantees would entail beyond a promise to defend against further Russian aggression. ? What's next: "We are now going to wait. The ball is in Zelensky's court," the U.S. official said, referring to Ukraine's president. Go deeper. ps:The most useless administration!!!!!

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Turning on Trump

For the first time in his second term, fellow Republicans defied President Donald Trump — on the Epstein files — and he fell in line. That doesn’t mean GOP lawmakers will turn on him en masse, CNN’s Zachary B. Wolf writes, but it’s likely you will hear this term more frequently.   Trump signs bill to release Jeffrey Epstein case files after fighting it for months WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed legislation Wednesday that compels his administration to release files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, bowing to political pressure from his own party after initially resisting those efforts. https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-jeffrey-epstein-justice-department-4872c23a3ed03bf3d4c526581d3aed59?   Comey Indictment Questioned Justice Department lawyers revealed yesterday they never presented a revised indictment against former FBI Director James Comey to a full grand jury—an unusual error that threatens to derail the federal government's case. In September, interim US Attorney Lindsey Halligan presented three counts against Comey to a grand jury stemming from his 2020 testimony over the Trump-Russia investigation. The grand jury rejected one false statement charge but voted to indict on the other two: a separate false statement charge and one count of obstruction. However, instead of presenting a revised, two-count indictment to the grand jury for approval, Halligan revealed yesterday that she presented the updated charging document only to the foreperson, who signed it. Comey was indicted on Sept. 25, days before the statute of limitations was set to expire. The case relates to his denying having authorized anyone at the FBI to serve as an anonymous source to news reports (see clip).

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Big red alert

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Everywhere Republicans look, they see big political trouble. Worse, they think things will get much bleaker before better as AI spreads through 2026, Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen write in a "Behind the Curtain" column. Republicans see it in the top November races, where they got cooked. They see it in rising internal MAGA drama and division. And they increasingly see it in private and public polls showing President Trump's persistently plummeting popularity on key issues. Why it matters: Step back and survey the political landscape. Republicans aren't only losing elections, they're consistently losing support on prices and the economy, in all polls, big or small, Republican or Democrat, over a several-month period. You can't spin yourself out of reality. "People are depressed," a Trump loyalist at the barricades told us. Five new polls this week show Republicans' problems might be even deeper and more worrisome than many fear: In a Fox News Poll out last evening, voters said the White House is doing more harm than good on the economy: 46% said they've been hurt by the administration's economic policies, 15% say they've been helped and 39% said Trump has made no difference. Edelman this week released a flash update to its highly influential Trust Barometer, showing Americans are deeply fearful and distrustful of the Trump administration's top domestic fixation: accelerating AI. Big majorities are pessimistic about the technology broadly, and super-anxious that robots will eat their jobs. The global poll found that younger people in the U.S. (18-34) are much more distrustful of AI than their counterparts elsewhere in the developed world. Edelman CEO Richard Edelman told us: "People might believe that AI is globalization 2.0 — that jobs will shift out of our country, and jobs will go to ... somebody younger or cheaper." In Wisconsin, the swingiest of swing states, a new Marquette Law School Poll shows Democrats are more motivated and more popular heading into the 2026 elections. Voters are flunking Trump on the economy and inflation. These numbers are brutal: 36% approve of the Trump economy, and 28% approve of his handling of inflation and the cost of living. Looking to the future, 60% think Trump will drive prices even higher. Just 27% believe he'll lower them. A Marist Poll found Democrats have a 14-point lead over Republicans on the midterm generic ballot. ("If the 2026 election for Congress were held today, which party's candidate are you more likely to vote for in your district?") "This is the first time in more than three years that Democrats have had a notable advantage on the congressional generic ballot question," Marist notes. A year ago, registered voters were split 48% to 48%. Fox Business featured a Reuters/Ipsos poll showing Trump's approval rating falling to 38% — the poll's lowest since his return to power, weighed down by his handling of the cost of living, and by the Epstein fracas. (Nate Silver's approval average is 41.5%. The Real Clear Polling average is 42.7%.) New pictures taken yesterday from the Washington Monument show White House construction. Photo: Jose Luis Magana/AP ?️ The big picture: Trump officials know they need to shift this perception dramatically — and quickly. Yet big, lavish black-tie dinners with the Saudis or gold-plated White House renovations make it harder to convince voters that Trump is on the case. There are also signs, small but noteworthy, of Republicans' rock-solid unity starting to fracture a bit — including the House revolt on the Epstein files ... the Senate's refusal to yield to Trump's demand to scrap the filibuster, which would allow simple-majority votes ... and roadblocks to Trump's push for pro-GOP redistricting in Texas, Indiana and Kansas. If the economy goes south — or perceptions of it remain in the cellar — Trump will have the same problem President Biden did: telling people their feelings and perceptions are wrong. The bet: Trump officials tell us they feel confident the economy will grow and prices will ease starting in Q1 of next year. Trump will then declare victory on rescuing, then juicing the economy — and warn a Democratic Congress would pull America back to the Biden economy days. The Trump machine would then use redistricting wins (producing more winnable seats) + Trump's political money ($1 billion+) to protect the GOP's thin House majority. Steve Bannon, whose "War Room" podcast is one of the most muscular MAGA machines, told us he hopes this red alert will inspire "Action, Action, Action" by Trump. "Let's run the table [with] a simple plan, aggressively executed," Bannon texted us. "The President may have to bang some heads. [His] entire plan has an objective of GROWTH, JOBS, HIGHER WAGES — now execute." ? Reality check: Yes, Trump is right that Trump and Republicans do well when he's on the ballot. But he never will be again. And if you look at other recent elections without Trump running, you see why Republicans are panicky. More often than not, they lose. A smart analysis by Tim Carney, a senior fellow at American Enterprise Institute, a top conservative think tank, captured this reality starkly: "In 2016, Republicans controlled 31 governorships and 68 legislative chambers. Come January, the GOP will control only 26 governorships and 57 legislative chambers (more than a 15% reduction on both scores)." President Trump, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Elon Musk talk at a Saudi investment conference in D.C. yesterday. Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters The other side: The Democratic brand remains in the dumps. But most polls show a generic Democrat beating a generic Republican for Congress in 2026. And poll after poll shows about two-thirds of independents — the swing voters — down on just about everything Republicans do other than fighting crime and shutting the Southwest border. The bottom line: The chances of a fast, decisive economic surge aren't high. Most forecasts project modest growth and continued pricing pressure for many household goods. Toss in Al and its possibility to gut new white-collar jobs, and you can clearly see the GOP risk — and angst. Marc Caputo contributed reporting. ?? What we're watching: President Trump said he'll give greater attention to helping find an end to the brutal civil war in Sudan, after being urged to take action by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Keep reading.

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? Trump's plan to rein in state AI laws

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios; Photo: Alex Grimm/Getty Images

The White House is floating an executive order to override state AI laws by launching legal challenges and placing conditions on federal grants, according to a copy of the draft seen by Axios' Ashley Gold and Maria Curi. Why it matters: It would mark a sharp escalation in the administration's bid to centralize and accelerate America's AI policy — and could face legal scrutiny. The draft executive order — "Eliminating State Law Obstruction of National AI Policy" — calls on government agencies to move aggressively to end a patchwork of state laws in favor of a "minimally burdensome national standard." Keep reading.

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Border Patrol is monitoring US drivers and detaining those with ‘suspicious’ travel patterns The U.S. Border Patrol is monitoring millions of American drivers nationwide in a secretive program to identify and detain people whose travel patterns it deems suspicious, The Associated Press has found. Read more.

What to know: The predictive intelligence program has resulted in people being stopped, searched and in some cases arrested. A network of cameras scans and records vehicle license plate information, and an algorithm flags vehicles deemed suspicious based on where they came from, where they were going and which route they took.   Border Patrol’s parent agency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said they use license plate readers to help identify threats and disrupt criminal networks and are “governed by a stringent, multi-layered policy framework, as well as federal law and constitutional protections, to ensure the technology is applied responsibly and for clearly defined security purposes.”   While collecting license plates from cars on public roads has generally been upheld by courts, some legal scholars see the growth of large digital surveillance networks such as Border Patrol’s as raising constitutional questions. Courts have started to recognize that “large-scale surveillance technology that’s capturing everyone and everywhere at every time” might be unconstitutional under the Fourth Amendment, said Andrew Ferguson, a law professor at George Washington University.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ WATCH: The secretive Border Patrol program detaining US citizens

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Fuming Trump, 79, Loses It at ‘Bum’ Late-Night Host

The president’s furious post came after the comedian once again had audiences laughing at him.

President Donald Trump lost it at late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel in a Truth Social post early Thursday, accusing the ABC host of being a “bum” with “very poor television ratings.”

“Why does ABC Fake News keep Jimmy Kimmel, a man with NO TALENT and VERY POOR TELEVISION RATINGS, on the air?” Trump asked in the post. ”Why do the TV Syndicates put up with it? Also, totally biased coverage. Get the bum off the air!!!”

In his Wednesday monologue, which aired just prior to Trump’s post being made, Kimmel suggested that Trump should be bracing for impact as the long-anticipated Epstein files inch toward daylight.

“We are carefully following the path of Hurricane Epstein right now. It is a category 5, it’s expected to make landfall sometime very soon,” he said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Trump announced that he had signed legislation instructing the DOJ to release the files it has on Epstein within 30 days—attempting to take credit for the disclosure which he had desperately tried to avoid.

“Usually when Trump gets a bill, he declares bankruptcy and doesn’t pay it,” Kimmel joked.

The comedian also spelled out what the release might mean. “We are one step closer to answering the question, what did the president know and how old were these women when he knew it,” Kimmel joked.

Elsewhere in the monologue, Kimmel discussed Elon Musk’s return to the White House after his departure from DOGE in May.

“Their relationship is like a Cybertruck. It’s cold one minute, on fire the next,” Kimmel said of Trump and Musk. “I guess they made up,” he continued. “Musk publicly threatened to drop a big Epstein bomb on Trump, but now I guess they’re cool.”

The Tesla CEO sat down for a dinner this week alongside the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and other guests at the White House. The Tesla relationship with Trump tanked earlier this year, culminating in Musk accusing the president of being in the Epstein files with a bombshell tweet. He later walked back on it.

It’s far from the first time the president has complained about Kimmel, who found himself in the president’s crosshairs earlier this year after Trump took issue with Kimmel’s comments on the shooting death of Charlie Kirk.

In response to Kimmel’s monologue, his show was briefly suspended and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr threatened to revoke ABC’s broadcasting license if Kimmel were not held accountable.

The move sparked significant backlash across the country, with multiple celebrities and media personalities, including Disney stars and all of Kimmel’s fellow late-night hosts, criticizing the suspension.

As Carr was making threats, Trump was posting up a storm, congratulating ABC for cancelling the “ratings challenged” Jimmy Kimmel Live! and urging NBC to do the same to its own late night hosts, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers.

Even prior to Kirk’s death, Trump had his sights set on Kimmel, posting in July, “The word is, and it’s a strong word at that, Jimmy Kimmel is NEXT to go in the untalented Late Night Sweepstakes and, shortly thereafter, Fallon will be gone.”

”It’s really good to see them go, and I hope I played a major part in it!”

Undeterred by threats of suspension, Kimmel has continued to target Trump in his monologues, including by highlighting Trump being recorded yelling at a female reporter, “Quiet, piggy!”

“Trump is not a happy little meal right now,“ Kimmel said on Tuesday. ”Every time he gets asked about Jeffrey Epstein, he loses his mind.”

“He said ‘Quiet, piggy’ to a reporter and it barely made the news. If a man spoke like that to a female co-worker in a workplace harassment training video, you’d go, ‘Ah, that’s over the top. Nobody would do that.’”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-launches-fresh-attack-on-bum-jimmy-kimmel/?

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Epstein’s Brother Reveals Why He Thinks Trump Took So Long to Release Files

The convicted sex offender’s sibling also claims Trump spoke to his brother after he became president.

Jeffrey Epstein’s brother has explained why he believes President Donald Trump took so long to release the files relating to his criminal sibling.

Mark Epstein has conducted a series of interviews since a fresh trove of emails from the late sex offender’s estate were released by the House Oversight Committee on Nov. 12.

Phoning into CNN’s Erin Burnett OutFront on Wednesday, just hours before Trump finally approved the release of the DOJ and FBI’s Epstein files, Mark said his late brother believed the reason for Trump’s hesitation to sign off on the files was clear.

“Well, I think it’s an obvious question, not just for me,” the elder Epstein said. “It’s just there’s things in there he doesn’t want people to see. I mean, that... seems to be obvious.”

Trump finally succumbed to pressure from Republicans and Democrats and posted on Wednesday night: “I HAVE JUST SIGNED THE BILL TO RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES.”

Trump said, “At my direction, the Department of Justice has already turned over close to 50,000 pages of documents to Congress.”

The DOJ now has 30 days to make the unclassified documents available.

The 79-year-old president continued to try and distance himself from Epstein and connect him with the Democrats in a lengthy Truth Social post, saying that former President Bill Clinton had traveled on the financier’s plane 26 times.

However, Mark Epstein told Burnett that investigators should check how many times his brother flew on Trump’s private plane.

“They used to fly in each other’s planes,” Epstein said. “They say Donald was on Jeff’s plane like, seven times, but have they checked Donald’s flight logs from those days to see how many times Jeffrey was on his plane? I know Jeffrey told me on a number of occasions that he flew up or flew down with Donald... they were good friends, everybody around knew that.”

Epstein also used his Wednesday interview to fact-check several claims made by Trump.

On Tuesday, a pressed Trump repeated his claim that he “threw [Epstein] out of my club many years ago because I thought he was a sick pervert, I guess I turned out to be right.”

Epstein said Trump ally Steve Bannon was recording interviews he was conducting with his brother, who had sent him a Dropbox link to some of them. “On that tape, Jeffrey clearly stated that he stopped hanging out with Trump when he realized Trump was a crook. That’s a direct quote from Jeffrey.”

Mark also questioned Trump’s regular claims that he had not spoken to Jeffrey for 15 years, between their 2004 fall-out and Epstein’s death in prison in August 2019.

He claimed Trump called Epstein after he won the election in 2016.

“Jeffrey told me that it was after the election, Trump called him and it was sort of like ‘Can you believe this?’ Because nobody believed Trump was going to win. Trump was sort of surprised himself that he won.”

In a statement to the Daily Beast, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said, “Instead of amplifying baseless claims, why isn’t the Daily Beast concerned with their own employee—Michael Wolff—closely corresponding with, and even offering advice to Jeffrey Epstein?”

Mark Epstein also said he initially believed his brother could have taken his own life when in jail on charges of sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors.

“When I first heard he was dead from an apparent suicide, I didn’t doubt it,” Epstein said. “Just because he was in a jail cell, I figured, OK, he decided to take himself out, and I respected that decision. He didn‘t have any children... our parents were gone. There was no reason in that respect for him not to.”

However, an autopsy result changed his mind.

“When they did the autopsy the next day and they said it looks more like a homicide than a suicide, that’s when [I thought] ‘Whoa, what‘s going on here?’”

Mark Epstein said there were several reasons why he felt his brother would have wanted to live.

“Jeffrey had a hearing coming up to appeal his bail decision, and he was going to be putting up what would have been the highest bail in the United States’ history. If there‘s a chance he could have gotten bail, in which case he‘d be living in his house with an ankle monitor on with armed guards and cameras to make sure he didn‘t go anywhere... why would he kill himself?”

“I could see if they had the bail hearing and bail was denied again and he didn’t want to spend another year awaiting trial, he would take himself out, that would be more understandable,” Epstein said. “But knowing Jeffrey, he wouldn‘t kill himself before that hearing.”

If you or a loved one is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing or texting 988.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-epsteins-brother-reveals-why-donald-trump-took-so-long-to-release-files/?

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Trump Snubbed From Invite List for Ex-Vice President’s Funeral

The president and his No. 2, JD Vance, have both been left out, according to reports.

President Donald Trump did not receive an invitation to former Vice President Dick Cheney’s funeral, sources familiar with the matter told Axios.

While sitting presidents typically attend the funerals of former presidents and vice presidents, Cheney withdrew his support for Trump following the Jan. 6 Capitol Riots.

Cheney, George W. Bush’s vice president from 2001 to 2009, died earlier this month at the age of 84 as a result of complications from pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease. Trump did not issue a statement following Cheney’s death, but the snub is likely to irritate him.

Another source told CNN that Vice President JD Vance has also been left off the 1,000-strong invite list. The two-pronged cold-shoulder is all the more notable since all four living former vice presidents and two former presidents are set to attend the invitation-only memorial at Washington’s National Cathedral on Thursday morning.

Former President Joe Biden, who turns 83 on Thursday, will be in attendance, and former President George W. Bush, with whom he helped orchestrate the Iraq War, is expected to speak. Cheney’s daughter, former Rep. Liz Cheney, and some of his grandchildren are also expected to speak.

Former Vice Presidents Kamala Harris, Mike Pence, Al Gore, and Dan Quayle are also set to attend, along with several Supreme Court justices, including Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Elena Kagan.

A long list of past and current Cabinet officials from Republican and Democratic administrations will also be there, as well as congressional leaders from both parties.

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi is expected to attend, alongside Senate Majority Leader John Thune and former leader Mitch McConnell.

CNN reported that the guest list serves as “a nod to a time when Washington was not so polarized.”

Cheney’s divorce from Trump started after the attack on the Capitol in 2021. He later called the president a coward in one of his daughter’s campaign ads, and both Dick and Liz Cheney voted for Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.

The president has also repeatedly insulted both Cheney and his daughter, calling Liz “one of the dumber people in politics” and Dick an “irrelevant RINO,” an acronym meaning Republican In Name Only, in a series of Truth Social posts made last year.

She served on the House Jan. 6 Committee that investigated Trump’s role in riling protestors ahead of the Capitol Riot, prompting the president to say she should go to jail. He even amplified posts on social media calling for a televised military tribunal for Cheney.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the reported snub.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-snubbed-from-invite-list-for-ex-vice-presidents-funeral/?

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MAGA Fanatic Got Fetish Artist to Stage Bonkers Anti-Trump Attack: Feds

A 26-year-old law student allegedly paid $500 for an expert to cut her body in a planned assault.

A woman who worked for Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew has been charged after allegedly staging a bizarre fake crime where she paid someone to assault her and write “TRUMP WHORE” on her own zip-tied body.

Natalie Greene, 26, a Rutgers law student, appeared in federal court on Wednesday, charged with one count of conspiracy to convey false statements and hoaxes and one count of making false statements to federal law enforcement in connection with a staged attack. The case has echoes of the 2019 “hate crime” actor Jussie Smollett staged against himself, which became a fixation for MAGA.

Greene worked as a constituent services representative for Van Drew, who has represented New Jersey’s 2nd Congressional District since 2019.

According to the criminal complaint, on July 23, Greene and a female co-conspirator allegedly called 911 to report that Greene had been attacked by three men on a walking trail in the Egg Harbor Nature Reserve.

The co-conspirator has not been named by the U.S Attorney’s Office, but she told emergency service workers the attackers knew Greene’s name and referenced her job with Van Drew.

“They were attacking her. They were like talking about politics and stuff. They were like calling her names,” she allegedly told the operator.

“They were like calling her like racist, calling her a whore,” she added.

When officers found Greene, she was lying with her hands and feet zip-tied, and her shirt pulled over her head. She was crying loudly and yelling “He has a gun, he has a gun.” She had cuts on her body and the phrase “TRUMP WHORE” written across her stomach and Van Drew “IS RACIST” on her back.

Greene claimed her attackers had a gun and threatened to shoot her as they restrained her movement, cut her face, neck, back and shoulder and wrote the slurs on her body. She repeated the story to other officials, including an FBI investigator.

However after receiving treatment in hospital for her wounds, FBI interviews with Greene and the co-conspirator did not match.

Investigators claim Greene had paid a body modification artist who specialized in scarification $500 to cut her body using a scalpel, following a pattern she had provided them with in advance. Authorities also found zip ties, similar to the ones she had been bound with, in her Maserati on the night of the incident. Her vehicle also contained a roll of duct tape.

The co-conspirator had searched “zip ties near me” on her phone two days before the incident. A search of Greene’s phone revealed her Reddit profile that included “followed communities” for “bodymods” and “scarification.”

Greene was released on a $200,000 unsecured bond and additional conditions after making her first appearance in federal court on Wednesday.

Each count she is charged with carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

A spokesperson for Van Drew said in a statement, “We are deeply saddened by today’s news, and while Natalie is no longer associated with the Congressman’s government office, our thoughts and prayers are with her. We hope she’s getting the care she needs.”

The Daily Beast has contacted Van Drew’s office for additional comment.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/maga-aide-charged-over-staging-fake-trump-whore-attack/?

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Sex Trafficking Victims Fear Trump’s ‘Nazi Streak’ Aide is Sabotaging Justice

Lawyer warns secret intervention from a Trump aide with a self-described “Nazi streak” could derail the case.

The victims of a notorious alleged sex trafficker are warning their attempt to hold him accountable has been put in jeopardy by a top Trump official.

Lawyer Paul Ingrassia—who is a White House official despite a scandal-hit political history that includes making far-right comments and describing himself as having a “Nazi streak”—intervened in an investigation into misogynist influencer Andrew Tate, 38, and his brother Tristan, 37, according to ProPublica.

Ingrassia, who represented the Tate brothers before his role in the White House, directed senior Department of Homeland Security officials in February to return electronic devices seized from the Tates upon their arrival in the United States from Romania, where they live.

The devices had been confiscated by Customs and Border Protection from the MAGA-supporting British-American influencers, who have faced multiple investigations in Romania, the U.S., and the U.K., for human trafficking and rape.

But Ingrassia reportedly made a behind-the-scenes White House push to have them returned, amid frustration from career agents, per ProPublica.

Matthew Jury, managing partner at law firm McCue Jury & Partners, which represents alleged British victims of Tate, told the Daily Beast the revelations strengthened their long-held concerns about U.S. interference in the case.

“This only validates our concerns that the U.S. Government interfered with Romania’s due process,” Jury said. “However, it prompts a new question: whether the White House’s seemingly relentless willingness to support the Tates will influence the U.K. government in fulfilling its own obligations to hold Tate to account.

“Do trade deals trump justice? Given inaction, Tate’s alleged U.K. victims deserve to know what steps the British authorities are taking to secure the Tates’ extradition and prosecution in an English criminal court.”

Jury represents four British women who are suing Tate at London’s High Court over alleged sexual violence and coercive control. A judge has brought the 16-day trial forward to start on June 22, 2026.

The women turned to civil action after the U.K.’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided in 2019 not to bring criminal charges on their allegations, according to Jury.

Separately, British prosecutors have authorised 21 criminal charges against Andrew and Tristan Tate, 37, including rape and human trafficking, and secured an extradition order from Romanian courts. But Romania has ruled the brothers will only be sent to Britain once domestic criminal proceedings conclude, the CPS told Reuters in May.

The Daily Beast contacted the White House, DHS, the Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, and the U.K. Home Office and CPS. The CPS declined to comment.

The Tate brothers deny all wrongdoing.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/fears-meddling-trump-nazi-paul-ingrassia-could-halt-andrew-tate-sex-trafficking-trial/?

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Why We’re All Winning Bigly In Trump’s War With MTG—and We Won’t Tire of Winning

I think Marjorie Taylor Greene is a loathsome, self-serving narcissist. But if she can make life even one iota more unpleasant for the current President of the United States, then I say go for it, mean girl. Go for it all the live long day.

Something cray-cray’s going on with Marjorie Taylor Greene. Sorry, I should clarify—a totally different kind of cray-cray than the one with which she made her political bones is going on with Marjorie Taylor Greene.

A quick reminder about who this woman is: The Georgia Congresswoman began her political journey by stalking a teenage high school shooting survivor around Washington D.C. (and later referred to him as “Little Hitler” on her Twitter page).

She went to the mats over her theory regarding Jewish space lasers controlling the weather.

She spoke at a Nick Fuentes event.

She publicly supported executing prominent Democrats.

And finally, and hilariously, she once referred to the Gestapo as the “Gazpacho.”

So that’s who she was. The question today swirling around political circles, however, is who is she now? Because the Marjorie Taylor Greene of the last few weeks seems to be an altogether separate political animal. How fitting that such a prominent member of the Face-Eating Leopard Party has now changed her spots. This new MTG is stalking the talk show circuit repenting of her former ways and offering to be a bridge to bring this divided nation together.

Does anybody believe this sh-t even for a second?

To be clear, I think Greene is probably telling the truth that she’s offended by the Epstein stuff. I think she’s sincere that she thinks healthcare costs are out of control. I believe that she regrets her involvement with QAnon. But the most salient point about Marjorie Taylor Greene is one she made herself: “I haven’t changed,” she said on a recent episode of The View.

I agree. I don’t think she’s changed at all. She was an attention whore then and she’s an attention whore now. The difference now is that she sees a viable path forward for herself that allows her to escape the SS Trumptanic before it sinks. To be clear; she was in steerage. Now she’s trying to move herself on up, Jack Dawson style, to first class. God help us if she gets there.

Consider: we’ve already heard some noises about Marjorie Taylor Greene running for president in 2028. But how can she do that if she doesn’t carve out a distinct lane for herself? JD Vance is the heir apparent. Donald Trump Jr. is the hair apparent. And all the other MAGA politicians will be tripping over themselves to be the Trumpiest Trumpster of all once Trump finally admits he cannot run for office again.

If she’s right, there will be a wide-open lane for somebody like her in the next presidential cycle, an “America First” warrior who supported the president’s agenda but made a break with him over populist kitchen table issues.

That’s a lane that comfortably accommodates good Republicans who find ICE agents running around Home Depot a little distasteful, but still don’t want to have to accommodate themselves to other people’s pronouns. If the pig is MAGA, Marjorie is the lipstick. For somebody I’ve long considered an idiot of the highest order, I have to admit it’s kind of genius.

Trump acolytes like Greene have spent the last decade studying at their master’s feet. Now that the act is growing threadbare, she’s putting those lessons to use. Rather than wait for the ringmaster to shuffle out of the ring, she’s trying to kick him right into the lion’s jaws.

And it might work.

What does Marjorie Taylor Greene do with more power? What sort of mischief would a Senator Greene get up to? Or, I can’t believe I’m actually writing these words: a POTUS Greene? You might think I’m nuts for suggesting such an unlikely scenario, but if the Donald Trump era has taught us anything, it’s that when it comes to Republican politics, once you think you’ve reached the bottom of the barrel, you find you’ve barely scratched the surface. One thing I can say for certain: Jewish space laser manufacturers will be screeeeewed. In the meantime, the obstacle currently blocking her path to victory is the man who made her a star. Again, I’m not necessarily counting her out in that fight. Trump knows that MJT doesn’t give a single, solitary fuck. He’s got the power, but her microphone is pretty big. Maybe not big enough to bring him down, but certainly large enough to make things uncomfortable for the man she continues to praise even as she buries him.Marjorie Taylor Greene might be the one American politician who can challenge her idol in this way. Her Trumpian bona fides are unassailable. She’s exactly the right mix of racist, dumb, and crazy that Trump fans love. Plus, she’s untainted by the Epstein scandal – hell, she might be the only Republican left who can say the same. It’s entirely possible Trump’s goose is already cooked—the clearly believes that’s the case. Which is why she’s so hard at work putting away the space lasers and sharpening the good knives; the congresswoman from Georgia is getting ready to feast.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/there-are-no-winners-in-trumps-feud-with-marjorie-taylor-greeneunless-you-count-well-everyone-else/?

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How Trump’s Transportation Department Is Loosening Safety Rules Meant to Protect the Public

On its face, the rule proposed in July by the country’s pipeline-safety regulator seemed innocuous. The regulator, a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation called the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, was proposing what looked like minor, bureaucratic changes to its process for issuing regulatory waivers. Between the lines, PHMSA watchers saw a much more consequential effort — one that would curtail the power of agency experts to impose conditions aimed at preventing catastrophic pipeline failures.

https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-dot-regulation-safety-rollback-sean-duffy?

7 rumored images of Trump with underage girls we've debunked

After the House Oversight Committee released documents from Jeffrey Epstein's estate in late 2025, fake images of Trump spread online.

https://www.snopes.com/collections/photo-trump-girls-rumors/?

Endangered species

The Trump administration moved on Wednesday to roll back Biden-era protections for endangered species and their habitats. The Interior Department's Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service proposed restoring rules from the first Trump administration that stripped safeguards for plants and animals threatened by human development and a warming planet. The two agencies also proposed to strip the so-called "blanket rule," which extends endangered-level protections to species that are listed as "threatened" with extinction. Industry groups see this as a win, after complaining for years that environmental laws have become too restrictive for major energy, mining and development projects. Environmental groups decried the move as one that could be devastating for endangered species.

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Trump Shares Violent Call to Hang His Political Foes

The president is taking his revenge to new heights.

President Donald Trump called for the execution of his political enemies in a series of chilling online posts on Thursday.

Trump, 79, suggested a group of Democrats should be punished by death after they urged U.S. service members and the intelligence community to refuse illegal orders.

“SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” he wrote on Truth Social.

It came moments after he melted down over their video message to service members with a post and a series of reposts.

“This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???” he wrote.

He also reposted several supporters’ messages, including one that called for their hanging.

“HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!” the post reads.

The Democrats’ video, released Tuesday, urges U.S. troops and intelligence officers to reject any unlawful commands.

The group of prominent Democrats includes senators Elissa Slotkin and Mark Kelly, as well as Reps. Chrissy Houlahan, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander, and Jason Crow.

In the video, they speak directly to U.S. service members and the intelligence community, reminding them that they took an oath to the U.S. Constitution and that they “can refuse illegal orders.”

The group warned that the threats to the Constitution are not just coming from abroad but from home and urged them to “not give up the ship.”

The six lawmakers do not specify exactly what would constitute an illegal order in the video, but Crow did address it on Fox News on Wednesday.

“We are standing by our troops, our service members who are often put in very difficult positions, and Donald Trump has put them in very difficult positions and has alluded to putting them in even more difficult positions in the months and years ahead,” he said. “So we are reminding folks about what the uniform code of military justice says, what the Constitution says, what the law of war says.”

Crow is a former Army Ranger who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and is also a Bronze Star recipient. He represents Colorado’s 6th congressional district and sits on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Armed Services Committee.

When asked about what specifically he was referring to when implying the president might demand something they wouldn’t want to uphold, Crow noted Trump’s comment suggesting protesters be shot in the legs during his first term, as well as suggesting he would send the military into American cities to go to war and alluding to sending troops to polling stations which is against the law.

But Republicans and members of the Trump administration slammed the video.

Stephen Miller fumed that Democrats were stoking “insurrection” and demanded the six lawmakers “resign in disgrace.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reacted to it with a post on X, simply writing: “Stage 4 TDS.”

The six lawmakers released a joint statement slamming the president’s posts on Thursday, in which they vowed they would not cave to threats.

“We are veterans and national security professionals who love this country and swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States,” they said. “That oath lasts a lifetime, and we intend to keep it. No threat, intimidation, or call for violence will deter us from that sacred obligation.“

They said it is telling that the president “considers it punishable by death for us to restate the law.” They said that service members should know “we have their backs as they fulfill their oath to the Constitution and obligation to follow only lawful orders.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also blasted the president on the Senate floor, where he said every American should condemn the president’s posts immediately.

“Let’s be crystal clear: the president of the United States is calling for the execution of elected officials. This is an outright threat, and it’s deadly serious,” Schumer said. “Every time Donald Trump posts things like this, he makes political violence more likely. None of us should tolerate this kind of behavior.”

The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-shares-violent-call-to-hang-his-political-foes/?

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ICE Barbie Accused of Secretly ‘Nuking’ Report on Major Reform

The fate of FEMA is in the hands of Kristi Noem.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is reportedly facing accusations that her plans to gut FEMA will torch recommendations for major reform made by a panel that President Donald Trump enlisted to decide its fate.Trump, who had mulled over axing the agency altogether, set up the FEMA Review Council, which, after 10 months, decided that the agency should be more independent, according to The Washington Post. However, Noem, the council co-chair, wants to take it in a different direction.

Noem, the council’s co-chair, is responsible for finalizing the report and sending it to the president, and her office is allegedly pushing different ideas.

The report “got nuked,” said one former FEMA official told the Associated Press.

According to five people familiar with the situation who spoke to the Post, Noem’s draft recommends keeping FEMA inside the Department of Homeland Security but stripping it of its direct disaster-relief functions, essentially transforming the agency into a grant-making shop. The original council draft did not recommend any of that.

Noem’s office also reportedly wants to slash the federal government’s disaster cost share to 50 percent—an overhaul several council members strongly opposed. FEMA’s guidelines currently allow Washington to front about 75 percent of disaster costs, and in extreme cases, nearly 100 percent for a time. Council members want that structure preserved.

A DHS spokesperson publicly denied that Noem was trying to alter the report. “Secretary Noem is the chairwoman of the council and has worked with committee members collaboratively on the reform report,” DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin told the Post. She said the council has “spent months working to provide recommendations to reshape and reform the bureaucratic mess that exists at FEMA.” The Daily Beast also approached for comment.

But internally, tensions are reportedly spiking. After reviewing the council’s original 160-page submission—built from 13,000 public comments and consultations with rural and urban communities from Puerto Rico to Wyoming—Noem and her top adviser, former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, allegedly chopped the document down to fewer than 20 pages.

“It’s like Edward Scissorhands,” one person familiar with the situation said. “She wants to chop it up, and decentralize, and really drastically limit FEMA. Many members on the council are not happy with how she has put her thumb on the scale.”

Some White House officials have already seen the unedited draft. And the concerns aren’t limited to page count. Noem’s revisions reportedly include cutting FEMA’s staff by half, restricting the agency to debris removal and emergency protective measures, and shoving nearly everything else—roads, bridges, buildings, parks—onto other federal agencies. She also reportedly floated relocating FEMA headquarters from Washington, D.C. to Texas, an idea that shocked council members and emergency management experts.

The council’s actual recommendations took a very different tack: make FEMA easier to access for disaster survivors, accelerate aid dispersal, reform the National Flood Insurance Program, keep the Stafford Act cost share intact, and elevate the agency to Cabinet level.

None of those ideas appear in Noem’s trimmed version.

Trump’s final decision remains unclear, as he has heard mixed advice from first responders, Republican officials, and advisers wary of eliminating FEMA. In a statement to the Post, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson framed the council’s mission as ensuring “the federal role remains supplemental and appropriate to the scale of disaster,” adding that “Secretary Noem is working hard to implement the president’s vision.”

At a National Emergency Management Association conference, Florida emergency management director Kevin Guthrie—another council member—was asked whether the report would reach the president unaltered. Former acting FEMA administrator Cameron Hamilton recalled Guthrie’s answer.

“[Guthrie] sighed,” Hamilton said. “He said he feels confident in the report that they will submit to the Secretary. And that’s where he stopped.”

A FEMA spokesperson told the Daily Beast: “Secretary Noem is the Chairwoman of the council and has worked with committee members collaboratively on the reform report that will be completed in the coming weeks. The claims of her or other political staff altering the report are unequivocally false.

“The FEMA Review council has spent months working to provide recommendations to reshape and reform the bureaucratic mess that exists at FEMA.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/ice-barbie-kristie-noem-accused-of-secretly-nuking-report-on-major-reform/?

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Pardoned Capitol Rioter Tried to Hush Child Sex Victim With Promise of Jan. 6 Reparation Money, Police Say

A pardoned January 6 rioter has been charged with sex crimes against two children. Andrew Paul Johnson was arraigned in a Florida court in October on multiple charges, including molesting a child as young as 11 years old, joining a growing list of U.S. Capitol rioters pardoned by President Donald Trump who now face new legal trouble.

https://theintercept.com/2025/11/17/pardoned-jan-6-child-abuse-molestation-andrew-paul-johnson/?

Judge Rules Trump Can’t Cut UC Funding — but UC Leaders Are Still Negotiating a Settlement

In a landmark ruling last Friday, a federal judge indefinitely barred the Trump administration from fining or cutting funds to the University of California system over the government’s bogus claims of antisemitism and discrimination.

https://theintercept.com/2025/11/17/uc-trump-federal-funding-universities/?

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Trump says Democrats’ message to military is ‘seditious behavior’ punishable by death

President Donald Trump on Thursday accused half a dozen Democratic lawmakers of sedition “punishable by DEATH” after the lawmakers — all veterans of the armed services and intelligence community — called on U.S. military members to uphold the Constitution and defy “illegal orders.” The video includes Senators Elissa Slotkin and Mark Kelly, and Reps. Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander and Chrissy Houlahan. Read more.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

U.S. employers added surprisingly solid 119,000 jobs in September, government says in delayed report Federal prosecutors dismiss charges against woman shot by Border Patrol agent in Chicago Federal immigration crackdown ends in Charlotte, North Carolina, sheriff says WATCH: Witnesses in Chicago record the sights and sounds of Trump’s immigration crackdown

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Ukraine would cede territory to Russia in draft of Trump peace plan obtained by AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s plan for ending the war in Ukraine would cede land to Russia and limit the size of Kyiv’s military, according to a draft obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-peace-plan-europe-witkoff-33545b140c5bfbbc5e9061a739802e54?

Trump administration announces plan for new oil drilling off the coasts of California and Florida

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration announced on Thursday new oil drilling off the California and Florida coasts for the first time in decades, advancing a project that critics say could harm coastal communities and ecosystems, as President Donald Trump seeks to expand U.S. oil production.

https://apnews.com/article/offshore-drilling-california-trump-newsom-oil-1e5b0c52b128daddb3a1f112acd44fd6?

Judge orders Trump administration to end National Guard deployment in DC

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to end its monthslong deployment of National Guard troops to help police the nation’s capital.

https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-dc-deployment-c1c2b13a7102632632267bf1262506ff?

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Trump Meets Mamdani

President Donald Trump meets with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani (D) at the White House today. It comes after the Nov. 4 mayoral election drew more than 2 million ballots—the city’s largest turnout in over 50 years. As the leader of the US’ most populous city, it is customary for NYC mayors to meet with the US president. The city relies heavily on federal funding; for fiscal year 2025, NYC receives $9.7B from the federal government, covering 8.3% of its total spending. While the two leaders have openly criticized each other, Mamdani said he hopes to align with Trump on the affordability crisis. Both campaigned on the cost of living; one in 10 New Yorkers who voted for Trump last year went on to vote for Mamdani. Before being sworn in, Mamdani also requires top-level security clearance. Trump has previously threatened to deport Mamdani, who was born in Uganda and became a US citizen in 2018.

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Trump's Ukraine surprise

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios; Photos: Getty Images

President Trump's peace plan for Ukraine includes a security guarantee modeled on NATO's Article 5, which would commit the U.S. and European allies to treat an attack on Ukraine as an attack on the entire "transatlantic community," according to a draft obtained by Axios' Barak Ravid. Trump's plan demands painful concessions from Ukraine. But it also includes an unprecedented promise. President Volodymyr Zelensky's top objective in peace talks is to obtain a robust U.S. and European security guarantee. This is the first time Trump has been willing to put one on the table. Between the lines: The plan could open Trump to backlash with his America First allies, as it would effectively commit the U.S. military to defending Ukraine in the event of another war. The intrigue: The 28-point plan U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll presented to Zelensky yesterday, which was obtained by Axios, says simply that "Ukraine will receive reliable security guarantees." But alongside it, the U.S. presented the Ukrainians with another draft agreement. ? Zoom in: It states that any future "significant, deliberate, and sustained armed attack" by Russia on Ukraine "shall be regarded as an attack threatening the peace and security of the transatlantic community," and the U.S. and its allies will respond accordingly, including through military force. A senior White House official said the Trump administration views the proposed security guarantee as a "big win" for Zelensky and for Ukraine's long-term security. Go deeper: Read the draft agreement ... Dave Lawler contributed reporting.

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?️ Trump's plans for drilling off Calif., Fla.

Data: U.S. Energy Information Administration. Chart: Axios Visuals The Trump administration unveiled plans for new offshore oil drilling projects off the coasts of California and Florida in areas that haven't seen drilling in decades — or ever. The plan spans 1.27 billion acres up and down California's coast, Alaska's Arctic seas, and in the eastern Gulf near Florida, Axios' Ben Geman and Julianna Bragg write. The Interior Department says the lease auctions are needed to address the nation's "growing energy needs." ? What we're watching: Interest in remote, costly, and controversial projects off Alaska is a big question mark.

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? Trump, party of one

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photos: Getty Images

President Trump's recent blowup with Marjorie Taylor Greene is just the latest spectacular split with a one-time confidante who held prized status in his inner sanctum, Axios' Neal Rothschild writes. Of 24 Cabinet-level positions Trump filled this term, just three were in the first-term Cabinet and only Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, held the same role he has now. His current chief of staff, Susie Wiles, is the fifth he's had in five years in office. Key staffers who have bridged both administrations include top adviser Stephen Miller, White House personnel director Dan Scavino and Communications Director Steven Cheung.

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Kennedy Center Boss Melts Down Over Shock Corruption Probe

A senator claims the prestigious arts venue is being used as Trump’s private club.

Donald Trump loyalist Ric Grenell has gone into meltdown after claims that the Kennedy Center has become a private club for the president’s friends and supporters under his watch, according to The New York Times.

Grenell, who was the ambassador to Germany during Trump’s first administration, was appointed as president of the iconic Kennedy Center in February, as the previous board members were purged and replaced with Trump loyalists.

A new report in the Times has leveled allegations of cronyism and corruption at the performing arts center in Washington.

That includes the American Conservative Union Foundation receiving a half-price discount on renting a stage at the venue for their summit on “ending Christian persecution” last month.

The Times viewed documents that showed the final rental cost was $20,007, down from what should have been nearly $42,000.

They claimed FIFA got an even bigger discount when they rented the entire Kennedy Center to host the 2026 World Cup draw. FIFA has been granted 24/7 access to the venue for nearly three weeks, starting from Monday, forcing it to cancel or reschedule lucrative holiday programming.

The cost of renting the entire venue should have been around $5 million, which included $2.7 million in “rescheduling expenses” and “potential lost revenue.” However, FIFA was given the Kennedy Center for free, according to reporting by The Washington Post.

On Thursday, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse launched an investigation into activities under Grenell’s reign at the Kennedy Center, claiming the “nation’s premier arts center is being used as a slush fund and private club for Trump’s friends and political allies.”

The Rhode Island Democrat said contracts, invoices, and agreements to use the facilities revealed that Grenell is operating the Kennedy Center “for the enrichment of your friends and acquaintances, to dole out political favors, and as a playground for the president of the United States and his allies.”

“The center is being looted to the tune of millions of dollars in foregone revenue, canceled programming, unpaid use of its facilities, and wasteful spending on luxury restaurants and hotels—an unprecedented pattern of self-dealing, favoritism, and waste,” he added.

Whitehouse said the center was becoming “a swamp for cronyism and self-dealing.” As ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, he called for documents and information about the center’s financial management practices, expenditures, donors, and contracts under Grenell’s leadership to be handed over by Dec. 4.

The venue receives some federal funding for building maintenance, with the rest generated from ticket sales and renting the space out for private events.

A triggered Grenell posted a lengthy letter to Whitehouse on his X account, fiercely denying the claims he and the Times made.

Grenell also lashed out on social media, saying Whitehouse “attacked the Kennedy Center with outrageous claims.”

He added, “Oh boy - the facts are so clear: the NYT and the Senator’s letter writer are going to be embarrassed. We have a balanced budget, we’ve raised a whopping $117 MILLION under @realDonaldTrump - and FIFA has paid millions plus covered all expenses (the NYT made a gigantic mistake by assuming FIFA was a rental not a major Sponsor)."

He also attacked Times reporter Katie Benner, calling her “an activist Lefty” who “wrote a hit piece full of lies about FIFA and the Kennedy Center.”

Claiming the publication has “Trump derangement syndrome,” he said, “I have now called this New York Times reporter twice asking for corrections and a conversation about her tactics. She refuses to call me back. Truly pathetic.”

In his letter, Grenell insists the venue remains apolitical, saying, “We continue to invite both Democrats and Republicans to see the changes we have made-we have yet to have a single Democrat take us up on our invitation.”

The Daily Beast has contacted Whitehouse and Grenell for comment.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/kennedy-center-head-melts-down-after-shock-corruption-allegations/?

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L.A. Olympics Open the Trough to Trump Loyalists

Figures close to Trump in D.C are now on the Olympics board.

Republican power players with strong ties to Donald Trump have been added to the committee behind the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

The LA28 board of directors now includes Reince Priebus, who was White House chief of staff during the first six months of Trump’s first presidency, and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Other MAGA additions to the voluntary board include Diane Hendricks, who has donated millions to Trump’s campaigns, Ken Moelis, who was Trump’s banker in the 1990s, and Patrick Dumont, owner of the Dallas Mavericks and son-in-law of Trump benefactor Miriam Adelson.

Other names on the board include actress Jessica Alba, media proprietor Jeffrey Katzenberg, and entertainment executive and sports agent Casey Wasserman, who serves as chairperson.

“We are thrilled to welcome this accomplished group to the LA28 Board, who will help create an unforgettable Games for athletes and fans alike,” Wasserman said in a statement.

Former Trump Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao also remains on the board. She resigned from the cabinet after the Jan. 6 riots, saying they “deeply troubled me in a way I simply cannot set aside.”

The 35-person board previously featured former Olympians, including swimmer Katie Ledecky and Paralympic cyclist Muffy Davis, who also served as the Democratic member in the Idaho House of Representatives from 2018 to 2021.

The Daily Beast has contacted LA28 for comment about the changes.

Politico reports that the Trump-adjacent new board members could be a strategic asset for the president, who has regularly clashed with California Gov. Gavin Newsom. McCarthy also has links to Los Angeles mMayorKaren Bass.

The L.A.Summer Olympics run from July 14 to July 30, 2028, which is Trump’s final year in office. He will be 82 when the Olympics take place.

In August last year, when Joe Biden was still president, Trump used his Truth Social platform to take credit for the Summer Games taking place in Los Angeles.

“As President-Elect, I worked with the Olympic Organizing Committee of Los Angeles in getting the 2028 Olympics to come to the United States,” he wrote. “There was tremendous competition from other countries.”

Trump announced a new task force for the Olympics in August this year, with himself conveniently serving as chair. Wasserman gifted him a set of official Olympic medals while in the White House.

“Can I say I won them athletically? That would be an honor,” the 79-year-old asked.

At the time, Trump also raised the transgender sporting issue, stating, “The United States will not let men steal trophies from women at the 2028 Olympics.”

The president tackled the issue of crime, threatening, “We’ll do anything necessary to keep the Olympics safe, including using our National Guard or military. No, I will use the National Guard or military — this is going to be so safe — if I have to.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/la-olympics-purges-athletes-for-loyal-donald-trump-insiders/?

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Panicked Mike Johnson Struggles to Spin Trump’s Death Threats

Johnson tried to defend and dismiss the president’s language.

House Speaker Mike Johnson dialed up the outrage card as he tried to defend President Donald Trump’s call for the execution of Democratic lawmakers.

Johnson stepped in to defend the president’s rhetoric—not by endorsing it outright, but by shifting blame onto the Democrats.

Trump’s Truth Social post slammed into overdrive after six Democratic lawmakers, who are all veterans, released a direct message to U.S. service members, telling them that they can and must “refuse illegal orders.”

Trump responded with a post reading, “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH,” and even reposted a Truth Social user who wrote, “HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD!!”

Johnson attempted to defend the president’s language, dismiss it, and scold Democrats all in the same breath as reporters hunted him down on Capitol Hill to get his take on Trump’s wild posts.

He told reporters the uproar was misplaced. According to him, Trump was simply “defining the crime of sedition.”“That is a factual statement,” he said, insisting that lawyers would need to “parse” the statute. It was Democrats, he claimed, who were acting “wildly inappropriate.”

Johnson acknowledged he hadn’t seen the full string of Trump’s comments, an excuse the speaker frequently leans on. He nonetheless joined the president in going after the six Democrats who had addressed military personnel.

“For a senator like Mark Kelly or any member of the House or Senate to behave in that kind of talk is to me so just beyond the pale,” he said, abruptly ending with, “I’m not going to say anything more on it.”

Some Republicans weren’t buying Trump’s wording. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said, “I don’t agree with that,” though he still dragged Democrats for being “ill-advised and provocative and unnecessary.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified that Trump did not literally want lawmakers executed. “No,” she responded to a reporter who asked if the president actually wanted the lawmakers to be put to death. When asked by the Daily Beast for comment, the White House referred us to Leavitt’s comments.

Johnson took a second attempt at defending Trump later on Thursday, even conceding that his wording was remarkable. “The words that the president chose are not the ones that I would use,” he said. “Obviously, I don’t think that... these are crimes punishable by death or any of that.”

Still, he doubled down on the central grievance. “Members of Congress in the Senate [and] House should not be telling troops to disobey orders. It is dangerous.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer torched the entire episode in a floor speech, warning that Trump “is lighting a match in a country soaked with political gasoline.”

“Every senator, every representative, every American, regardless of party, should condemn this immediately and without qualification,” Schumer said. “Because if we don’t draw a line here, there is no line left to draw.”

Representatives for Johnson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Beast.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/panicked-mike-johnson-struggles-to-spin-trumps-death-threats/?

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GOP Senators Chastise Trump Over Execution Threat Against Colleagues

A handful of Republican senators are publicly rebuking Trump for his chilling threats against their colleagues across the aisle.

Several Republican senators are chastising Donald Trump over his call to execute political enemies, even as the wider party appears content to shrug off the president’s death threats.

Trump, 79, flew off the handle in a series of menacing Truth Social posts Thursday, suggesting that a group of Democrats should be punished by death after they urged U.S. service members and the intelligence community to refuse illegal orders in a video.

“SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” the president wrote in an extraordinary Truth Social post, moments after designating them “traitors.”

He also reposted one of his supporters’ messages that called for the Democrats’ hanging. “HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!” the post read.

Republican Sen. Rand Paul raised alarms over Trump’s extreme language, arguing that such rhetoric all but invites violence from those inclined to take it literally.

“That kind of rhetoric isn’t good and it stirs up people among us who may not be stable who may think well ‘traitors,’ what do we do with traitors? It’s the death penalty. Maybe I’ll just take matters into my own hands, which is not something we should be encouraging,” Paul, 62, told ABC News.

The Kentucky senator, one of the few in his party to regularly challenge Trump, argued, “I think we have political disagreements and we need to work them out in a political way.”

Meanwhile, North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis called Trump’s death threats against the Democrats, all of whom are veterans, “a little strong,” according to Huffington Post’s Igor Bobic.

“Words carry a lot of weight,” said Tillis, 65, who is not running for reelection next year. “Kids are watching, and the president of the United States should always be thinking less about the adults you’re reacting to, to probably what was objectionable behavior by the Democrats, and the kids that are watching, too.”

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham called Trump’s posts “over the top,” while criticizing the Democrats’ video, which featured Sens. Elissa Slotkin and Mark Kelly, as well as Reps. Chrissy Houlahan, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander, and Jason Crow.

“This is the most irresponsible thing I’ve seen from members of Congress, period, but what the president said I don’t agree with,” said Graham, 70, according to Reuters.

Reuters noted that “numerous” other Republican senators declined to comment on Trump’s posts.

Florida Sen. Rick Scott, 72, told NOTUS, “It’s a hypothetical. Trump’s not going to do something illegal. OK, so it’s not going to happen.” Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, 45, said, “I’m sure the president has his tongue in cheek there.”

Asked by CNN’s Manu Raju about the commander-in-chief’s comments, House Speaker Mike Johnson, 53, claimed that Trump was merely “defining the crime of sedition” and slammed the Democrats’ video as “wildly inappropriate.”

When reached for comment, the White House referred the Daily Beast to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s press briefing Thursday.

Asked if Trump wants to execute members of Congress, Leavitt said, “No,” before attacking the Democratic lawmakers in the video.

“You have sitting members of the United States Congress who conspired together to orchestrate a video message to members of the United States military, to active duty service members, to members of the national security apparatus, encouraging them to defy the president’s lawful orders,” Leavitt declared.

The Democrats in the video were clear in their message that service members took an oath to the U.S. Constitution and could refuse “illegal” orders. They did not specify what constitutes an illegal order.

Leavitt called it a hazardous message and argued it was “perhaps punishable by law.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/gop-senators-chastise-trump-over-execution-threat-against-colleagues/?