Members phkrause Posted December 30, 2025 Author Members Posted December 30, 2025 MTG Spills Trump’s Jaw-Dropping Reason for Epstein Cover-Up The MAGA congresswoman shared what Trump yelled at her. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s nasty and public falling out with Donald Trump came as she was vocally pushing for the release of the Epstein files. But in a new New York Times profile, the outgoing GOP congresswoman turned Trump critic shared new details on how her drive to expose the pedophile and his accomplices drove a wedge between them. And she revealed the president’s explosive claim he yelled as he sought to persuade her to stop her crusade. Greene first spoke to Epstein survivors during a closed-door hearing in September. After the meeting, she threatened to identify some of the men who abused them. The move prompted an angry call from the president, who yelled at her as she listened to him on speakerphone, she claimed. It was loud enough that everyone in the suite of rooms could hear him, according to a staffer. When Greene “expressed her perplexity over his intransigence,” according to Greene, the president responded, “My friends will get hurt.” The congresswoman told The Times that she urged the president to invite some of Epstein’s victims to the Oval Office, but he told her they had done nothing to “merit the honor.” It was the last time Trump and Greene ever spoke. In the end, she backed the discharge petition to force the release of the files in defiance of Republican leadership. Greene described the handling of Epstein and the apparent efforts to cover up his crimes as being “everything wrong with Washington.” She described it as, “Rich, powerful elites doing horrible things and getting away with it. And the women are the victims.” The Justice Department is now in the process of releasing documents after failing to meet the December 19 deadline to release all the files. It has released troves of documents since the missed deadline and has indicated that there is a lot more to come after discovering upwards of a million more documents in the Manhattan federal prosecutor’s office. Trump complained that the DOJ was being “forced to spend all of its time on this Democrat inspired Hoax” in a post on Friday. In The Times profile, Greene said that some of her actions got under Trump’s skin, but “it was Epstein. Epstein was everything.” Trump indicated during the 2024 campaign that he was willing to release the Epstein files before reversing course after returning to office. Greene reflected on his attitude toward the files and acknowledged that it did not register with her at the time, but looking back, Trump never really relished the subject of releasing the files. https://www.thedailybeast.com/mtg-spills-trumps-jaw-dropping-reason-for-epstein-cover-up/? Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted December 30, 2025 Author Members Posted December 30, 2025 Trump, 79, Sends Jaw-Dropping Message to Families of Fallen U.S. Fighters The comment drew comparisons to Trump’s “suckers and losers” controversy from his first term. President Donald Trump struggled to offer much sympathy for the families of about 100 Americans—many of them U.S. military veterans—who have died fighting in Ukraine. An estimated several thousand Americans have volunteered to fight for Ukraine since Russian dictator Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion in 2022, with at least 92 Americans killed as of September, The New York Times reported. Following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday to discuss a peace deal to end the war, Trump was asked about his message to the families of the fallen Americans. “The message is so obvious,” he replied. “What a shame. They died in a foreign country. And some are celebrated people, they’re very celebrated. But it’s so sad that a thing like that would happen.” He then immediately moved on to the next question. Social media users quickly noted that the president hadn’t thanked the fallen for their sacrifice, praised their commitment to freedom and democracy, or even offered his personal condolences. Many of the Americans who have died in Ukraine were U.S. military veterans. Mike Meoli, 71, was a retired Navy Seal and firefighter who traveled to Ukraine to train medics on the front lines. He was killed in November 2024, ABC 10 News San Diego reported. Nicholas Maimer, 45, was an Army Special Forces veteran and Idaho native who helped train Ukrainian officers. He was killed in May 2023 in an artillery barrage, according to Military.com. Ian Frank Tortorici, 32, was a retired corporal with the U.S. Marines who fought on the front lines. He died in July 2023 after a Russian missile hit a restaurant where he was eating while on leave, Task and Purpose reported. The U.S. government has declined to provide aid to American fighters to avoid any suggestion of a direct clash with Russia, which is a nuclear power, the Times reported in September. But some social media users argued that Trump’s barely-there compassion for their families wasn’t measured diplomacy—it was reminiscent of the president’s previous comments about Americans who died in combat being “suckers” and “losers.” During a trip to France in 2018, the president said American soldiers who died on French soil during World War I were “losers,” and that U.S. Marines who helped halt the 1918 German advance toward Paris were “suckers” for dying at the hands of the enemy. The White House denied reports of the comments, which were revealed by The Atlantic magazine in 2020, but they’re just one example of the president disparaging military veterans and their families. He has mocked the late Sen. John McCain’s war injuries, publicly insulted the parents of a 27-year-old soldier who died in a car bombing in Iraq, and privately raged about the funeral costs for a female soldier who was murdered by a male soldier at Fort Hood. Although he failed to offer much comfort Sunday to the families of Americans who have died fighting Russia, Trump did manage to heap praise on the man who started the war. “Russia wants to see Ukraine succeed,” Trump said, prompting Zelensky to raise an eyebrow. “I was explaining to the president [Zelensky], President Putin was very generous in his feeling toward Ukraine succeeding.” He also said he “understands” Putin’s refusal to agree to a ceasefire while a longer-term agreement is being hashed out. “He feels that look, you know, they’re fighting and to stop, and if they have to start again, which is a possibility, he doesn’t want to be in that position—I understand that position,” Trump said. Putin bombarded Ukraine with over 100 drones on Christmas Eve and early Christmas Day, killing at least seven civilians. Sunday’s talks were intended to address security guarantees and possible territorial concessions, and while both sides said progress had been made, neither gave any indication that a deal was within reach. The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment. https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-79-sends-stunning-message-to-families-of-fallen-us-fighters/? Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted December 30, 2025 Author Members Posted December 30, 2025 Trump’s Inner Circle Braces for a New Year’s Shakeup For weeks, speculation has swirled that Trump may be plotting a reset after a scandal-ridden first year back in office. President Donald Trump may be plotting a radical purge of top advisers as his administration staggers into the second year of his second stint at the White House. “I think we will see some senior advisers in the West Wing leave,” CBS News’ senior White House reporter Jennifer Jacobs told the network Sunday. Jacobs clarified that Trump’s “main pack” of inner circle advisers—Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt—are likely to remain insulated from any cull—but said she believed other departures may be possible. As of Sunday, Trump has been back in office for exactly 341 days, with his administration engulfed in near-constant controversies and crises from almost the moment he retook the Oval Office.The president has fueled many of the scandals in his second stint in the White House himself. Still, many of his Cabinet members have also found themselves in the eyes of MAGA’s seemingly unending succession of firestorms.The past eleven months have featured a parade of blunders and controversies, from accidentally adding journalists to government group chats and bungling manhunts for suspected assassins to spearheading politicized prosecutions and overseeing manic redactions to long-awaited investigative documents on one of the most notorious sex trafficking conspiracies in history.Speculation has mounted that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who has been dogged by allegations of an affair with a top adviser, has failed to convince Trump that she’s up for the job.Dissatisfaction is also allegedly growing with FBI Director Kash Patel, accused of mishandling the hunt for suspects in the assassination of far-right activist Charlie Kirk earlier in September and the shooting at Brown University in December that killed two students.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s often tenuous grip on the Pentagon is also said to be wearing thin with West Wing power brokers, while U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi is facing intense scrutiny over what critics view as her mishandling of the Epstein files controversy.“[Trump] doesn’t like to be pressured to get rid of anybody,” CBS chief Washington analyst Robert Costa reflected Sunday. “But there are so many people in the so-called MAGA universe who want these slots, and they are able to get access to these officials.” “I wouldn’t rule anything out, based on my reporting,” he added. The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment on this story. https://www.thedailybeast.com/president-donald-trumps-maga-cabinet-might-get-a-new-years-shakeup/? Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted December 30, 2025 Author Members Posted December 30, 2025 ?? Trump meets Bibi as Gaza plan stalls President Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this afternoon at a vital moment for the Trump-backed ceasefire plan between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. ?️ The Mar-a-Lago face-to-face comes as progress on that plan is slowing ahead of a planned second phase, which calls for rebuilding Gaza as a demilitarized zone under international supervision. Trump wants to start that phase "as quickly as we can," he told reporters before the meeting. "But there has to be a disarmament, we have to disarm with Hamas." (CNN) ? AP: "Both sides accuse each other of violations, and divisions have emerged among the U.S., Israel and Arab countries about the path forward." "There are thorny logistical and humanitarian questions, including rebuilding war-ravaged Gaza, disarming Hamas and creating a security apparatus called the International Stabilization Force." (Go deeper.) ?? In a call with Trump today, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that a Ukrainian drone attack targeted one of his official residences. ?? Ukraine immediately denied the claim, which comes amid high-stakes negotiations on a U.S.-driven plan for peace between Ukraine and Russia. Still, Putin told Trump that Russia would revise its negotiating position based on the alleged attack — the latest indication the Kremlin is disinclined to accept that deal. Go deeper. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted December 30, 2025 Author Members Posted December 30, 2025 Trump overturned decades of US trade policy in 2025. See the impact of his tariffs, in four charts Since returning to the White House in January, President Donald Trump has overturned decades of U.S. trade policy — building a wall of tariffs around what used to be a wide open economy. His double-digit taxes on imports from almost every country on earth have disrupted global commerce and strained the budgets of consumers and businesses worldwide. They have also raised tens of billions of dollars for the U.S. Treasury. Still, the erratic way the president rolled out his tariffs made 2025 one of the most turbulent economic years in recent memory. Read more. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Trump indicates the US ‘hit’ a facility that he tied to alleged drug boats Judge orders release of transcript from closed hearing for man accused of killing Charlie Kirk AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Iowa’s state Senate special election FACT FOCUS: Trump says he’s ended eight wars. His numbers are off Tracking the retirement announcements of members of Congress Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted December 30, 2025 Author Members Posted December 30, 2025 The 2025 Agenda (Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call Inc / Getty) View in browser A year ago, no one knew for sure whether Project 2025 would prove to be influential or if it would fall by the wayside, like so many plans in President Donald Trump’s first term. Today, it stands as the single most successful policy initiative of the entire Trump era. Project 2025, which was convened by the Heritage Foundation during the Trump interregnum, was not just one thing: It was a policy white paper, an implementation plan, a recruitment database, and a worldview, all rolled into one. As I wrote in my book this past spring, the authors sought to create an agenda for the next right-wing president that would allow him to empower the executive branch, sideline Congress, and attack the civil service. The resulting politicized, quasi-monarchical government would enact policies that would move the United States toward a traditionalist Christian society. In the roughly 11 months since he took office, Trump has closely followed many parts of Project 2025, finally embracing it by name in October. Both Trump and the plan’s architects have benefited: His second administration has been far more effective at achieving its goals than his first, and the thinkers behind Project 2025 have achieved what Paul Dans, one of its leaders, described as “way beyond” his “wildest dreams.” Project 2025’s biggest victory has been an extraordinary presidential power grab, which has allowed Trump to act in ways that previous presidents have only fantasized about, and to act with fewer restraints. He has laid off tens of thousands of federal employees, sometimes in defiance of laws. More than 315,000 federal employees had left the government by mid-November, according to the Office of Personnel Management. Entire agencies, such as USAID, have been effectively shut down, and the Education Department may be next. Elsewhere, the administration has slashed environmental regulations, withdrawn from a major international climate agreement, undermined renewable energy, and worked to encourage oil and gas drilling on public land. It has discarded key civil-rights-enforcement methods, dismantled anything that might be construed as DEI, and set the agenda for aggressive immigration policies, not just closing the border to many foreign nationals and deporting unauthorized immigrants but also cracking down on valid-visa holders and seeking to denaturalize citizens. This is not small-government conservatism—it’s an effort to concentrate federal power and turn it into a political weapon. Long-standing guardrails against presidential interference in the Justice Department have been demolished. The White House has fired line prosecutors, and Trump has illegally appointed his own former personal attorneys to lead U.S. Attorney’s Offices. These prosecutors have brought charges against many of Trump’s political foes, including former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Representative LaMonica McIver; others have been placed under investigation. (Judges have thrown out indictments against Comey and James, though the DOJ is appealing those dismissals. McIver, who was indicted in June for allegedly impeding federal agents and interfering with an arrest, denies wrongdoing and has pleaded not guilty.) The administration has dabbled in impounding funds appropriated by Congress, despite a law barring this. It has also mounted a major assault on the independence of regulatory agencies, as established by Congress; Trump has fired multiple appointees, sometimes in apparent violation of law, but the Supreme Court has allowed him to proceed. Earlier this month, the justices heard arguments in a case that could overturn or severely narrow the 1935 precedent that safeguards agency independence. We already have a glimpse of what a fully politicized regulatory environment might look like: Chairman Brendan Carr, a Project 2025 author, has used his position at the Federal Communications Commission to pressure CBS News and ABC, even trying to get the late-night host Jimmy Kimmel fired earlier this year. Trump’s presidential power grab will allow his administration to achieve more of Project 2025’s ambitions in the coming year and beyond. All of this has been enabled by a Republican-dominated Congress, which has with few exceptions allowed the president to seize legislative prerogatives, and by the Supreme Court, which has repeatedly allowed Trump to move forward on his expansion of power using the so-called shadow docket. But Project 2025 has not been a complete success. One key belief of the authors was that Trump’s first administration was undercut by bad appointments and by failures to fill other roles. To that end, Project 2025 created a huge database of potential appointees and offered training courses. Although Trump has managed to find more aides loyal to him than in his first term, his pace of confirmation for top jobs trails the pace of most recent presidents. He has also seen a historic high in nominations withdrawn in the first year of a presidency. More fundamentally, the Christian nationalism that courses through Project 2025 has been somewhat eclipsed by other priorities. The Trump administration has made few major moves to restrict access to abortion or to enact pronatalist policies, and the conservative Catholic writer Ross Douthat recently argued that Christianity seems to be window dressing in the administration’s policy rather than a real ideological driver of decision making. Big Tech was a notable boogeyman for the authors, who view smartphones and social media as a danger to traditional religious values, but major Silicon Valley figures have become hugely influential in the White House. For the Heritage Foundation, Project 2025 has been a somewhat Pyrrhic victory. Although its policy ideas are steering the administration, the think tank finds itself on the outside—a product, it seems, of Trump’s displeasure that coverage of Project 2025 complicated his campaign last year. Heritage is also fighting an intramural battle over how to handle the racist and anti-Semitic strains of the right. Another, larger question looms. For decades, American conservatives have argued for restraints on government, in part out of fear of how progressives have used power to enact their policies. Project 2025 threw that out, embracing right-wing big government. Its unpopular ideas are one reason that Republicans are facing a daunting election environment in 2026 and perhaps 2028. If Project 2025’s authors felt, as Russell Vought once said, that America was “in the late stages of a complete Marxist takeover” before Trump returned to office, they may find the situation even more apocalyptic if a Democrat wins the presidency in 2028—and inherits the sweeping powers they have handed to the White House. Related: The Project 2025 presidency The top goal of Project 2025 is still to come. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted December 30, 2025 Author Members Posted December 30, 2025 ?? First U.S. strike inside Venezuela A U.S. military MQ-9 Reaper drone in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, yesterday amid U.S. buildup in the Caribbean. Photo: Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/AFP via Getty Images The CIA conducted a drone strike last week on a remote Venezuelan dock where U.S. officials believe the Tren de Aragua gang was storing narcotics and potentially preparing to move the drugs onto boats, the N.Y. Times reports (gift link). No one was on the dock, and no one was killed. Why it matters: It's the first known U.S. attack inside Venezuela during President Trump's pressure campaign against the Maduro government, suggesting an aggressive new phase, The Times notes. ? The backstory: Trump casually referenced the strike yesterday while meeting at Mar-a-Lago with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump said the U.S. "hit" a dock facility along an unspecified shore. "There was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs," Trump said. "They load the boats up with drugs, so we hit all the boats, and now we hit the area. It's the implementation area. ... And that is no longer around." ?️ On Friday, Trump seemed to confirm a strike when he called WABC radio host John Catsimatidis and discussed U.S. strikes on alleged drug-carrying boats. "I don't know if you read or saw, they have a big plant or a big facility ... where the ships come from," Trump said. "Two nights ago, we knocked that out. So, we hit them very hard." Go deeper: Timeline of U.S. buildup near Venezuela and attacks on alleged drug-smuggling boats. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted December 30, 2025 Author Members Posted December 30, 2025 ?? Trump presses Bibi on West Bank President Trump and his top advisers asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to change Israel's policies in the occupied West Bank during their meeting yesterday, a U.S. official and another source told Axios' Barak Ravid. Why it matters: This is the first time in his second term that Trump and his team have weighed in at length with Netanyahu about Israel's policy in the West Bank, where the security situation has deteriorated dramatically. While other Western governments have denounced Israel's policies, the Trump administration has been seen as supportive. The U.S. official said the White House thinks a violent escalation in the West Bank would undermine efforts to implement the Gaza peace agreement and prevent the expansion of the Abraham Accords before the end of Trump's term. Over the past three years, Netanyahu's hard-right government has pushed policies that have weakened the Palestinian Authority and starved it of funds. Israel has dramatically expanded settlements, forcibly displaced Palestinian communities and taken more steps toward de facto annexation. Trump and his team asked Netanyahu to avoid provocative steps and "calm things down," the sources said. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted December 30, 2025 Author Members Posted December 30, 2025 Kennedy Center Hit With Last-Minute New Year’s Cancelations The list of artists pulling out of shows at the venue keeps on growing. More performers are canceling shows at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts after Donald Trump put his name on the Washington, D.C., memorial. The Cookers, a six-piece jazz group, will no longer perform two shows at the venue on New Year’s Eve, joining a growing list of artists who want nothing to do with the MAGA-fied setting. “Jazz was born from struggle and from a relentless insistence on freedom: freedom of thought, of expression, and of the full human voice,” the Cookers wrote on their website. Though no reason for the schedule change was explicitly given, drummer Billy Hart told The New York Times that the president’s decision to involve himself in the historic arts center was “evidently” a factor. Just last week, Trump, who had filled the center’s board with allies and installed himself as chairman, had his name installed on the building’s exterior, over the objections of several Kennedy family members. Meanwhile, Doug Varone and Dancers, a New York dance company, also announced Monday that it was canceling two performances it had planned for April. “It is financially devastating but morally exhilarating,” Varone told the Times, adding that his company would lose $40,000. When reached for comment, the Kennedy Center referred the Daily Beast to a suggestion by its president, Richard Grenell, on X on Monday night that artists who canceled their shows were deranged.“Boycotting the Arts to show you support the Arts is a form of derangement syndrome,” wrote Grenell, who for months has been complaining that artists’ decisions to pull out amounted to “intolerance” of Republicans. The Kennedy Center is even suing jazz musician Chuck Redd for $1 million for cancelling a Christmas Eve show. With artists removing themselves from the lineup left and right, ticket sales at the venue appear to be taking a hit. Former Kennedy Center dance director Jane Raleigh told The Athletic that sales had fallen and that subscription rates were “down about 50% over where they should have been.” Varone explained to the Times that his dance group‘s planned performance was in part to pay homage to Raleigh and fellow dance administrator Alicia Adams, who is also no longer at the Kennedy Center. “We can no longer permit ourselves nor ask our audiences to step inside this once great institution,” he said. Others have echoed that sentiment. Folk singer Kristy Lee, who recently canceled a January performance, said in a social media post that while the decision to do so was financially tough, “losing my integrity would cost me more than any paycheck.” One performer told NOTUS, “Kennedy Center is supposed to be a memorial, focusing on being nonpartisan. A place where people, it doesn’t matter what party they believe in, should be performing and experiencing the arts together regardless of what their party is. And it has not become that.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/kennedy-center-hit-with-last-minute-new-years-cancelations/? Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted December 30, 2025 Author Members Posted December 30, 2025 Putin Burns Trump With Embarrassing Details of Phone Chat The Kremlin claimed that Trump was “literally outraged” at Ukraine about an attack that hasn’t been confirmed. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin claimed in a phone call with President Donald Trump that Kyiv had attacked one of his official residences—a claim which Ukraine denied almost instantly. The Russian readout of the call said that Putin, 73, told Trump, 79, that Ukraine “launched a terrorist attack” using drones to target the Russian president’s residence. The Kremlin further said that Trump “was shocked by this news, literally outraged.” “[Trump] said he couldn’t even imagine such crazy actions. And, as stated, this will undoubtedly impact American approaches to working with Zelensky, whom, as Trump himself said, thank God, the current administration hasn’t given ‘Tomahawks,’” the Kremlin readout said. Putin and Trump spoke for the second time in the last day, with Trump describing it as “a very good talk,” but adding that they have “a few very thorny issues” remaining. Following the call, Trump told reporters that he was “very angry” when Putin told him about the alleged attack. Trump said it was one thing to “be offensive” but another “to attack his house.” When asked if U.S. intelligence services had confirmed that the attack actually happened, Trump said it was “possible” that the attack did not occur as Putin said. The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed Russia destroyed drones targeting the Russian president’s residence in the Novgorod region, but he has not provided evidence of this claim. The Novgorod residence is not the Russian president’s primary residence and is used mostly as a retreat. Ukraine, for its part, has denied the reported attack. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, said that Russia fabricated its claim to sabotage their negotiations with the U.S. “Another round of lies from the Russian Federation,” Zelensky told reporters on WhatsApp. “It is clear that we had a meeting with Trump yesterday, and it is clear that for the Russians, if there is no scandal between us and America, and we are making progress—for them it is a failure, because they do not want to end this war," Zelensky said. The Putin-Trump call preceded Trump’s Sunday meeting at his Mar-a-Lago club with Zelensky. The U.S. and Ukraine have been working to finalize a peace agreement to end Russia’s war in Ukraine—a war which Trump repeatedly said he would end within 24 hours of taking office during his 2024 presidential campaign. While U.S. and Ukrainian officials had been speaking optimistically about that meeting leading up to it, it did not produce much, save for a promise to meet again next month. https://www.thedailybeast.com/vladimir-putin-burns-donald-trump-with-embarrassing-details-of-phone-chat/? Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted December 30, 2025 Author Members Posted December 30, 2025 Trump warns Iran of further US strikes if it reconstitutes nuclear program President Donald Trump warned Iran that the U.S. could carry out further military strikes if the country attempts to reconstitute its nuclear program as he held wide-ranging talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his home in Florida. Read more. What to know: Trump had previously insisted that Tehran’s nuclear capabilities were “completely and fully obliterated” by U.S. strikes on key nuclear enrichment sites in June. But with Netanyahu by his side, Trump raised the possibility that suspected activity could be taking place outside those sites. Iran has insisted that it is no longer enriching uranium at any site in the country, trying to signal to the West that it remains open to potential negotiations over its atomic program. Trump’s warning comes as the president looks to create fresh momentum for the U.S.-brokered Israel-Hamas ceasefire. The Gaza deal is in danger of stalling before reaching its complicated second phase. Both sides accuse each other of violations, and divisions have emerged among the U.S., Israel and Arab countries about the path forward. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Saudi Arabia bombs Yemen port over weapons shipment from UAE and issues warning to Abu Dhabi WATCH: AP explains Saudi airstrikes targeting UAE shipment to Yemen Hamas says its longtime spokesman was killed following an Israeli strike in August Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted December 30, 2025 Author Members Posted December 30, 2025 US military carries out 30th strike on alleged drug boat The U.S. military said Monday that it had conducted another strike against a boat accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people. Read more. What to know: The military said the vessel “was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” though it did not provide evidence to back up the claim. The strike, announced by U.S. Southern Command on social media, has brought the total number of known boat strikes to 30 and the number of people killed to at least 107 since early September, according to numbers announced by the Trump administration. Trump has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the U.S. and asserted that the U.S. is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels. Maduro has insisted the real purpose of the U.S. operations is to force him from power. Trump also indicated that the U.S. has “hit” a dock facility along a shore. “There was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs,” Trump said. Trump declined to say if the U.S. military or the CIA carried out the strike on the dock or where it occurred. He did not confirm it happened in Venezuela. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ WATCH: Video shows US military striking a boat accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean Homeland Security says a fraud investigation is underway in Minneapolis Republicans try to flip an Iowa Senate seat and reclaim a supermajority in year-end special election Florida congresswoman accused of stealing COVID funds maintains innocence Trump administration rolls out rural health funding, with strings attached A look at how Trump-era work requirements could impact people who receive public benefits National Guard to patrol New Orleans for New Year's a year after deadly attack Judge dismisses criminal case against TikTok streamer held in immigration detention US removal of panels honoring Black soldiers at WWII cemetery in the Netherlands draws backlash Alicia Johnson to become first Black woman elected to Georgia’s Public Service Commission Judge halts a Georgia execution over inmate's concerns about the clemency process Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted December 31, 2025 Author Members Posted December 31, 2025 Trump administration says it’s freezing child care funds to Minnesota after series of fraud schemes President Donald Trump’s administration announced on Tuesday that it’s freezing child care funds to Minnesota after a series of fraud schemes in recent years. https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-child-care-funds-fraud-b511941de10f02fbb7349eff6738f748? Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted December 31, 2025 Author Members Posted December 31, 2025 Trump administration says it’s freezing child care funds to Minnesota after series of fraud schemes President Donald Trump’s administration announced on Tuesday that it’s freezing child care funds to Minnesota and demanding an audit of some day care centers after a series of fraud schemes involving government programs in recent years. Read more. What to know: Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O’Neill said that the move is in response to “blatant fraud that appears to be rampant in Minnesota and across the country.” He referenced a right-wing influencer who posted a video Friday claiming he found that day care centers operated by Somali residents in Minneapolis had committed up to $100 million in fraud. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz pushed back, saying fraudsters are a serious issue that the state has spent years cracking down on but that this move is part of “Trump’s long game.” “He’s politicizing the issue to defund programs that help Minnesotans,” Walz said. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ CIA behind strike at Venezuelan dock that Trump claims was used by drug smugglers, AP sources say Democrat Renee Hardman wins Iowa state Senate seat, blocking GOP from reclaiming a supermajority After quiet off-year elections, Democrats renew worries about Trump interfering in the midterms Buddhist monks persist in peace walk despite injuries as thousands follow them on social media A rough year for journalists in 2025, with a little hope for things to turn around US faith leaders supporting targeted immigrants brace for a tough year ahead Judge temporarily halts Trump’s move to end protected status for South Sudanese immigrants Mali and Burkina Faso impose retaliatory travel ban on US nationals California delays revoking 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses until March after immigrants sue Georgia judge tosses landmark racketeering charges against 'Cop City' protesters ‘Trump’s EPA’ in 2025: A fossil fuel-friendly approach to deregulation December interest rate cut was a close call for some Fed officials, minutes show Nevada casinos, lawmakers eager to reverse change in gambling tax deductions Former US Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, of Colorado, dies at 92 WATCH: A look back at Washington politics in 2025 Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted December 31, 2025 Author Members Posted December 31, 2025 Pam Bondi Deletes Post After Getting Busted Lying for Trump The attorney general tried to pass off Trump’s predecessor’s work as his own. Attorney General Pam Bondi shared and then deleted a graph showing a steep drop in drug overdose deaths after she was busted trying to give the Trump administration credit for progress made under Joe Biden. The graph, which tracked overdose deaths from October 2015 to October 2024, showed that deaths surged nationwide beginning in 2015 with the advent of fentanyl, according to a June 2025 article from JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association. The overdose rate spiked just before the start of the coronavirus pandemic, during President Donald Trump’s first term, before largely plateauing in 2022 and 2023. From October 2023 to October 2024, when Biden was in office, the rate of overdose deaths began to fall sharply again. The deceleration that Biden oversaw was nearly twice the rate of the surge that happened between 2019 and 2021, the study’s authors noted. Bondi nevertheless used graph as “evidence” that the Trump administration is effectively battling the nation’s drug epidemic. “President Trump closed the border. DOJ agents have seized hundreds of millions of potentially lethal fentanyl doses. We are aggressively prosecuting drug traffickers and cartel leaders. These are the results,” she added. “Elections have consequences. Electing President Trump and enforcing the law is saving American lives.” Social media users, however, quickly pointed out that the graph’s title made it clear that it was referring to the period before Trump took office. Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu of California responded to Bondi’s post thanking her for “unintentionally giving massive credit to Joe Biden.” The attorney general then deleted her post, but not before several users took screenshots of the original. “Lol, the truth hurts,” Lieu wrote alongside a screenshot. “@AGPamBondi was glazing Trump again with another lying sycophantic tweet, but the chart she attached stopped in Oct 2024, thus showing the great work done by Joe Biden.” The Daily Beast has reached out to the Department of Justice for comment. Healthcare professionals worry that the gains made at the end of Biden’s term—which amount to a 27 percent reduction in overdose deaths—are at risk because of Trump’s signature spending bill, which cut $1 billion from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Agency, NPR reported in June. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has laid off more than a third of the SAMHA staff and is dissolving the agency, the Department of Health and Human Services announced in March. At the same time, Trump has used the drug epidemic as an excuse to order a series of deadly attacks on small boats in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, killing 97 people as of Tuesday, and to strike infrastructure in Venezuela. The president has also claimed that some of his sweeping tariffs on products from dozens of U.S. trade partners are in response to the fentanyl crisis. But the president’s tough-on-narco-terrorists posturing has been undermined by his willingness to pardon nearly 100 people convicted of drug-related crimes. During his first term, he granted pardons or commutations to almost 90 people for drug-related crimes. Since taking office in January, he has freed 10 more, including pardoning former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who trafficked hundreds of tons of cocaine into the U.S., and Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, whose black-market site on the dark web generated hundreds of millions of dollars in sales of illegal goods and services, including drugs. https://www.thedailybeast.com/pam-bondi-deletes-post-after-getting-busted-lying-for-donald-trump/? Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted December 31, 2025 Author Members Posted December 31, 2025 MAGA Rep Launches Savage Attack on Trump’s Epstein Coverup Trump loyalist Lauren Boebert suggests a water-pipeline veto is retaliation for her pushing a House vote on the Epstein files. Former MAGA mouthpiece Lauren Boebert complained of “political retaliation” after President Donald Trump blocked a significant piece of infrastructure in her state in apparent revenge for her role in the release of the Epstein files. On Tuesday, Trump, 79, vetoed the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act—which would have kept on track a long-delayed clean-water pipeline serving 50,000 people—killing a bipartisan measure that had cleared the House by voice vote and the Senate by unanimous consent. The president framed the conduit financing as an unacceptable “taxpayer handout,” arguing the federal government shouldn’t be on the hook for what he called “expensive and unreliable policies.” This was despite the Congressional Budget Office estimating that the legislation would cost the federal government less than $500,000, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation describing the conduit as a “major infrastructure project” that will supply reliable water to 39 communities. In response, Colorado Rep. Boebert, 39, did not mince her words, calling the bill “completely non-controversial” and suggesting Trump’s decision could be political. In comments that are likely to generate blowback from her famously vengeful leader, Boebert said, “I sincerely hope this veto has nothing to do with political retaliation for calling out corruption and demanding accountability.” She added: “Americans deserve leadership that puts people over politics.” Boebert was among a tiny band of MAGA House members who defied White House pressure and pushed to force a vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act—triggering angry calls and a failed closed-door push by Trump’s team to get them to stand down. She isn’t the only pro-Trump firebrand alleging blowback, as the Jeffrey Epstein scandal continues to dog the president’s second term. And if the example of Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is anything to go by, the matter will not end here for Boebert. Taylor Greene, 51, is another MAGA leader who broke with Trump over the Epstein fight and has publicly complained about retaliation and pressure campaigns aimed at rebels as the GOP tried to contain the fallout. Bobert, though, seems to be prepared, posting on X Tuesday night: “This isn’t over.” And nor is the Epstein saga. After MAGA lawmakers backed a discharge petition and Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the DOJ began releasing records on Dec. 19. The releases have drawn blowback for heavy redactions, with Democrats and watchdogs alleging the department removed or obscured material that references Trump, who had a long-standing friendship with the late pedophile financier. DOJ officials say hundreds of thousands more records are in the pipeline, keeping the story alive. Trump denies any wrongdoing in relation to the convicted sex offender. Away from Epstein, Boebert and Greene are among a small but growing set of once-reliable MAGA allies now openly breaking from Trump, despite the possibility of retaliation from a president who still dominates the party. Back in Colorado, officials and co-sponsors backed Boebert. Sen. Michael Bennet called Trump’s veto “a revenge tour,” while Sen. John Hickenlooper urged Congress to overturn it. Rep. Jeff Hurd said more than $200 million has already been invested and warned further delays could strand taxpayer dollars as communities remain stuck without a path to meet drinking water standards. The bill would have removed interest and stretched repayments to 100 years for local communities’ share of the Arkansas Valley Conduit—a 130-mile pipeline intended to deliver water from Pueblo Reservoir to dozens of communities along the Arkansas River—after decades of delay. The Daily Beast has contacted the White House and Boebert for comment. https://www.thedailybeast.com/maga-rep-lauren-boebert-launches-blistering-attack-on-donald-trumps-epstein-files-retaliationruption/? ps:One by one he's throwing them under the bus and it looks like they're not just cowering down and taking it!!!!! Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted December 31, 2025 Author Members Posted December 31, 2025 Trump Hit by New Bombshell Account of Twisted Ties to Epstein Mar-a-Lago funneled young women to him for massages—even though he exposed himself, say ex-staff. Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club sent young women to massage Jeffrey Epstein for years—even though he exposed himself to them, a disturbing new report from The Wall Street Journal has revealed. The report says that Epstein, who called himself Trump’s closest friend from the late 1980s through the early 2000s, was a frequent visitor to Trump’s Palm Beach resort. But he also allegedly received frequent house calls from employees offering spa services. Employees, who were typically young women, were sent to Epstein’s nearby home for years, despite warning each other about Epstein’s inappropriate behavior, which included being sexually suggestive and exposing himself during appointments. Finally, in 2003, an 18-year-old beautician who had been sent to the financier’s home complained to a manager that Epstein had pressured her for sex. This incident prompted the manager to relay her concerns to Trump, urging him to ban Epstein from his club. Trump agreed to bar Epstein from the premises, but the incident was not reported to Palm Beach law enforcement, according to former Mar-a-Lago employees and the local police. Another Mar-a-Lago employee, Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most outspoken victims, had been recruited from the Palm Beach club by Epstein’s accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell three years earlier, when she was just 16 years old. Giuffre, who alleged that she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew, died by suicide in April, Trump’s second wife, Marla Maples, also reportedly warned her husband and others that there was something “off” about Epstein, former employees told the WSJ. The Wall Street Journal has identified four other Mar-a-Lago employees listed in Epstein’s notorious address book, which was seized by the FBI in 2009. Palm Beach police did not start looking into Epstein until 2005, after a parent reported that he had molested a 14-year-old girl. He was finally arrested in 2006 after several teen girls told authorities he had paid them for sex. Epstein was eventually convicted of procuring a child for prostitution and soliciting a prostitute in 2008, and served 13 months in prison as a result. When reached for comment about the story, the White House pointed the Daily Beast to comments Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt made to the Wall Street Journal, accusing them of “writing up fallacies and innuendo in order to smear President Trump.” “No matter how many times this story is told and retold, the truth remains: President Trump did nothing wrong and he kicked Jeffrey Epstein out of Mar-a-Lago for being a creep,” Leavitt told the outlet. Trump and Epstein maintained a friendship for well over a decade before their falling out. The president’s past relationship with the convicted sex trafficker, who died by suicide in jail in 2019 while facing federal sex trafficking charges, has been the source of significant tension as his administration has botched the long-awaited release of the Epstein files. Evidence of Trump’s relationship with Epstein that was initially included in the release of some files was seemingly removed without notice from the Department of Justice’s website, including an image in which a photo of Trump and Epstein together could be seen. While it is unclear when exactly Trump and Epstein stopped speaking, the president claimed, following Epstein’s 2019 arrest, that the two hadn’t spoken in 15 years. Epstein’s message book showed two calls from Trump in late 2004, the same month Trump won an auction for a Palm Beach property both men were vying for. When asked earlier this year why they fell out, Trump said, “Because he did something that was inappropriate. He hired help. I said, ‘Don’t ever do that again.’ He did it again, and I threw him out of the place, persona non grata.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-mar-a-lago-accused-of-sending-young-women-to-epstein-for-years/? Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted December 31, 2025 Author Members Posted December 31, 2025 Why This Fallen SEAL’s Love of Democracy Shames Trump The story of a real hero whose ultimate sacrifice elicited little more than a presidential mumble from Trump. When a reporter asked this week what he had to say to the families of the nearly 100 Americans killed in the Ukraine war, President Donald Trump managed barely a stammer of vague sympathy. “It’s so sad that a thing like that would happen,” Trump, 79, said of the volunteers who died opposing a dictator he has too often praised and never forthrightly condemned for violating the principles of freedom and justice that made America great at its inception. Trump allowed that “some are celebrated people, they’re very celebrated.” But to have named them would have been a step toward also naming what motivated them. And that would have also been a step toward naming the Russian leader responsible for the killing. Trump instead chose to once again speak fondly of Vladimir Putin. Among the names we should all remember and celebrate is retired Chief Petty Officer Michael “Mike” Meoli. He grew up in Southern California and spent more than four decades as a U.S. Navy SEAL, firefighter/paramedic with the San Diego fire rescue, and the city’s police SWAT team. He also answered the call from the FDNY for firefighters from other cities to bolster the attendance at their many funerals after 9/11. He saw combat in Iraq. He had remained in the Navy reserves and was 42 when he was activated to full combat duty as a SEAL. He was subsequently an international instructor in tactical combat casualty care, ranging from Sri Lanka to South Korea to Pakistan. In the meantime, Meoli resumed serving with San Diego Fire Rescue until his retirement in 2018. He took it upon himself to design and raise the funds for a monument to fallen SEALs at Miramar National Cemetery that was completed in 2021. “This monument honors those frogmen who went before us who created and perfected our trade craft, those who made the ultimate sacrifice, the Gold Star families they left behind, and the inspiration for SEAL candidates yet to be trained, tested and selected,” Meoli said at the dedication ceremony. He noted that along with an inscription reading ”ALL GAVE SOME, SOME GAVE ALL,” the monument included “a chronology of our history and a record of those from our small ranks who gave their lives to protect freedom.“ Meoli remained ready to do the same when Russia invaded Ukraine six months later. He was a civilian in his late 60s when he responded with what he viewed as his paramount skill. “He said, ‘I can’t save the eternal soul, but I can prolong life. That’s my job, just to save our physical life’,” one of his three sons, 31-year-old Navy veteran Luke Meoli, told the Daily Beast on Monday. The elder Meoli was speaking as someone of deep faith who was known to reply, “another day closer to heaven” when asked how he was doing. Meoli reportedly taught more than 14,000 Ukrainian medics and soldiers how to apply tourniquets, stem bleeding and maintain open airways. He had previously trained Luke, who remembers his father as an intense instructor with the particular sense of humor common to trauma medics. “They all have a very, very crazy sense of humor because of stuff they’ve seen,” Luke said. Meoli periodically returned home from Ukraine, and his efforts there to prolong life appeared to be grinding him down. Luke last saw him a year before his death and recalled, “It seemed like it was harder and harder for him. He thought Ukraine was losing a lot, even though he would always say a lot more Russians were dying compared to Ukrainians.” Meoli was coming to believe Ukraine was likely to lose unless other countries stepped in. “His heart was for Ukraine, so it was hard for him to see all that,” Luke said. Meoli was also still a SEAL at heart and he returned to the struggle to prolong the life of Ukraine itself. Then fate took an ironic twist: a retired special forces operator who had survived countless brushes with death suffered a fatal head injury in a Ukrainian car crash. Mike Meoli died on November 14, 2024. He was 71. On Thanksgiving of 2024, just three weeks after Trump was elected to a second term, the flag-covered coffin of a hero for whom we should all give thanks landed at Los Angeles International Airport. Luke was in the cortege of emergency vehicles that proceeded south and saw first responders salute from every highway overpass on the 130-mile journey south. “I got to ride with the body from L.A. to San Diego,” Luke recalled, “All the bridges, overpasses, there were fire trucks and everything.” Among those who mourned the end of Meoli’s physical life was a fellow eminence in tactical combat medicine. Dr. Richard Carmona is a physician and a former police officer, once named national SWAT officer of the year, as well as a Green Beret who earned the Purple Heart in Vietnam and Vice Admiral of the U.S. Public Health Service. He served as Surgeon General under President George W. Bush. Carmona teamed up with Meoli in the 1980s to consolidate knowledge of combat casualty care into a single program that could be distributed to all of America’s special operations teams, police and fire rescue, as well as military. “Now that’s the standard of care for the whole nation,” Carmona told the Daily Beast on Monday. Carmona had spoken periodically to Meoli as his comrade brought the best of casualty care to Ukraine. “When he said he was going to Ukraine, none of us were surprised because it was just the next place that needed expertise to help them,” Carmona said. ”We admired the fact that the Ukrainians stuck to their guns and were unwilling to give up their country and the democracy that they had created.” Carmona added, “What [Putin] was doing was something that not only was illegal or unlawful, but it was going to hurt the people of the Ukraine. And I think Mike felt very strongly about that, that he wanted to make sure that all of their soldiers had the best care. I would say he represented the best of us in the United States.” As proof of that, Carmona recalled the first responders who filled the overpasses as Meoli began his final journey. “[They] were sending a message that this was one of ours, and he contributed significantly to the health, safety and security of our operators and our nation,” Carmona continued, “It was a show of commitment, it was a show of praise for one of us who gave the ultimate sacrifice.” Meoli was buried in Miramar National Cemetery, where he had established the memorial to the SEALS who gave their all. His physical life at an end, he entered an eternal life as one of them. The principles at the core of American greatness are not transactional, as Trump leads us to believe. They are a recognition that what is most valuable and important is worth giving your all. Call it: the Art of the Real. https://www.thedailybeast.com/why-this-fallen-seals-love-of-democracy-shames-trump/? Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted December 31, 2025 Author Members Posted December 31, 2025 Trump’s Biggest Fan Goes Ballistic on MTG With Lewd Attack The bitter feud between two MAGA queens intensified after Greene slammed the “sexualization” of women at Trump’s Mar-a-lago club. MAGA firebrand Laura Loomer has escalated her brutal war of words with Marjorie Taylor Greene, posting a video of the congresswoman groping a cardboard cutout of Donald Trump to accuse her of being a “total fraud.” The scorched-earth battle between the two MAGA queens has become increasingly ugly in recent months as Greene broke ranks with the president on everything from the Epstein files and cost-of-living pressures to foreign wars and “America First” principles. But things intensified even further this week after Greene slammed the “sexualization” of women at the president’s lavish Mar-a-Lago club in an interview with The New York Times. “I never liked the MAGA Mar-a-Lago sexualization. I believe how women in leadership present themselves sends a message to younger women,” she told the outlet in a series of blistering interviews. “I have two daughters, and I’ve always been uncomfortable with how those women puff up their lips and enlarge their breasts. I’ve never spoken about it publicly, but I’ve been planning to.” Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, has long drawn scrutiny for the way women are presented or perceived. The “puffed up” lips and enhancements Greene referred to have become so ubiquitous among Republican women in the president’s orbit that it’s even earned its own trend moniker: “Mar-a-Lago face.” But Loomer, a far-right commentator and staunch Trump ally, fired back on Tuesday morning, posting a four-year-old video of Greene on stage at a Republican event with a cardboard cutout of Trump. In the clip, Greene can be seen pointing to the life-size image of Trump, telling the audience: “This guy right here, he’s great, standing up there in the mucky swamp.” But in a bizarre twist, she then moves her hand around his groin area with what appears to be a lewd gesture. “Also, what does she mean about sexualization?” Loomer asked on X. “Let me remind @RepMTG of this video of her sexually molesting a cardboard cutout of President Trump. MTG is a total fraud.” The incendiary post, in which Loomer also repeated claims of infidelity against Greene, was not the first time this week that Loomer has hit out at her long-term nemesis. On Sunday, the right-wing provocateur posted an article featuring Greene in a bikini on a beach in Costa Rica, where she is holidaying with her fiancé, MAGA reporter Brian Glenn. “‘America Only’ @RepMTG vacations in Costa Rica,” Loomer quipped, citing an unnamed source who reportedly told her Greene had bought a $5 million home there. She also hit out at Greene’s claim in the New York Times that Trump yelled at her over the Epstein files, with the president reportedly telling her: “My friends will get hurt.” “In reality, Epstein was a friend to Democrats,” Loomer wrote. The Daily Beast has reached out to Greene’s office. So far, she has has not publicly responded to Loomer’s latest attack, with her Instagram suggesting she is instead enjoying her holiday before she quits Congress on January 5, following her spectacular falling out with Trump. But the MAGA acolyte has not shied away from her beef with Loomer in the past, claiming “she psychotically turns on everyone” and is “the most unstable person and worst liability to ever walk in the Oval Office.” But while both have spent years vying for Trump’s attention, Loomer remains a loyal and influential ally of the president. At a Christmas Party at the White House this month, Trump described her as a “a very beautiful young woman,” and joked that she is “very low-key, not controversial at all.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-biggest-fan-goes-ballistic-on-mtg-with-lewd-attack/? Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted December 31, 2025 Author Members Posted December 31, 2025 Veteran Epstein Reporter Says New Files Are ‘Worse’ Than Expected “It’s completely overwhelming,” journalist Julie K. Brown said. The journalist who helped put Jeffrey Epstein behind bars is appalled at the revelations coming out in the government’s drip-feed release of the Epstein files. Award-winning investigative reporter Julie K. Brown, whose 2017 probe into Epstein’s sex trafficking led to his arrest in 2019, told host Tim Miller on The Bulwark Podcast that the new information she has been seeing about the Epstein enterprise has been “worse” than even she thought. “I would say most of the stuff that I’m getting is just more like, ‘Oh my God, this is worse than I thought,’” Brown told Miller. “That’s really what I think every day.” “This is like—wow, there are big people involved," she continued. “Look, I’ve been absorbed in this for eight years, and I’ve seen a lot. So when you see something like that, I think it’s just human nature to think, ‘What is this now?’” The latest dump of files included photos of boldfaced names such as Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Michael Jackson, and Mick Jagger, among many others. None of the photographs suggest any wrongdoing by the famous people featured in them, as the administration released troves of documents from the DOJ, FBI, and U.S. attorneys’ offices as they investigated the disgraced financier. Brown shared that since the Justice Department began releasing files related to the Epstein case—many of which are heavily redacted—on its congressionally mandated deadline of Dec. 19, she has seen a wealth of new information about the scope of Epstein’s victim network. “You have no idea the number of calls I’m getting on a daily basis now,” she said. “It’s incredible.” “I mean, tips that I would have jumped at and written before all this happened because they are good stories... I’m like, trying to prioritize. It’s completely overwhelming,” she added. “This is a story that’s big enough for a lot of reporters,” said Brown. Later in the conversation, the veteran reporter also commented on the administration’s suspicious flip-flopping over the validity of the investigation, noting Trump’s “browbeating” of Congress members over the file release and his comment to Marjorie Taylor Greene about it “hurting a lot of his friends.” “That should be investigated,” Brown said. “All this should be investigated, and I don’t think it should be a partisan thing. I think the Republicans should want to investigate it, too.” “Why did they release a couple of binders full of stuff when Pam Bondi said they were going to release everything, and it was on her desk? There are some serious questions that I think need to be answered,” she added. “Why did they say that there wasn’t anything here? There definitely is stuff there.” The administration’s handling of the file release has been a disaster, with the DOJ failing to meet its law-mandated deadline, releasing overly redacted documents that protect the names of people who aren’t victims, and deleting records from the publicly accessible site—including a photograph of the president—in a clandestine manner. https://www.thedailybeast.com/veteran-epstein-reporter-julie-k-brown-says-new-files-are-worse-than-expected/? Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted January 1 Author Members Posted January 1 These bipartisan bills were noncontroversial — until Trump vetoed them President Donald Trump has issued the first vetoes of his second term, rejecting two bipartisan natural resources bills. The Tuesday vetoes had the effect of punishing backers of the bills who opposed the president’s positions on other issues. He vetoed drinking water pipeline legislation from Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, an ally who broke with the president over releasing files on Jeffrey Epstein. He also rejected legislation that would have given the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida more control over some of its land. The tribe was among groups suing over a detention center in the Everglades known as "Alligator Alcatraz." Read more. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Nearly 25 Islamic State fighters killed or captured in Syria, US military says WATCH: US fighter jets concentrate on a Puerto Rico airstrip amid rising tensions with Venezuela US commits $480M in health funding to Ivory Coast, the latest to sign 'America First' health deals Zohran Mamdani to become NYC’s next mayor with a midnight oath underground Former Republican Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona announces dementia diagnosis ps:Of course he did! Why? Because anything that benefits everybody he wants nothing to do with!! Trump says he’s dropping push for National Guard in Chicago, LA and Portland, Oregon, for now WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said he’s dropping — for now — his push to deploy National Guard troops in Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon, a move that comes after legal roadblocks held up the effort. https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-guard-withdrawal-cities-6b7b02b832b24e17e6db483eb6c74425? Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted January 1 Author Members Posted January 1 Trump Toasts the New Year With Race-Baiting Rant Apparently mixing up his figures, the 79-year-old president told partygoers $18 billion had been stolen by scammers. New Year’s celebrations are historically a time for positivity and goodwill, but not for Donald Trump, who rang in 2026 by toasting his Mar-a-Lago guests with a race-baiting rant. Speaking at his New Year’s Eve party, Trump, 79, repeated his claim that Minnesota has been hit by sweeping fraud—citing an unsubstantiated ‘$18 billion’ figure while referencing what he called the “Somalia population”—and said other blue states had suffered in a similar manner. “Can you imagine, they stole $18 billion,” he told his guests, calling it a “giant scam,” and adding, “That’s just what we’re learning about.” He also told attendees he’d seen the House majority whip, Rep. Tom Emmer, 64, on television earlier that day, and said the Minnesota Republican had been discussing “the Somalia population” “not very nicely.” Trump added: “California’s worse. Illinois is worse, and sadly, New York is worse. A lot of other places. So we’re going to get to the bottom of all of it.” The amount involved in the Minnesota fraud has been fiercely disputed. Multiple outlets have reported that federal cases and charging documents to date have centered on hundreds of millions of dollars until viral social media allegations helped supercharge the controversy. It’s not clear where Trump got the $18 billion figure from—although a Trump-appointed prosecutor, Joe Thompson, claimed this month that half or more of $18 billion in federal funds spent on 14 social programs in Minnesota since 2018 may have been stolen in what he called “staggering, industrial-scale fraud.” Thompson, who served as the acting U.S. attorney for Minnesota from June to October this year, had previously put the figure at around $1 billion.Perhaps realizing his New Year’s speech was short of cheer and not delivering the upbeat vibe his guests may have hoped for heading into 2026, Trump attempted to tailor his message for the occasion—but in the only way he knows how. “Other than that, we’re going to have a great new year,” he said. “Actually, I view that as a reason for a good new year because we’re going to get to the bottom of [it], we’re going to get that money back. It’s all coming back.” Trump’s remarks come amid a fast-escalating political storm over fraud allegations tied to child care and other social service programs in Minnesota—an issue he has seized on repeatedly in the past month, often framing it around the state’s Somali American community. The White House has also been forced to clarify precisely what it is doing with federal child care money. Reuters reported on Wednesday that HHS deputy Jim O’Neill initially announced a freeze in response to allegations in Minnesota. But a department spokesperson later said funding to Minnesota had not been frozen, instead describing tightened documentation and audit requirements. All of it is unfolding as Trump heads into the year of the midterms with underwater approval ratings and growing voter pessimism about the economy. The Daily Beast has contacted the White House office for comment. https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-toasts-the-new-year-with-somalia-race-rant/? Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted January 1 Author Members Posted January 1 Jack Smith’s Damning Verdict on Trump Prosecution Finally Revealed The former special prosecutor remains confident that the president would have been convicted had his federal cases gone to trial. Jack Smith says he had “proof beyond a reasonable doubt” that President Donald Trump illegally tried to overturn the 2020 election and hid classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. The revelation was part of a damning deposition released Wednesday by the House Judiciary Committee, which held a closed-door meeting with Trump’s former special prosecutor earlier this month. Smith, 56, further alleged that his prosecutors “developed powerful evidence that showed that President Trump willfully retained highly classified documents after he left office” in 2021 and stored them in a bathroom and ballroom in his South Florida estate. “The decision to bring charges against President Trump was mine, but the basis for those charges rests entirely with President Trump and his actions,” he said. Smith’s pair of federal probes—a classified documents case in Florida, and an electoral obstruction case in Washington, D.C.—were ultimately dropped when Trump won the 2024 election. The 79-year-old president has slammed the probes a “witch hunt,” but Smith maintains that Trump would have been convicted had the cases gone to trial. “The timing and speed of our work reflect the strength of the evidence and our confidence that we would have secured convictions at trial,” Smith said. Smith has become a top MAGA foe, but he told lawmakers that—given the evidence provided—he would have accepted the job to prosecute a former president regardless of party. He said that right-wing claims of bias “are false and misleading,” and he slammed the president for vilifying anyone involved in probing him. “I am both saddened and angered that President Trump has sought revenge against career prosecutors, FBI agents, and support staff simply for doing their jobs and for having worked on those cases,” Smith said. “These dedicated public servants are the best of us, and they have been wrongly vilified and improperly dismissed from their jobs.” He continued, “We took our actions based on the facts and the law, the very lessons I learned early in my career as a prosecutor. We followed Justice Department policies and observed legal requirements.” The White House did not respond to the Daily Beast’s request for comment. Smith’s deposition spanned eight hours. A transcript shows he was grilled by lawmakers over the twin criminal investigations into Trump. The president has suggested that he plans to turn the tables on Smith and prosecute him for supposedly weaponizing the Justice Department against him—a baseless claim. Democrats, including Rep. Jamie Raskin, praised Smith for his handling of the deposition. “Jack Smith has just spent several hours schooling the Judiciary Committee on the professional responsibilities of a prosecutor and the ethical duties of a prosecutor,” Raskin said after the Dec. 17 deposition. Rep. Dan Goldman, a Democrat from New York, joined Smith’s lawyers in demanding that the deposition be made public—something the committee honored on New Year’s Eve. The transcript showed Smith repeatedly batting down any suggestion that his prosecution of Trump was politically motivated. “I would never take orders from a political leader to hamper another person in an election,” Smith said. “That’s not who I am.” Smith reminded lawmakers that many Republicans were key contributors to his dual probes. “We had numerous witnesses who would say, ‘I voted for President Trump. I campaigned for Trump, President Trump. I wanted him to win,’” Smith said. He continued, listing GOP witnesses. “The Speaker of the House in Arizona. The Speaker of the House in Michigan. We had an elector in Pennsylvania who is a former Congressman who was going to be an elector for President Trump who said that what they were trying to do was an attempt to overthrow the government and illegal.” Smith said Republicans were the central piece to their entire case. “Our case was built on, frankly, Republicans who put their allegiance to the country before the party,” he said. “And so the President got information from people he trusted on other issues. He rejected it whenever it didn’t fit him staying in office. And there was a pattern in our case where any time any information came in that would mean he could no longer be president, he would reject it. And any theory, no matter how far-fetched, no matter how not based in law, that would indicate that he could, he latched on to that.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/jack-smiths-damning-verdict-on-trump-prosecution-finally-revealed/? Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted January 1 Author Members Posted January 1 Trump Ends 2025 With Wild Hate-Posting Spree: ‘Rot in Hell’ The president spent the holiday reminding his foes how much he despises them. President Donald Trump must have confused New Year’s Eve with Festivus. The president spent his final day of 2025 airing grievances with foes. He went as far as telling a Republican district attorney and Colorado’s Democratic governor that they can both “rot in hell.” “I wish them only the worst,” Trump, who is spending the holiday at Mar-a-Lago, wrote on Truth Social. “May they rot in Hell.” The bizarre post concerned Tina Peters, the MAGA superfan who used her position as a Colorado clerk to allow a man associated with MyPillow’s Mike Lindell to enter her local election system and view confidential records as he worked to overturn the 2020 election. Peters, 70, is currently 15 months into a nine-year prison sentence that the president is desperately trying to end. But Trump does not appear to have all the facts, as his post slamming Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Mesa County District Attorney Dan Rubinstein was riddled with errors. Trump, 79, wrongly stated that Peters is 73, three years older than she actually is. He also said that she is being held in a maximum security facility, despite actually being in a medium security women’s prison. He also wrongly said that she had already served two years of her sentence. Both Polis and Rubinstein slammed the president in statements to the Daily Beast. Polis said, “I hope the President’s resolution this year is to spend less time online talking about me and more on making America more affordable by stopping his disastrous tariffs and fixing rising health care costs.” Reached by email, Rubinstein said, “There’s a saying in the law: If the facts are on your side, pound the facts; if the law is on your side, pound the law; if neither is on your side, pound the table. President Trump has no facts and no law here. After trying and failing to invent both, he’s left with nothing but pounding the table.” The White House declined to comment beyond the president’s own posts. Trump’s holiday of hate did not end with his post about Peters. George Clooney and his wife, Amal, also landed in the 79-year-old’s crosshairs. “Good News! George and Amal Clooney, two of the worst political prognosticators of all time, have officially become citizens of France, which is, sadly, in the midst of a major crime problem because of their absolutely horrendous handling of immigration, much like we had under Sleepy Joe Biden,” Trump wrote. He continued, “Remember when Clooney, after the now infamous debate, dumped Joe during a fundraiser, only to go onto the side of another stellar candidate, Jamala(K!), who is now fighting it out with the worst governor in the Country, including Tim Waltz, Gavin Newscum, for who is going to lead the Democrats to their future defeat. Clooney got more publicity for politics than he did for his very few, and totally mediocre, movies. He wasn’t a movie star at all, he was just an average guy who complained, constantly, about common sense in politics.” Trump deliberately misspelled Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s name in earlier screeds he shared on Wednesday, too. In one post, he wrote: “Tim Waltz of Minnesota is a Crooked Governor!!!” In another, Trump claimed that “90 percent” of those embroiled in the Minnesota fraud fiasco entered the country illegally from Somalia—a claim that has not been backed by credible reporting. Trump also parroted a lie that Somalia-born Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar married her brother. He wrote, “Much of the Minnesota Fraud, up to 90%, is caused by people that came into our Country, illegally, from Somalia. ‘Congresswoman’ Omar, an ungrateful loser who only complains and never contributes, is one of the many scammers. Did she really marry her brother? Lowlifes like this can only be a liability to our Country’s greatness. Send them back from where they came, Somalia, perhaps the worst, and most corrupt, country on earth.” Some of Trump’s posts were just ramblings against Democrats. “The Democrats are a bunch of cheaters and thieves that never want to do what’s good for America,” he wrote. “As an example, they refuse to even consider Voter Identification. Why??? Because they want to cheat, and the Republicans should not put up with this, and many other such things, any longer!!!” Happy New Year, Mr. President. https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-wraps-up-2025-with-more-hateful-tirades-rot-in-hell/? Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted January 2 Author Members Posted January 2 Investing in Trump Data: CoinGecko, Financial Modeling Prep. Chart: Jacque Schrag/Axios Visuals Retail investors had the chance in 2025 to put their money directly on Donald Trump, in a way unlike any American presidency in history, Axios' Ben Berkowitz writes. A couple of those bets didn't work out so well. The big picture: Trump's vast, burgeoning business empire includes multiple tradable assets linked to him and his family — but two of those assets underperformed peers and broader markets in 2025. The primary way to "buy" Trump in 2025 was either the stock of his publicly traded media-finance-and-energy company, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG, which has the ticker symbol "DJT"), or his cryptocurrency memecoin, Official TRUMP. ? By the numbers: A hypothetical $1,000 invested in various stock and crypto assets on Jan. 19 — the day before Trump took office — would have produced sharply different outcomes by year's end. On the stock side, a $1,000 investment in the Nasdaq — which includes most of the publicly traded social media companies — would be worth $1,184. The same investment in Trump Media shares would be worth $331. On the crypto side, a $1,000 investment in the global cryptocurrency market cap would be worth $842. The same investment in Official TRUMP would be worth $114. ? The intrigue: Forbes estimates the billionaire president's net worth more than doubled from 2024, fueled by gains in his various crypto investments. (Trump's real-time net worth: $6.6 billion on Forbes' list.) The magazine reports Donald Trump Jr.'s net worth rose sixfold in 2025, based also on crypto gains (now worth $300 million). Reality check: There's a reason retail investors are always warned "past performance is not indicative of future results." Trump Media shares spiked at the end of the year after the company struck a transformative deal to pivot toward nuclear fusion power. The TRUMP memecoin has a track record of sharp rallies since its launch. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
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