‘We have to do something about it!’: Trump unleashes bizarre underwear rant at rally

President Donald Trump delivered a rally speech in Rocky Mount, North Carolina on Friday, during which he continued promoting the false claim that the 2020 election was “rigged” and attacked the 2022 FBI search of his Mar-a-Lago resort. Trump spent an extended portion of his remarks describing in detail how FBI agents allegedly disturbed First Lady Melania Trump’s underwear drawer during the search, claiming her undergarments were “folded perfect, wrapped” and “steamed” before agents left them “a mess” and “all over the place.”

Trump characterized the FBI search as an attack by “thugs” and stated “We have all the evidence now. We have to do something about it! It’s illegal, and it’s disgusting.” He offered no substantiation for claims that agents intentionally disarranged his wife’s belongings or that the search itself was unlawful. The 2022 search was conducted pursuant to a court-authorized warrant related to classified documents removed from the White House.

The speech, which extended nearly 90 minutes, saw rallygoers begin departing after the one-hour mark, with attendees visible on live feeds leaving the stage as Trump continued speaking. Trump asserted without evidence that “If I didn’t get elected, our country would be ruined” and declared the United States is currently “the greatest country in the world” and “the hottest.”

Trump’s focus on the intimate details of his wife’s clothing storage reflects a pattern of digressing into grievances unrelated to policy or governance. His repeated promotion of the debunked stolen election narrative, combined with the fixation on personal complaints about the lawful FBI search, demonstrates a continued absence of substantive messaging.

(Source: https://www.rawstory.com/you-have-not-heard-the-last-of-that-trump-revisits-old-claims-in-rambling-rally-speech/)

Trump: ‘I Hereby Give Myself $1 Billion’ in Taxpayer Money

President Donald Trump announced at a North Carolina rally that he is demanding the U.S. government pay him $1 billion in settlement of a lawsuit he filed against the Department of Justice. Trump claimed he would give the money to charity, then contradicted himself by suggesting he might keep it.

In October 2024, the New York Times reported Trump had filed administrative claims demanding $230 million from the DOJ as compensation for federal investigations into his activities. The claims, filed in 2023 and 2024, reference the FBI’s search warrant execution at his Mar-a-Lago residence in 2022 and the bureau’s investigation into alleged ties between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia.

At the rally, Trump stated he is “suing” the United States and simultaneously must “settle” the suit himself as president. He declared, “I hereby give myself $1 billion,” then wavered on whether the funds would go to charity, saying “maybe I shouldn’t give it to charity. Maybe I should keep the money.”

Trump characterized the situation as unprecedented, claiming no president has faced such circumstances. He described the position as “strange” and said he must “negotiate with myself” regarding the settlement terms.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/tv/trump-brags-about-suing-the-government-and-declares-i-hereby-give-myself-1-billion/)

Trump administration urges White men to file discrimination claims

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, chaired by Andrea Lucas, publicly solicited discrimination claims from White men this week, stating the agency is “committed to identifying, attacking, and eliminating ALL race and sex discrimination – including against white male employees.” This call aligns with the Trump administration’s characterization of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs as “unlawful” and “woke” discrimination against White workers.

Vice President JD Vance described DEI as a “deliberate program of discrimination primarily against White men” and promoted an essay claiming DEI policies harmed White male millennials’ careers. Lucas responded by tweeting the essay contained “unlawful discrimination,” framing the EEOC’s new direction as enforcement against bias rather than investigation of structural inequities. The agency now operates under Lucas’s pledge to enforce civil rights laws without regard to what she termed the notion that only certain “charging parties” merit access.

White workers comprise approximately two-thirds of the U.S. workforce but file only about 10% of race-based discrimination claims with the EEOC, according to 2023 data. However, “reverse discrimination” lawsuits have increased, including a recent case by a money manager at Carl Icahn’s firm alleging denial of a board seat because of his race. Conservative commentators, including Christopher Rufo of the Manhattan Institute, framed the EEOC’s explicit recruitment of White claimants as federal recognition of “anti-White racism.”

DEI advocates, including David Glasgow of NYU’s Meltzer Center, stated that diversity programs aim to remove bias and create equal opportunity, not to disadvantage any group. Glasgow noted that White households possess 9-10 times the wealth of Black households, White men comprise 74% of Fortune 50 CEOs, and Black Americans remain outnumbered 12 to 1 by White people in executive roles. Corporate rollbacks of DEI initiatives following Trump’s campaign promises already impacted Black Americans’ career advancement across major companies.

Trump campaigned against DEI for fostering “anti-White feeling” and on his first day in office moved to eliminate such programs from the federal government and military while threatening to strip billions in federal funding and grants from universities and contractors. Companies across corporate America accelerated efforts to dismantle or scale back DEI initiatives to avoid losing federal contracts, directly eroding representation gains achieved by women and people of color in executive positions.

(Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2025/12/18/trump-anti-dei-eeoc-discrimination-white-men/87830694007/?utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwdGRleAOy7WZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeRHC4Edio8cwGzlZP8ujagqeqZ3JpBY5B3gPLAOtiLaOJr7Cj2gNPJEsSMDk_aem_Nn4gYA96S6kn3bgF0f3ALA#eyb73jsweqjc32ytxzjwrdmvqs6shjnp)

HHS moves to slash funding and access to care for transgender minors

The Trump administration’s Department of Health and Human Services announced December 18, 2025, that it will move to eliminate federal funding for transgender healthcare for minors nationwide, targeting puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgical procedures. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will initiate rulemaking to prohibit hospitals from providing such care as a condition of Medicare and Medicaid participation, and will bar Medicaid funding from supporting these treatments. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. characterized transition-related care as “malpractice” that violates the Hippocratic Oath, and CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz stated the administration will prevent “taxpayer money” from funding what he termed “sex-rejecting procedures.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics’ president, Dr. Susan Kressly, stated the HHS policies “misconstrue the current medical consensus and fail to reflect the realities of pediatric care,” warning that allowing government to determine which patient groups receive care “sets a dangerous precedent.” Dr. Kenneth Haller, a pediatrician, characterized the actions as “anti-science,” noting that identical hormone treatments remain legal when used to treat other conditions affecting hormone production, revealing the policies target transgender minors specifically rather than medical safety. The FDA will issue warning letters to 12 manufacturers and retailers of breast binders for minors, alleging illegal marketing for gender dysphoria treatment.

The HHS Office for Civil Rights proposed revisions to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act to clarify that gender dysphoria does not constitute a disability under federal nondiscrimination law, allowing funding recipients to restrict transition-related care without violating federal civil rights protections. The proposed rules and revision will undergo 60-day and 30-day public comment periods before finalization. This action builds on prior Justice Department subpoenas targeting hospitals providing transgender youth care, which created a chilling effect across the healthcare system.

The administration’s effort follows executive orders issued in January declaring only two unchangeable sexes exist and barring federal funding to hospitals offering transition-related care to minors. In July, federal investigations prompted over 20 hospitals in cities including Los Angeles and Boston to roll back or eliminate gender-affirming programs. Families with transgender children, including the Gonzales family of Texas, have relocated outside the United States to access care, with Rachel Gonzales stating they became “political targets” despite the consensus of their physicians. An estimated 724,000 youth ages 13 to 17 identify as transgender; research shows fewer than 0.1% of adolescents with private insurance receive puberty blockers or gender-affirming hormones.

On December 17, the House passed legislation introduced by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene that would charge doctors with felony charges punishable by up to 10 years in prison for providing gender-affirming care to minors—the harshest federal penalty ever enacted by the chamber. Representative Dan Crenshaw introduced a companion bill, expected for a House vote, to prohibit Medicaid coverage of transition procedures for anyone under 18. The Senate is expected to block both measures.

(Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/hhs-slash-funding-prohibit-access-trans-care-minors-rcna249874)

Kennedy Center Board Moves to Rename It the Trump-Kennedy Center – The New York Times

The Kennedy Center board, composed predominantly of Trump appointees, voted to rename the performing arts center the Trump-Kennedy Center, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Representative Joyce Beatty, a Democrat board member, stated she was muted during the call and prevented from voicing opposition to the measure. The center’s legal name—the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts—remains unchanged by federal law, and Congress retains authority to alter official designations.

Trump assumed the Kennedy Center chairmanship after purging Biden-appointed board members and installing loyalists including Susie Wiles, Pam Bondi, Usha Vance, Dan Scavino, Elaine Chao, and Ric Grenell. Trump voted on a measure to rename an institution after himself while serving as board chairman, then claimed the vote was a surprise. House Republicans previously advanced separate proposals to rename the Opera House after Melania Trump and the entire center the Donald J. Trump Center for the Performing Arts.

Under Trump’s leadership, the Kennedy Center has undergone dramatic institutional changes in 54 years. Dozens of employees were fired or resigned, and staffing declined approximately 30 percent according to the center’s human resources head. Unqualified outsiders received top positions within the organization.

Box-office revenue collapsed during Trump’s chairmanship, with ticket sales down approximately 50 percent during a typical October week compared to the same period the previous year, according to internal New York Times data. The institutional deterioration reflects a pattern consistent with Trump’s business approach of affixing his name to properties regardless of operational substance or public benefit.

(Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/us/politics/trump-kennedy-center-name.html?fbclid=IwdGRleAOxSx1leHRuA2FlbQExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR5Rts1bRUVy4gb3uxg7mWzNldCDc7SfZjfTMFmmKnD643sGSrEwcBIkByVAQA_aem_Li3V-I_KdUwfOokDTDecjw)

Trump’s $1,776 Warrior Dividends Not from Tariffs

President Trump announced $1,776 “warrior dividend” checks for 1.45 million service members before Christmas, claiming the funds originated from tariff revenue. Defense One reported the next day that the money actually derives from Congressional appropriations under the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act, specifically from the Basic Allowance for Housing entitlement meant to subsidize off-base housing costs including rent, mortgage, and utilities.

Congress allocated $2.9 billion to the Defense Department for housing supplements, with $2.6 billion designated as a one-time payment to approximately 1.28 million active-duty and 174,000 Reserve component service members ranked O-6 and below. PBS NewsHour’s Lisa Desjardins confirmed the funding source is not tariff revenue and noted the assistance was originally intended to span two years before the Pentagon redirected it into this single payment.

Budget analyst Jessica Riedl from the Brookings Institution criticized the action as “gimmicky” and “likely illegal,” stating the administration announced troop bonuses while quietly extracting funds from housing allowance accounts. The maneuver accomplishes no net increase in military compensation; it reallocates existing housing assistance into a headline-grabbing payment announced with misleading attribution to tariffs.

The administration’s tax-exemption claim may be accurate since supplemental housing allowances have received favorable tax treatment under a 1925 court ruling and 1986 legislation. However, the budgetary mechanism remains deceptive—the funds were never surplus tariff proceeds but pre-existing Congressional appropriations redirected from their original two-year housing support purpose.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump/the-1776-checks-for-troops-trump-claimed-were-because-of-tariffs-are-actually-congressionally-allocated-housing-allowances/)

Stephen Miller Announces Chilling Hunt for “Fifth Column” | The New Republic

Stephen Miller announced a government crackdown on what he termed a “violent fifth column of domestic terrorists” following the Department of Justice’s claim to have stopped a bombing plot in California. Miller’s statement referenced NSPM-7, a September Trump administration memo directing federal agencies to focus on domestic extremism and defining it to include anti-capitalism, anti-immigration positions, and subjective stances on race and gender.

Attorney General Pam Bondi stated the DOJ foiled a New Year’s Eve bombing plot allegedly planned by “The Turtle Island Liberation Front,” described as a far-left, pro-Palestine, anti-government group. The memo’s expansive definition of extremism—which encompasses common liberal and left-wing viewpoints—creates a framework enabling the government to target broad categories of political dissent under the guise of counterterrorism.

Miller’s invocation of “fifth column,” a term historically used by authoritarian regimes to delegitimize internal opposition, signals an intent to brand political adversaries as traitors requiring state suppression. His known history of advancing xenophobic and anti-immigrant policies compounds the threat, as administration officials have already coordinated military deployments against civilian protesters.

The memo’s vague language and Miller’s pattern of attacking judicial independence demonstrate how executive power is being weaponized to criminalize dissent. By framing opposition to Trump policies as terrorism, the administration constructs legal justification for deploying federal resources against political opponents rather than genuine security threats.

This framework mirrors authoritarian governance models, where state repression targets ideological enemies under security pretexts. Combined with officials relocating to military housing, the pattern reflects institutional militarization designed to insulate power holders from accountability while enabling mass surveillance and prosecution of ordinary citizens exercising constitutional rights.

(Source: https://newrepublic.com/post/204449/stephen-miller-fifth-column?utm_campaign=SF_TNR&utm_source=Facebook&utm_social_handle_id=161419311535&utm_social_post_id=624140450&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwdGRleAOty3ZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEewS58jQJO2GedKIE5XxJHDrOeOt2Cf3qrTaYXcL2jPF_87-w5t1hVzqEHRY8_aem_3eybXmmt1E8x4bN-0QM4fg)

A surgeon faced 35 years in prison for ‘sabotage’ of US. Pam Bondi ordered charges dropped

Dr. Kirk Moore, a Utah plastic surgeon, faced up to 35 years in prison for distributing falsified COVID-19 vaccination cards and discarding government-supplied doses. After five days of trial in July, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi ordered all charges dropped, ending his two-and-a-half-year prosecution and reversing the Biden administration’s approach to COVID-19 fraud cases.

Moore admitted to the charges, stating he signed up for the federal vaccine distribution program to provide patients with fake vaccination cards to circumvent employer and business mandates. He distributed cards through his plastic surgery clinic in exchange for $50 donations via Venmo, using oranges as a signal system for staff. Moore also administered saline injections to children instead of vaccines at parents’ request and treated COVID-19 patients with ivermectin, an FDA-unapproved treatment.

Bondi’s decision came after pressure from Republican lawmakers including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Utah Sen. Mike Lee, who urged her to dismiss the case. Bondi framed Moore’s actions as providing patient choice when government refused, while federal prosecutors had characterized his conduct as deliberate sabotage of the vaccine program. At least 11 other healthcare workers faced similar charges under the Biden administration; Moore was one of only two to go to trial.

The dismissal emboldened the “medical freedom” movement and those convicted of vaccine card fraud, who formed the group Covicted Patriot to seek pardons and case review. Moore rebranded his practice as Freedom Surgical & Aesthetics and continues advocating to remove COVID vaccines from the market. His medical license remains in good standing despite falsifying federal records.

Public health experts warn the decision undermines disease surveillance and vaccine confidence. Brian Dean Abramson, an immunization law expert, stated that falsified records destroy trust in medical systems and increase infectious disease outbreak risk. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now Trump’s Health and Human Services secretary, has replaced vaccine advisory panel members and restricted CDC vaccine access, signaling broader federal rejection of established public health guidance.

(Source: https://www.rawstory.com/a-surgeon-faced-35-years-in-prison-for-sabotage-of-us-pam-bondi-ordered-charges-dropped/)

Trump administration to dismantle National Center for Atmospheric Research – The Washington Post

The Trump administration announced plans to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), a leading Colorado-based institution for Earth and atmospheric science research. The administration cited concerns about “climate alarmism” as justification for the closure, marking a direct attack on scientific infrastructure studying climate change and global warming.

NCAR conducts fundamental research on atmospheric systems, weather patterns, and climate dynamics that informs policy decisions and public understanding of environmental trends. The facility’s dismantling would eliminate a major hub for peer-reviewed climate science and eliminate institutional capacity for atmospheric monitoring and modeling.

The timing of the announcement coincides with the Trump administration’s escalating attacks against Colorado’s Democratic elected officials, suggesting the action serves political retaliation rather than policy rationale. The closure exemplifies broader efforts to suppress climate research and defund institutions that contradict the administration’s anti-science agenda.

Dismantling NCAR removes independent scientific capacity to document climate trends and threatens the nation’s ability to understand atmospheric processes essential for weather forecasting, disaster preparedness, and environmental protection. The action prioritizes ideological opposition to climate science over institutional preservation and research continuity.

(Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/12/17/trump-national-center-atmospheric-research-climate/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_source=bluesky,facebook,threads,twitter&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwdGRleAOvnWdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeSeCCzP2GCweingyC6zHt-V11mfgLSKuNB2sgNbWmaoOWd_KCTuFzIlRXu84_aem_3ZrxZA21Dd1nEtiQyoDcjw)

‘An Appeal to Heaven’ flag seen hanging at Education Department office

A senior official at the U.S. Department of Education has displayed the "An Appeal to Heaven" flag outside his office, according to union leadership and department staff. The flag, historically tied to the American Revolution, has been adopted in recent years by evangelical Christian nationalist groups, the Proud Boys, and neo-Nazi organizations, and was carried by rioters during the January 6 Capitol assault.

Murray Bessette, principal deputy assistant secretary in the Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development, has kept the banner hanging at the agency's Washington office. The flag's presence at an institution overseeing billions in federal education funding violates the separation of church and state and contradicts the agency's responsibility to serve all students regardless of religious affiliation.

Rachel Gittleman, president of the Education Department union, stated the agency "has no place for symbols that were carried by insurrectionists" and noted that employees have endured threats and harassment since January while now being forced to work under a symbol representing "intolerance, hatred, and extremism." The union directly linked the flag's display to ongoing demoralization within the department.

The Education Department did not confirm the flag's existence or address extremist associations. Deputy Assistant Secretary Madi Biedermann dismissed concerns as "imagined grievances" rather than addressing the documented history of the symbol's adoption by extremist movements.

The flag has appeared at multiple federal agencies and with high-ranking officials in recent months, including at the Small Business Administration in June and outside the vacation home of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in 2023. House Speaker Mike Johnson has also displayed the symbol outside his Capitol Hill office.

(Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/12/15/flag-appeal-to-heaven-education-department/87778953007/?utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwdGRleAOvHStleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeGxD1KOqmayUcnMh7ghzmxyHAYGXloFm0oOnqT9P-iDZsL_Ld74VKbBhHR6c_aem_jtc8a0ueUHKs5OzrVNTLGg)

1 2 3 104