Category: Policies

‘They Tried to Kill Him’ Wild Trump Intro Says God Saved Him

Faith and Freedom Coalition Chairman Ralph Reed introduced President Donald Trump at the Faith and Freedom Policy Conference in Washington, DC on Friday with inflammatory rhetoric depicting Trump as a divinely protected figure under siege. Reed claimed Trump alone accomplished conservative achievements including appointing conservative Supreme Court justices, securing the border, enacting tax cuts, and directing military action against Iran, while listing a series of legal and political challenges Trump faced: “They impeached him! They indicted him! They tried to imprison him! They tried and knock him off the ballot! And then they tried to kill him!”

Reed attributed Trump’s survival of these challenges to divine intervention, stating “it all failed because God has a purpose for this man. And it is to save our nation.” This characterization mirrors earlier remarks Reed made at a leaked spring event and frames Trump’s legal jeopardy as persecution rather than accountability for conduct.

The introduction employed language consistent with authoritarian personality cults, positioning Trump as uniquely targeted and supernaturally protected while consolidating support among evangelical voters who form a crucial political base. Reed’s framing of indictments, impeachments, and assassination attempts as evidence of persecution rather than legitimate legal process normalizes rejection of institutional constraints on executive power.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/they-tried-to-kill-him-wild-trump-intro-goes-right-into-god-saved-him-territory/)mpts as evidence of persecution rather than legitimate legal process normalizes rejection of institutional constraints on executive power.

Trump Defies Congress And Blocks Humdreds of Millions For Foreign Aid

The Trump administration is systematically defying congressional mandates on foreign aid spending, blocking $500 million in global health funds and delaying humanitarian assistance despite President Trump signing legislation that explicitly required these expenditures. Russell Vought's Office of Management and Budget has labeled funds as "unallocated" to maintain control over spending, a tactic legal scholars say violates the Impoundment Control Act and undermines Congress's constitutional power of the purse.

Eight months into the fiscal year, the State Department has obligated only $190 million of the $9.4 billion Congress directed for global health, representing just 5% of typical spending levels for the same period. Programs explicitly funded by Congress for family planning ($524 million), nutrition ($165 million), and neglected tropical diseases ($109 million) have seen little or no implementation, while PEPFAR, the HIV/AIDS program credited with saving 26 million lives globally, has been restricted to half its available budget despite congressional appropriation of $4.6 billion.

Jeremy Lewin, a 29-year-old lawyer with no prior humanitarian experience who arrived via Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, controls foreign aid policy as an unconfirmed acting undersecretary. Lewin refuses to meet with career staff, withholds information about implementation plans, and demands personal approval for routine payments, creating a bottleneck that has left Congress unable to obtain basic answers about administration spending despite repeated requests for required reports and briefings.

The administration's defiance mirrors its 2025 use of "pocket rescissions," an illegal maneuver under the Impoundment Control Act that clawed back $13 billion in foreign aid Congress had approved. Though a federal court initially blocked the tactic, the Supreme Court issued an emergency ideological split decision allowing it to continue without ruling on its legality. Constitutional scholars and legal experts warn that continued withholding of appropriated funds constitutes a fundamental assault on the separation of powers, threatening U.S. democracy itself.

The State Department has denied withholding funds while simultaneously announcing bilateral deals requiring recipient nations to provide health data as a condition for receiving medications the United States previously donated. Additionally, the administration funneled $3.8 billion to a small U.N. office without allowing independent U.S. audits, and has delayed $661 million in required contributions to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, forcing the organization to reduce support to nations that depend on American funding for lifesaving treatments.

(Source: https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-defying-congress-foreign-aid-usaid-vought-rubio-constitutional-crisis?utm_campaign=propublica-sprout&utm_content=1782567906&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwdGRleASs8iRwZG9mA2ZkaWQWUJdPWI_QwoRxn6jpTg7VaYtDYAhPDmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR5zL9Tu-THjlQ6p44jYmgmO5iK178eT2QOztVFD-z51WyPduid3hOBL41yaDA_aem_pkPqY5Bc-FMN9QGc-i5Kdw)

Trump, 80, Wants to Run for President Again | The New Republic

At a Pennsylvania rally on June 23, 2026, President Donald Trump publicly floated running for a third presidential term, stating “Maybe we should run again” and “I’d like to do it,” despite the Constitution explicitly prohibiting more than two terms. Trump has repeatedly referenced third-term ambitions, previously stating he is “not joking” about the prospect, and has discussed the scenario with his lawyer Alan Dershowitz, who is writing a book exploring that outcome. The Trump Organization capitalizes on this messaging by selling “Trump 2028” hats for $55, up from $50 the previous year.

Trump’s claims about his military achievements and Iran’s capabilities directly contradict statements he made days earlier. At the same Pennsylvania rally, Trump declared that the U.S. had left Iran with “no Navy, no Air Force, no antiaircraft, no missile capability, no nuclear program,” and claimed Americans could “fly over Tehran just at will.” However, Iran maintains active naval units controlling the Strait of Hormuz, retains its nuclear energy program and development capacity, operates aging aircraft, and possesses substantial ballistic missile capabilities, according to New York Times reporting from May 2026. Trump himself acknowledged Iran’s missile arsenal at the G7 summit the previous week, stating other nations have missiles and questioning why he should disarm Iran while allowing Saudi Arabia to retain its arsenal.

Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, facing federal fraud and bribery charges in Brooklyn under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, met privately with Donald Trump Jr. in November 2024 in Ahmedabad, India. Seven months later, in May 2025, the Department of Justice abruptly dropped all charges against Adani, with prosecutors citing prosecutorial discretion in a brief filing. Trump Jr.’s spokesperson denied the meeting had “zero to do” with the DOJ’s decision, though the substance of their discussion remains undisclosed. The dismissal triggered an immediate market surge in Adani’s companies, temporarily elevating him to Asia’s wealthiest person.

Federal law enforcement deployed AI-powered surveillance towers at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in response to Trump’s unsubstantiated vandalism claims. Trump has alleged that vandals inflicted a progressively enlarging gash on the pool’s floor, expanding his claims from 250 feet on Saturday to 300 feet by Monday to 350 feet by Tuesday, yet has refused to provide photographs or evidence despite claiming the Interior Department possesses video documentation. CBS News inspectors found no evidence of any such damage, and Trump has directed over $16 million in renovations to the pool, which deteriorated again within days, now requiring additional drainage and repairs at unknown cost to taxpayers.

Trump has ordered the arrest of six individuals accused of vandalizing the pool, deploying sophisticated surveillance infrastructure including AI-powered audio alerts, strobes, and spotlights that automatically detect and deter alleged threats. The escalation at the memorial follows Trump’s contentious history with the landmark, including blaming vandalism and ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl for pool deterioration and self-congratulating the renovation project while concealing structural failures underlying its rapid decline.



(Source: https://newrepublic.com/post/212242/trump-80-third-term-president-pennsylvania-lehigh-valley?utm_campaign=SF_TNR&utm_medium=social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwdGRleASpSJxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeQasl5O59yGmesAb4GJZyNREQYGh2KBJBS2Rgp-wAMsFgdw_cmcIWqqCwul4_aem_Q1yHw0AWtEyNN97VXNycRA)elf-congratulating the renovation project while concealing structural failures underlying its rapid decline.

Trump Threatens to Occupy Iran Over Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump threatened to occupy Iran entirely if Tehran does not immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to remarks he made to Fox News on Sunday. In an early morning phone call with Iranian officials, Trump stated, “You close the strait and you won’t have a country. You won’t even make it back to your f***** country. We’ll take over the rest of the country,” according to Fox’s Trey Yingst. The threat escalates Trump’s previous consideration of occupying Kharg Island, a major Iranian oil production facility, and marks a dramatic shift from his stated goal of negotiating a way out of the conflict he initiated in February.

Iran announced Saturday it would close the Strait of Hormuz in response to ongoing Israeli military operations in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah militants, just days after signing a 60-day ceasefire agreement with the Trump administration on Wednesday. The closure demonstrates the extreme fragility of the ceasefire arrangement and highlights the administration’s inability to restrain Israeli military actions, which have killed over 4,000 people in Lebanon since the war began. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for Israeli forces to “burn all of Lebanon,” rhetoric that Iran’s foreign minister and others denounced, yet Trump has proven unable to curb such statements or halt the Israeli assault despite public criticism.

Vice President JD Vance traveled to Switzerland this weekend to lead renewed peace negotiations with Iranian officials, while the administration publicly rebuked Israeli policy decisions. Vance warned Israeli officials not to alienate the United States, their closest ally, and previously expressed frustration that Israel cannot “kill” its way out of every problem. Trump echoed similar sentiments, asserting Israel would not exist without his administration’s support, yet his direct threats to Iran reveal his administration will apply far greater pressure on Tehran than on its Israeli counterpart to enforce the ceasefire terms.

The 60-day ceasefire agreement extends existing ceasefires while offering sanctions relief and access to frozen Iranian funds, provided Iran complies with terms including a commitment to forgo nuclear weapons development. The agreement mirrors language from the Obama-era nuclear deal Trump abandoned in 2018, dividing Republican support. Senator Bill Cassidy criticized the deal as a strategic defeat, stating Iran learned that threatening the Strait works and will repeat the tactic, while the administration’s tacit support for a $300 billion economic redevelopment fund for Iran drew opposition from both hawkish Republicans and Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who pledged his caucus would block votes if the fund reached Congress.

The administration indicated it could authorize many terms of the agreement, including sanctions relief, directly without congressional approval, circumventing legislative oversight. Trump’s volatile approach to negotiation, characterized by extreme threats followed by pursuit of agreements, underscores the instability surrounding U.S.-Iran relations and the ceasefire’s uncertain future as Israel continues operations Trump publicly opposes but cannot effectively control.



(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-iran-threat-hormuz-ceasefire-b2999930.html)

Tulsi Gabbard, her guru and the mysterious messages that helped shape her political career – The Washington Post

Tulsi Gabbard’s political trajectory has been shaped significantly by her association with Chris Butler, the leader of a Hawaii-based spiritual organization. According to reporting by The Washington Post, Gabbard maintained close ties to Butler and his group throughout her congressional career and into her role as Director of National Intelligence under Trump, raising questions about external influence on her decision-making in sensitive national security positions.

Butler’s organization, which operates with characteristics similar to a cult, exerts considerable control over members’ lives and finances. Gabbard’s deep involvement with the group and Butler’s teachings informed major policy positions she advocated for in Congress, including her foreign policy stances and opposition to military interventions. Former associates and observers have documented how Butler’s ideological framework aligned closely with positions Gabbard publicly promoted, suggesting her independent political identity may have been substantially intertwined with the organization’s philosophy.

During her tenure as Director of National Intelligence, Gabbard’s handling of sensitive intelligence raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest and allegiance to Trump over institutional independence. Reports indicated she intervened in standard intelligence protocols in ways that benefited Trump personally, departing from the nonpartisan norms expected of intelligence officials. Her willingness to prioritize Trump’s interests over established intelligence community procedures demonstrated the kind of loyalty expected from those in his inner circle, paralleling the deference she showed to Butler within the spiritual organization.

Gabbard resigned from her position as Director of National Intelligence in June 2026, citing family health reasons. Her departure followed a pattern of concerns about her judgment and independence in the role, with critics and intelligence professionals questioning whether her background and affiliations made her suitable for overseeing the nation’s intelligence agencies. The brevity of her tenure underscored the broader questions about whether individuals with strong ties to charismatic leaders can operate with the independence required in positions of national security responsibility.

The Washington Post’s investigation documents how Gabbard’s relationship with Butler and his organization persisted as a defining influence on her political career, from her congressional service through her appointment to Trump’s administration. The reporting suggests that understanding Gabbard’s actions and positions requires recognizing the role played by external figures and organizations in shaping her worldview and decision-making, casting doubt on claims of complete political autonomy made by her supporters.



(Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2026/06/21/tulsi-gabbard-her-guru-mysterious-messages-that-helped-shape-her-political-career/) by her supporters.

Trump Attacks Meloni Over Iran War Refusal, Invents Photo Claim

President Donald Trump escalated his feud with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Sunday, attacking her in a Truth Social post without naming her directly while simultaneously condemning NATO for failing to support his Iran military campaign. Trump claimed he had denied Meloni a photograph at the Group of Seven summit in France because Italy would not permit U.S. military use of its landing strips and runways, and added that Meloni sought to “be friends again in order to get her ‘numbers up.'”

Meloni directly rejected Trump’s characterization of events, calling his attacks “unprovoked” and “senseless.” She stated that her popularity rests on defending Italy’s national interests and that her country remains a sovereign nation whose military base agreements cannot be violated. Meloni emphasized that Trump’s attempts to control her political standing are not her concern, and countered by suggesting he focus on his own popularity instead.

Trump’s repeated false claims about Meloni begging for a photograph represent a continuation of his pattern of fabricating details to demean allied leaders. His invocation of Italy’s refusal to support military action against Iran contradicts his earlier demands that NATO members fund defense spending, revealing inconsistency in how he applies pressure to allied nations.

The deterioration of Trump’s relationship with Meloni marks a significant rupture with what was previously one of his closest European political relationships. Trump had publicly praised Meloni as a “beautiful young woman” during a speech last year, framing the comment as politically risky but worth the exposure. Trump has threatened withdrawal of U.S. troops from Italy and Spain, citing both nations’ refusal to participate in military action against Iran.

Trump’s broader assault on NATO reflects his demand that allied nations comply with military objectives he deems necessary, regardless of their own strategic assessments or international law. The feud with Meloni demonstrates his willingness to weaponize military presence and personal relationships as leverage against leaders who assert their nation’s sovereignty and independent judgment.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/not-good-trump-ramps-up-feud-with-italys-prime-minister-in-scorching-new-post/)

Trump EPA Taps Hildebrand Lobbyist to Dismantle Methane Rules

Oil billionaire Jeffery Hildebrand, a major Trump donor, received a White House summons in January after Trump ordered the military raid capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. At the East Room meeting, Trump pressed Hildebrand and two dozen other energy executives to commit $100 billion to Venezuela’s oil industry, and Hildebrand pledged Hilcorp’s involvement despite having no significant operations outside the U.S. Hildebrand’s willingness to demonstrate loyalty reflects his strategic positioning as Trump has begun dismantling Biden-era methane regulations that would have cost his company substantially.

Hildebrand’s Hilcorp owns roughly 11,000 wells across the U.S., primarily “stripper wells” that produce minimal oil and gas but release vast quantities of methane, a greenhouse gas 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Though stripper wells generate only 6 percent of U.S. oil and gas output, scientists estimate they account for roughly half the sector’s methane emissions due to minimal monitoring and deteriorating infrastructure. A satellite detected a massive methane plume from a Hilcorp well in New Mexico in June 2024 discharging at 199 kilograms per hour, roughly 12 times the well’s typical daily output, with seven of eight Hilcorp sites visited by Earthworks investigators showing evidence of leaks.

Trump has placed a former Hilcorp lobbyist in a top Environmental Protection Agency position overseeing efforts to dismantle the Biden administration’s aggressive methane restrictions. ProPublica’s investigation found the lobbyist is soliciting input from oil industry trade groups backed by Hildebrand as the administration moves to unravel rules that would have imposed steep compliance costs on Hilcorp. The rollback will provide sweeping relief for the nation’s 700,000 stripper wells while shifting climate costs onto society, as methane contributes one-third of global temperature rise since the Industrial Revolution.

Hildebrand’s rise from modest Texas origins to a $15 billion fortune rests on what analysts call the “dung beetle model,” acquiring aging wells at low cost and slashing expenses to maintain profitability. Environmental records show Hilcorp accumulated dozens of violations over the past decade, including a Cook Inlet pipeline rupture in Alaska that spewed methane for nearly four months in 2016. Penalties rarely exceeded $500,000, with analysts characterizing enforcement fines as routine operating costs rather than meaningful deterrence.

Unlike carbon dioxide, which persists in the atmosphere for centuries, methane breaks down in roughly a dozen years, making methane reductions the most effective near-term climate lever available. Stanford researcher Rob Jackson stated that curbing oil and gas methane emissions offers “the best bang for our buck” in fighting global warming, as existing technology is viable and cost-effective. Hildebrand’s transformation into a major Trump donor in 2024 directly followed the Biden administration’s methane restrictions, positioning him to recoup losses through regulatory rollback rather than operational changes.



(Source: https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-epa-methane-jeffery-hildebrand-hilcorp-oil-regulations?utm_campaign=propublica-sprout&utm_content=1781863145&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwdGRjcASk-2RleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEew_BzskPcQgTl7GpCk52X3GzIB58MLw0LeGYyiqZyGQYou_R_uJFWqE1CGD8_aem_NkX6som_m3wKpWj623tbYA)

Trump Drops Pair of Bonkers Fan Polls on ICE and ‘Dumocrats’

President Donald Trump posted two fan polls on Truth Social on Saturday while his administration’s Iran agreement deteriorated, with Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz in protest of Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon. Vice President JD Vance confirmed that White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had arrived in Switzerland for ongoing Iran negotiations, yet Trump diverted attention to trivial social media exercises rather than managing the diplomatic crisis.

Trump’s first poll asked followers to choose between spelling “Dumocrat” or “Dumbocrat” as an insult directed at Democrats, framing the decision as a matter of “very important” strategic communication. His lengthy caption explained the technical differences between the two spellings, consuming presidential attention on a nomenclature preference while international negotiations faltered.

The second poll proposed renaming Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to “NICE” by adding the letter “N” for “National,” claiming this would “totally discombobulate” journalists and media outlets. Trump asserted ICE agents are “Great Patriots” and described the rebrand as a “much more prestigious name,” though he acknowledged that actual ICE agents themselves opposed the change, according to information relayed by Tom Homan.

Trump’s focus on recreational polling and rhetorical games with nomenclature directly coincided with Iran State media announcing closure of the Strait of Hormuz, while CENTCOM issued a contradictory statement claiming the waterway remained open for merchant traffic. The simultaneous deterioration of Trump’s signature foreign policy achievement and his public fixation on trivial wordplay demonstrated the administration’s inability to maintain coherent diplomatic or strategic attention.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-drops-pair-of-bonkers-fan-polls-on-ice-and-dumocrats-as-iran-agreement-falls-apart/)strategic attention.

DOJ Defies Judge’s Oath Demand on Trump Weaponization Fund

The Justice Department defied a federal judge’s order on Friday by refusing to swear under oath that Trump’s nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” is dead. Judge Leonie Brinkema had given the administration a seven-day deadline to declare, under penalty of perjury, that the fund would not proceed. Instead, DOJ attorneys claimed the oath requirement violated “separation of powers,” rejecting the judge’s explicit demand.

The fund, announced in May by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche following a Trump-IRS settlement, was designed to compensate individuals claiming “weaponization and lawfare” by the federal government. Lawmakers and watchdogs immediately flagged that the $1.776 billion would likely flow to Trump’s political allies and supporters, with no genuine safeguards against partisan abuse. After public backlash, Blanche told House lawmakers in June the fund was “not moving forward, ever,” yet the administration has continued to dodge court accountability through written oath.

Democracy Forward, representing plaintiffs challenging the fund, characterized the DOJ’s filing as proof of evasion. “It is telling that even after the federal court gave them a week, the Acting Attorney General and other senior administration officials continue to refuse to say under oath that the Slush Fund is dead,” said Skye Perryman, president and CEO of the organization. The DOJ’s refusal to commit in writing contradicts its public assurances and signals the fund’s legal status remains unresolved despite official denials.

DOJ counsel Andrew Block argued that prior statements by administration officials, made “against the backdrop of serious penalties for falsity,” should satisfy the court without formal sworn declarations. However, his assertion that penalties alone substitute for testimony under oath undercuts the judicial authority to enforce compliance and verify executive accountability. Trump previously attacked media coverage of his abandoned anti-weaponization fund during an Oval Office press session, indicating the administration’s sensitivity to scrutiny of the scheme.

Federal courts were closed Friday for Juneteenth, with Judge Brinkema unlikely to respond before Monday. The administration’s defiance of the judge’s direct order exemplifies Trump’s broader pattern of disregarding judicial oversight and refusing transparent accountability for executive action, particularly regarding funds that would have redistributed billions toward his political base.



(Source: https://thehill.com/homenews/5932296-doj-snubs-judge-weaponization-fund/?fbclid=IwdGRleASjHeNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEe0RHlZAtCTd-K1VzzDlsNgkPiPV2ofZ6eegFe9bcVc_HCWwpiOljhMudJL5w_aem_qnM_3Nm8oGzpkfnt_vuGDw)

Trump Blames Vandalism for Reflecting Pool Algae

President Trump blamed “vandalism” and ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl for damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Friday, claiming unknown actors used chemicals to harm the newly installed surface after the $13.1 million renovation project deteriorated within days of completion. Trump alleged Karl was “sticking his hand into the Pool” and “trying to rip the rubber off of the surface,” while asserting the algae bloom affecting the pool—which was supposed to display “American flag blue” water—is “75 percent gone” and will be repaired by early the following week. Law enforcement is investigating the alleged damage as the project, which Trump self-congratulated for completing in one month instead of the originally projected timeline, continues to face persistent algae growth and visible surface deterioration.

Trump used a lengthy Truth Social post to tout his administration’s work “cleaning, renovated, and beautified” dozens of sites across Washington, D.C., while claiming the pool damage stemmed from “real problems with vandalism” rather than acknowledging the project’s structural or maintenance failures. The president framed the algae bloom and peeling material as external sabotage, deflecting from questions about why the multimillion-dollar renovation produced substandard results immediately after completion. Trump stated that damage is “limited” and law enforcement is investigating the alleged vandalism.

Former George W. Bush adviser Scott Jennings defended Trump’s vandalism claims during a CNN appearance, stating it is “absolutely true” that someone vandalized the grass surrounding the pool. Jennings characterized Trump’s critics as “broken brained” for allegedly vandalizing national monuments out of hatred for the president, and expressed hope that perpetrators would face jail time. Jennings praised Trump’s efforts to clean up the nation’s capital, endorsing the president’s framing of the pool’s problems as deliberate destruction rather than project defects.

Trump previously promoted the Lincoln pool renovation at an Oval Office event focused on executive orders, characterizing the historic structure—which has operated since 1922 and required only routine maintenance until his administration’s intervention—as “filthy” and “dirty” to justify the expensive overhaul. The project’s rapid deterioration and persistent algae bloom have drawn public scrutiny, yet Trump continues to attribute visible problems to external sabotage and media interference rather than project execution.



(Source: https://www.newsweek.com/trump-reflecting-pool-algae-vandalism-peeling-floor-12098491)

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