Category: Hire The Best People

Army Secretary Driscoll Resigns After Hegseth Personnel Purge

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigned Monday evening after mounting tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to a U.S. official who confirmed the departure to ABC News. President Trump accepted the resignation, with White House spokesperson Anna Kelly issuing a statement praising Driscoll as “highly effective” in advancing Trump’s agenda at the Department of the Army.

Driscoll and Hegseth clashed repeatedly since both assumed their positions in 2025, with disagreements centered on military personnel decisions. Hegseth fired or sidelined multiple senior officers eligible for promotion to general rank, actions Driscoll opposed. Most significantly, Hegseth terminated Gen. Randy George, the former Army Chief of Staff, in April without explanation; Driscoll had maintained a close working relationship with George and stated at a congressional hearing that he was unaware of the rationale for George’s removal.

Driscoll held unusual influence within Trump’s administration beyond typical Army Secretary responsibilities. Trump assigned him to lead diplomatic efforts to restart Ukraine-Russia peace negotiations in late 2025, a task outside the normal scope of a service secretary’s duties to train and equip military forces. His diplomatic role placed him at odds with Hegseth’s command of military strategy, creating friction over competing priorities within the Pentagon.

Driscoll had built significant political capital on Capitol Hill and maintained direct White House access through a prior relationship with Vice President JD Vance, whom he met while both attended Yale Law School following Driscoll’s service as a cavalry officer in the 10th Mountain Division. This connection and legislative support distinguished him from other service secretaries and may have contributed to the power struggle with Hegseth over Pentagon direction and personnel decisions.



(Source: https://abcnews.com/Politics/army-secretary-dan-driscoll-resigns-amid-tensions-hegseth/story?id=136101175)

RFK Jr. Dismisses Measles Deaths, Attacks Shapiro

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. Health and Human Services secretary, attacked media outlets and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro during a Fox News town hall, dismissing concerns about a measles outbreak that has reached a three-decade high with approximately 2,200 cases recorded by mid-July. Kennedy questioned whether two reported measles deaths in Lancaster County were actually caused by measles, accused Shapiro of exploiting the deaths for political gain, and claimed the governor’s response mirrored “the old Covid playbook” of “fear mongering.”

Kennedy claimed that in the past decade, only three measles deaths occurred in America and downplayed the disease relative to other health threats, stating that approximately 1.2 million deaths annually result from food-induced illness. He argued that media and politicians distract from chronic diseases caused by major food and pharmaceutical companies by focusing on infectious disease risks. When directly asked about the MMR vaccine’s recommendation, Kennedy acknowledged its effectiveness at 97 percent efficacy while maintaining his broader critique of public health messaging.

Kennedy attributed declining childhood vaccination rates worldwide to loss of faith in public health systems following the pandemic, framing vaccine hesitancy as a consequence of institutional mistrust rather than his own anti-vaccination advocacy. His response followed Pennsylvania officials’ announcement of measles deaths in the state and preceded a broader surge in preventable disease cases under his health department’s authority. The department previously eliminated routine childhood vaccinations for hepatitis A and B, rotavirus, RSV, bacterial meningitis, influenza, and other diseases from federal recommendations.

Kennedy’s remarks reflect a pattern of dismissing measles as a negligible public health concern while attacking the credibility of elected officials and journalists reporting disease outbreaks. His framing—that food and pharmaceutical industries pose greater threats than vaccine-preventable diseases—redirects responsibility away from vaccination policy changes that have coincided with measles resurgence. Administration health appointees have similarly avoided direct engagement with vaccine safety and efficacy questions, signaling alignment with Kennedy’s anti-vaccination positions across federal health leadership.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/robert-f-kennedy-jr-slams-the-media-and-demagogue-politicians-for-making-americans-terrified-of-measles/)

Trump Administration Strips ABA’s Law School Accreditation

The Trump administration escalated its assault on independent oversight by targeting the American Bar Association’s accreditation authority over law schools. The Education Department announced Friday it is moving to strip the ABA of its power to accredit law schools, marking a significant expansion of Trump’s efforts to dismantle institutional guardrails that have historically provided independent assessment of judicial and legal credentials.

This action directly follows the administration’s earlier move to cut the ABA’s access to judicial nominees after the organization rated some Trump nominees as unqualified. The repeated attacks on the ABA reflect Trump’s longstanding hostility toward the organization’s rating system, which during his first term identified numerous judicial candidates as lacking adequate qualifications. By removing the ABA’s accreditation authority, Trump removes a mechanism that independently evaluates legal education quality and professional competence.

The assault on the ABA parallels Trump’s broader campaign against accreditation bodies. Trump’s executive order directly attacks the college accreditation process, consolidating his control over higher education by targeting federal funding allocation mechanisms. These coordinated attacks aim to replace independent institutional evaluation with executive control over which organizations can certify educational and professional standards.

The administration’s dismantling of the ABA’s role reflects Trump’s pattern of eliminating independent oversight bodies that resist his agenda. By stripping accreditation power from the nation’s premier legal organization, the administration removes a significant obstacle to appointing ideologically aligned judges and attorneys who might otherwise face credibility questions from independent evaluators.



(Source: https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/aba-american-bar-association-law-schools-accredit-trump-education-e56f4cbc?mod=e2fb&fbclid=IwdGRjcAT2kVdwZG9mBWZkaWQWUM-EU5yF0Cu0eywZVvfaa6N9m4Y3j2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR79tX1UJmW_0nDamKK7ikgGOxIjaSYdK1_kvs0Z6XA-J_laSWpVHUL-jecl7w_aem_Z7LparGmZc9J7pXD_Kj1zA)

Trump Attacks Pirro After Pool Charges Dismissed

President Trump publicly attacked U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro on Monday after she dismissed criminal charges against Olympic canoeist David Hearn, who had been accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Trump told reporters Pirro had “choked” and “folded like an umbrella” in dropping the charges, marking his strongest public comments yet on whether her job remains secure.

Pirro appeared at the White House Monday afternoon with a banker’s box of evidence to defend her prosecutorial decision to Trump directly. During the contentious meeting, Pirro lashed out at Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and accused him of misleading the president and covering up mistakes regarding the pool’s damage. National Park Service engineers had privately blamed a private contractor hired through a no-bid Department of Interior contract for the flawed installation, evidence Pirro said emerged after charges were already filed.

Pirro’s 20-page filing stated the damage resulted from “flawed installation by the contractor” rather than vandalism, contradicting Trump’s longstanding public position on the matter. She dismissed not only Hearn’s felony indictment but also misdemeanor cases against three others related to destruction at the pool. Internal National Park Service communications from June 11 raised concerns about the peeling pool liner more than a week before Hearn’s arrest, according to court documents.

Trump did not inform Pirro he intended to fire her during the meeting, nor did she offer to resign, according to sources familiar with the private discussion. However, Trump reiterated late Tuesday that Pirro is “totally wrong” about the pool and said he was “not happy” with his hand-picked U.S. attorney, leaving her employment status unresolved. A White House official confirmed the president was not aware in advance that Pirro would file court papers dismissing the charges.



(Source: https://abcnews.com/Politics/inside-trumps-contentious-oval-office-meeting-jeanine-pirro/story?id=135393382)

RFK Jr. Attacks Bash Over Vaccine Claims

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attacked CNN’s Dana Bash during a 22-minute on-air confrontation Sunday, defending President Trump’s pandemic response while reasserting debunked claims about vaccines, measles, and RSV. Kennedy blamed Dr. Anthony Fauci for lockdowns despite Trump’s role in appointing and retaining him, and repeatedly clashed with Bash over vaccine efficacy, accusing her of spreading “nonsense” when she cited scientific evidence of COVID-19 vaccine protection.

Kennedy claimed the U.S. had the highest COVID death rate globally, a statement Bash fact-checked by noting Johns Hopkins data shows 13 countries exceeded America’s rate, attributing deaths to chronic illness gaps and vaccine misinformation rather than lockdowns alone. When pressed on pandemic preparedness, Kennedy pivoted to constitutional rights, accusing the press of “malpractice” for not challenging public health authorities and claiming doctors questioning pandemic responses were “marginalized and vilified.”

On measles, Kennedy told Bash that only “religious communities that don’t vaccinate” face outbreaks, ignoring that the 2025 West Texas outbreak spread to nearly 800 cases including two child deaths, with 2026 seeing the highest measles count in 35 years, over 90% among unvaccinated people. He claimed he has “never questioned the efficacy of the MMR vaccine,” yet told Fox News in March 2025 that vaccine immunity “wanes” in many people, contradicting his public statements and efforts to reduce childhood immunizations.

Kennedy revived the discredited claim that RSV epidemics stem from gain-of-function research, despite RSV being identified in the late 1950s before such research existed. On acetaminophen and autism, he cited “dozens of studies” when a 2025 review of 46 studies found only a possible link with no proof of causation; major medical organizations continue recommending acetaminophen for pain and fever in pregnancy. Over 700 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the U.S., with research estimating 2.5 million lives saved globally between 2020 and 2024.

Dr. Ashish Jha, former White House COVID-19 coordinator, rejected Kennedy’s claims as “factually not true,” emphasizing that accountability belongs with political leaders, not scientists providing advice. A CNN spokesperson defended Bash’s questioning as fundamental journalism, noting that Kennedy stated support for measles vaccination while Trump pressures him on vaccine-autism investigations, underscoring the tension between Kennedy’s contradictory public and private positions on vaccine safety.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/youre-talking-nonsense-rfk-jr-berates-cnns-bash-in-fiery-22-minute-brawl-on-fauci-trump-and-vaccines/)

FCC Officials Took Gifts From Paramount While It Had Business Before Them — ProPublica

FCC officials who voted on Paramount’s merger accepted luxury Kennedy Center gala tickets worth over $260,000 from the company they regulate, violating federal ethics rules that explicitly prohibit gifts from entities with pending business before the agency. FCC Chair Brendan Carr attended the December 2025 gala in a private $125,000 skybox with Paramount CEO David Ellison after the company sought FCC approval for its $110 billion merger with Skydance Media, while Commissioner Olivia Trusty received tickets worth $12,000 before casting a decisive vote approving the deal.

Ethics experts, including former Office of Government Ethics director Walter Shaub and former White House ethics lawyer Virginia Canter, said the commissioners violated federal law by accepting gifts from a regulated entity with business pending before them. Shaub stated that “there’s no way that any top federal regulator should ever accept a gift from a regulated company with interests their work will foreseeably affect,” and Canter called the conduct “shocking” and “disturbing.” The experts warned that Carr and Trusty compromised the agency’s impartiality and should have recused themselves from voting on the merger.

Seven of ten FCC commissioners who served since 2016 accepted Kennedy Center tickets from CBS or its parent company, totaling over $260,000 according to ProPublica’s analysis of ethics disclosures. Carr alone has accepted tickets at least seven times since 2017, totaling over $63,000. Federal ethics rules explicitly ban employees from accepting gifts from entities that do business with, are regulated by, or seek official action from their agency, yet the FCC claimed agency ethics officers approved the practice as consistent with law—a justification Shaub dismissed as equivalent to a “school child” excuse.

The timing of the gifts intensified the conflict. Paramount filed its Skydance merger paperwork in September 2024, and the December gala occurred as the company prepared its hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery. Hours after the gala ended, Paramount launched the hostile bid. Trump has systematically pressured the FCC to strip broadcast licenses, and Carr reopened a CBS investigation days after taking office, later requiring Paramount to eliminate diversity initiatives and appoint a bias ombudsperson to secure the merger’s approval.

Multiple ethics experts told ProPublica that the Justice Department should investigate potential violations of federal ethics rules and that the commissioners’ gift-taking could become central in legal challenges to the merger. California, New York and ten other Democratic states filed a lawsuit seeking to block the $110 billion consolidation under federal and state anti-monopoly laws, citing concerns about job elimination and industry independence from consolidated ownership.



(Source: https://www.propublica.org/article/paramount-mergers-fcc-kennedy-center-gala?fbclid=IwdGRleATEdV1wZG9mA2ZkaWQWUKl7HV6hSpBeYhKKEUCD5qTfb1VVhGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR5j5tj7vuKcNF4EYkiA-zdtgiNLF39w-xW5ou0h_zK0uZfJ56eQA2uIrEgulg_aem_j4wlCLmUFGCAM_E3ngC6aw)state anti-monopoly laws, citing concerns about job elimination and industry independence from consolidated ownership.

Trump Aide Natalie Harp Leaves Devotional Notes

President Trump’s executive assistant Natalie Harp has cultivated an extraordinarily personal relationship with the president, leaving handwritten notes declaring “You are all that matters to me” in his private spaces and providing constant positive reinforcement of his decisions. According to a new book by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan titled “Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump,” Harp, a 34-year-old former television presenter, functions as Trump’s devoted aide and near-constant presence, earning the nickname “the human printer” for her role printing online articles and typing his Truth Social posts. Trump has described Harp as equally loyal to his wife and children, telling staff members “She’ll never leave me,” while White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles reportedly questioned her own place within this dynamic.

Harp’s influence extends to shaping Trump’s public communications and aesthetic preferences. She has encouraged his Oval Office redesigns and provided enthusiastic approval of his accumulation of gold furnishings, with the book noting that while other residence staff offered muted responses, “his devout aide Natalie Harp would gush with delight.” The 34-year-old has also played a direct role in some of Trump’s most controversial Truth Social posts, including a video depicting the Obamas as apes and an image casting Trump as a Christ-like figure, both of which were later deleted following bipartisan criticism.

Harp maintained her proximity to Trump even after he lost the 2020 election and relocated to Florida, where she provided him with carefully curated positive news stories and social media comments while he was away from office. Her devotion remained consistent upon Trump’s return to the White House, where she continued to offer unqualified praise and personal reinforcement, creating a dynamic of singular loyalty that appears designed to insulate the president from critical feedback or alternative perspectives within his administration.

White House spokesperson Kush Desai defended Harp’s role when reached for comment, characterizing her as a “beloved White House Official” and attributing her influence to Trump’s broader ability to cultivate staff loyalty. Desai also framed Trump’s use of Truth Social as an effective direct communication tool while dismissing media criticism as “Fake News,” suggesting the administration views Harp’s role as part of a broader strategy to maintain presidential control over messaging and information flow.



(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-aide-notes-natalie-harp-b3004534.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.

Patel Announces UFC Plot Before All Arrests

FBI Director Kash Patel announced details of an ongoing investigation into an alleged drone attack plot targeting the White House UFC event on Sunday before roughly 10 suspects had been arrested, angering Secret Service and FBI officials who were coordinating the case. The investigation began when a relative of one suspect contacted Cincinnati-area police reporting that their family member was discussing a vague plot involving Washington. Secret Service advanced threat interdiction teams, working with the FBI, obtained a subpoena for encrypted Signal messages, identified the plot’s details, and arrested 19-year-old Tycen Proper of Ohio on June 13, immediately sealing the case to continue identifying additional suspects.

Patel’s Tuesday social media post disclosed the investigation while the case remained sealed in court and before law enforcement could apprehend and detain the remaining suspects. Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn addressed the premature disclosure without naming Patel, stating that the agency made a deliberate choice not to leak the investigation’s existence to maintain its integrity and security planning. Quinn referenced a principle from his early career: “Don’t choke on your own smoke,” emphasizing that the Secret Service led the investigation and that ongoing charges remained sealed.

This incident reflects a pattern of rushed announcements by Patel. In September 2025, he posted that the FBI had a subject in custody for the shooting death of conservative Trump ally Charlie Kirk, then retracted the claim 90 minutes later when the suspect was released. Senior investigators viewed the premature post as foolish; Trump privately complained it was inappropriate. In December 2025, Patel again prematurely announced a person of interest in custody for a Brown University shooting, later correcting the statement when the individual was released with no connection to the crime.

The Justice Department announced arrests of five men, including Proper, on Tuesday afternoon for an alleged plot to attack the event with drones and snipers. The Secret Service had increased security measures and alerted law enforcement partners to watch for drones and related threats in downtown Washington. Patel defended his past announcements as motivated by transparency, telling critics he does not regret publicizing incomplete information despite acknowledging he could have worded his statements better.



(Source: https://www.ms.now/news/kash-patel-white-house-ufc-attack-secret-service)

Trump Orders Intelligence Agency Purge, Names Pulte to Shrink ODNI

President Trump ordered acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte to shrink the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), which oversees 18 federal intelligence agencies and employs approximately 1,800 staff members. Trump stated the office is “too big” and targeted “people in there that shouldn’t be there,” specifically naming holdovers from the Obama and Biden administrations for removal, according to an interview with the Wall Street Journal on Friday, June 6, 2026.

Trump appointed Pulte to the acting DNI role without requiring Senate confirmation, allowing him to serve for 210 days while implementing cuts. Pulte currently directs the Federal Housing Finance Agency and has no national intelligence experience; he previously used his FHFA position to file criminal referrals against Trump’s political opponents alleging mortgage fraud. Former DNI Tulsi Gabbard already reduced agency staff by nearly 50 percent and cut the budget by over $700 million annually, and Trump’s ODNI official stated plans to “root out deep state bad actors,” signaling further political purges ahead.

Trump has a documented history of undermining U.S. intelligence agencies, most notably siding with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s denial of Russian interference in the 2016 election against the assessment of U.S. intelligence services. Pulte never underwent a security clearance process before Trump announced his selection as acting DNI, departing sharply from standard vetting procedures and raising questions about whether loyalists rather than qualified professionals will lead U.S. intelligence.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican, told reporters the ODNI requires “professionals” rather than a “weaponized” agency, while Democratic Senator Mark Warner accused Trump of appointing “someone who will be willing to shape intelligence around the president’s wishes.” Trump defended Pulte’s lack of experience by saying he could “shake it up,” and told reporters Pulte might investigate “the rigged elections,” hours after Trump claimed without evidence that Democrats were cheating in California primaries.

Trump cited Education Secretary Linda McMahon’s gutting of the Department of Education in 2025 as a model for ODNI downsizing, stating the intelligence office “should be much smaller” and could eventually be “terminated.” The ODNI was created by Congress in 2004 following the 9/11 attacks to coordinate intelligence sharing among federal agencies and produce the President’s Daily Brief, a classified document compiled from all intelligence agencies presented to the president each morning.(Source: https://time.com/article/2026/06/06/trump-ODNI-intelligence-cuts/)

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