Category: National Security

Trump tells DHS to pay TSA despite government shutdown after agents miss another paycheck | The Independent

President Donald Trump issued a presidential memorandum on Friday directing the Department of Homeland Security to pay TSA employees using undisclosed funds, following weeks of missed paychecks during a partial government shutdown. The directive covers approximately 50,000 security officers at airports and came after a six-week funding lapse that has caused excruciatingly long security lines and prompted nearly 500 TSA agents to quit while thousands more called out sick at record rates. Trump framed the action as necessary to address an “emergency situation compromising the Nation’s security,” though the source of the funds remains unclear.

The shutdown resulted from Democratic refusal to fund DHS until the Trump administration agrees to reforms for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. Trump rejected a Senate bill passed Friday morning that would have funded most DHS functions, including TSA, because it excluded ICE and CBP funding. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer stated Democrats would not provide funding without reforms, calling the administration’s immigration enforcement tactics “lawless and deadly.”

Trump’s memorandum blamed Democrats for the shutdown while emphasizing security vulnerabilities created by depleted TSA staffing and wait times exceeding three hours at some airports. DHS announced that TSA employees would begin receiving pay as soon as Monday. The administration has faced criticism for its aggressive immigration crackdown, including a January incident in Minneapolis where immigration agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens, which the administration characterized as self-defense.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-pay-tsa-shutdown-b2947422.html)

Trump Threatens Iran 48-Hour Ultimatum on Strait

President Donald Trump issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Iran via Truth Social on Saturday evening, demanding the country “FULLY OPEN” the Strait of Hormuz without threat or face U.S. military destruction of its power plants. Trump stated the United States would “hit and obliterate” Iran’s power infrastructure, beginning with the largest facility, if the demand was not met within the specified timeframe. The threat followed joint U.S. and Israeli strikes that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei three weeks prior, part of an operation dubbed “Operation Epic Fury.”

The war with Iran has severely disrupted maritime commerce through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping corridor through which roughly one-fifth of global oil trades. According to the BBC, maritime traffic through the passage plunged 95 percent in March, dropping from approximately 138 daily ship transits to about 100 since military operations commenced. Trump previously denounced NATO allies as cowards for refusing to deploy troops to reopen the strait, revealing his unilateral approach to the conflict has alienated potential partners.

Oil prices have surged dramatically as a direct consequence of the reduced shipping volume and ongoing military operations. A barrel of crude oil cost $98.09 at the close of Friday trading, representing a 47 percent increase since military strikes against Iran began. This economic disruption stems from Trump’s decision to initiate military action alongside Israel without prior diplomatic coordination with international allies.

Trump previously claimed Iran has “effectively ceased to exist as a threat” while simultaneously requesting $200 billion in additional congressional funding for continued military operations, demonstrating contradictory messaging about the conflict’s status and objectives. When challenged by New York Times reporter David Sanger over unmet war objectives, Trump posted on Truth Social that “The United States has blown Iran off of the map” and claimed success ahead of schedule, dismissing the reporter’s analysis as that of a “lightweight analyst.”

Operation Epic Fury has eliminated dozens of Iranian regime leaders beyond Supreme Leader Khamenei since the initial strikes three weeks ago. Trump stated he is considering winding down military operations in the Middle East while the war continues, claiming U.S. forces are approaching stated objectives, though the pattern of contradictory statements about war progress and outcomes demonstrates systematic disinformation surrounding the conflict’s purpose and accomplishments.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump-threatens-iran-you-have-48-hours-to-fully-open-strait-of-hormuz-or-else/)

No H.I.V. Aid Without More Access to Minerals: U.S. Ponders ‘Sticks’ Against Zambia – The New York Times

The Trump administration is considering withholding lifesaving H.I.V. treatment and tuberculosis and malaria medications from 1.3 million Zambians as leverage to force the southern African nation to grant the United States greater access to its mineral resources, particularly copper, lithium, and cobalt. A State Department memo obtained by The New York Times states the administration will “only secure our priorities by demonstrating willingness to publicly take support away from Zambia on a massive scale,” with potential cuts to aid through PEPFAR beginning as soon as May.

Zambia’s critical minerals are central to the green energy transition globally, and the Trump administration views China’s access to these resources as a strategic threat. Unlike agreements with other nations that focus primarily on health spending commitments, the administration is attempting to weaponize health aid to coerce Zambia into signing a deal that prioritizes U.S. mineral access over public health needs.

This tactic follows the Trump administration’s broad cuts to foreign aid announced last year. The State Department has been pressuring countries to sign new agreements, with 24 nations having signed deals worth $20 billion in health aid over five years, though most agreements simply require recipient governments to increase their own health spending rather than serve geopolitical extraction goals.

Other African nations are resisting similar demands tied to aid. Zimbabwe’s government recently rejected negotiations, citing demands about data and biological sample sharing as intolerable sovereignty violations. Activists in Kenya have taken their country’s agreement to court over comparable concerns, signaling widespread resistance to conditioning essential health assistance on unfavorable terms.

The abuse of power represented by weaponizing H.I.V. treatment demonstrates how the Trump administration subordinates human life to resource extraction and geopolitical positioning, directly sacrificing the health and survival of vulnerable populations in service of mineral interests and competition with China.

(Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/16/health/zambia-hiv-aid-minerals-trump.html)

Trump’s Unilateral Iran War Backfires as Allies Reject Strait Coalition

Trump launched military strikes on Iran alongside Israel without coordinating diplomatically with allies, then scrambled to pressure nations to help manage the fallout. After initiating the conflict unilaterally, he requested roughly a half-dozen countries deploy warships to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping passage through which one-fifth of global oil trades. Trump signaled he would leverage his scheduled trip to China to coerce Beijing into joining a coalition to restore tanker traffic, though his treasury secretary later attempted damage control on that statement.

Trump’s pressure campaign has failed to generate commitments from potential partners. China remains noncommittal, France offered conditional participation only when “circumstances permit,” and Britain declined to deploy a warship, instead discussing limited mine-hunting drone assistance. Australia’s transport minister stated the country will not send a ship, and Italy rejected expanding naval missions to include the Strait. Trump’s insistence that the United States does not need the waterway due to domestic oil access contradicted his simultaneous demand that other nations sacrifice resources to secure it.

The oil price surge resulting from Trump’s unilateral war decision has driven up gas prices domestically as midterm election season accelerates. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent downplayed war-related economic disruption and accused media outlets of manufacturing a crisis, claiming prices would stabilize after the conflict concludes. Trump dismissed advisers’ assessments of fuel price duration, stating he relies on personal instinct rather than expert counsel.

Trump’s willingness to delay his late-March summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping to pressure Beijing on the strait situation carries substantial economic risk, as tensions between the world’s largest economies remain strained over tariffs. Bessent explicitly discouraged negative market reaction to a potential postponement, framing any reschedule as logistical rather than strategic. China’s slowed growth projection to 4.5-5% for 2026, the lowest since 1991, means prolonged strait disruptions could inflict long-term damage on Beijing’s economy as well.

Trump’s approach mirrors his pattern of unilateral decision-making followed by attempts to extract concessions from allies. The Republican president previously leveraged tariffs and accusations of NATO freeloading to secure increased defense spending commitments, but global resistance to his Strait of Hormuz coalition reveals limits to coercive tactics when nations perceive no direct benefit or mutual agreement. His administration continues the pressure campaign despite repeated rejections, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt arguing that securing Iran’s disarmament serves the entire Western world regardless of countries’ voluntary participation.

(Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-suggests-may-delay-china-043633731.html)

Trump Threatens Iran If It Mines Strait of Hormuz

President Trump issued a military threat against Iran on March 10th, 2026, demanding the immediate removal of naval mines from the Strait of Hormuz or face military consequences described as “at a level never seen before.” Trump posted on Truth Social that while his administration had no initial reports of mines being placed, any mines must be removed immediately or Iran would face severe military action. He followed this threat with a post claiming the U.S. had destroyed ten inactive mine-laying vessels within hours.

CNN reported Iran had begun mining the Strait of Hormuz, with a few dozen mines laid in recent days according to U.S. intelligence sources, though CBS News indicated mining “may be getting ready” rather than already underway. Intelligence sources stated Iran retained 80 to 90 percent of its mine-laying capability and possessed between 2,000 and 6,000 mines total, meaning hundreds more could be deployed. Trump’s threat came amid his unilateral Iran war that has deepened tensions without coordinating with allies on managing the fallout.

Oil markets reacted volatile to the threat and mining reports, with barrel prices surging to $116 on Monday before dropping to $86 by Tuesday afternoon, representing a 28 percent increase since Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s death. Trump claimed on Monday the war was “pretty much” complete and would wrap up “soon,” contradicting the escalatory nature of his latest threats. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated the U.S. has not yet begun escorting oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump’s demand for mine removal without diplomatic engagement reflects his pattern of issuing ultimatums rather than pursuing negotiated settlements. The threat to deploy military force at unprecedented levels escalates tensions in a region already destabilized by his unilateral military strikes without allied coordination. This approach prioritizes military action over diplomacy, potentially widening the conflict rather than resolving the underlying disputes.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump-threatens-iran-with-never-seen-before-attack-if-it-mines-strait-of-hormuz/)

Trump White House Blocks Iran Terror Threat Warning to Police

Trump’s White House blocked a joint intelligence bulletin from the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and National Counterterrorism Center warning law enforcement nationwide of elevated terrorist threats linked to his military operation against Iran. The five-page report detailed specific threats from Iranian government targets, proxies, and radicalized individuals motivated by the conflict, along with guidance for local law enforcement response. Trump ordered the bulletin placed on hold hours before release, violating standard protocol that keeps intelligence communications neutral and fact-based rather than subject to White House political control.

A senior DHS official stated the White House imposed new restrictions requiring all unclassified Iran-related information to be reviewed by Trump before distribution to law enforcement. The official characterized this as having a chilling effect on threat communication, saying Trump does not want information released showing his Iran war is raising domestic terrorism risk. DHS broke protocol by alerting the White House before release, actions taken against FBI leadership’s wishes, according to the official.

Trump launched Operation Epic Fury one week prior in a joint US-Israeli military campaign that killed Iranian senior leadership including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The conflict has since expanded across the Middle East, with Iran retaliating against US military bases and allied Gulf nations, killing six American troops and injuring more than a dozen others.

Iran operates proxy militant networks including Hezbollah and the Houthis for attacks on Western targets. Days after Trump’s war began, a gunman killed three people and wounded 15 others at an Austin bar before police killed him; investigators found he had expressed online support for the Iranian regime. Trump was warned by military advisers that Iran could respond with proxy terror attacks on US soil.

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson denied blocking the bulletin, claiming the White House coordinates with agencies to ensure information is accurate and properly vetted. FBI counterterrorism teams were placed on elevated alert nationwide following Trump’s military operation, though the duration of the alert remains unstated.

(Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15622933/White-House-blocks-warning-rising-threat-linked-Iran-war.html)

Trump Orders U.S. Agencies to Stop Using Anthropic AI Tech After Pentagon Standoff – The New York Times

Trump ordered federal agencies to cease using Anthropic’s artificial intelligence technology on Friday, attacking the company as “radical Left” and claiming its leadership lacks understanding of reality. Within 13 minutes of Trump’s announcement, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth formally designated Anthropic a “supply-chain risk to national security,” barring any military contractor from conducting business with the company, a designation previously reserved for foreign adversaries rather than American firms.

Anthropic had resisted Pentagon demands for unfettered access to its AI systems without safety guardrails, citing two specific concerns. The company refused to allow its AI models to be deployed in autonomous weapons systems, arguing current models are unreliable and would endanger American troops and civilians, and rejected use of its technology for mass domestic surveillance, which it characterized as violating fundamental rights.

Legal experts characterized the Pentagon’s action as unprecedented and legally vulnerable. Anthropic stated it would challenge the designation in court, calling it historically reserved for U.S. adversaries and warning the move establishes a dangerous precedent for American companies negotiating with the government. The company had attempted good faith negotiations with the Pentagon over acceptable uses of its AI technology for national security purposes.

The confrontation reflects Trump’s pattern of weaponizing government authority against corporations that resist his demands, consistent with his broader efforts to remake federal institutions and eliminate independence from executive control. Hours after Anthropic’s designation, OpenAI announced a deal with the Defense Department to provide AI technology for classified military systems, demonstrating Trump’s preference for companies willing to comply without restrictions.

(Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/27/us/politics/anthropic-military-ai.html)

NSA Detected Foreign Call About Trump Associate Gabbard Blocked

Last spring, the National Security Agency detected a phone call between two foreign intelligence operatives discussing a person close to Donald Trump. Rather than following standard protocol to distribute the intelligence report, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard delivered a paper copy directly to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and subsequently instructed the NSA to transmit the classified details to her office instead of publishing the report.

On April 17, a whistleblower contacted the inspector general alleging that Gabbard blocked the classified intelligence from routine distribution. The whistleblower filed a formal complaint on May 21 detailing Gabbard’s actions. The NSA does not monitor individuals without justification, and the person discussed in the call is not understood to be an administration official or special government employee, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The intelligence community inspector general dismissed the complaint after a 14-day review on June 6, stating the office “could not determine if the allegations appear credible.” The watchdog’s independence may be compromised after Gabbard assigned one of her top advisers, Dennis Kirk—a co-author of Project 2025 and a first Trump administration official—to work in the inspector general’s office on May 9, two weeks after the whistleblower’s initial contact.

For eight months, the complaint remained classified and withheld from congressional intelligence committees, violating the law requiring agencies to relay whistleblower complaints to Congress within 21 days. Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner stated the months-long delay reflected an effort to “bury the complaint.” Members of the “gang of eight” received a heavily redacted version on Tuesday night, with much of the complaint withheld under claims of executive privilege—a move Gabbard’s attorney said flags presidential involvement in the underlying intelligence concerns.

Gabbard’s office denied all allegations, stating “every single action taken by DNI Gabbard was fully within her legal and statutory authority.” House Oversight Committee Democrat Stephen Lynch warned that Kirk’s appointment raised “troubling questions about the independence” of the intelligence community inspector general’s office, compromising the agency’s ability to serve as an independent watchdog against weaponization of intelligence for political purposes.

(Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/07/nsa-foreign-intelligence-trump-whistleblower)

New START Treaty Expires, Ending Nuclear Arms Control

The New START treaty between the United States and Russia expired on February 6, 2026, eliminating the only binding cap on deployed nuclear warheads—set at 1,550 per side. The expiration marks the first time in over 50 years that no strategic arms control limits exist between the world’s two largest nuclear powers, each possessing roughly 5,250 warheads. Without the treaty’s verification mechanisms, data-sharing protocols, and dialogue channels, American and Russian officials lost transparency into each other’s arsenals and intentions, creating a low-trust environment vulnerable to miscalculation.

President Trump dismissed urgency around negotiating a replacement, stating in January that if the treaty “expires, it expires” and claiming he would pursue “a better agreement” involving China. However, Beijing has refused to participate in nuclear disarmament talks, arguing it is “neither fair nor reasonable” given the vast disparity between its 600 warheads and those of the U.S. and Russia. A Trump administration official told NBC News the door remained open to talks with both nations, but no formal negotiations or counter-proposals have materialized.

Trump’s pattern of weaponizing federal authority against officials who resist his demands reflects broader disregard for institutional independence. Former Soviet negotiator Nikolai Sokov warned the world has reverted to early Cold War mentality, where uncertainty and acceptance of conflict were high. Without predictability mechanisms, China is expanding its arsenal by roughly 100 warheads annually and is projected to possess over 1,000 by 2030—a buildup experts attribute partly to the absence of verification checks and transparency.

Former President Obama stated the expiration would “pointlessly wipe out decades of diplomacy and could spark another arms race that makes the world less safe.” UN Secretary-General António Guterres called it a “grave moment” for international peace and security. Russia suspended the treaty in early 2023 over U.S. support for Ukraine but offered in September to voluntarily abide by its limits for one additional year—an offer Trump called “a good idea” but to which Washington provided no official response.

Experts warn that without a replacement agreement within five to seven years, an unrestricted nuclear arms race focusing on accuracy, sophistication, and interceptor-resistant designs rather than warhead quantity becomes likely. Sokov cautioned that “the sooner we start talking, the better the chance that we will be able to, once again, start regulating the nuclear arms race before it becomes irreversible.”

(Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/world/russia/nuclear-arms-race-start-treaty-expires-russia-china-trump-putin-xi-rcna257012)

Trump Claims States Are Federal Agents in Elections

President Trump declared on Tuesday that states function as “agents for the federal government in elections,” advancing his push to federalize election administration. During an Oval Office signing ceremony, Trump told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins that the federal government should take over elections from states he deemed incapable of running them honestly, specifically naming Atlanta and other Democratic-led cities as sites of “horrible corruption.” Trump’s assertion contradicts the Constitution, which assigns election administration to state and local officials with limited federal involvement.

Trump framed federal takeover as necessary to ensure honest elections, stating that if states “can’t count the votes legally and honestly, then somebody else should take over.” When pressed by Collins on constitutional constraints, Trump dismissed them, declaring states “can administer the election, but they have to do it honestly.” This demand for federal control extends Trump’s pattern of weaponizing federal authority against election officials, mirroring his sustained efforts to delegitimize the 2020 election and intimidate state administrators into compliance with his directives.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later reframed Trump’s “nationalize the voting” language as advocacy for the SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship for voter registration. However, noncitizens are already barred from voting in federal elections, making the legislation redundant. The move represents Trump’s broader strategy to impose new voting restrictions ahead of midterm elections under the guise of election security.

The statement follows an FBI seizure last week of election materials from Fulton County, Georgia, in connection with alleged voter fraud claims that have been repeatedly debunked. Legal experts, including UCLA law professor Rick Hasen, characterized such federal intervention as a dramatic escalation in federal control over state-run election infrastructure and warned of further interference in 2026 elections. Trump’s repeated false claims of election fraud and his push for federal dominance over election administration establish the groundwork for authoritarian control over voting mechanisms.

Trump’s assertion that states are federal agents in elections directly contradicts established constitutional law and democratic practice. His pattern of attacking election officials who refuse his demands, combined with federal actions targeting state election materials, demonstrates his intent to consolidate power over election administration and establish federal override of state election systems, dismantling the institutional safeguards that protect democratic elections from executive manipulation.

(Source: https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/03/politics/trump-nationalize-elections-states?Date=20260204&Profile=CNN+Politics&utm_content=1770166729&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwdGRjcAPxrotleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEe_TP6JxjJ8F0XeylqLLR_PnMmKiHjepIwMfFSOkoZjpuKIlcOuE0eA99g3Kc_aem_XKBW8wXEdeRvaH0xj02M9A)

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