Category: Policies

Donald Trump Slams Judge Deciding Kennedy Center’s Fate

Trump continues his campaign to rename and renovate the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, attacking the federal judge overseeing the legal challenge to his efforts. On Truth Social, Trump called the building “old and decrepit” and accused the judge of being “highly conflicted” for blocking his plan to inscribe his name on the structure. In May, a federal judge ruled that only Congress holds authority to rename the institution, which was built to honor President John F. Kennedy.

Trump violated federal law by adding his name to the building’s facade without authorization, then had the sign covered with a tarp in June to conceal the violation. Rather than comply with the court’s ruling, Trump’s Justice Department lawyers have argued that blocking his $250 million renovation project would render the building so unsafe it would require demolition, a threat designed to pressure Congress into allowing the rename. Trump’s allies are attempting to circumvent Congressional approval by proposing an inscription reading “Renovated and Restored by President Donald J. Trump.”

Rep. Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from Ohio and ex officio member of the Kennedy Center’s Board of Trustees, characterized Trump’s renovation and renaming scheme as “very childish” after an emergency court hearing held Thursday. Beatty invoked Trump’s controversial alterations to the White House as evidence of his destructive approach to historic institutions, stating “We’ve seen what he’s done, in the most embarrassing ways, to the White House.”

The Kennedy Center, a storied performing arts venue, has faced significant operational challenges since Trump assumed his chairmanship. Artists have withdrawn from performances, and ticket sales have declined sharply, though Trump blamed the downturn on the need for renovations rather than acknowledging his role in driving away performers and audiences.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/donald-trump-takes-a-shot-at-highly-conflicted-judge-deciding-the-decrepit-kennedy-centers-fate/) than acknowledging his role in driving away performers and audiences.

Trump Official Leaks Debunked Censorship Files

A Trump administration official leaked government files to a conservative online data analyst in a failed attempt to prove that the shuttered Global Engagement Center had conducted domestic censorship operations. Sarah Rogers, the State Department’s undersecretary for public diplomacy, provided the documents to Jennica Pounds, known as DataRepublican, who claimed she was being “entrapped.” Rogers then published the files herself, alleging center officials “betrayed their stated mission.”

Two former senior GEC officials, Daniel Kimmage and Carrie Goux, examined the leaked material and concluded it demonstrates nothing. The files contained a 2022 GEC report on “gendered disinformation” and Kimmage’s congressional testimony, which Rogers selectively presented to suggest the center had targeted American speech. Kimmage stated Rogers “tried to twist” his testimony, in which he explicitly said the GEC “did not” take positions on US outlets, into false evidence of domestic censorship.

The GEC, which operated from 2017 until dissolution in 2025, spent nearly a decade tracking foreign influence operations from Russia, China, and Iran under an explicit foreign-facing mandate. During that period, it published eight detailed reports on Russian and Chinese disinformation campaigns, exposed four major Kremlin operations across Latin America, Africa, Moldova, and against RT, and brokered an international pact on countering state disinformation signed by over two dozen governments. A 2022 inspector general review found the center “generally effective,” though it noted weaknesses in internal controls and contractor oversight.

Republicans, including former House Foreign Affairs Committee chair Michael McCaul, attacked the GEC for allegedly stretching the definition of disinformation to suppress conservative speech. The campaign centered on the center’s funding of the Global Disinformation Index, a UK nonprofit that rated media outlets; the GDI’s separate 2022 study of the US media market rated Newsmax, One America News, and the New York Post as high-risk for disinformation, which critics weaponized as evidence of domestic meddling despite the GEC’s foreign mandate.

The State Department is now resuming counter-disinformation work through other offices, including a proposal to pay up to 30 social media influencers across 11 Southeast Asian countries $2,500 each as part of an $11 million campaign to counter Chinese propaganda. The influencer program, operated by the US Mission to ASEAN, includes messaging, training, and studio visits to “intensive collaboration” in Washington and Houston, with recruitment materials citing Pounds as an ideal model. Goux stated the administration is “spending a lot more tax dollars” attempting to reconstruct the GEC’s functions through contractors while the US “has lost their seat at the table” internationally and “losing trust too.”



(Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/30/state-department-global-engagement-center-leaked-documents-foreign-propaganda?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=fb_us&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwdGRjcAUB2bFwZG9mBWZkaWQWUNhA2nVC-1TIXlpnQcULA8nZq7U7QGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR4e46YPv-u3jinexDLfVD5pbBRWNKDJWnPzteIVor6UwLqdj-AiK3cye1072Q_aem_qPXIWAbHlImdCnG_ibNBHg#Echobox=1788089080)

Pentagon Stealth Hires Influencers To Pump Up Pete Hegseth

The Pentagon secretly hired conservative military veterans with large social media followings to amplify Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s agenda and attack Trump administration critics, according to The Washington Post. Retired Air Force Colonel Rob Maness (135,000 X followers), retired Army Colonel Kurt Schlichter (620,000 X followers), and retired Army Colonel Thomas Anderson, who writes as Cynical Publius (323,000 X followers), were assigned to the office of Anthony Tata, the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, with active civilian government email addresses as of late August 2026.

Pentagon spokesman Joel Valdez refused to disclose whether the three influencers draw taxpayer-funded salaries, their specific roles, or the duration of their assignments, contradicting Trump administration claims of running “the most transparent Defense Department ever.” The secrecy surrounding their placements and compensation demonstrates the administration’s use of government resources to orchestrate propaganda through influencers who then amplify official messaging to civilian audiences without public accountability.

All three individuals declined to comment to The Post about their positions and activities. Tata and Hegseth also refused to respond to questions about the program, leaving no official explanation for how the Pentagon justifies placing active political operatives on the public payroll or what oversight, if any, monitors their work.

The revelation follows reporting that Democratic and Republican politicians pay influencers on TikTok and other platforms to promote their agendas, but the Pentagon’s covert hiring of active-duty adjacent figures represents a direct weaponization of military resources for partisan message amplification by the Trump administration.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/the-pentagon-secretly-hires-conservative-influencers-to-amplify-pete-hegseths-agenda/)

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 Threatens FCC Punishment Against NBC’s Kristen Welker

President Trump attacked NBC’s Kristen Welker on Truth Social, threatening FCC action against her after she accurately reported mixed results from his primary endorsements. Trump claimed a 99-100% success rate on endorsements while demanding FCC Chairman Brendan Carr punish Welker and NBC for what he characterized as false reporting, despite documented endorsement losses in recent races.

Welker’s comments on NBC 4 Washington noted Trump’s endorsement track record included both wins and losses, citing his recent backing of Senator Darline Graham, who narrowly defeated Rep. Ralph Norman in South Carolina. Graham’s primary victory was closer than anticipated by political experts, contradicting Trump’s claim of easy wins driven by his endorsement.

Trump escalated his attack by demanding the FCC investigate and punish NBC, calling the press “a disgrace to our nation” and framing accurate coverage of his endorsement record as a threat to the country. This follows Trump’s previous walkout from an NBC interview with Welker over her questioning of his claims, demonstrating a pattern of attacking journalists who report factually about his record.

The threat to weaponize federal regulatory authority against a news organization for unfavorable but accurate reporting undermines press freedom and reflects Trump’s broader use of government power against perceived opponents. Trump’s demand for FCC punishment represents direct executive pressure on the independent regulatory process to silence critical coverage.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-rages-at-nbcs-kristen-welker-after-she-reports-on-mixed-results-of-his-endorsements-threatens-fcc-punishment/)

Trump AI Video Shows Him Kicking Lake Ontario Sign

President Donald Trump posted an artificial intelligence-generated video on Truth Social Saturday depicting himself kicking over a “Lake Ontario” sign and replacing it with a “Lake America” sign along the shoreline. The fabricated clip shows Trump performing his signature “YMCA” dance to the Village People song while celebrating the toppled sign, escalating his ongoing dispute with Canada over trade negotiations.

Trump had signed an executive order Thursday directing the Interior Department to officially rename Lake Ontario to Lake America in the Geographic Names Information System, following the collapse of trade talks between the two nations. Trump justified the move by claiming Canada has been “ripping us off for a long time on trade” and stated the U.S. defends Canada militarily “for nothing.”

The video represented Trump’s second AI-generated post about the renamed lake in as many days. Earlier Saturday, Trump posted another fabricated video depicting “mutant Canadian geese with machine guns” patrolling the lake, which he captioned “Donald Ducks,” with the Toronto skyline visible in the background.

The posts are part of Trump’s escalating campaign to rename shared geography with Canada, mirroring his earlier pattern of distributing AI-generated self-aggrandizing images on his social media platform. The move prompted mixed reactions, with critics viewing it as inflammatory while Trump supporters characterized it as effective mockery during the trade dispute.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump-kicks-down-lake-ontario-sign-and-does-ymca-dance-in-wild-ai-video-ratcheting-up-feud-with-canada/)

Trump Attacks Haberman Over 9/11 Ground Zero Snub

President Donald Trump attacked New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman on Friday via Truth Social, calling her “Maggot Hagerman” and branding her a “stalker” and “scammer” after the Times reported he plans to attend a Pentagon ceremony on September 11 rather than the Ground Zero memorial in Manhattan. Trump falsely denied that scheduling concerns or a desire to speak influenced his decision, claiming he “never even thought of” skipping Ground Zero and that he would “love not to speak” despite his track record of dominating public events.

The Times reported that Trump’s team had previously conducted advance visits to the Ground Zero site and communicated his intention to deliver remarks to organizers. The National September 11 Memorial and Museum has prohibited elected officials from speaking at its annual commemoration for over a decade to maintain focus on victims and their families. Trump is instead expected to speak at the Pentagon ceremony, while Vice President JD Vance will represent the White House at Ground Zero.

Trump’s decision reflects logistical convenience: he is scheduled to depart for his golf course in Doonbeg, Ireland the day after September 11, and flying from Joint Base Andrews in Washington causes fewer disruptions than departing from the New York area. The Times’ reporting directly contradicts Trump’s claim that he had not considered skipping the Manhattan ceremony or that external factors played no role in his choice.

Trump concluded his attack by demanding that Haberman, whose reporting on his administration has earned a Pulitzer Prize, be “forced to turn over any and all money that she’s made through her fake reporting” on him. Trump has previously attacked Haberman and journalist Jonathan Swan over their book documenting his second administration, revealing a pattern of retaliating against journalists whose work contradicts his public statements or depicts unflattering details of his conduct.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/online/trump-erupts-at-nyts-maggot-haberman-in-epic-tirade-over-9-11-report/)

Trump Orders Lake Ontario Renamed ‘Lake America’ as Canada Escalates Boycott

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday directing Interior Secretary Doug Burgess to rename Lake Ontario, which borders Ontario and New York, as “Lake America,” effective immediately. This follows Trump’s 2025 order renaming the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America” and escalates tensions during an ongoing trade war between the U.S. and Canada.

British Columbia Premier David Eby called on residents to avoid nonessential travel to the United States and to prioritize Canadian products, stating “If you have a choice, please don’t travel to the United States.” Ontario Premier Doug Ford reinforced the boycott message, declaring “You don’t go down to the U.S. and buy a product” while Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne emphasized consumers’ purchasing power as leverage. Canadian travel to the U.S. had already declined significantly before these calls, with research from the University of Toronto documenting a 42% median year-over-year decline in Canadian visits to U.S. metropolitan areas since Trump took office.

The lake renaming represents one tactic in an escalating trade conflict. After high-stakes trade negotiations collapsed in late August, the Trump administration implemented 50% tariffs on Canadian products without CUSMA exceptions on August 22, and Canada reciprocated with retaliatory tariffs of up to 50% on U.S. goods. Trump has threatened additional automobile tariffs on Canada at 50% and repeatedly referenced acquiring Canada as a potential 51st state, with Vice President J.D. Vance describing the prospect as a “Freudian slip” during a Maine speech.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has responded by pivoting toward trade partnerships outside the U.S. market. In January, Carney negotiated a strategic partnership with China’s President Xi Jinping, reducing Canada’s 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles in exchange for lower Chinese tariffs on Canadian farm products including canola seeds. Carney stated Wednesday that Canada has signed over 20 trade and security agreements across five continents in the past year alone, positioning Canada as “the best connected economy in the world.”



(Source: https://time.com/article/2026/08/27/trump-lake-ontario-america-order-canadians-boycott-us-travel-trade-war/)

Trump Declares Mission Accomplished in Iran War, Echoing Bush Iraq Failure

President Trump declared “Mission Accomplished” in Iran on Wednesday, invoking language that echoes former President George W. Bush’s infamous 2003 Iraq War declaration aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. Trump’s claim arrives despite significant unmet objectives: Iran maintains control of the vital Strait of Hormuz, the regime remains intact under new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, and the U.S. has depleted much of its long-range precision missile supply.

Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initiated the Iran war on February 28 after Netanyahu lobbied the White House in the Situation Room, claiming the Islamic Republic was vulnerable to regime change through sustained bombing campaigns. While Israeli airstrikes killed former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Trump acknowledged the current leader is alive but claims he is “very seriously wounded.” Netanyahu’s initial objective of toppling the regime has demonstrably failed.

Trump’s central stated aim was eliminating Iran’s nuclear program, which he claimed was “totally obliterated” in earlier joint strikes. However, then-Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee in March that Iran did not possess a nuclear weapons program when the war began in February. Additionally, Trump falsely claims the U.S. “totally” controls the Strait of Hormuz, a claim contradicted by Iran’s continued stranglehold on this critical global shipping lane.

The USS Abraham Lincoln, the aircraft carrier featured in Trump’s “Mission Accomplished” imagery, has deteriorated significantly during its Middle East deployment. Sailors aboard have reported declining conditions, with multiple service members attempting to abandon ship. The vessel has remained deployed since November without docking, but the Pentagon announced Wednesday that it will finally proceed to Thailand after more than 250 days at sea.

Trump’s declaration mirrors Bush’s 2003 premature victory announcement in Iraq, which preceded a prolonged insurgency lasting years. The comparison underscores a pattern of mission declarations that precede continued conflict, unmet objectives, and substantial resource expenditure without achieving stated strategic goals.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump/trump-declares-mission-accomplished-in-iran/)

Trump Admin Sends Saudi Nuclear Deal With Uranium Enrichment to Congress

The Trump administration submitted a nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia to Congress on Monday, which would permit uranium enrichment on Saudi territory and take effect automatically in 90 days unless both chambers pass disapproval resolutions. Energy Secretary Chris Wright confirmed the deal includes a pathway for Saudi enrichment of uranium fuel for civilian reactors, though he stated such arrangements remain “many years down the road.” The agreement’s full text was sent to Congress in classified form, described by sources as “highly unusual,” with experts noting that classifying an entire civil nuclear cooperation agreement would be “unprecedented.”

The White House conditioned the agreement’s advancement on Saudi Arabia joining Trump’s Abraham Accords initiative, which normalizes diplomatic relations with Israel, despite the signed agreement containing no such mandate. An administration official stated Trump’s “position has not changed” and that the agreement will proceed only if Riyadh joins the accords. However, the White House offered no explanation for how it would prevent the deal from automatically taking effect after 90 days if Saudi Arabia does not comply, leaving the mechanism for enforcing this condition unclear.

The agreement permits Saudi enrichment without requiring adoption of the Additional Protocol, the standard international safeguard that grants the UN nuclear watchdog broad authority to inspect suspected weapons sites. Wright argued that bilaterally negotiated safeguards developed “in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency” would be sufficient to prevent weapons development. IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi stated the agency’s Board of Governors must review and approve the safeguards agreement and pledged he would “never put forward an agreement that would not guarantee nonproliferation.”

The diplomatic condition linking the deal to the Abraham Accords surprised Trump’s own nuclear negotiators, according to sources briefed on the matter. Trump formally approved the 30-year nuclear agreement in July, structuring it to secure dominant market access for American companies while excluding foreign competitors from Saudi Arabia’s nuclear infrastructure. Scott Roecker of the Nuclear Threat Initiative suggested the administration could refuse to finalize the agreement after Congress completes its review, potentially using the accords condition as leverage to pressure Saudi Arabia toward Israeli normalization.

The administration’s approach mirrors precedent set during George W. Bush’s presidency, when his administration withdrew a nuclear agreement with Russia from congressional consideration in 2008 following Moscow’s invasion of Georgia. Trump issued his certification for the Saudi agreement on July 16, according to the Federal Register, but the intertwining of the nuclear deal with unrelated diplomatic objectives has left lawmakers uncertain how to evaluate the agreement’s nuclear merits independently.



(Source: https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/26/politics/trump-saudi-arabia-nuclear-deal?Date=20260826&Profile=CNN&utm_content=1787777104&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwdGRjcAT8SR5wZG9mBWZkaWQWUNPW_zGo1xpalQI2bG2ghAonaG4g3GV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR55T2Hst1IZkGT4sMiro6WFCClyed7RwMEwsG5N7LjK4z4diwjPhGSzT9vEnQ_aem_RBwOCizapX4ifgZJ62oCcA)agreement’s nuclear merits independently.

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