Crime

Home Crime

Trump Mulls Deploying National Guard To DC

President Donald J. Trump is presented with a 10th Combat Aviation Brigade challenge coin following an air assault and gun rain demonstration at Fort Drum, New York, on August 13. The demonstration was part of President Trump's visit to the 10th Mountain Division (LI) to sign the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019, which increases the Army's authorized active-duty end strength by 4,000 enabling us to field critical capabilities in support of the National Defense Strategy. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Thomas Scaggs) 180813-A-TZ475-010

Presidentย Donald Trumpย is seriously considering deploying up to 1,000 National Guard troops to Washington D.C., a U.S. official confirmed to Fox News.

The troops would likely be pulled from the DC National Guard, although the decision about sending National Guard troops is not final, the official said. 

Federal agents have deployed to DC streets in recent days, including officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Trump said on social media on Sunday that the news conference on crime and “beautification” will “not only involve ending the Crime, Murder, and Death in our Nationโ€™s Capital, but will also be about Cleanliness and the General Physical Renovation and Condition of our once beautiful and well maintained Capital.”

“Washington, D.C. will be LIBERATED today!,” Trump wrote on TRUTH Social. “Crime, Savagery, Filth, and Scum will DISAPPEAR. I will, MAKE OUR CAPITAL GREAT AGAIN! The days of ruthlessly killing, or hurting, innocent people, are OVER! I quickly fixed the Border (ZERO ILLEGALS in last 3 months!), D.C. is next!!!” 

Trump describedย D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowserย โ€“ who publicly clashed with Trump during the George Floyd riots in 2020 โ€“ “a good person who has tried, but she has been given many chances, and the Crime Numbers get worse, and the City only gets dirtier and less attractive.”ย 

“The American Public is not going to put up with it any longer,” the president wrote. “Just like I took care of the Border, where you had ZERO Illegals coming across last month, from millions the year before, I will take care of our cherished Capital, and we will make it, truly, GREAT AGAIN! Before the tents, squalor, filth, and Crime, it was the most beautiful Capital in the World. It will soon be that again. Thank you for your attention to this matter โ€” See you tomorrow at 10 A.M.!” 

The president has reignited his warnings about a federal government takeover of Washington, and said he may even deploy the National Guard over recent crime. 

Bowser told MSNBC on Sunday that “it is always the president’s prerogative toย use federal law enforcementย of the National Guard.”ย 

On Sunday, police instituted a juvenile curfew in the popular Navy Yard neighborhood, after a stolen gun was discharged during a large gathering of young people late on Saturday. The incident came even as the White House had deployed a surge of federal law enforcement officers in the city over the weekend. 

Trump also said the homeless population would have to move “immediately,” posting photos of encampments and trash on the streets. 

“There will be no โ€˜MR. NICE GUY,โ€™” Trump posted. “We want our Capital BACK.”

Last week, Trump teased taking federal control of D.C. after former Department of Government Efficiency employeeย Edward “Big Balls” Coristineย was brutally beaten during an attempted carjacking by teenage suspects.ย 

Musk Trolls Trump Over Epstein Case As Feud Escalates

0
UK Government, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Dรฉtente is over…

Elon Musk reignited his very public, and very messy, feud with President Donald Trump, announcing plans to launch a third major political party just hours after Trump signed the $3.3 trillion One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law.

But Musk didnโ€™t stop there.

By early Monday, the billionaire tech mogul was back to openly mocking the president following new reporting on the Department of Justiceโ€™s investigation into Jeffrey Epsteinโ€™s death.

On X, the platform he owns, Musk posted a meme titled โ€œThe Official Jeffrey Epstein Pedophile Arrest Counter.โ€ The image read โ€œ0,โ€ with Musk captioning it:

โ€œWhatโ€™s the time? Oh look, itโ€™s no-one-has-been-arrested-oโ€™clock again โ€ฆโ€

The DOJ and FBI concluded their joint probe into the disgraced financier’s 2019 death, reaffirming the official narrative that the child sex offender died by suicide and that thereโ€™s no evidence of a blackmail scheme or a so-called โ€œclient list.โ€ The two-page memo, first reported by Axios late Sunday, noted that no further arrests are expected.

According to the memo, surveillance footage revealed no unauthorized access to Epsteinโ€™s cell, aligning with the medical examinerโ€™s determination of suicide. The administration is also releasing footage showing no movement in Epsteinโ€™s section of the jail the night of his death.

But millions remain skeptical.

Dr. Michael Baden โ€” a former New York City chief medical examiner hired by Epsteinโ€™s brother โ€” disputes the ruling. Baden said several fractures in Epsteinโ€™s neck, including to the hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage, were โ€œextremely unusualโ€ in suicide cases and more consistent with homicide. He also said he had never seen injuries like Epsteinโ€™s in his 50 years of investigating prison deaths.

Despite that, the DOJ insists the matter is closed.

Musk himself added to the speculation last month, claiming in a now-deleted tweet that Trump was implicated in the Epstein files.

โ€œ[Trump] is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public,โ€ Musk wrote.

He followed with: โ€œMark this post for the future. The truth will come out.โ€

Trump has vigorously denied any involvement with Epstein’s nefarious activities, insisting, โ€œI was never on Epsteinโ€™s Plane, or at his โ€˜stupidโ€™ Island.โ€

Responding to Muskโ€™s Epstein files claim, the president reposted a statement from Epsteinโ€™s former lawyer David Schoen, who insisted Epstein had โ€œno information to hurt President Trump.โ€

While Trumpโ€™s name does appear in Epsteinโ€™s flight logs, no documented evidence of impropriety has emerged. Trump has acknowledged a past friendship with Epstein, which he says ended in the mid-2000s.

Unlike last monthโ€™s spat, Trump hit back immediately at his former ally.

In a post Sunday, the president called Muskโ€™s behavior โ€œoff the rails,โ€ accusing him of becoming a โ€œTRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks.โ€ He slammed third parties as agents of โ€œComplete and Total DISRUPTION & CHAOSโ€ and said the U.S. system isnโ€™t built to accommodate them.

โ€œWe have enough of that with the Radical Left Democrats, who have lost their confidence and their minds!โ€ Trump wrote.

Trump turned up the heat over the weekend, threatening to revoke Musk’s government contracts โ€” a bold strike at the heart of his rivalโ€™s wallet.

So far, Ghislaine Maxwell remains the only person convicted in connection with Epsteinโ€™s sex trafficking operation. She is currently serving a 20-year sentence.

Florida Reporter Suspended After Texting MAGA Congressman After Kirk Shooting

1

No room for this behavior…

A reporter with a popular Florida political website was immediately suspended after attempting to capitalize on the shooting of political activist Charlie Kirk.

The 31-year-old Turning Point USA founder was speaking at an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday when theย shootingย occurred. Video taken by students attending his speech shows Kirk appearing to have been shot in the neck after the sound of a single gunshot was heard. Kirk was later pronounced dead after being rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition.

Kirk was a popular figure in conservative media circles and a prominent supporter of Presidentย Donald Trump, encouraging the young voters in his organization to vote for Trump during his presidential campaigns and speaking at theย Republican National Conventionย in Milwaukee last year.

News of the shootingย stunnedย politicians and commentators on both sides of the aisle, who offered prayers for his family and condemnations of political violence.

Wednesday afternoon, after news of the shooting had spread but before it was known that Kirk had died,ย A.G. Gancarski, a reporter with theย Florida Politicsย website, texted Rep.ย Randy Fineย (R-FL), a Republicanย electedย to Congress earlier this year in a special election.

According to a screenshot posted by Fine, Gancarski asked him โ€œif Charlie Kirk getting shot affects your position on campus carry?โ€

โ€œIf gun control had been in play could the tragedy have been avoided?โ€ Gancarski added.

โ€œI learned that Charlie Kirk was shot 23 minutes ago. I am repulsed that you would even think to ask a political question when all anyone should be doing is praying for his survival,โ€ Fine wrote back. โ€œNever contact me again.โ€

Fine shared a screenshot of the texts on social media along with a caption that read, โ€œYou donโ€™t hate the media enough.โ€

Less than an hour later,ย Peter Schorsch, the founder and publisher of Florida Politics, posted that he had โ€œimmediately suspended [Gancarski] from his position with [Florida Politics].โ€

Schorsch then noted that he had โ€œurged [Gancarski] to go dark on social media for the time being while we address this situation,โ€ and invited anyone with comments or questions to email him. Gancarskiโ€™s account on X has been set to private and is no longer publicly viewable.

Another X userย postedย a screenshot of a tweet Gancarski had purportedly sent to Fine before deleting it and locking down his account. In the screenshot, Gancarski replied to Fine that it was a โ€œvalid questionโ€ because Fine โ€œran a bill that would have allowed โ€˜campus carry’โ€ as a state senator, but had left the legislature by the time of theย April 17 shootingย at Florida State University.

โ€œI stand by the question,โ€ Gancarski wrote. โ€œTragedy is ultimately what tests policy positions.โ€

Mediaite and other outlats have not yet confirmed the authenticity of this screenshot, but it does accurately display Gancarskiโ€™s username on X and most recent profile photo. Mediaite reached out to Schorsch for comment but did not receive a reply.

Screenshot via Mediaite

Trump Orders Reopening Of Alcatraz Prison

By kevinmcgill from Den Bosch, Netherlands - KAM_8466, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31689361

On Sunday, President Trumpย said that he wants to reopen the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, theย historic prison offshoreย from San Francisco that closed more than 60 years ago.

โ€œFor too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat Criminal Offenders, the dregs of society, who will never contribute anything other than Misery and Suffering. When we were a more serious Nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals, and keep them far away from anyone they could harm,โ€ Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

โ€œThatโ€™s the way itโ€™s supposed to be. No longer will we tolerate these Serial Offenders who spread filth, bloodshed, and mayhem on our streets. That is why, today, I am directing the Bureau of Prisons, together with the Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security, to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ, to house Americaโ€™s most ruthless and violent Offenders,โ€ he added.

The island, which sits less than 2 miles offshore, was first developed in the mid-19th century, with the original structures including a lighthouse.

Notableย figures includingย Al Caponeย and George โ€œMachine Gunโ€ Kelly were once held at Alcatraz, whichย was a federal prison fromย 1934-63.ย 

โ€œBoth the institution and the men confined within its walls reflect our society during this era,โ€ the National Park Service adds on a web page about the prison, which was also known as The Rock and gave that name to a popular Michael Bay action film set on the island.

In his Sunday post, Trump said Alcatrazโ€™s โ€œreopeningโ€ is going to โ€œserve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE.โ€

The Bureau of Prisons notes on its website that โ€œUSP [United States Penitentiary] Alcatraz closed after 29 years of operationโ€ due to soaring costs.

โ€œAn estimated $3-5 million was needed just for restoration and maintenance work to keep the prison open. That figure did not include daily operating costs โ€” Alcatraz was nearly three times more expensive to operate than any other Federal prison,โ€ the bureau says.

The move comes as the Trump administration has also sought to revitalize Guantanamo Bay and use it to house illegal migrants.

The plan has faced roadblocks, however, with a federal court issuing a temporary restraining order blocking theย Trump administrationย from sending three Venezuelan immigrants held in New Mexico to the Guantรกnamo Bay, Cuba, detention camp.

Lawyers for the trio said in a legal filing that the detainees โ€œfit the profile of those the administration has prioritized for detention in Guantรกnamo, i.e. Venezuelan men detained in the El Paso area with (false) charges of connections with the Tren de Aragua gang.โ€

Woman Gets Instant Dose Of Karma After Making Assassination Threat

5
Police image via Pixabay free images

What goes around comes around…

A woman may be facing a visit from the Feds after threatening to kill Trump senior adviser and the world’s richest man, Elon Musk.

TikTok user @sarahcroberts shared a now-deleted video calling for the Tesla and X owner to be assassinated.

“We need to X him [Musk], and by X I mean, formally known as assassination. And it’s a warning from the FBI is going to f*cking show up. Arrest me. You don’t have enough people to even investigate me at this point. I haven’t filed my taxes in, like, eight years and yet, nobody has come for me. So, I’m going to f*cking say it. Let’s assassinate some motherf*ckers,” the woman said in the video.

Her video captured the attention of the federal government, setting @sarahcroberts up for a very uncomfortable road ahead.

Ed Martin, the US Attorney for Washington, D.C., responded on X saying they’ll “talk soon” and she’s going to be put “in the system.”

The Daily Callerย reportedย that she deleted her entire account following the video going viral.

Musk has faced a growing number of threats since associating with President Trump.

The incident comes months after a Tesla Cybertruck exploded in front of the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas.

U.S. Army soldier drove the Cybertruck, which he rented from Turo, outside of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on Monday morning. Upon arriving, the vehicle was detonated by explosives in the car.

Investigators found fireworks, gasoline canisters and camping fuel in the remains of the vehicle. The soldier was believed to have fatally shot himself shortly before the explosion.

On the day of the attack, Musk commented on X that the individual โ€œpicked the wrong vehicle for a terrorist attackโ€ because the โ€œCybertruck actually contained the explosion and directed the blast upwards.โ€

West Virginia Librarian Charged For Allegedly Recruiting People To Assassinate Trump

0
Police image via Pixabay free images

A West Virginia woman was arrested in Ripley over the weekend after authorities said she used social media to issue threats against President Donald Trump.

Police arrested 39-year-old Morgan L. Morrow and charged her with making terroristic threats. Investigators allege Morrow attempted to recruit others online to help carry out violence against the president. (RELATED: Suspect Held Without Bail After Alleged Assault On Congressman)

According to the New York Post, Morrow was arrested over a TikTok video suggesting that finding a terminally ill sniper among 343 million Americans should not be difficult. The remark was cited in a criminal complaint obtained by Charleston-Huntingtonโ€™s WOWK.

Morrow is being held at the South Central Regional Jail. No bond has been set, and the investigation remains ongoing.

The Post continues:

The Jackson County Public Library staffer was detained at her home and allegedly admitted to police that the TikTok was โ€œintended as a threat directed toward President Donald J. Trump.โ€

Morrow revealed her โ€œpersonal reasons for wishing harm upon the president,โ€ according to the complaint, which did not elaborate on what they were.

Morrow claimed she had no intention to personally carry out the threat, the complaint said.

But deputies said such statements are โ€œdesigned to encourage, inspire or entice others to carry out the threatened act, regardless of whether the speaker publicly intends to personally do so.โ€

โ€œWhen you saddle up on the horse of stupidity, you have to be prepared for the ride that follows,โ€ Jackson County Sheriff Ross Mellinger told local media(RELATED: Shot In The Butt: Fighting The Wrong Guy At The Wrong Apartment)

The arrest comes amid heightened scrutiny of threats against public officials. In recent years, federal authorities have prosecuted multiple cases involving threats, plots, or attempts targeting President Trump.

WATCH:

READ NEXT: 19-Term Incumbent To Leave Congress Amid Health Controversy

Suspects Charged In Plot To Kill Top Noem Deputy

Police image via Pixabay free images

Two brothers from Absecon, New Jersey, were arrested Tuesday and charged in connection with alleged online threats targeting Tricia McLaughlin, the Department of Homeland Securityโ€™s Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs and a top public-facing spokesperson for Secretary Kristi Noem, authorities said.

Ricardo Antonio Roman-Flores and Emilio Roman-Flores, who are twins, were taken into custody after investigators alleged they posted violent statements on X about McLaughlin and federal immigration officers, including an alleged call to โ€œShoot ICE on sight,โ€ according to the account of the case shared by law enforcement officials.

Investigators allege one brother responded to McLaughlin with: โ€œ[The Second] Amendment is in place for moments like this. Shoot ICE on sight,โ€ followed by: โ€œWe Americans should find you, tar you, feather you, and hang you as we did to anyone serving tyrants before the Revolutionary War.โ€ A second, partially redacted post attributed to the other brother reportedly read: โ€œShoot ICE on sight.โ€

Prosecutors say the threats went furtherโ€”allegedly escalating to talk of torturing and killing McLaughlin โ€œin a medieval fashion.โ€ McLaughlin has been front-and-center defending DHS enforcement actions on TV and online, and sheโ€™s repeatedly framed threats against officers as downstream of increasingly incendiary politics around immigration.

The charge sheet, as described, splits like this:

  • Emilio: unlawful possession of an assault weapon, possession of prohibited weapons, conspiracy, terroristic threats, criminal coercion and cyber harassment.
  • Ricardo: one count of conspiracyโ€”terroristic threats.

ICE Director Todd Lyons said the arrests came within three days of the alleged posts and warned that threats against federal officials will be prosecuted. โ€œWe will find you, we will arrest you, and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. We are not afraid of you,โ€ Lyons told Fox News Digital. He added: โ€œIf you threaten our law enforcement or DHS officials, we will hunt you down, and you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.โ€

DHS is trying to make a broader point: this isnโ€™t just one ugly thread onlineโ€”itโ€™s part of a threat environment they say has intensified alongside the administrationโ€™s border crackdown. In a DHS release dated Oct. 30, 2025, the department claimed ICE personnel have faced an โ€œ8,000% increase in death threats,โ€ citing harassment and threats aimed at officers and their families.

The issue has also surfaced in recent disputes over whether public-facing tools that track immigration enforcement activity endanger federal officers. In a Reuters report published Monday, a developer sued the Trump administration after an app that let users share locations of immigration agents was removed from Appleโ€™s store; the administration cited safety concerns for federal officers, while the developer argued the app relied on public observations.

Trump Announces He Will Pardon Ex-Honduran President

0
Image via Pixabay

President Donald Trump announced Friday on Truth Social that he intends to grant a full pardon to former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernรกndez, who is currently serving a 45-year sentence in U.S. federal prison on drug trafficking and weapons charges.

Hernรกndez, who led Honduras from 2014 to 2022, was arrested in Tegucigalpa in February 2022 following a U.S. extradition request. He was transferred to New York two months later to face charges that federal prosecutors said stemmed from years of cooperation with major drug cartels. Prosecutors accused him of turning Honduras into a โ€œnarco-state,โ€ alleging that during his presidency he leveraged political power to help move more than 400 tons of cocaine toward the United States in exchange for millions of dollars in bribes. Among those he allegedly interacted with was notorious Mexican cartel leader Joaquรญn โ€œEl Chapoโ€ Guzmรกn.

A federal jury convicted Hernรกndez in March 2024 on three counts related to drug-trafficking and firearms conspiracies. On June 26, 2024, he was sentenced to 45 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay an $8 million fine.

In his Friday post, Trump criticized the prosecutionโ€™s handling of the case and suggested Hernรกndez had been treated more harshly than warranted. โ€œI will be granting a Full and Complete Pardon to Former President Juan Orlando Hernandez who has been, according to many people that I greatly respect, treated very harshly and unfairly,โ€ Trump wrote. โ€œThis cannot be allowed to happen, especially now, after Tito Asfura wins the Election, when Honduras will be on its way to Great Political and Financial Success.โ€

The message reflects Trumpโ€™s increasingly vocal support for Nasry โ€œTitoโ€ Asfura, the conservative National Party candidate in Hondurasโ€™ presidential election. Earlier this week, Trump used Truth Social to praise Asfura, writing that the two โ€œcan work together to fight the Narcocommunists, and bring needed aid to the people of Honduras.โ€

Trumpโ€™s Friday post escalated that endorsement further, urging Hondurans to โ€œVOTE FOR TITO ASFURA FOR PRESIDENT, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO JUAN ORLANDO HERNANDEZ ON YOUR UPCOMING PARDON. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE HONDURAS GREAT AGAIN!โ€

He also warned that future U.S. assistance to Honduras could hinge on the electionโ€™s outcome, stating that if Asfura loses, โ€œthe United States will not be throwing good money after bad, because a wrong Leader can only bring catastrophic results to a country, no matter which country it is.โ€

Context: Trumpโ€™s Recent Use of the Pardon Power

The announcement comes amid renewed attention to Trumpโ€™s approach to pardons and commutations, which he has described as an important tool for correcting what he views as systemic unfairness in the U.S. justice system and in politically sensitive prosecutions. In recent months, Trump has signaled his willingness to revisit high-profile cases involving allies, military personnel, and others he says were treated wrongly by federal authorities.

During his first term, Trump issued several controversial pardons, including for former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, former adviser Roger Stone, and several U.S. military service members involved in war-related prosecutions. He also pardoned political figures such as former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and longtime conservative commentator Dinesh Dโ€™Souza, citing prosecutorial excess in those cases.

More recently, Trump has publicly floated pardons for individuals prosecuted for actions related to border security and drug enforcement, arguing that some federal casesโ€”particularly those involving international cooperation or politically volatile regionsโ€”deserve closer scrutiny.

Hernรกndezโ€™s case now appears to be the latest example of Trumpโ€™s willingness to intervene where he believes U.S. prosecutors overstepped or failed to account for broader geopolitical considerations.

A Sign of Trumpโ€™s Foreign Policy Priorities

Trumpโ€™s strong backing of Asfura and criticism of the U.S. prosecution of Hernรกndez reflect his broader emphasis on building alliances with conservative governments in Latin America. Throughout his presidency and afterward, Trump has framed left-wing governments in the region as destabilizing forces aligned with organized crime, while praising leaders who adopt pro-business and anti-corruption platforms.

By tying Hernรกndezโ€™s pardon to Hondurasโ€™ political future, Trump is signaling that he views Asfuraโ€™s victoryโ€”and Hondurasโ€™ alignment with the United Statesโ€”as strategically important.

Rosie O’Donnell Asks For Prayers As Daughter Chelsea Faces ‘Scary Future’ In Prison

3
By David Shankbone - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3937757

TV personality Rosie Oโ€™Donnell is appealing for prayers as her daughter Chelsea faces what she calls a โ€œscary future.โ€

Oโ€™Donnell posted on Instagram: โ€œMy child Chelsea Belle โ€“ before addiction took over her life โ€“ I loved her then, I love her now as she faces a scary future โ€“ prayers welcomed. #addiction awareness #love #family.โ€

According to court documents reviewed by Fox News Digital, Chelsea had her probation revoked on October 22 and was sentenced to serve time in prison.

In a written statement, Oโ€™Donnell said, โ€œI have compassion for those struggling with addiction โ€” Chelsea was born into addiction and it has been a painful journey for her and her four young children. We continue to love and support her through these horrible times. Prayers welcomed.โ€

Last year, authorities charged Chelsea with two counts of felony possession of methamphetamine and felony possession of narcotic drugs, along with two counts of possession/illegally obtaining prescription drugs and resisting or obstructing an officer. Her arrest followed a traffic stop in Niagara, Wisconsin, where officers pulled over a vehicle for loud exhaust โ€” they recovered a clear smoking device on Chelseaโ€™s person that tested positive for methamphetamine, and a prescription pill bottle containing a handful of pills and a crystal-like substance was found in her possession. At the time, Chelsea was out on bond for separate charges including child neglect and drug possession.

Oโ€™Donnellโ€™s Instagram post on December 3 responding to Chelseaโ€™s earlier arrest read: โ€œSo yes this is true โ€“ after being bailed out by her birth mother โ€“ Chelsea was arrested again โ€“ and is facing many charges related to her drug addiction โ€“ we all hope she is able to get the help she needs to turn her life around.โ€


Bring in the Trump context

Itโ€™s worth noting that Rosie Oโ€™Donnell has for years been a vocal critic of Donald Trump, and the public feud between them has become almost legendary. Back in December 2006, while hosting the daytime talk show The View, Oโ€™Donnell called Trump out over his handling of the Miss USA controversy and mocked him as no moral authority for young people โ€” saying, โ€œThis is not a self-made manโ€ฆ left the first wife, had an affair, left the second wife, had an affairโ€ฆโ€ People.com+2The List+2

Trump responded with scorn, calling Oโ€™Donnell โ€œa woman out of controlโ€ and a โ€œloser,โ€ threatening legal action though he never followed through. People.com+1 Over the years he repeatedly used her name as a punchline โ€” during the 2016 Republican primary debate when asked about his language toward women he quipped, โ€œOnly Rosie Oโ€™Donnell.โ€ The New Daily+1

In recent years their feud escalated further: After Oโ€™Donnell announced she had moved to Ireland following Trumpโ€™s second inauguration (January 2025), Trump publicly floated the idea of revoking her U.S. citizenship, calling her โ€œa Threat to Humanityโ€ and saying โ€œshe should remain in the wonderful country of Ireland, if they want her.โ€

Mexican President Pushes Back On Trump’s Latest Cartel Proposal

By The White House - https://www.flickr.com/photos/202101414@N05/54581054338/, Public Domain,

Mexicoโ€™s new president, Claudia Sheinbaum, says she had โ€œa very good conversationโ€ with President Donald Trump on Monday โ€” a call that focused heavily on cartel violence, cross-border drug trafficking, and the Trump administrationโ€™s push for tougher action against transnational criminal groups

The call lasted about 15 minutes and came after Sheinbaum said she requested direct dialogue with the Trump administration, following a week of escalating rhetoric from Trump about the cartels and Mexicoโ€™s security crisis.

A familiar dispute: U.S. military action vs. Mexican sovereignty

Trump has repeatedly suggested the United States could use the U.S. military to strike cartel networks inside Mexico โ€” an idea that resonates with many Republican voters who view the cartels as a direct national-security threat tied to fentanyl deaths, human trafficking, and illegal immigration.

Sheinbaum, however, again rejected the idea of U.S. intervention, signaling that her government wants continued security cooperation, but on Mexicoโ€™s terms.

Trump โ€œstill insisted that if we ask for it, they could helpโ€ with military forces, Sheinbaum said, adding that she rejected the offer again:

โ€œWe told him, so far itโ€™s going very well, itโ€™s not necessary, and furthermore there is Mexicoโ€™s sovereignty and territorial integrity and he understood.โ€

For Republican-leaning audiences, the tension here is straightforward: Mexico wants U.S. support โ€” but not U.S. control, even as American communities continue facing the fallout of cartel-driven fentanyl trafficking.

Trump presses the issue: โ€œThe cartels are running Mexicoโ€

Trumpโ€™s posture has been consistent: treat cartels like the enemy force they are.

In a Fox News interview aired last week, he said:

โ€œWeโ€™ve knocked out 97% of the drugs coming in by water and we are going to start now hitting land, with regard to the cartels. The cartels are running Mexico. Itโ€™s very sad to watch.โ€

That message plays to a key Republican argument: the U.S. cannot allow criminal organizations to operate with near-military power just across the border, especially when those groups fuel drug deaths and destabilize communities on both sides.

Venezuela raid adds new weight to Trumpโ€™s threats

The conversation also came in the wake of a dramatic U.S. operation in Venezuela โ€” the removal of Venezuelan President Nicolรกs Maduro โ€” which Sheinbaum said Trump raised directly.

โ€œHe (Trump) asked me my opinion about what they had done in Venezuela and I told him very clearly that our constitution is very clear, that we do not agree with interventions and that was it,โ€ Sheinbaum said.

Sheinbaumโ€™s comments reflect a longstanding Mexican government position against foreign military interventions, but the timing matters: the Venezuela operation has made leaders across the region take Trumpโ€™s warnings more seriously โ€” including when he talks about Mexico, Cuba, and even Greenland. AP News+1

Rubio demands โ€œtangible resultsโ€ from Mexico

The Trump administrationโ€™s pressure campaign hasnโ€™t been limited to the president.

Mexicoโ€™s Foreign Affairs Secretary Juan Ramรณn de la Fuente spoke Sunday with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who called for โ€œtangible resultsโ€ and more cooperation to dismantle cartel power, according to the U.S. State Department.

That demand reflects what many Republican voters have argued for years: Mexico must do more than make promises โ€” it must deliver measurable enforcement.

Sheinbaum claims progress โ€” and wants credit

Sheinbaum said Mexico shared results with the U.S. side, including:

  • a significant drop in homicides
  • falling U.S. fentanyl seizures
  • lower fentanyl overdose deaths in the U.S.

Even so, U.S. officials and border-state Republicans have frequently questioned whether Mexicoโ€™s progress is durable and nationwide, or simply temporary or concentrated in certain regions while cartels continue adapting.

Why intervention is still unlikely โ€” for now

Experts say U.S. intervention in Mexico remains unlikely because Mexico is currently doing much of what Washington has requested and remains one of Americaโ€™s most important economic partners. But they also expect Trump to keep using hardline rhetoric to maintain pressure.

Cuba left out โ€” but still a point of friction

Sheinbaum said the two leaders did not discuss Cuba, even though Trump has recently threatened action related to the island. Mexico remains an important ally of Cuba, including through oil shipments, which have become even more significant now that the Trump administration has moved to stop Venezuelan oil from reaching Cuba.