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    Joni Ernst Backs Hegseth For Defense Secretary After Pressure From Team Trump

    By
    Patrick Houck
    -
    4
    By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America - Pete Hegseth, CC BY-SA 2.0

    Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) announced her support for Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense Monday evening, marking a reversal from her earlier reluctance to back the embattled nominee. Ernst’s decision came just days after she indicated skepticism about Hegseth’s qualifications for the role.

    According to Politico, Ernst’s shift followed a concerted effort by President-elect Trump’s allies to persuade her. The report describes an intense pressure campaign that reportedly left the senator’s political life “extremely uncomfortable.”

    Mediaite further reports:

    Last Thursday, after meeting with Hegseth, who has been accused of sexual assault and alcohol abuse, Ernst, a veteran and sexual assault survivor, told Fox News’ Bill Hemmer that she was undecided on his nomination.

    “I think for a number of our senators, they want to make sure that any allegations have been cleared, and that’s why we have to have a very thorough vetting process,” she said at the time.

    On Monday, after another meeting with Hegseth, Ernst changed her tune in a statement:

    I appreciate Pete Hegseth’s responsiveness and respect for the process. Following our encouraging conversations, Pete committed to completing a full audit of the Pentagon and selecting a senior official who will uphold the roles and value of our servicemen and women — based on quality and standards, not quotas — and who will prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks. As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources.

    However, sources close to the matter strongly implied Ernst’s change of heart went beyond a productive discussion with Hegseth. One Trump ally, speaking to Politico, emphasized the role of grassroots activism, saying Ernst faced “an onslaught of criticism from MAGA activists” and “got the message loud and clear.”

    In recent days, allies of Trump adopted an approach that is not novel for the president-elect and his followers: Make life extremely uncomfortable for anyone who dares to oppose him. The swarm of MAGA attacks that Sen. Joni Ernst has experienced is a warning of what’s in store for others who express skepticism of his personnel choices.

    Days after signaling she continued to have serious concerns about confirming Hegseth, Ernst on Monday sounded a different note. She described their conversation Monday afternoon as “encouraging,” said she would “support” Hegseth through the process, touted some of the commitments he made to her about what he would do in the role, and suggested she would only take allegations against him seriously if they come from named accusers.

    The change in tune followed an aggressive push for Hegseth by top Trump allies and supporters, as well as a defiant performance by the Defense secretary nominee that has Trump’s team bullish on him getting confirmed. But it’s not just Hegseth. Trump allies believe his choice to lead the FBI, Kash Patel, and his nominee for director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, are in a stronger position as well.

    With a narrow Senate majority, endorsements from key Republican senators like Ernst are critical to the prospects of Trump’s nominees.

    READ NEXT: Trump Gives Jaw Dropping Response Over Potential Biden Revenge Scheme

    Trump Secures Landmark Deal Between Israel And Hamas

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    2
    President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands during their joint press conference, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Leslie N. Emory)

    The Trump administration is being praised for its efforts in securing a landmark peace deal between Israel and Hamas that will see all remaining hostages brought home on Monday.

    Under the first phase of the agreement, Israel will release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for all remaining hostages, both living and dead. Israel will also withdraw its troops from most of Gaza, removing themselves behind a “yellow line” during a 24-hour ceasefire that has already begun.

    At the end of the ceasefire, a 72-hour clock will begin, during which Hamas must release all remaining hostages. Only 20 remaining hostages are believed to be alive, along with the 28 who are deceased and their bodies “scattered across Gaza” according to negotiators.

    Fox News noted it remains unclear if Hamas will be able to adhere to this timeframe after it flagged over the weekend the improbability that it will be able to quickly locate all deceased bodies, some of which are allegedly buried under rubble.

    Jerusalem will also authorize the release of some 1,700 Gazans arrested after the October 2023 attacks, along with roughly 250 Palestinians serving life sentences, under the first phase of the plan presented by President Donald Trump late last month.

    President Donald Trump announced the deal on Wednesday night, hailing assistance from Qatar, Egypt and Turkey.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Shosh Bedrosian said this is only the first phase of the peace agreement. Details of later phases have not been announced.

    Secretary of State Marco Rubio handed President Donald Trump a note on Wednesday telling him that a Middle East peace deal was “very close” and was awaiting Trump’s approval for “a Truth Social post.”

    As Trump spoke to reporters, Rubio walked up to the president, whispered in his ear, and handed him a note

    “Very close. We need you to approve a Truth Social post soon so you can announce deal first,” the note read.

    Watch the moment:

    After being handed the note, Trump told reporters, “I was just given a note by the Secretary of State saying that we’re very close to a deal in the Middle East and they’re gonna need me pretty quickly.”

    Just over an hour later, Trump published a Truth Social post announcing “that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan.”

    “This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace. All Parties will be treated fairly!” he wrote. “This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!”

    Earlier on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that Trump was “considering going to the Middle East shortly” after his routine, annual medical checkup at Walter Reed Medical Center.

    “I may go there sometime toward the end of the week, maybe on Sunday, actually, and we’ll see,” Trump told reporters. “But there’s a very good chance. Negotiations are going along very well. We’re dealing with Hamas and many of the countries. As you know, we have a Muslim, all of the Muslim countries are included. All of the Arab countries are included. Very rich countries and some that are not so rich, but just about everybody is included.”

    Families of Israeli hostages erupted in cheers after President Donald Trump called to tell them their loved ones would return home in days after what he described as a “historic peace deal” between Israel and Hamas.

    In a video released by the Hostage and Missing Families Forum, the president spoke to relatives by phone late Wednesday, promising all captives would be back by Monday.

    The clip shows Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on a call with Trump and standing with hostage families before they chant: “Thank you!”

    “This is amazing,” one said. Another added, “Mr. President, we believe in you, we know you’ve done so much for us in the past, since you became president, even before that. And we trust you’ll fulfill the mission until every hostage, until all 48 of the hostages are home. Thank you so much. Blessed be the peacemakers!”

    Watch:

    Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar offered new details on Israel’s peace agreement with Hamas in an interview with Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin on Thursday.

    Griffin pressed Sa’ar about Hamas’ role in Gaza moving forward as well as Israel’s plans for a military withdrawal.

    Sa’ar said Israel is already moving to withdraw its troops behind the “yellow line,” ceding 53% of Gaza’s territory amid Thursday’s ceasefire. He said further withdrawals will be negotiated in later phases of the peace agreement.

    He went on to say that, in the meantime, Gaza will be governed by a council of local Palestinians along with input from President Donald Trump. He said the existing Palestinian Authority may also play a role, but only if it adopts certain reforms.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for Trump to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in the peace deal.

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    Trump And Putin Agree To 30-Day Ceasefire

    By
    Patrick Houck
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    0
    Kremlin.ru, via Wikimedia Commons

    U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to a 30-day cessation of attacks on energy infrastructure in Ukraine, following an extensive phone conversation. This agreement is a preliminary step toward broader peace negotiations, although a comprehensive ceasefire has not yet been established.

    During their three hour discussion, both leaders emphasized the importance of addressing the underlying causes of the conflict to achieve lasting peace. They agreed to initiate technical negotiations aimed at a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea and to continue efforts toward a full cessation of hostilities.

    Additionally, Russia and Ukraine have consented to exchange 175 prisoners each as part of confidence-building measures. While Ukraine has accepted the 30-day ceasefire proposal, Russia’s support is conditional, with President Putin expressing concerns about Ukraine potentially regrouping during the ceasefire and emphasizing the need for guarantees to prevent such actions

    President Trump has indicated that further sanctions could be imposed on Russia if a comprehensive peace agreement is not reached, underscoring the urgency of the situation.

    This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

    Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News

    Trump Issues Blistering Response After Israel, Iran Violate Ceasefire Deal

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1
    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    President Trump is not happy…

    President Donald Trump expressed deep frustration with both Israel and Iran on Tuesday, saying the two countries “don’t know what the **** they’re doing.”

    Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran on Monday night, dubbing the conflict a “12-day war.”

    Trump made the comments while departing from the White House for a NATO summit Tuesday morning. Both Israel and Iran fired missiles at one another following the imposition of a ceasefire on Monday night.

    “I’m not happy with Israel. You know, when I say, okay, now you have 12 hours, you don’t go out in the first hour and just drop everything you have on them. So I’m not happy with them. I’m not happy with Iran either, but I’m really unhappy if Israel is going out this morning,” Trump said.

    He continued, “We basically have two countries that have been fighting for so long and so hard that they don’t know what the **** they’re doing.” 

    “I’m gonna see if I can stop it,” he added.

    “ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!” Trump wrote on Truth Social shortly after boarding Marine One.

    Minutes later, he announced that Israel was canceling its plans for an attack Tuesday morning.

    President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands during their joint press conference, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Leslie N. Emory)

    “ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly ‘Plane Wave’ to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect! Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he wrote.

    He then topped it off with a post stating: “IRAN WILL NEVER REBUILD THEIR NUCLEAR FACILITIES!”

    A senior Israeli official told Fox News on Tuesday that Iran had launched two missiles toward Israel following the announcement of the ceasefire, “and we believe they are trying to fire more in the next couple of hours.”

    “Unfortunately, the Iranians have decided to continue to fire toward Israel,” the official said to Fox News Chief Foreign Correspondent Trey Yingst after Trump unveiled the deal Monday.

    “Now we will have to retaliate, this will happen of course,” the official added. “It could end within several hours, but they [the Iranians] need to make a decision.” 

    The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that the Israel Defense Forces carried out a small airstrike on Iranian radar equipment before backing down from further attacks. 

    “At 7:06 a.m., Iran launched one missile toward Israeli territory, and at 10:25 a.m., two more missiles. The missiles were intercepted or landed in open areas without causing casualties or damage,” the office said. “In response to Iran’s violations, the Israeli Air Force destroyed a radar array near Tehran. Following President Trump’s conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu, Israel refrained from further strikes.” 

    “In the call, President Trump expressed his deep appreciation for Israel — which achieved all the objectives of the war. He also expressed his confidence in the stability of the ceasefire,” the office added. 

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    Report: Trump Team Mulling Replacement For Controversial Admin. Nominee

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    5
    By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America - Pete Hegseth, CC BY-SA 2.0

    This Trump nominee could already be on his way out…

    President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team has reportedly been drafting a list of alternative nominees for Defense Secretary in case Trump rethinks his choice of, Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Pete Hegseth.

    According to Vanity Fair, which spoke to two unnamed Republican sources “close to Trump,” the president-elect’s transition team has been “quietly preparing a list of alternative defense secretary candidates should Trump abandon Hegseth,” following news of a 2017 sexual assault allegation.

    “It’s becoming a real possibility,” claimed one of the sources. The other source said, “People are upset about the distraction. The general feeling is Pete hasn’t been honest.”

    Shortly after Trump announced his decision to nominate Hegseth for secretary of defense this month, the Trump transition team was informed about a 2020 payment Hegseth reportedly made to a woman who accused him of sexually assaulting her at a hotel and spa in 2017.

    In a statement, Hegseth’s lawyer Timothy Parlatore insisted, “Mr. Hegseth is completely innocent. Not only did she take advantage of him, but we believe she then extorted him knowing that at the height of the #MeToo movement the mere public allegation would likely result in his immediate termination from Fox News.”

    The New York Times reported last week that Trump had “not moved off supporting Mr. Hegseth, despite claims that his team was reassessing the pick, according to several people close to the incoming president.”

    Hegseth’s nomination took Senate Republicans by surprise.

    Asked for his thoughts on the nomination, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) reportedly remarked, “Really? I’d have to think about it.”

    Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) reacted, “Wow… I’m just surprised because the names that I’ve heard for Secretary of Defense have not included him,” while Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) asked, “Who?”

    Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) was more optimistic about the nomination, calling Hegseth “an impressive individual.”

    Report: Top Hegseth Advisor Placed On Administrative Leave

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    0
    David B. Gleason from Chicago, IL, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    A top advisor to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was escorted out of the Pentagon on Tuesday and placed on administrative leave, according to a Defense Department official. 

    Dan Caldwell had been placed on leave for an “unauthorized disclosure” of information amid an investigation into Pentagon leaks an official confirmed to Fox News Digital that Reuters’ initial reporting is accurate but declined to comment on an ongoing investigation. 

    Last month the Defense Department announced a probe into “recent unauthorized disclosures of national security information” and said it planned to use polygraphs to determine the source of leaks. 

    “The use of polygraphs in the execution of this investigation will be in accordance with applicable law and policy,” DOD Chief of Staff Joe Kasper wrote in a memo. “This investigation will commence immediately and culminate in a report to the Secretary of Defense.”

    He wrote that “information identifying a party responsible for an unauthorized disclosure” would be referred for criminal prosecution.”

    This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

    Trump Mulls Renaming Department Of Defense

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    2

    Big things are happening…

    On Monday, President Trump announced he plans to restore the Department of Defense to its original title: The Department of War.

    The president said at the White House that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth “has been incredible with the, as I call it, the Department of War.”

    “You know we call it the Department of Defense, but between us, I think we’re going to change the name. You want to know the truth? I think we’re going to have some information on that, maybe soon,” Trump added. 

    “But I think because, you know, Department of Defense, we won the World War One, World War Two. It was called the Department of War. And to me that’s really what it is. Defense is a part of that. But I have a feeling we’re going to be changing,” Trump continued. “I’m talking to the people. Everybody likes that. We had an unbelievable history of victory when it was Department of War. Then we changed it to Department of Defense. 

    Later on, NewsNation reporter Kellie Meyer asked, “And on the Department of War, how do you plan to do that? It requires an act of Congress to rename the Defense Department–”

    Trump then said, “It’s something that I think you’re going to be hearing about or seeing about over the next couple of weeks,” and “probably that change is going to be made over the next week or so.” 

    When asked about the name change at another White House event Monday, Trump told a reporter “We’re just going to do it.”

    “I’m sure Congress will go along if we need that. I don’t think we even need that. But, if we need that, I’m sure Congress will go along,” Trump also said. You know, that was the name when we won World War One. We won World War Two. We won everything. And, just to me, seems like just a much more appropriate. The other is, defense is too defensive. And we want to be defensive, but we want to be offensive too, if we have to be. So it just sounded to me like a better name.” 

    The Department of Defense says on its website that the Department of War was established by Congress in August 1789 “at the cabinet level to oversee the operation and maintenance of the Army, Navy and Marine Corps.” 

    Following the conclusion of World War II, in July 1947, President Harry Truman signed the National Security Act which, the site says, merged “the Navy and War Departments and the newly independent Air Force into a single organization called the National Military Establishment led by a civilian secretary of defense who also oversees the Joint Chiefs of Staff.”

    Two years later in August 1949, the National Security Act was amended, renaming the National Military Establishment as the Department of Defense.

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    Trump Orders Defense Secretary to Ensure Troops Get Paid Despite Democrat Shutdown

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    4
    Daniel Ramirez from Honolulu, USA, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    President Donald Trump is stepping up to protect America’s servicemembers amid the ongoing government shutdown — directing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to use all available Department of Defense funds to make sure troops receive their paychecks on time.

    In a decisive move shared Saturday on Truth Social, Trump invoked his authority as Commander in Chief, announcing that servicemembers will be paid on October 15, regardless of congressional gridlock.

    “That is why I am using my authority, as Commander in Chief, to direct our Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to use all available funds to get our Troops PAID on October 15th,” Trump wrote.
    “We have identified funds to do this, and Secretary Hegseth will use them to PAY OUR TROOPS.”

    The Office of Management and Budget confirmed that the funds would come from research and development money within the DOD — funding that remains available for two years and can be redirected in this emergency.

    Trump’s order comes as Democrats in the Senate, led by Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), refuse to act on legislation that would keep pay flowing to the military. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) reminded Americans that the House has already passed a bill — H.R. 5371 — to ensure military pay continues during the shutdown.

    “No one in the military or any military family should have their pay blocked on October 15!” Johnson said on X. “Since the bill ALREADY PASSED THE HOUSE, a simple yes vote by five more Democrats on Tuesday would allow the military to be paid on Wednesday.”

    While Democrats point fingers, President Trump and Republican leaders are taking concrete action to protect the men and women in uniform who defend the nation.

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    Republican Senator To Vote ‘No’ On Trump Defense Pick

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    10

    Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Ak.) said on Thursday she can’t support Pete Hegseth to be President Donald Trump’s secretary of Defense. 

    “Given the global security environment we’re operating in, it is critical that we confirm a Secretary of Defense, however, I regret that I am unable to support Mr. Hegseth,” she concluded in a lengthy statement posted to X. 

    In her reasoning, Murkowski cited infidelity, “allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking” and Hegseth’s previous comments on women serving in the military. 

    The behaviors that he has admitted to alone, she said, show “a lack of judgment that is unbecoming of someone who would lead our armed forces.”

    While Hegseth has admitted to past infidelity, he has denied claims of excessive drinking and sexual assault.

    This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

    © Great America News Desk 2022