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    Inside The White House Correspondents’ Dinner Suspect’s ‘Manifesto’

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    3

    The man accused of opening fire outside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner left behind a detailed “manifesto” describing his intent to target members of the Trump administration, “prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest,” according to a copy obtained by CBS News.

    Cole Allen, 31, allegedly sent the writing to family members before the attack. In it, he stated that while law enforcement, hotel employees, and guests were not his intended targets, he was willing to harm them if necessary to reach administration officials. “I really hope it doesn’t come to that,” he wrote.

    Authorities say Allen charged a security checkpoint outside the Washington Hilton on Saturday night armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and knives. President Donald Trump and other officials were quickly escorted from the event, which was later canceled. A Secret Service agent who was shot during the incident, while wearing a bulletproof vest, has since been released from the hospital.

    The suspect’s brother reportedly alerted police in Connecticut after receiving the email, prompting law enforcement to intervene. Investigators later recovered additional writings from Allen’s home in Torrance, California, and his hotel room at the Hilton.

    A chilling and ironic tone

    Throughout the message, Allen adopted a matter-of-fact tone, at times veering into irony.

    “Hello everybody!” he began. “So I may have given a lot of people a surprise today.”

    He apologized to his parents “for saying I had an interview without specifying it was for ‘Most Wanted,’” and to colleagues and students for claiming he had a personal emergency. He suggested that by the time the email was read, he might already require medical attention, referring to potential injuries as “self-inflicted status.”

    Declared targets — with one exception

    Allen wrote that he chose to act because he did not want the administration’s alleged “crimes” to “coat [his] hands.” While he did not explicitly name Trump or the event, he described a plan to target officials in descending order of rank.

    He made one notable exception: “not including Mr. Patel,” he wrote, referencing the FBI director, who was also in attendance.

    Allen added that he would avoid targeting Secret Service, Capitol Police, or National Guard personnel unless necessary. “I hope they are wearing body armor,” he wrote.

    He also detailed tactical decisions, claiming, “In order to minimize casualties, I will also be using buckshot rather than slugs (less penetration through walls).”

    Anticipating criticism

    The manifesto included a section addressing hypothetical objections to his actions, along with rebuttals.

    “As a half-black, half-white person, you shouldn’t be the one doing this,” he wrote as a potential criticism. “Rebuttal: I don’t see anyone else picking up the slack.”

    He also referenced his Christian faith, writing that some might argue he should “turn the other cheek.”

    “Rebuttal,” he continued, “Turning the other cheek is for when you yourself are oppressed.”

    Allen then described various unnamed individuals experiencing hardship, in some cases attributing their struggles to the administration.

    “I don’t expect forgiveness, but if I could have seen any other way to get this close, I would have taken it,” he added.

    Criticism of security

    In a postscript, Allen sharply criticized security measures at the event.

    “PS… what the hell is the Secret Service doing? … No damn security. Not in transport. Not in the hotel. Not in the event,” he wrote.

    He claimed that if he had been a foreign agent, he could have brought in heavier weaponry without detection. Officials note that while the Washington Hilton hosted the event, it remained an operational hotel with public access, and only specific areas were secured.

    Family warnings and prior behavior

    Allen’s sister reportedly told investigators that he frequently used “radical” rhetoric and had previously discussed doing “something” to address what he saw as problems in society and government.

    She also revealed her brother was a regular visitor to the shooting range, was a member of a group called “The Wide Awakes” and had previously attended a “No Kings” rally in California. 

    Political reaction and unanswered questions

    The motive behind the attack remains under investigation.

    Former President Barack Obama emphasized the lack of confirmed details while condemning political violence broadly.

    “Although we don’t yet have the details about the motives behind last night’s shooting… it’s incumbent upon all of us to reject the idea that violence has any place in our democracy,” Obama wrote. He also praised the Secret Service, calling their work “a sobering reminder of the courage and sacrifice” they show.

    During a “60 Minutes” interview, Trump reacted angrily after host Norah O’Donnell read excerpts from the alleged manifesto.

    “You read that crap from some sick person? I got associated with all stuff that has nothing to do with me,” Trump said, adding, “You should be ashamed of yourself… You’re a disgrace.”

    More than 2,500 people had gathered for the annual dinner, which celebrates the First Amendment. Trump, who has typically declined to attend during his presidency, had made a historic appearance this year and has since said he hopes to reschedule the event within 30 days.

    The Full Manifesto

    To read Allen’s full 1,052-word manifesto as published by The New York Post, with minor edits to improve profanity, see below:

    Hello everybody!

    So I may have given a lot of people a surprise today. Let me start off by apologizing to everyone whose trust I abused.

    I apologize to my parents for saying I had an interview without specifying it was for “Most Wanted.”

    I apologize to my colleagues and students for saying I had a personal emergency (by the time anyone reads this, I probably most certainly DO need to go to the ER, but can hardly call that not a self-inflicted status.)

    I apologize to all of the people I traveled next to, all the workers who handled my luggage, and all the other non-targeted people at the hotel who I put in danger simply by being near.

    I apologize to everyone who was abused and/or murdered before this, to all those who suffered before I was able to attempt this, to all who may still suffer after, regardless of my success or failure.

    I don’t expect forgiveness, but if I could have seen any other way to get this close, I would have taken it. Again, my sincere apologies.

    On to why I did any of this:

    I am a citizen of the United States of America.

    What my representatives do reflects on me.

    And I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.

    (Well, to be completely honest, I was no longer willing a long time ago, but this is the first real opportunity I’ve had to do something about it.)

    While I’m discussing this, I’ll also go over my expected rules of engagement (probably in a terrible format, but I’m not military so too bad.)

    Administration officials (not including Mr. Patel): they are targets, prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest

    Secret Service: they are targets only if necessary, and to be incapacitated non-lethally if possible (aka, I hope they’re wearing body armor because center mass with shotguns messes up people who *aren’t*

    Hotel Security: not targets if at all possible (aka unless they shoot at me)

    Capitol Police: same as Hotel Security

    National Guard: same as Hotel Security

    Hotel Employees: not targets at all

    Guests: not targets at all

    In order to minimize casualties I will also be using buckshot rather than slugs (less penetration through walls)

    I would still go through most everyone here to get to the targets if it were absolutely necessary (on the basis that most people *chose* to attend a speech by a pedophile, rapist, and traitor, and are thus complicit) but I really hope it doesn’t come to that.

    Rebuttals to objections:

    Objection 1: As a Christian, you should turn the other cheek.

    Rebuttal: Turning the other cheek is for when you yourself are oppressed. I’m not the person raped in a detention camp. I’m not the fisherman executed without trial. I’m not a schoolkid blown up or a child starved or a teenage girl abused by the many criminals in this administration.

    Turning the other cheek when *someone else* is oppressed is not Christian behavior; it is complicity in the oppressor’s crimes.

    Objection 2: This is not a convenient time for you to do this.

    Rebuttal: I need whoever thinks this way to take a couple minutes and realize that the world isn’t about them. Do you think that when I see someone raped or murdered or abused, I should walk on by because it would be “inconvenient” for people who aren’t the victim?

    This was the best timing and chance of success I could come up with.

    Objection 3: You didn’t get them all.

    Rebuttal: Gotta start somewhere.

    Objection 4: As a half-black, half-white person, you shouldn’t be the one doing this.

    Rebuttal: I don’t see anyone else picking up the slack

    Objection 5: Yield unto Caesar what is Caesar’s.

    Rebuttal: The United States of America are ruled by the law, not by any one or several people. In so far as representatives and judges do not follow the law, no one is required to yield them anything so unlawfully ordered.

    I would also like to extend my appreciation to a great many people since I will not be likely to be able to talk with them again (unless the Secret Service is *astoundingly* incompetent.)

    Thank you to my family, both personal and church, for your love over these 31 years.

    Thank you to my friends, for your companionship over many years.

    Thank you to my colleagues over many jobs, for your positivity and professionalism.

    Thank you to my students for your enthusiasm and love of learning.

    Thank you to the many acquaintances I’ve met, in person and online, for short interactions and long-term relationships, for your perspectives and inspiration.

    Thank you all for everything.

    Sincerely,

    Cole “coldForce” “Friendly Federal Assassin” Allen

    PS: Ok now that all the sappy stuff is done, what the hell is the Secret Service doing? Sorry, gonna rant a bit here and drop the formal tone.

    Like, I expected security cameras at every bend, bugged hotel rooms, armed agents every 10 feet, metal detectors out the wazoo.

    What I got (who knows, maybe they’re pranking me!) is nothing.

    No damn security.

    Not in transport.

    Not in the hotel.

    Not in the event.

    Like, the one thing that I immediately noticed walking into the hotel is the sense of arrogance.

    I walk in with multiple weapons and not a single person there considers the possibility that I could be a threat.

    The security at the event is all outside, focused on protestors and current arrivals, because apparently no one thought about what happens if someone checks in the day before.

    Like, this level of incompetence is insane, and I very sincerely hope it’s corrected by the time this country gets actually competent leadership again.

    Like, if I was an Iranian agent, instead of an American citizen, I could have brought a damn Ma Deuce in here and no one would have noticed s**t.

    Actually insane.

    Oh and if anyone is curious is how doing something like feels: it’s awful. I want to throw up; I want to cry for all the things I wanted to do and never will, for all the people whose trust this betrays; I experience rage thinking about everything this administration has done.

    Can’t really recommend it! Stay in school, kids.

    John Kennedy here. The last fundraising deadline passed — and we came up short. Now the woke crowd is celebrating, saying “Kennedy’s finished.” Let’s prove them wrong. Chip in $25, $50, or whatever you can to close the gap and keep fighting.

    Russia Releases American Marine After Four Years in Prison

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1
    The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    WASHINGTON — Russia released American citizen and former U.S. Marine Robert Gilman on Tuesday after more than four years of imprisonment on disputed charges.

    The State Department said Gilman, 32, was released on humanitarian grounds and had recently been designated as wrongfully detained. His release “was not part of an exchange, and no other concessions were provided,” the department said.

    U.S. officials told reporters that Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a humanitarian pardon following negotiations between the two governments.

    Gilman departed Russia aboard a State Department aircraft accompanied by his mother. Four doctors were evaluating him during the flight, according to Reuters, and an official who spoke with him said he was walking and talking. He is expected to receive medical and psychological treatment at a military facility in Texas.

    Russian authorities arrested Gilman in Voronezh in January 2022 after accusing him of kicking a police officer while being removed from a train. His family disputes Russia’s account, saying Gilman was ill and made accidental contact with the officer.

    Russian courts later convicted him of additional alleged assaults on prison and law-enforcement officials, eventually extending his sentence to 10 years.

    Gilman’s family and advocates said his health deteriorated sharply during his imprisonment. They reported that he spent approximately 47 days in a “dissociative stupor,” suffered severe pneumonia and required a feeding tube while handcuffed to a hospital bed.

    Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) welcomed Gilman’s release but said it was long overdue, alleging that he had endured physical torture, forced medication and deliberate provocations in Russian custody.

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

    Stand with President Trump against fraud, waste & abuse – he can’t beat the machine without YOU.

    Trump Posthumously Honors 9/11’s ‘Man In The Red Bandana’

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1
    White House image via Wikimedia Commons

    President Donald Trump posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Tuesday to Welles Crowther, the 24-year-old volunteer firefighter whose final acts of courage inside the World Trade Center saved as many as 18 people.

    Trump presented the nation’s highest civilian honor during the Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s “Steel Across America” event near the White House, part of a nationwide commemoration marking 25 years since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

    “Today we also remember another hero of 9/11,” Trump said before recounting how Crowther repeatedly entered the smoke and wreckage of the South Tower to guide strangers toward safety.

    Crowther became known simply as the “Man in the Red Bandana,” but the survivors he helped did not initially know his name. They remembered only the calm young man who appeared amid the chaos with a red bandana covering his nose and mouth.

    A Rescuer Appears In The Smoke

    Crowther was working as an equities trader for Sandler O’Neill & Partners on the 104th floor of the South Tower when the attacks began.

    A graduate of Boston College and a volunteer firefighter since the age of 16, he drew upon his emergency training as smoke, fire and confusion engulfed the building.

    According to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, Crowther reached the devastated 78th-floor sky lobby and discovered injured survivors near the only viable stairwell. He carried one badly wounded woman on his back, led a group downstairs and then climbed back toward the danger to help others.

    “He just did things that people said were not even imaginable,” Trump said Tuesday. “He willingly made all of these trips up and down, up and down, over and over again, saving life after life.”

    Crowther reportedly helped extinguish fires, administered first aid and issued clear instructions to survivors who were frightened, injured and struggling to see through the smoke.

    He could have continued down the stairs and escaped. Instead, he turned around.

    Again and again, Crowther went back for people who could not save themselves.

    Investigators later found his remains in the wreckage of the South Tower alongside firefighters and other emergency workers. He was believed to have still been participating in rescue efforts when the building collapsed.

    The Clue That Revealed His Identity

    For months, Crowther’s family did not know what he had done after leaving a final voicemail telling his mother he was safe.

    The answer emerged in 2002, when survivors publicly described the mysterious rescuer who had directed them through the burning tower. They could not provide his name, but they all remembered the red bandana around his face.

    After reading their accounts, Crowther’s mother contacted the survivors and showed them photographs of her son. They recognized him as the man who had saved them.

    “His family learned through witness accounts that Welles’ compassion, leadership and unwavering commitment to others were key to his courage in his final moments,” the Welles Remy Crowther Charitable Trust recounts.

    The red bandana had been part of Crowther’s life since childhood. His firefighter father had given it to him when he was a boy, and Crowther continued carrying one as an adult.

    Trump recalled that Crowther once made a striking prediction about the simple piece of red cloth: “With this red bandana, I’m going to change the world.”

    “Little did he know, on September 11th Welles saved many, many people before losing his own life,” Trump said.

    A Hero’s Light Still Shines

    Trump first announced the award during a May appearance in Crowther’s home county in New York after Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) advocated for the recognition.

    “It’s such a beautiful thing that even 25 years later, Welles’ light still shines brightly,” Crowther’s mother, Alison, said at the time, according to Fox News.

    One of Crowther’s bandanas now sits inside the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, where it serves as a reminder that even in one of America’s darkest hours, extraordinary courage could be found in an ordinary object—and in the young man wearing it.

    His legacy also lives on through the charitable trust established in his name, educational programs teaching young people about character and service, and Boston College traditions honoring its fallen alumnus.

    The “Steel Across America” tour has carried a massive beam recovered from the World Trade Center through communities across the country. Tunnel to Towers said the journey was created to preserve the memory of the 2,977 people killed on Sept. 11 and the bravery demonstrated that day.

    “This tour is about ensuring that every generation can remember, and truly understand, what happened 25 years ago,” Tunnel to Towers Chairman and CEO Frank Siller said when the national tour was launched.

    Standing near that battered piece of steel Tuesday, Trump formally placed Crowther among the nation’s most honored civilians.

    “Today, in honor of his incredible bravery and all of the other countless unknown acts of heroism that day, it is my privilege to award” Crowther the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Trump said.

    Nearly 25 years after Crowther made his final trip up the stairs, the identity of the Man in the Red Bandana is no longer a mystery.

    His name—and what he chose to do when others needed him most—will not be forgotten.

    Trump Mourns Iconic Late Village People Singer

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1
    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    President Donald Trump is mourning the death of Village People co-founder and lead singer Victor Willis, whose iconic hit “Y.M.C.A.” became one of the defining songs of Trump’s campaign rallies and victory celebrations.

    Willis, who co-wrote the 1978 disco classic and fronted the legendary group for decades, died Tuesday at the age of 74 following what his wife, Karen Huff-Willis, described as a “short, but aggressive illness.”

    Trump honored the singer Wednesday in a heartfelt Truth Social post, reflecting on the special connection the two shared through one of the most recognizable campaign songs in modern political history.

    “Victor Willis, the lead singer of the Village People, has passed away. He was a really good guy. Our favorite song, ‘Y.M.C.A.,’ has become, over the last few years, our ‘theme song,'” Trump wrote.

    The president credited his campaign rallies with helping introduce the song to a new generation of Americans.

    “It has brought so much happiness to millions of people. They loved the action, and we loved them and their great and uplifting song.”

    Trump added that Willis’ legacy would live on every time the unmistakable opening notes of “Y.M.C.A.” are heard.

    “We will think of Victor every time YMCA is played, like today, and all throughout this July Fourth Birthday week. My condolences to his wonderful family and group, Victor Willis will be sorely missed. God Bless Him!!!”

    A song that became synonymous with Trump

    Few songs became more closely associated with Trump’s political movement than “Y.M.C.A.”

    Whether closing out campaign rallies, celebrating election victories or walking off the stage after speeches, Trump frequently danced to the Village People anthem—complete with his now-famous fist-pump routine that became a viral internet meme and was copied by supporters around the country.

    The tradition continued throughout the 2024 campaign and into Trump’s second inauguration festivities, where Village People themselves performed “Y.M.C.A.” during inaugural events in Washington.

    Over time, the president’s signature dance became so recognizable that many supporters simply refer to it as the “Trump dance.”

    Willis embraced the renewed popularity

    While Trump’s use of the song initially generated controversy, Willis eventually defended the president’s continued use of “Y.M.C.A.”

    The singer said Trump had legally obtained the necessary political license to use the song and acknowledged that the president’s rallies dramatically boosted its popularity.

    Willis noted that after Trump began regularly playing the song, “Y.M.C.A.” climbed back to No. 2 on Billboard’s Digital Songs chart, adding that the renewed exposure generated millions of dollars in additional royalties for the classic hit.

    The Village People later accepted an invitation to perform during Trump’s 2025 inauguration festivities, saying they believed music should help bring Americans together regardless of politics.

    From church choir to disco legend

    Born in Dallas in 1951 and raised in San Francisco, Willis first discovered music singing in his father’s Baptist church before moving to New York to pursue acting and theater.

    He joined the Negro Ensemble Company and appeared in several stage productions before teaming up with French producer Jacques Morali to create Village People.

    As the group’s unmistakable lead vocalist and principal songwriter, Willis helped create enduring hits including “Y.M.C.A.,” “Macho Man,” “In the Navy,” and “Go West.” He later fought a lengthy legal battle to reclaim songwriting rights and eventually regained ownership of many of the group’s biggest hits.

    He is survived by his wife, Karen Huff-Willis.

    Powerless families don’t stand a chance against government corruption without supporters like you. Read her story today — then join the fight and protect this mother.

    Trump To Sign Order To Prepare Guantanamo Bay For 30K Prisoners

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    0
    President Donald J. Trump participates in a roundtable discussion on immigration and border security at the U.S. Border Patrol Calexico Station Friday, April 5, 2019, in Calexico, Calif. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)

    President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he would sign an executive order for the Pentagon to prepare Guantanamo Bay to detain 30,000 “criminal illegal aliens.”

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

    “Today I’m also signing an executive order to instruct the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to begin preparing the 30,000 person migrant facility at Guantanamo Bay,” Trump said. “Most people don’t even know about it.”

    He said they need 30,000 beds to house the detainees, adding that putting them there will ensure they do not come back.

    “It’s a tough place to get out of,” Trump added.

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

    Trump Asks Court To Throw Out Remnants of ‘Legally Unsound’ Fraud Case

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1
    Alec Perkins from Hoboken, USA, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    President Trump has asked New York’s highest court to dismiss the remaining findings and penalties in the state’s civil fraud case against him, arguing that the lawsuit brought by Attorney General Letitia James was legally flawed and politically motivated.

    In a 119-page filing submitted Wednesday to the New York Court of Appeals, Trump’s attorneys described the case as an “unprecedented” use of the attorney general’s authority and urged the court to fully overturn it.

    “This Court should put an end to this politically motivated action,” his lawyers wrote.

    James filed the civil lawsuit in 2022, accusing Trump and his family business of inflating the value of their assets to secure more favorable loan and insurance terms. The case became one of the most significant legal challenges Trump has faced, threatening both his public image as a successful real estate developer and the future of the Trump Organization. It also elevated James as one of Trump’s most prominent political and legal adversaries.

    The case has taken a complex path through the courts. After a bench trial, Judge Arthur Engoron found Trump liable for fraud and imposed a $464 million judgment, which grew to more than $500 million with interest. Engoron also barred Trump from serving in top roles at New York companies for three years, imposed two-year bans on his sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, and appointed an independent monitor to oversee the Trump Organization’s business practices.

    However, a mid-level appellate court later struck down the financial penalty as excessive, removing the largest monetary consequence while leaving the liability finding and other restrictions in place. The appellate judges were sharply divided in their ruling.

    Despite that partial victory, Trump’s legal team is now seeking to eliminate the remaining penalties and the underlying liability determination. His lawyers acknowledged the “unusual posture” of the appeal, since the prior ruling largely benefited him, but argued that the decision still rests on an “erroneous finding” that must be reversed.

    “This unprecedented and legally unsound case is about far more than President Trump,” his lawyers said, arguing that James stretched a New York law targeting “persistent fraud or illegality” beyond its intended use.

    “If left on the books, the mistaken legal rulings below threaten New York’s position as the Nation’s financial capital, as well as the State’s commercial real-estate industry,” they added.

    The New York attorney general’s office, which has also appealed aspects of the appellate ruling, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    The appeal comes amid a broader and highly contentious legal and political battle between Trump and James. During the period between Trump’s presidential terms, James secured a major civil fraud ruling against him, while Trump and his allies have repeatedly accused her of pursuing politically motivated cases.

    More recently, Trump administration officials have sought to pursue criminal cases against James. She was indicted last fall on mortgage fraud allegations, but a federal judge dismissed the charges, finding that the prosecutor who brought the case had been unlawfully appointed. Prosecutors later sought two additional indictments, but grand juries declined to bring charges.

    Trump’s latest appeal now asks the state’s highest court to bring the long-running civil case to a close by wiping out the remaining findings and penalties that continue to affect him and his business.

    Police Officer Chance Bretches was awarded a Lifesaving Medal with Valor for rescuing someone from a burning vehicle…But now radicals are trying to ruin his life just for doing his job. Officer Bretches and his family need your help.[Support Police Officers HERE]

    Rubio Cracks Up At Trump’s Reaction To NATO leader Calling President ‘Daddy’

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
      -
      0

      Secretary of State Marco Rubio couldn’t keep it together when Donald Trump gave his reaction to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte calling the commander in chief “daddy” earlier Wednesday. 

      During their bilateral meeting in The Hague, Netherlands, Trump discussed the U.S.’ role in brokering a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran, saying both countries were like “two kids in a school yard” who “fight like hell” for a short time before “it’s easier to stop them.” 

      Rutte interjected, “Then daddy has to sometimes use strong language.” 

      Trump had used profanity in front of reporters outside the White House before boarding Marine One on Tuesday, saying about Israel and Iran that they “have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f— they’re doing. ” 

      At a subsequent press conference Wednesday, Rubio broke into hysterics when a reporter from Sky News asked Trump about the remark. 

      The reporter reminded Trump that Rutte, “who is your friend.… He called you daddy.” 

      “Do you regard your NATO allies as kind of children?” the reporter asked. 

      Trump responded lightheartedly, and Rubio could be seen standing next to him starting to smile and laugh. “No, he likes me. I think he likes me. If he doesn’t, I’ll let you know. I’ll come back, and I’ll hit him hard. Okay?” Trump said jokingly. 

      “He did. He did it. Very affectionate,” Trump added of Rutte. “‘Daddy, You’re my daddy.'” 

      Watch:

      NATO leaders on Wednesday committed that the member states would contribute 5% of GDP annually to defense and security obligations by 2035. 

      “You’re obviously appreciative of that,” the reporter said. “But do you hope that actually they’re going to be able to defend themselves, defend Europe on their own?” 

      “I think they’ll need help a little bit at the beginning, and I think they’ll be able to,” Trump said. “I think they’re going to remember this day and this is a big day for NATO. You know, this was a very big day.” 

      “It’s been sort of an amazing day for a lot of reasons, but also for that,” Trump added, referencing how the greater contributions were decades in the making. Trump claimed it was not possible until he came along. 

      Support This Wrongly Accused Officer And Help His Family Fight For Justice. DONATE NOW!

      Major Book Publisher Apologizes to Melania Trump for ‘Unverified’ Epstein Claims

        By
        Madeleine Jackson
        -
        1
        First Lady Melania Trump participates in the Senate Spouses Luncheon at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, May 21,2025. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

        It’s about time…

        HarperCollins UK issued a formal apology to First Lady Melania Trump on Tuesday and pulled copies of a book about Prince Andrew that repeated an unverified claim that Jeffrey Epstein introduced her to Donald Trump.

        The apology, the third from a major media outlet in recent months, marks an increasingly aggressive push by Melania Trump’s legal team to stamp out any association between her and the disgraced financier.

        The First Lady shared a statement from the publisher on X:

        “We have, in consultation with the author, removed several passages of the book that referenced unverified claims about the First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump,” HarperCollins UK said in the statement. “Copies of the book that included those references are being permanently removed from distribution. HarperCollins UK apologizes to the First Lady.”

        The passages appeared in Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, an unauthorized biography of Prince Andrew, an Epstein associate. Though the book did not allege any wrongdoing by Melania Trump, it claimed Epstein “facilitated” her introduction to her husband. Melania’s representatives repeatedly dismissed the claim as “malicious” and “defamatory.”

        “The true account of how the first lady met President Trump is in her bestselling book, Melania,” a spokesperson said, adding that the couple met at a New York party in 1998 through another guest.

        Straight talk. Humor. Common sense. Senator Kennedy brings it all to his latest critique of Washington [CLAIM YOUR COPY]

        Report: Secret Service In High Alert Over Iranian Assassination Threat

          By
          Madeleine Jackson
          -
          2
          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

          Donald Trump is reportedly under increased surveillance due to an active security threat from Iran.

          U.S. intelligence received information in recent weeks indicating an Iran-backed plot to assassinate Donald Trump, which led to increased security around the former president. CNN reported that “there’s no indication that Thomas Matthew Crooks, the would-be assassin who attempted to kill the former president on Saturday, was connected to the plot, the sources said.”

          Two federal law enforcement sources told Fox News the level of the plot by Iran is unclear.

          The sources said there has been an increase in Secret Service protection to Trump in recent weeks because of the intelligence.

          The Department of Homeland Security and Secret Service has been increasingly concerned about Trump holding outdoor events, and have even expressed concern to Trump’s campaign.

          CNN Correspondent Evan Perez explained some of the known details on-air Tuesday, saying, “In recent weeks, the US government received intelligence from a human source that indicated that the Iranians were plotting to try to kill former President Donald Trump. Now, that led immediately to an increase in the protection for the former president. We heard over the weekend from the Secret Service that in recent weeks they had increased their protection for the former president.”

          “And so the question was exactly why. We now know that this is the reason why it was specific intelligence that was deemed to be credible enough, and that’s the reason why they increased the protection for the former president. It’s very important to point out that there is nothing to indicate at this point, is part of this investigation of the events on Saturday that the shooter, the would-be assassin that, tried to assassinate the former president on Saturday. There’s no indication that had anything to do with this Iranian plot. It appears to be a coincidence, obviously, but it is one of those things that is raising new questions, I think, for the Secret Service and for everybody involved in the protection of Donald Trump, how it was that these events, took place as they did on Saturday,” Perez added, referring to just how close a gunman came to Trump over the weekend.

          “How did someone, this 20-year-old person, get onto that roof, again, knowing that they had this intelligence, the Secret Service was aware of this intelligence, and they had taken obviously, some additional steps. But how did that person get on a roof and be able to fire off these shots, that almost killed, Donald Trump? Those are very, very big, important questions,” Perez added.

          Taliban Responds To Trump Push To Reclaim Bagram Air Base

          By
          Madeleine Jackson
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          2
          By The White House - https://www.flickr.com/photos/202101414@N05/54325633746/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=159707159

          The Taliban on Sunday responded to President Trump’s push to regain control of Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, saying the U.S. should adopt “a policy of realism and rationality” while rejecting the move.

          “It has been consistently communicated to the United States in all bilateral negotiations that, for the Islamic Emirate, Afghanistan’s independence and territorial integrity are of the utmost importance,” Taliban deputy spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat said in an official statement posted on the social platform X.

          Fitrat pointed to U.S. commitments under the Doha agreement — which Trump aides negotiated in his first term to end the U.S. presence in Afghanistan — not to “use or threaten force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Afghanistan, nor interfere in its internal affairs.”

          Trump in recent days has suggested the U.S. wants to wrest back control of Bagram Air Base.

          “If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!!!,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Saturday.

          During a joint press conference in Great Britain with that country’s prime minister, Trump said the U.S. was “trying to get it back” because the Taliban needed things from the United States.

          He also highlighted the base’s proximity to China.

          “We gave it to them for nothing,” Trump said, repeating a campaign message on the Biden-era unconditional withdrawal from Afghanistan, during a joint news conference with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

          “We’re trying to get it back, by the way. OK, that could be a little breaking news. We’re trying to get it back because they need things from us.

          “We want that base back. But one of the reasons we want the base is, as you know, it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons.

          “So a lot of things are happening.”

          Watch:

          Bagram was once the largest U.S. base in Afghanistan during the U.S. war in that country, the longest conflict in American history. It was abandoned in 2021 when the Biden administration withdrew U.S. forces from Afghanistan.

          From Erika Kirk: The torch Charlie lit still burns — now it’s in our hands. [STAND WITH US TODAY]
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