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Longtime White House Advisor Announces Exit

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    Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich is reportedly leaving the White House, according to reports.

    Budowich’s departure at the end of the month marks one of the highest profile departures from the Trump White House. Budowich oversaw communications, cabinet affairs and speech writing.

    Budowich, a longtime Trump aide, played a large role in the president’s political operation after he left office in 2021. Throughout 2023 and most of 2024, Budowich oversaw the main pro-Trump super PAC. His departure was earlier reported by Axios.

    He plans to return to the private sector after years at Trump’s side, including helming the main pro-Trump super PAC through most of 2023 and 2024, according to Axios and The New York Times.

    The departure is unexpected, given his close relations with Chief of Staff Susie Wiles’ operation, and his years leading Trumpworld messaging.

    “Taylor is a dear friend, and I know that President Trump holds him in very high regard. I hate to see him go, personally and professionally, but obviously wish him well in whatever he decides is next,” Wiles told Axios.

    Stephen Miller, a fellow deputy chief of staff, also praised him for his loyalty to Trump.

    Another deputy chief of staff, Dan Scavino, described Budowich as a “vital asset in Trump 2.0.”

    His exit follows a string of high-profile departures from Trump’s second term.

    The White House’s principal deputy communications director, Alex Pfeiffer, quietly made his exit last week after joining the White House in January.

    Verdict Reached In Attempted Trump Assassination Trial

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    Just in…

    A jury has reportedly reached a verdict in the trial of Ryan Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate then-candidate Trump on his golf course.

    Routh was found guilty on all charges. Routh attempted to stab himself in the neck with a pen after learning the verdict. Multiple court marshals were needed to de-escalate the situation and temporarily removed Routh from the courtroom.

    The case was heard by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who denied a motion from Routh’s defense team seeking her recusal. A Trump appointee, Cannon was randomly assigned to the case.

    Federal prosecutors alleged Routh camped near Trump’s golf course for 12 hours with a rifle and aimed at a Secret Service agent before being forced to drop the weapon. Investigators later discovered a letter in which Routh expressed regret that he failed to kill Trump, as well as evidence he sought anti-aircraft weapons and surveillance of Trump’s flights weeks before his arrest.

    Routh was found guilty of the attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and multiple gun violations — crimes carrying potential life sentences.

    Routh faces up to life in prison. Routh pleaded not guilty to all charges.

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

    Trump To Address UN After Secret Service Thwarts ‘Telecommunications Threat’ Near General Assembly

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      On Tuesday, Secret Service agents announced they had cracked a plot that could have crippled the telecommunications network in the nation’s largest city, as more than 150 world leaders convene this week in New York.

      The U.S. Secret Service said Tuesday that it “dismantled a network of electronic devices located throughout the New York tristate area that were used to conduct multiple telecommunications-related threats directed towards senior U.S. government officials.”

      The devices were concentrated within 35 miles of the ongoing United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York City, it added.

      “This protective intelligence investigation led to the discovery of more than 300 co-located SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards across multiple sites,” the Secret Service said in a statement. “In addition to carrying out anonymous telephonic threats, these devices could be used to conduct a wide range of telecommunications attacks. This includes disabling cell phone towers, enabling denial of services attacks and facilitating anonymous, encrypted communication between potential threat actors and criminal enterprises.”

      “While forensic examination of these devices is ongoing, early analysis indicates cellular communications between nation-state threat actors and individuals that are known to federal law enforcement,” it also said.

      The Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Justice, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the New York Police Department and other state and local law enforcement partners are assisting with the investigation.

      U.S. Department of State from United States, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

      “The potential for disruption to our country’s telecommunications posed by this network of devices cannot be overstated,” U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran said.

      “The U.S. Secret Service’s protective mission is all about prevention, and this investigation makes it clear to potential bad actors that imminent threats to our protectees will be immediately investigated, tracked down and dismantled,” he added.

      The Secret Service also said: “Given the timing, location and potential for significant disruption to New York telecommunications posed by these devices, the agency moved quickly to disrupt this network.”

      President Donald Trump is set to address the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday. 

      Trump’s remarks will center on “touting renewal of American strength around the world,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday, according to ABC News..

      “The president will also touch upon how globalist institutions have significantly decayed the world order, and he will articulate his straightforward and constructive vision for the world,” Leavitt said.

      It will be Trump’s first speech to the annual gathering since his return to office.

      On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron declared at the U.N. General Assembly that France will now recognize a Palestinian state.

      “The time for peace has come,” Macron said.

      Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas spoke virtually before the U.N. General Assembly on Monday after the Trump administration revoked his U.S. visa last month to attend the conference in person.

      Abbas called on Hamas to surrender their weapons and he condemned the killings on Oct. 7, 2023. He also expressed readiness to work with Trump to implement a peace plan and called for a “permanent ceasefire.”

      FBI Arrests ‘Anti-Trump’ Gunman Who Shot ABC Studio After Kimmel Suspension

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      The FBI arrested the “anti-Trump” gunman who fired three shots into a local ABC studio after late-night host Jimmy Kimmel was suspended last week just hours after he posted bail in California.

      FBI Director Kash Patel on Monday morning posted on X that Hernandez-Santana was taken into custody “under a federal hold for interference with licensed broadcasts.”

      He added: “Targeted acts of violence are unacceptable and will be pursued to the fullest extent of the law.”

      Anibal Hernandez-Santana, the 64-year old suspected shooter, was arrested by the FBI on Saturday, one day after he opened fired on ABC 10 in Sacramento in a drive-by shooting. Hernandez-Santana had posted $200,000 bail earlier on Saturday before he was arrested by the FBI for “violating a statute that says no one can interfere with any communication of any station licensed by the U.S. Government,” KCRA 3 reporter Peyton Headlee reported on Sunday.

      The suspect is now facing federal charges and is ineligible for bail, according to Mediaite.

      The suspect is now facing federal charges and is ineligible for bail.

      Variety, over the weekend, reported Hernandez-Santana’s X account contained “a steady stream of anti-Trump commentary.”

      “Where is a good heart attack when we need it the most?? Please Join in my thoughts and prayers for the physical demise of our fearful leader,” Hernandez-Santana posted last Thursday.

      His attorney, Mark Reichel, told KCRA 3 that Hernandez-Santana is being overly scrutinized because of his anti-Trump posts.

      “If you look at his social media, they’re going to say, ‘Boy, it sure shows that he’s liberal and left wing.’ So you think they’re going to overlook something like that? I don’t think so,” Reichel said.

      The shooting happened during the early hours of Sept. 19, a day after a protest was held in front of ABC 10 following Kimmel’s suspension. About 15 people showed up for the protest, the Sacramento Bee reported.

      Kimmel had his show pulled after he implied the person who shot Charlie Kirk was a Trump supporter.

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

      Taliban Responds To Trump Push To Reclaim Bagram Air Base

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      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.

      Trump To Award Ben Carson Presidential Medal of Freedom

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        Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

        President Donald Trump announced that Dr. Ben Carson will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, noting that there will be a ceremony at the White House to honor him.

        President Trump said on Saturday he will award Ben Carson, his first-term Housing and Urban Development (HUD) secretary, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

        “We are going to be presenting Dr. Ben Carson with the highest civilian award and honor in our country. It’s the civilian version of the Medal of Honor, which is our highest military award. It’s the Presidential Medal of Freedom,” Trump said in remarks at an event hosted by the American Cornerstone Institute, which Carson founded.

        Trump said he plans to have a ceremony for Carson at the White House but did not specify timing.

        “Congratulations Ben. He didn’t know this. He didn’t know it. I hope he’s happy,” Trump said after making the announcement at the conclusion of his remarks at the American Cornerstone Institute’s Founders’ Dinner on Saturday.

        Carson, a former neurosurgeon, ran unsuccessfully for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016 against Trump. The president then tapped him to serve as HUD secretary. Carson served as the national faith chair for the Trump campaign in the 2024 election.

        Trump recently said he would posthumously award conservative activist Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom after he was fatally shot on Sept. 10 at an open-air event at Utah Valley University.

        Trump Designates Iran-Backed Groups In Iraq Terrorist Organizations

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

        In a decisive move to confront Iran’s destabilizing influence in the Middle East, the U.S. State Department on Wednesday officially designated four Iran-backed Iraqi militias as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). The groups—Harakat al-Nujaba, Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, and Kata’ib al-Imam Ali—have long served as armed proxies for Tehran, attacking U.S. and coalition forces and threatening American diplomats.

        All four groups were previously sanctioned by the Treasury Department as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) in 2023, but the new designations escalate U.S. pressure by invoking additional legal penalties, travel bans, and asset freezes.

        “Iran-aligned militia groups have conducted attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and bases hosting U.S. and Coalition forces, typically using front names or proxy groups to obfuscate their involvement,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in the announcement.


        Iran’s Proxy War Network: The Islamic Resistance in Iraq

        According to the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD), these four militias form the backbone of a Tehran-controlled umbrella organization known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI). The IRI surged in prominence after Hamas launched its deadly October 7, 2023 assault on Israel.

        Since then, the IRI has claimed or been linked to hundreds of rocket, drone, and IED attacks on U.S. and allied forces in Iraq, Syria, and Jordan. U.S. officials say the network was responsible for the January 2024 drone attack in Jordan that killed three American service members, marking one of the deadliest assaults on U.S. troops in years.

        “The Trump administration broke the taboo during term one when it proved it could name, shame, and punish Iran-backed militias in Iraq without the country devolving into civil war,” said Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the FDD’s Iran program. “Now in term two the administration is upping the ante continuing a campaign of designations against the agents of influence and terror of Iran in Iraq.”


        Popular Mobilization Forces: A Trojan Horse for Tehran

        The four newly designated groups are also part of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF)—a nominally state-run coalition originally created to fight ISIS, but which has been heavily infiltrated and directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

        “Tehran relies on these militias to literally have a state within a state in Iraq,” Ben Taleblu warned. “Sandwiching these and other Iran-backed terror groups between Treasury Department [Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons] SDN listings and State Department [Foreign Terrorist Organizations] FTO listings, as the Trump administration previously did with their patron, the IRGC, in term one is the right approach.”


        Trump’s Proven Record on Targeting Terror Groups

        This new wave of designations continues the Trump administration’s aggressive posture against Iran and its terror proxies. In 2019, the administration made history by designating the IRGC itself as a Foreign Terrorist Organization—the first time the U.S. had ever used the FTO label on part of another nation’s military.

        That same year, U.S. forces conducted a precision strike in Baghdad killing Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the IRGC’s elite Quds Force, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of the PMF and leader of the Iran-backed Kata’ib Hezbollah militia, another group long designated as an FTO.

        Other Iran-backed entities targeted by the Trump administration included:

        • Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) — designated in 2020 for killing U.S. and coalition troops.
        • Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba (HHN) — sanctioned in 2019 for its role in attacks on American forces.
        • Kata’ib Hezbollah (KH) — designated in 2009, but further sanctioned and struck by U.S. airpower under Trump following deadly rocket attacks.

        These actions sent a clear message that attacks on Americans would carry severe consequences—a doctrine many national security analysts argue helped restore deterrence in the region.

        Will Trump Take Back Our Panama Canal? Cruz Blows Whistle On Communist Chinese Control

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        Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America,

        U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz met with Panamanian officials about growing Communist Chinese influence over the Panama Canal, a crucial artery for global trade that was built and once controlled by the United States, until it was given away by liberal the-President Jimmy Carter.

        Cruz announced in a statement he “recently traveled to Panama and underscored the Panama Canal’s strategic importance to the United States.”

        Cruz reports he “met with top Panamanian officials, including the Minister of Economy and Finance, Felipe Chapman; Minister of Public Security, Frank Abrego; and Panama Canal Authority Administrator, Ricaurte Vásquez Morales. During these meetings, Sen. Cruz reiterated the growing threats posed by China and other foreign actors seeking to exert influence over the region, threatening both American and Panamanian national and economic security.”

        “The Senate Commerce Committee has primary jurisdiction over the Panama Canal due to its role in the facilitation of global trade and U.S. commerce,” Cruz notes.

        “There is undoubtedly a strong Chinese presence, and I believe a threat to the canal. The purpose of my visit is number one, to try to strengthen the longtime friendship and alliance between the United States and Panama. And number two, I’m the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, which, among other things, has jurisdiction over the Panama Canal and the Panama Canal is vital, both to national security and economic security of the United States and Panama,” said Cruz.

        Cruz summarized the long-brewing issue of Communist Chinese control of the Panama Canal and its threat to the United States, writing:

        Previously, Sen. Cruz convened a Senate Commerce Committee hearing to examine the growing number of challenges facing the maritime industry in the region due to capacity limitations and increased transit fees. Sen. Cruz sounded alarms over China’s growing foothold in Panama, which poses a direct threat to U.S. trade. China has exploited Panama’s institutional weakness to evade U.S. sanctions and has taken controlling stakes in critical infrastructure surrounding the Panama Canal. During the hearing, multiple senators raised concerns about Panama’s management of the canal, citing allegations of corruption, suggesting that they may be violating the Neutrality Treaty.

        One week after the hearing, a preliminary deal was announced that would give an American company primary control of Port Balboa and Port Cristobal, which are container ports on either end of the canal. However, the deal has faced delay amid pressure from China seeking to secure a stake in the deal, stalling progress to protect both American and Panamanian interests.

        Sen. Cruz concluded, “China is not America’s friend, and China is not Panama’s friend, and if God forbid, a military conflict emerges between the United States and China, I believe there is an unacceptable risk that China would act to shut down the Panama Canal, which would have a devastating impact on the United States and an even worse impact on Panama…

        “There is strong American interest in expanding and improving commerce and transportation through the Panama Canal. The United States built the Panama Canal more than a century ago and our nations have been close friends for a long, long time. The economies of both the United States and Panama benefit enormously from the Panama Canal, and there are strong American interests in investing in ports on both ends of the Panama Canal and assisting in new infrastructure, whether it is gas pipelines to transport gas from one end to the other, or whether it is building a new reservoir and expanding the ability to ensure there’s

        Trump Says US Attempting Re-secure Bagram Airbase From Taliban

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        President Donald Trump said Thursday he is seeking to reclaim control of Afghanistan’s Bagram Airfield, calling it a “little breaking news” and linking the move to U.S. leverage over 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.”

        While Trump did not mention specifics, the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan might seek U.S. concessions in exchange for returning control of Bagram. Potential demands could include increased foreign aid, economic investment, access to military or intelligence support, or diplomatic recognition.

        The historic Soviet-built airstrip was the main base for American forces in Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks up until their 2021 withdrawal led to an immediate takeover by the Islamist Taliban movement.

        Trump has long lamented the handover of Bagram Airfield because of its proximity to China. The Taliban leadership has rejected past Trump claims that China is moving in on taking Bagram as an important military air superiority hub in the region.

        “They should refrain from making emotional statements based on unsubstantiated information,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in March when asked for a response to Trump’s claims that China currently controls the air base, according to Voice of America.

        “Bagram is controlled by the Islamic Emirate [Taliban regime], not China. Chinese troops are not present here, nor do we have any such pact with any country.”

        Trump Announces He Will Designate Antifa As ‘Major Terrorist Organization’

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          A step in the right direction…

          President Trump announced Wednesday that he will designate antifa as a terrorist organization, and is recommending investigations into people who allegedly fund it.

          It’s unclear when the designation will take place, or what legal implications it will have. Antifa — short for anti-fascist — is a loose affiliation of mostly left-leaning activists. 

          “I am pleased to inform our many U.S.A. Patriots that I am designating ANTIFA, A SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER, AS A MAJOR TERRORIST ORGANIZATION,” the president wrote in a Truth Social post. “I will also be strongly recommending that those funding ANTIFA be thoroughly investigated in accordance with the highest legal standards and practices. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

          Trump made a similar announcement that antifa would be designated as a terrorist group during his first term in 2020, when the country was gripped by turbulent protests, but never followed through on the threat. 

          Over the last week, the president and conservatives have railed against what Trump has called “radical left political violence” following the deadly shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Hours after Kirk was killed last Wednesday, Trump vowed to “find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity, and to other political violence, including the organizations that fund it and support it.”

          Earlier this week, after a reporter asked President Trump if he planned on designating antifa as a domestic terror group, he responded, “it’s something I would do.” He also floated racketeering charges against people that he claimed have funded “agitation.”

          The legal impact of designating a U.S.-based group like antifa as a terrorist organization is not clear. Federal law allows the government to formally label international groups as “foreign terrorist organizations” and criminally charge people who offer support to them, but a similar legal mechanism doesn’t exist for alleged domestic terrorist groups, according to a Congressional Research Service report.

          Over the past five years, Antifa‐affiliated individuals and supporters have been involved in several high-profile violent incidents, including the killing of Aaron Danielson in Portland in August 2020. That occurred after clashes between a pro-Trump caravan and counter-protesters; Michael Reinoehl, who had publicly identified with the Antifa ideology, admitted to shooting Danielson and was later killed by federal law enforcement. Additionally, in 2021 the U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon stated that Antifa caused over $2.3 million in damages to federal property in Oregon during riots, not counting damage to state or private property.

          More recently, allegations of arson, vandalism, and attacks on federal law enforcement have been tied to Antifa-aligned groups. In early 2025, for example, federal prosecutors charged 17 people for violent activity associated with attempts to attack and burn down an ICE facility in Portland on July 4. These actions allegedly involved setting fires, confronting federal officers, and destroying property. Some local reports also claim Antifa militants caused more than $1 million in damage during an occupation and vandalism spree at the University of Washington’s Interdisciplinary Engineering Building.