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    Trump Ties FEMA Funding To New Election Security Rules

    By
    Patrick Houck
    -
    5
    DHSgov, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    The Trump administration announced Friday that states will have to adopt a series of federal election security measures to receive certain Federal Emergency Management Agency grant funding, marking the latest effort to influence how states administer elections ahead of the 2026 midterms.

    The Department of Homeland Security said recipients of FEMA-administered homeland security grants will be required to implement what it called “common-sense election security measures” before receiving funding.

    “These new requirements for homeland security grant recipients will preserve election integrity and ensure that Americans can trust the results,” Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement.

    Funding tied to election changes

    According to FEMA grant guidance, up to 20% of funding under the State Homeland Security Program and the Urban Area Security Initiative may be withheld until states certify compliance with the administration’s election security requirements. The affected grant programs distribute roughly $1 billion annually for terrorism prevention, cybersecurity, emergency preparedness, and critical infrastructure protection.

    Among the requirements are:

    • Verification of the citizenship of registered voters and election workers.
    • Documentation of election audits.
    • Plans to transition jurisdictions that rely on barcode- or QR code-based ballot tabulation toward hand-marked paper ballots.

    The administration has argued that election infrastructure is part of the nation’s critical security framework and that stronger safeguards are necessary to bolster public confidence in election results.

    States question federal authority

    Election administration has historically been handled by states, and several state officials and election law experts have questioned whether the executive branch has the legal authority to condition homeland security grants on changes to state voting procedures.

    The announcement follows a series of recent actions by the administration aimed at reshaping election administration, including Justice Department letters requesting voter registration records from all 50 states and President Donald Trump’s removal of the remaining commissioners of the bipartisan U.S. Election Assistance Commission.

    Legal challenges expected

    The new FEMA conditions are expected to face legal scrutiny.

    Courts have already blocked portions of previous Trump administration efforts to impose nationwide election rules through executive action, with judges finding that the Constitution grants states broad authority over the administration of elections absent congressional action.

    Whether the administration can ultimately enforce the new grant conditions may depend on future court rulings. In the meantime, states seeking the affected homeland security funding will have to decide whether to comply with the new requirements or challenge them in court.

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    Trump Says He Left Orders To Bomb Iran If Tehran Assassinates Him

    By
    Patrick Houck
    -
    3
    The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    President Donald Trump said he has left instructions for the United States to launch an unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran if Tehran succeeds in assassinating him.

    “I’ve been on their list for a long time. That’s what we’re dealing with,” the president told the New York Post Friday. “I’ve left instructions — if anything happens, to just literally bomb them at levels that they’ve never seen before.”

    Trump did not explain whom he gave the instructions to, which targets would be included or how such an order would be carried out after his death.

    Trump calls himself Iran’s top target

    The president’s comments followed remarks he made during the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, where he said Iran may be seeking to kill him.

    “I’m their No. 1 target,” Trump said.

    Iran has threatened retaliation against Trump and other former administration officials over the January 2020 U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani. American authorities have also previously accused Iranian operatives of pursuing plots against Trump.

    The latest concern arose after Israel reportedly shared intelligence with the United States before Trump landed in Washington indicating that Iran was considering another plot to assassinate the president.

    Mediaite’s Tom Durante has additional details:

    On the way back to the States, the president was forced to switch planes after the Secret Service reportedly voiced concerns about the new Air Force One, a $400 million jet gifted to him from the Qatari government.

    After that, Israel claimed it had shared intelligence with the president that the Islamic regime was “considering” a new plan to assassinate the president.

    In his interview with The Post, Trump denied those claims.

    “No, no. Israel came up with nothing. No, no,” he said. “I’ve been No. 1 [on Iran’s kill list] for a long time, and it’s the way life is, you know.”

    “I hope you’ll miss me,” he quipped.

    According to reporting cited by Mediaite, Israeli intelligence had not determined how far the alleged plot had progressed or whether Tehran had taken any concrete steps to carry it out.

    Trump nevertheless delivered an unmistakable warning: Any successful attack against him would bring an overwhelming American response.

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    Mike Pence Smacks Trump’s Iran Deal ‘Smells Of Appeasement’

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    5
    Mike Pence via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Former Vice President Mike Pence is blasting President Donald Trump’s controversial Iran agreement, warning that the deal looks less like a victory and more like a dangerous concession to a regime that was already on its knees.

    In a scathing Wall Street Journal op-ed, Pence praised Trump’s military campaign against Tehran but argued the administration is now squandering the leverage won on the battlefield.

    “The president deserves tremendous credit for taking the fight directly to Tehran,” Pence wrote. “But the memorandum of understanding with Iran signed last week falls well short of what is required to end the Iranian threat.”

    His verdict was blunt.

    “It smacks of the kind of appeasement the president rightly rejected during our first term,” Pence said. “It isn’t the deal a defeated Iran should be getting. It isn’t even a deal — it’s a plan to make a plan.”

    The remarkable rebuke puts Pence at the forefront of a growing conservative revolt against the Trump administration’s newly signed 14-point memorandum of understanding with Iran.

    The agreement, signed last week, commits both sides to negotiate a final settlement within 60 days while immediately easing pressure on Tehran. The framework includes the gradual lifting of the U.S. naval blockade, waivers for Iranian oil exports, and access to frozen Iranian assets while broader negotiations continue.

    Critics argue the concessions come before Iran has verifiably dismantled its nuclear infrastructure or ended support for terrorist proxies throughout the Middle East.

    Pence warned the agreement effectively rewards the regime before securing meaningful concessions.

    “Maximum pressure worked. America’s military strength worked. The blockade worked,” Pence wrote. “Iran came to the table because the regime’s existence teetered on a knife’s edge.”

    The former vice president said the administration should use the next 60 days to force Tehran into accepting far tougher terms, including the permanent elimination of its nuclear ambitions and support for regional terror groups.

    “This 60-day period should be used to secure what this agreement doesn’t yet provide: an end to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, an end to Iranian-backed terror, and an end to its half-century of warfare against the U.S. and Israel,” Pence wrote.

    “If those reasonable goals cannot be achieved, Mr. Trump should let the armed forces finish the job.”

    Pence has doubled down on those concerns in television appearances this week, calling the agreement “much bigger than a mistake” and warning that sanctions relief could become “a lifeline to the Iranian regime.” He argued that the deal preserves the status quo on Iran’s nuclear program rather than forcing its dismantlement.

    He’s not alone.

    Republican lawmakers including Lindsey Graham, John Thune and other GOP hawks have demanded greater transparency about the agreement’s terms, while conservative commentators have compared the framework to the Obama-era nuclear deal that Trump famously abandoned during his first administration.

    Even some Democrats have questioned whether Tehran is receiving significant economic relief without providing ironclad guarantees on nuclear compliance.

    Supporters of the agreement, led by Vice President JD Vance, argue critics are mischaracterizing the deal. Vance has described the memorandum as a preliminary framework designed to stop the fighting and create conditions for a broader settlement. The White House insists sanctions relief and other benefits ultimately depend on Iranian compliance.

    But for Pence, the issue is simple: America already holds the stronger hand.

    The question now is whether Trump intends to play it.

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    Senator Accuses Trump’s New Intelligence Pick of Making America More Vulnerable to Terror Attacks

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    5
    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

    Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) is sounding the alarm over President Donald Trump’s decision to install Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence, warning the move could leave the United States more vulnerable to a terrorist attack.

    During an appearance Wednesday on MSNBC’s The Briefing with Jen Psaki, Ossoff blasted the appointment as one of the most dangerous personnel decisions of Trump’s presidency.

    “The installation of a thug and a hack like Pulte as the acting director of national intelligence is maybe the most chilling and the most dangerous nomination or appointment that this president has made,” Ossoff said.

    Trump announced earlier this month that Pulte would take over as acting DNI beginning Friday following the departure of Tulsi Gabbard. The move immediately drew criticism from Democrats, who argue Pulte lacks any meaningful background in intelligence, national security, or military affairs.

    Ossoff, who serves on the Senate Intelligence Committee, accused Trump of prioritizing political loyalty over national security.

    “He is putting the national security of the country at risk,” Ossoff said. “His handling of this is putting the United States at risk and making a terrorist attack more likely because he is destabilizing America’s intelligence capabilities.”

    The Georgia senator also warned that Pulte could weaponize the intelligence community against Trump’s political opponents.

    “He’s putting someone in who is a political hack who will abuse his authorities in the intelligence community,” Ossoff added.

    Pulte, a longtime Trump ally and donor, has already generated controversy during his tenure at the FHFA. He has publicly pushed for investigations into alleged mortgage fraud involving several prominent Trump critics, including New York Attorney General Letitia James and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA).

    The controversy surrounding Pulte’s appointment comes amid broader turmoil over leadership at the nation’s top intelligence agency.

    Trump has nominated former SEC Chairman Jay Clayton to serve as permanent director of national intelligence. However, the nomination hit a roadblock Wednesday after Trump instructed Clayton not to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee for a scheduled confirmation hearing.

    In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Clayton’s nomination process would remain on hold until Congress passes legislation combining a voter ID measure with an extension of federal surveillance authorities used to monitor foreign nationals.

    The decision frustrated some Republicans, including Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton (R-AR), who called the delay “regrettable.”

    “Mr. Clayton is a patriot and a highly qualified nominee, as the president has said repeatedly,” Cotton wrote on X. “While today’s hearing is now unfortunately postponed, I look forward to proceeding with his confirmation in the near future.”

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    Trump Celebrates 80th Birthday With Iran Deal

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    4

    President Donald Trump got exactly what he wanted for his 80th birthday Sunday: a peace deal with Iran — and a massive UFC event on the White House lawn to celebrate it.

    After weeks of promising that an agreement was just around the corner, Trump announced Sunday afternoon that the United States and Iran had finalized a deal to end the 108-day conflict that erupted after the U.S. and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury and killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

    “The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all!” Trump declared on Truth Social.

    The president initially announced that he was authorizing the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and ending the U.S. naval blockade, telling the world: “Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!”

    Less than an hour later, Trump clarified that the strategic waterway would officially reopen Friday after the agreement is signed, allowing time for mine-clearing operations.

    “This Great Deal will bring Peace and Security to the whole Region,” Trump wrote. “Many presidents have tried to make Peace with Iran, and all have failed before me.”

    The timing could not have been sweeter for Trump, who spent the day celebrating his milestone birthday while hosting the highly publicized “Freedom 250” UFC event on the White House grounds.

    According to Mediaite, the president had hoped to announce the agreement Sunday, but those plans nearly unraveled after Hezbollah launched projectiles into northern Israel, prompting retaliatory Israeli strikes in Beirut.

    Trump reportedly exploded behind the scenes when he learned of the Israeli response.

    “Why did Bibi have to do a f’ing attack?” Trump told Axios. “I was so pissed off. I let him know. He has no f’ing judgement.”

    The flare-up threatened to derail negotiations that Trump had repeatedly insisted were nearing completion. As Mediaite noted, the president has spent weeks predicting that a deal was imminent, at one point declaring in May that an announcement would come “shortly.”

    The Hill reported that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who helped mediate negotiations, announced that a formal signing ceremony will take place Friday in Geneva, Switzerland. Vice President JD Vance later told Fox News that he plans to attend and suggested Trump may join him.

    Reports indicated the deal specifically says that Iran would agree not to produce or acquire nuclear weapons and would halt further uranium enrichment and expansion of nuclear facilities. In exchange, the United States would begin releasing up to $25 billion in frozen Iranian assets, although details remain unclear and administration officials have described the arrangement as “performance-based.”

    Iran has not yet publicly confirmed the agreement, and the White House has released few specifics about the final terms.

    Still, the announcement marks a dramatic political victory for Trump, whose administration has repeatedly stated that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon was its primary objective.

    “They’ve taken a pounding,” Trump said last week while discussing renewed military pressure on Tehran. “They’ve taken a pounding like very few people could take. And they want to make a deal a lot more than I do.”

    The agreement is already drawing scrutiny on Capitol Hill.

    Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Sunday that any nuclear-related agreement with Iran should be submitted to Congress for review.

    “I am somewhat concerned that Iran’s view of the agreement seems different than what the American negotiating team is claiming,” Graham wrote on X.

    Democrats offered a more mixed reaction.

    Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) welcomed the prospect of peace while arguing the reported terms resemble the Obama-era nuclear agreement that Trump withdrew from during his first term.

    “The war was a costly lesson for the US,” Khanna wrote. “But today, we can be relieved that gas and food costs will start coming down for Americans. And that no more American or civilian lives will be lost.”

    After months of war, weeks of tense negotiations, and a last-minute scare involving Israel and Hezbollah, the president finally got to make the announcement he had been teasing for weeks — on his birthday, with a UFC crowd cheering just steps from the Oval Office.

    Not a bad birthday present for President Trump.

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    Trump Abruptly Calls Off Planned Iran Strikes After Touting Major Diplomatic Breakthrough

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1
    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he has canceled planned U.S. military strikes against Iran just hours before they were reportedly set to begin, citing what he described as a major diplomatic breakthrough.

    In a statement posted to Truth Social, Trump said negotiations with the Islamic Republic had been elevated to “the highest level of Iranian leadership” and had received approval from key regional powers.

    “Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved, I have, as President of the United States of America, cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening,” Trump wrote.

    The announcement comes after a volatile 48-hour period that saw U.S. forces conduct strikes against Iranian targets on Tuesday and Wednesday, while Trump repeatedly warned that additional military action could follow as soon as Thursday night.

    According to Trump, negotiators have reached an agreement “in both concept and great detail” on a framework that has been approved by multiple nations, including Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, and Egypt.

    The president did not disclose specific terms of the proposed agreement but suggested a final accord could be signed in the near future.

    “Time and place of the signing to be announced shortly,” Trump said.

    Despite calling off the planned strikes, Trump emphasized that U.S. pressure on Iran is far from over. He announced that the naval blockade imposed in April will remain in place until an agreement is finalized.

    “The Naval Blockade will remain in full force and effect until this Transaction is finalized,” he wrote.

    The sudden reversal marks a dramatic shift from Trump’s earlier rhetoric. Just hours before announcing the cancellation, the president had threatened another round of military strikes against Iran, raising fears that the region was on the verge of a broader conflict.

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    Bolton Warns Trump Could Try to ‘Snatch’ Raúl Castro as Cuba Tensions Escalate

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

    Former National Security Adviser John Bolton is sounding alarms over growing speculation that the Trump administration could take dramatic action against Cuba’s communist leadership — warning officials not to repeat what he called the “Venezuela game plan.”

    Bolton, who has long advocated for hardline policies against authoritarian governments in Latin America, said Thursday he fears the administration could use newly filed criminal charges against former Cuban leader Raúl Castro as justification for a high-risk operation targeting the aging strongman.

    “I’m a little worried that they’re going to try and run the Venezuela game plan and kidnap or snatch Raúl Castro, who’s 94 years old, under this indictment, which is perfectly justified, but it won’t change anything in Cuba, as it really hasn’t changed anything politically in Venezuela,” Bolton said during an appearance on NewsNation’s On Balance.

    His comments come as tensions surrounding Cuba have intensified after the Justice Department announced murder charges against Castro and five others tied to the 1996 shootdown of two civilian humanitarian aircraft over international waters.

    Federal prosecutors allege Castro authorized the Cuban military operation that destroyed the planes, killing four men — including three American citizens. The aircraft were operated by Brothers to the Rescue, a Miami-based humanitarian group that searched for Cuban migrants attempting to flee the island.

    The indictment represents one of the most aggressive legal moves taken against senior Cuban officials in decades and has fueled growing speculation about whether the Trump administration is preparing a broader strategy aimed at regime change.

    Bolton, despite supporting political change in Cuba, argued that removing a single figure would do little to dismantle the country’s entrenched communist system.

    “In Cuba, you need the top echelon of government to depart the island, maybe for exile in Mexico or wherever they want to go, and we have to have a way to bring the government back under the control of the people,” he said, adding that such a process would “take some time.”

    The administration has steadily increased pressure on Havana in recent months through legal, diplomatic, and economic measures.

    A U.S. oil embargo implemented earlier this year has reportedly worsened Cuba’s already severe energy shortages. The island nation of roughly 10 million people has faced repeated rolling blackouts, while shortages of food, fuel, and medicine continue to strain daily life.

    President Donald Trump has also declined to rule out military action. Asked this week about possible intervention in Cuba, Trump told reporters he would “be happy to do it.”

    Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said diplomatic solutions remain the administration’s preferred option but suggested hopes for peaceful negotiations are fading.

    “The president’s preference is always a negotiated agreement that’s peaceful. That’s always our preference. That remains our preference with Cuba,” Rubio said in Miami before departing on an overseas trip.

    “I’m just being honest with you. You know, the likelihood of that happening, given who we’re dealing with right now, is not high.”

    Fueling further speculation, the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and its strike group recently arrived in the Caribbean, leading some observers to question whether Washington could be positioning military assets closer to Cuba.

    Trump has dismissed suggestions that the deployment was intended as intimidation.

    Bolton, however, questioned whether the administration had fully thought through what comes next.

    “Is the Nimitz carrier strike group really equipped to take military action?” Bolton asked. “I mean, we have a real advantage in Cuba we didn’t have in Venezuela, we have the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base right there on the island, so that’s a, that’s a step forward, but this is something clearly we need to be talking to key figures in the opposition in Cuba, the Cuban American community, I’m sure can be extremely helpful here.”

    “Let’s just think this through before we force it into something that could be very detrimental to the people of Cuba, if the army and the police stick with the regime,” he added.

    The escalating rhetoric comes as questions continue to swirl over whether Washington’s pressure campaign is designed primarily to force concessions from Havana — or whether the administration is laying groundwork for something much larger.

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    White House Counterterrorism Official Says Trump Left Instructions For VP In Case He’s Assassinated

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    3
    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    White House counterterrorism official Sebastian Gorka revealed Wednesday that President Donald Trump has already prepared written instructions for Vice President JD Vance in the event he is assassinated — a striking disclosure that underscores the persistent security threats surrounding the president during his second term.

    Speaking on the New York Post’s “Pod Force One” podcast with host Miranda Devine, Gorka said Trump has contingency plans in place should the unthinkable happen.

    “There is a letter in the drawer in the Resolute Desk that is addressed to the vice president should something happen to him,” Gorka said during the interview.

    The revelation came as Devine raised concerns about Trump’s planned diplomatic travel and the dangers posed by hostile foreign powers, particularly Communist China.

    Referring to Chinese President Xi Jinping and Beijing’s geopolitical ambitions, Devine described Trump as the one leader standing in the way of China’s global dominance.

    “So they have every reason in the world to take him out,” she said.

    Gorka, however, insisted the administration has extensive security precautions in place, even if he declined to discuss specifics publicly.

    “We have protocols, trust me. Not ones I can discuss, but we have protocols,” he replied.

    The comments offered a rare glimpse into the extraordinary security concerns surrounding Trump after surviving multiple assassination attempts and threats over the past several years.

    Trump himself has previously acknowledged taking threats against his life seriously — particularly from Iran. In January, the president revealed he had left “very firm instructions” for how the United States should respond if Tehran successfully assassinated him.

    “If they did that, they would be obliterated,” Trump said at the time. “I’ve left instructions — if they do it, they get blown up. There won’t be anything left.”

    Federal officials have repeatedly warned of Iranian plots targeting Trump and former administration officials following the 2020 U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.

    But the most immediate threats against Trump have come on American soil.

    During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a gunman opened fire from a nearby rooftop. One bullet grazed Trump’s ear as Secret Service agents rushed him off stage, while rallygoer Corey Comperatore was killed shielding his family from the gunfire.

    The shocking attack triggered widespread scrutiny of the Secret Service and led to multiple congressional investigations into security failures surrounding the event.

    Just weeks later, authorities arrested another suspect after he allegedly camped near Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, armed with a rifle and tactical gear while reportedly waiting for the president.

    Then in April, a separate would-be attacker allegedly attempted to breach security at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton before being intercepted by federal agents.

    The repeated threats have dramatically reshaped Trump’s security posture during his second term, with officials reportedly operating under heightened protective measures both domestically and abroad.

    Gorka’s disclosure about the letter to Vance adds another layer to that reality — signaling that the White House is actively preparing for worst-case scenarios even as Trump continues to project confidence publicly.

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    Patel Reveals Secret FBI Room ‘Off the Map’ — Packed With Russiagate Files

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    5
    Image via gage Skidmore Flickr

    FBI Director Kash Patel says he uncovered something straight out of a spy novel — a hidden room inside FBI headquarters that wasn’t even on the building’s official blueprints, allegedly packed with sensitive documents tied to the Trump–Russia investigation.

    Patel revealed the discovery during a Tuesday appearance on “Hang Out with Sean Hannity,” describing how the off-the-books room contained multiple “burn bags” — typically used to destroy classified materials — that, instead of being destroyed, were filled with thousands of untouched documents.

    “They weren’t burned, but the room was also off the map,” Patel said. “It wasn’t on our blueprint, and nobody had access to it.”

    According to Patel, the room was locked away inside the Hoover Building and functioned as a previously undisclosed secure facility. Even more striking: no one initially had the ability to access it.

    The discovery echoes claims made earlier by former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, who said he found what he described as the “mother lode” of documents tied to “Crossfire Hurricane,” the FBI’s probe into alleged Trump–Russia collusion.

    “I’m reading this document, and I’m like, ‘I can’t believe this happened in the United States,’” Bongino said in a prior appearance. “It wasn’t just that it happened in the United States, it was that so many people knew about it. All you had to do was read it. This thing was bulls— from the start.”

    Sources told Fox News Digital that the burn bags discovered by Patel’s team contained thousands of sensitive documents, including a classified annex to Special Counsel John Durham’s final report. That annex reportedly includes underlying intelligence reviewed during Durham’s investigation into the origins of the Russia probe.

    The materials are now being reviewed and declassified in coordination with top intelligence officials, including CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Attorney General Pam Bondi. The annex is expected to be delivered to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, who will ultimately decide what is released publicly.

    One source familiar with the annex told Fox News Digital that intelligence collected before the FBI launched Crossfire Hurricane suggested — with “alarming specificity” — that the bureau would play a role in advancing the Trump–Russia narrative.

    “Mere days after this intelligence was collected, the FBI launched Crossfire Hurricane,” the source said. “It’s really hard to see how Brennan, Clapper and Comey are going to be able to explain this away.”

    Patel has suggested the hidden room was deliberately concealed.

    “Just think about this,” he said in a separate interview. “Me, as director of the FBI… found a room that Comey and others hid from the world in the Hoover Building, full of documents and computer hard drives that no one had ever seen or heard of.”

    The documents have since been turned over to Grassley as part of an ongoing congressional push to uncover more details about the origins of the Russia investigation and any potential misconduct within the intelligence community.

    For now, the biggest question remains: how did a secure room filled with highly sensitive materials exist inside FBI headquarters — completely off the books — without anyone knowing?

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    President And First Lady Call On ABC News To Fire Jimmy Kimmel

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    5
    The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    First Lady Melania Trump is demanding consequences for late-night host Jimmy Kimmel after what she called “hateful” rhetoric—just days before a terrifying security breach at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

    Kimmel sparked outrage last week during a parody segment in which he mocked the Trumps, referring to the first lady as “an expectant widow” while joking about their marriage.

    “Our first lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow,” Kimmel said.

    The remark drew fierce backlash after a suspected would-be assassin attempted to storm the Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday. Authorities say 31-year-old Cole Allen of Torrance, California, rushed a Secret Service checkpoint at the Washington Hilton armed with multiple weapons and opened fire, wounding an agent before being taken into custody.

    In the aftermath, Melania Trump took to X with a blistering response.

    “Kimmel’s hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country. His monologue about my family isn’t comedy—his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America,” she wrote.

    “People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate. A coward, Kimmel hides behind ABC because he knows the network will keep running cover to protect him. Enough is enough,” the first lady continued. “It is time for ABC to take a stand. How many times will ABC’s leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocious behavior at the expense of our community.”

    President Donald Trump echoed the call, demanding immediate action from the network.

    “Wow, Jimmy Kimmel, who is in no way funny as attested to by his terrible Television Ratings, made a statement on his Show that is really shocking,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

    “He then stated, ‘Our First Lady, Melania, is here… you have a glow like an expectant widow.’ A day later a lunatic tried entering the ballroom of the White House Correspondents Dinner, loaded up with a shotgun, handgun, and many knives. He was there for a very obvious and sinister reason,” Trump continued.

    “I appreciate that so many people are incensed by Kimmel’s despicable call to violence… this is something far beyond the pale. Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC.”

    Kimmel, however, pushed back during his Monday night monologue, insisting the joke was harmless.

    “It was a very light roast joke about the fact that he’s almost 80 and she’s younger than I am. It was not by any stretch of the definition a call to assassination. And they know that,” he said.

    While expressing sympathy for those shaken by the incident, Kimmel rejected any suggestion his comments played a role.

    “I am sorry that you and the president and everyone in that room on Saturday went through that. I really am,” he said. “Because no one got killed doesn’t mean it wasn’t traumatic and scary… But do you want us to believe that a joke I made three days before this dinner had any effect on anything that happened?”

    He added, “I’ve been very vocal for many years speaking out against gun violence… and I think a great place to start to dial that back would be to have a conversation with your husband about it.”

    Despite the backlash, ABC appears unmoved.

    A network source told Page Six that executives are standing by their late-night host and have no plans to discipline him.

    “It’s back to taping per usual. They’re moving on,” the insider said.

    Kimmel has faced controversy before. Last year, ABC parent company Disney briefly suspended “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” after comments related to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk triggered outrage and drew scrutiny from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, who called the remarks “some of the sickest conduct.”

    Kimmel later returned to air, saying he never intended to make light of the tragedy.

    For now, despite renewed calls for his removal, it appears Kimmel’s job is safe—leaving critics fuming and the broader debate over media rhetoric once again front and center.

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