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FBI Director Kash Patel Shuts Down Charlie Kirk Foreign Intelligence Probe

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FBI Director Kash Patel reportedly shut down efforts by Joe Kent, head of the National Counterterrorism Center and a close ally of Tulsi Gabbard, to investigate whether a foreign power was behind the assassination of conservative leader Charlie Kirk.

Kent Pushes to Expose Possible Foreign Ties

According to The New York Times, Kent began reviewing FBI case files to determine if Kirkโ€™s alleged killer, Tyler Robinson, received outside help. Robinson, 22, has been charged with fatally shooting Kirk with a sniper rifle while the Turning Point USA founder was addressing students at Utah Valley University on September 10.

Kentโ€™s investigation raised alarms at the FBI. Patel reportedly believed Kent was overstepping his authority by digging into an active bureau investigation โ€” even though Kentโ€™s mandate at the Counterterrorism Center includes monitoring potential foreign threats to national security.

White House Tensions Boil Over

When Patel learned Kent had accessed internal FBI materials, he demanded a high-level White House meeting. The tense roundtable brought together Patel, Kent, Gabbard, Vice President JD Vance, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and senior DOJ officials.

Kent defended his actions, saying a lower-level FBI official had granted him access. Supporters of Kent argue he was doing his duty to ensure foreign adversaries werenโ€™t behind the killing of one of the conservative movementโ€™s most prominent voices.

However, Patel and other officials worried the probe could complicate the prosecution, possibly giving Robinsonโ€™s defense attorneys an opening to claim there were multiple suspects or motives at play.

Jurisdictional Turf War

The standoff reflects ongoing turf battles between the FBI and the Counterterrorism Center, particularly over how intelligence is shared during active criminal cases. Despite the controversy, Kentโ€™s team reportedly collected intelligence from other agencies about potential foreign funding or coordination, including possible links to left-wing extremist groups like Antifa.

So far, itโ€™s unclear whether either agency is still investigating possible foreign involvement in the attack.

Air Force One Hunting Stand Incident Prompts Increased Security Measures

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President Donald Trump signs Executive Orders, Thursday, April 17, 2025, in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)

President Donald Trumpโ€™s return to Palm Beach on Sunday was marked by heightened security measures after the Secret Service uncovered a potential threat near Palm Beach International Airport just days earlier. According to a White House official speaking to Fox News, President Trump boarded Air Force One quickly using the smaller set of stairs โ€” a precaution taken โ€œdue to increased security measures.โ€

The enhanced protections followed the discovery of a suspected hunting stand last Friday positioned within clear sight of the Air Force One landing and boarding area โ€” an alarming find that prompted immediate coordination between the U.S. Secret Service, the FBI, and local law enforcement.

โ€œPrior to the Presidentโ€™s return to West Palm Beach, USSS discovered what appeared to be an elevated hunting stand within sight line of the Air Force One landing zone,โ€ FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital. โ€œNo individuals were located at the scene. The FBI has since taken the investigatory lead, flying in resources to collect all evidence from the scene, and deploying our cell phone analytics capabilities.โ€

Patel noted that the structure has not yet been linked to any individual, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Secret Service Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi confirmed that agents acted swiftly and decisively, working โ€œcloselyโ€ with the FBI and Palm Beach County law enforcement to secure the area.

โ€œThere was no impact to any movements, and no individuals were present or involved at the location,โ€ Guglielmi said, emphasizing that the discovery did not disrupt the Presidentโ€™s schedule.

โ€œWhile we are not able to provide details about the specific items or their intent, this incident underscores the importance of our layered security measures,โ€ he added.

The incident comes at a time of renewed focus on security for the President. The discovery follows the conviction of Ryan Routh, who was found guilty just weeks ago of attempting to assassinate President Trump from a sniperโ€™s nest he set up on a Palm Beach golf course.

The parallels between the two cases โ€” both involving elevated shooting positions and close proximity to Trumpโ€™s movements โ€” have raised serious concerns about ongoing threats to his safety. Law enforcement officials are reportedly reviewing whether the newly found stand could be connected in any way to previous plots or individuals of interest.

Federal authorities have not disclosed whether the device or structure contained any surveillance equipment or weapons components, citing the ongoing investigation. Still, the rapid response demonstrates the robust coordination between the Secret Service and federal investigative teams tasked with protecting the former President.

Fox News To Join Other Networks In Rejecting Pete Hegsethโ€™s Pentagon Media ‘Pledge’

Not happening…

Fox News is reportedly planning to join a coalition of news organizations to reject the War Department’s order that will sharply curtail press freedom at the Pentagon.

The move follows a late Friday memo from Hegseth demanding reporters sign a new โ€œIn-Brief for Media Membersโ€ agreement or surrender their Pentagon access cards by Tuesday.

The order forbids journalists from soliciting tips, photographing, or even sketching what they see inside the building.

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

Networks are coordinating through the Pentagon press pool to issue a unified response to publicly oppose the measure,ย according to Statusโ€™ย Oliver Darcy.

Darcy reported Tuesday that Fox News, where Hegseth worked for almost a decade prior to his nomination, has โ€œno plans to agree to the draconian rules,โ€ citing sources.

The move will set up โ€œa showdown with his former employer,โ€ according to Darcy.

Darcyโ€™s reporting was later backed up by CNNโ€™s chief media analystย Brian Stelter, who wrote in his Reliable Sources newsletter, โ€œCNN has already said that its journalists will not accept the new restrictions. Iโ€™m told that Fox News, NBC, ABC, CBS and CNN will issue a joint statement later today saying much the same thing.โ€

The push by Hegseth has now beenย slammed across the boardย by newspapers and networks โ€” such asย The New York Times,ย The Atlantic, CNN, Newsmax andย The Guardianย โ€” with the only outlet reportedly agreeing to the new terms being One America News.

The Pentagon Press Association condemned the policy, saying: โ€œThis Wednesday, most Pentagon Press Association members seem likely to hand over their badges rather than acknowledge a policy that gags Pentagon employees and threatens retaliation against reporters who seek out information that has not been pre-approved for release.โ€

Pentagon spokespersonย Sean Parnellย dismissed concerns on Monday, accusing reporters of a โ€œfull-blown meltdownโ€ in a statement to Status and insisting the policy โ€œis whatโ€™s best for our troops and the national security of this country.โ€

Report: Trump Tells Congress The U.S. Is Engaged In โ€˜Armed Conflictโ€™ With Drug Cartels

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

On Thursday, theย White Houseย sent a memo to Congress saying that the United States is now “in a non-international armed conflict” with drug cartels, which administration officials have designated as “terrorist organizations.”

“The President directed these actions consistent with his responsibility to protect Americans and United States interests abroad and in furtherance of United States national security and foreign policy interests, pursuant to his constitutional authority as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive to conduct foreign relations,” the memo states.

“The cartels involved have grown more armed, well-organized, and violent,” the memo said. “They have the financial means, sophistication, and paramilitary capabilities needed to operate with impunity.”

“They illegally and directly cause the deaths of tens of thousands of American citizens each year,” it continued. “Although friendly foreign nations have made significant efforts to combat these organizations, suffering significant losses of life, these groups are now transnational and conduct ongoing attacks throughout the Western Hemisphere in the form ofย organized cartels. Therefore, the President determined these cartels are non-state armed groups, designated them as terrorist organizations, and determined that their actions constitute an armed attack against the United States.”

The memo specifically cites the Sept. 15 strike.

“The vessel was assessed by the U.S. intelligence community to be affiliated with a designated terrorist organization and, at the time, engaged in trafficking illicit drugs, which could eventually kill Americans,” it said.

Trump has vowed to unleash the strength of the U.S. military on drug cartels amid a buildup in the Caribbean and has signed off on a series of U.S. military strikes against alleged drug vessels from Venezuela to combat the stream ofย illegal drugsย into the U.S.

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

Cartel Leader Admits That President Trumpโ€™s Cartel Crackdown Works

CBP Photography, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

A senior Sinaloa Cartel leader has admitted that President Donald Trumpโ€™s strong border security policies are taking a real toll on their criminal operations. Speaking anonymously to CNN senior national correspondent David Culver, the cartel member acknowledged that Trumpโ€™s aggressive stance on border control and drug trafficking has disrupted their business.

The Trump administration made confronting foreign cartels a top national security priority. By deploying more resources to the southern border, pressuring Mexico to take action, and increasing enforcement against drug trafficking networks, Trump sought to stop the flow of fentanyl, heroin, and human smuggling into the United States. His administration worked closely with law enforcement to dismantle smuggling corridors and target cartel finances, a shift that has forced cartels to adapt and scramble.

Culver interviewed the masked, goggle-wearing Sinaloa leader, who described his own criminal past: โ€œFrom killing to coordinating smuggling operations, he says heโ€™s done it all,โ€ Culver reported.

When asked directly, โ€œDo you think what President Trump has been doing has been making your job tougher?โ€ the cartel member answered bluntly: โ€œOh yeah. Yeah.โ€

โ€œSo itโ€™s becoming more difficult, you think?โ€ Culver pressed.

โ€œYeah,โ€ the senior member confirmed.

According to Culver, these enforcement measures have โ€œmassive implicationsโ€ for the cartels. โ€œYou heard that cartel boss say that his job is getting tougher. And because of that, officials say cartels are now charging much more to get migrants across. Itโ€™s jumped from about $6,500 a person that they were charging earlier this year to now nearly $10,000 that theyโ€™re charging,โ€ Culver said. Many migrants simply cannot afford these higher rates, and those who do often end up in deep debt to the cartels.

In a moment of rare candor, the cartel operative admitted the harm caused by his organization: when Culver asked if he felt part of the problem, he replied, โ€œYeah,โ€ but justified his actions as self-defense โ€” โ€œYou have something wrong to me, I do something bad to you.โ€

The man said his decision to speak publicly was meant as a warning to others about the cost of a life in organized crime. But when asked why he doesnโ€™t leave the cartel, his response was chilling: once someone joins, โ€œthey cannot get out.โ€

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 toย President Trumpโ€™sย pushย toย regain controlย of Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, saying the U.S. should adopt โ€œa policy of realism and rationalityโ€ while rejecting the move.

โ€œIt has been consistently communicated to the United States in all bilateral negotiations that, for the Islamic Emirate, Afghanistanโ€™s independence and territorial integrity are of the utmost importance,โ€ 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 โ€” which Trump aides negotiated in his first term to end the U.S. presence in Afghanistan โ€” not to โ€œuse or threaten force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Afghanistan, nor interfere in its internal affairs.โ€

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

โ€œIf Afghanistan doesnโ€™t give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!!!,โ€ Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Saturday.

During a joint press conference in Great Britain with that countryโ€™s prime minister, Trump said the U.S. was โ€œtrying to get it backโ€ because the Taliban needed things from the United States.

He also highlighted the baseโ€™s proximity to China.

โ€œWe gave it to them for nothing,โ€ 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.

โ€œWeโ€™re trying to get it back, by the way. OK, that could be a little breaking news. Weโ€™re trying to get it back because they need things from us.

โ€œWe want that base back. But one of the reasons we want the base is, as you know, itโ€™s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons.

โ€œSo a lot of things are happening.โ€

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 theย Bidenย administration withdrew U.S. forces from Afghanistan.

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 Iranโ€™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 groupsโ€”Harakat al-Nujaba, Kataโ€™ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, and Kataโ€™ib al-Imam Aliโ€”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.

โ€œIran-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,โ€ Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in the announcement.


Iranโ€™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.

โ€œThe 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,โ€ said Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the FDDโ€™s Iran program. โ€œNow 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.โ€


Popular Mobilization Forces: A Trojan Horse for Tehran

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

โ€œTehran relies on these militias to literally have a state within a state in Iraq,โ€ Ben Taleblu warned. โ€œSandwiching 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.โ€


Trumpโ€™s Proven Record on Targeting Terror Groups

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

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

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

  • Asaโ€™ib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) โ€” designated in 2020 for killing U.S. and coalition troops.
  • Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba (HHN) โ€” sanctioned in 2019 for its role in attacks on American forces.
  • Kataโ€™ib Hezbollah (KH) โ€” 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 consequencesโ€”a doctrine many national security analysts argue helped restore deterrence in the region.

Trump Claims U.S. Military Killed Three More โ€˜Confirmed Narcoterrorists from Venezuelaโ€™

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Presidentย Donald Trumpย announced that he had ordered a second military strike on a Venezuelan boat on Monday, claiming that the vessel was carrying โ€œconfirmed narcoterrorists from Venezuela.โ€

Regarding this new strike, Trump described the strike as targeting โ€œpositively identified, extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility,โ€ the U.S. Southern Command responsible for the command and control of American military forces in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.

According to Trump, the boat was traveling from Venezuela to the U.S., in international waters, was โ€œtransporting illegal narcotics,โ€ and three male โ€œterroristsโ€ were killed in the strike. No U.S. service members were harmed.

The president added a warning to those who are โ€œTRANSPORTING DRUGS THAT CAN KILL AMERICANS,โ€ writing โ€œWE ARE HUNTING YOU!โ€

Trumpโ€™s post read:

This morning, on my Orders, U.S. Military Forces conducted a SECOND Kinetic Strike against positively identified, extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility. The Strike occurred while these confirmed narcoterrorists from Venezuela were in International Waters transporting illegal narcotics (A DEADLY WEAPON POISONING AMERICANS!) headed to the U.S. These extremely violent drug trafficking cartels POSE A THREAT to U.S. National Security, Foreign Policy, and vital U.S. Interests. The Strike resulted in 3 male terrorists killed in action. No U.S. Forces were harmed in this Strike. BE WARNED โ€” IF YOU ARE TRANSPORTING DRUGS THAT CAN KILL AMERICANS, WE ARE HUNTING YOU! The illicit activities by these cartels have wrought DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES ON AMERICAN COMMUNITIES FOR DECADES, killing millions of American Citizens. NO LONGER. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!

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

Report: John Bolton Probe Focused On Classified Emails Obtained By Foreign Spies

The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Biden administrationโ€™s Justice Department has launched an aggressive investigation into former Trump national security adviser John Bolton, accusing him of mishandling classified information. According to an explosive New York Times report, the probe escalated dramatically last week when FBI agents raided Boltonโ€™s Bethesda, Maryland residence and his Washington, D.C. office.

Sources told the Times that investigators claim Bolton sent emails containing โ€œsensitive informationโ€ over an unclassified system while drafting his 2020 book, The Room Where It Happened. The emails, allegedly shared with friends and associates assisting him with the manuscript, reportedly contained material that appeared to be drawn from classified documents Bolton had seen during his time in the White House.

Even more startling, U.S. officials say a foreign intelligence service later obtained those emails. At this point, it remains unclear which countryโ€™s spies were in possession of the material.

A Raided Home, No Arrest

Bolton, who has been a vocal critic of both Donald Trump and Joe Biden, was at home during the FBI raid. Despite the dramatic nature of the search, he was not arrested. That fact alone has fueled speculation that the raid was more about spectacle than substanceโ€”an attempt to send a political message rather than to secure an immediate prosecution.

A Familiar Pattern of Double Standards

Republicans have already begun to highlight what they see as yet another glaring double standard. While the Biden DOJ aggressively pursues Bolton, questions linger about how the administration handled President Bidenโ€™s own mishandling of classified documents, discovered in multiple unsecured locations, including his Delaware garage. Unlike Boltonโ€”or former President Trump, who continues to face relentless investigationsโ€”Biden has faced little in the way of raids or public spectacle.

This latest move against Bolton follows a broader pattern where the DOJ appears far more eager to go after figures associated with the Trump years while showing restraint when it comes to Democrats.

Whatโ€™s Next

At this point, Bolton has not been charged with any crime. Legal experts note that the government would face serious hurdles in proving that Bolton knowingly mishandled classified material or intended to expose it to foreign governments.

Trump Mulls Renaming Department Of Defense

Big things are happening…

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

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

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

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

Later on, NewsNation reporterย Kellie Meyerย asked, โ€œAnd on the Department of War, how do you plan to do that? It requires an act of Congress to rename the Defense Departmentโ€“โ€

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

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

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

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

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

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