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    Senate Confirms Trump CIA Pick

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    Image via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    On Thursday, the Senate confirmed John Ratcliffe to lead the Central Intelligence Agency in an overwhelming bipartisan fashion, making him the second member of President Trump’s national security team to be approved by the upper chamber.

    Senators confirmed Ratcliffe in a 74-25 vote. Twenty-one members who caucus with Democrats voted with every present Republican. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) did not vote.

    “He will bring valuable knowledge and experience to his new post,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said on the floor earlier this week, pointing to Ratcliffe’s tenure as Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and on the House Intelligence Committee. “Mr. Ratcliffe brings the right experience and the right approach to the CIA, and I look forward to working with him in his new position.” 

    Ratcliffe’s nomination cleared the Senate Intelligence Committee, 14 to 3. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the panel’s vice chairman, was among Ratcliffe’s backers. 

    During his confirmation hearing, he specifically told Democrats that he would keep the CIA apolitical and would not fire any agency employees based on political leanings or opposition to the president. 

    He’s also received bipartisan high marks for his stance on China, having been a long-time proponent of combating the Chinese Communist Party — a topic that came up during his confirmation hearing last week. 

    “Understand that the nation who wins the race of emerging technologies of today will dominate the world of tomorrow,” Ratcliffe said at the time. “Which brings me to the need for the CIA to continue and increase an intensity to focus on the threats posed by China and its ruling Chinese Communist Party. As DNI, I dramatically increased the intelligence community’s resources devoted to China.”

    The vote comes after the chamber unanimously confirmed Secretary of State Marco Rubio and puts half of Trump’s initial national security team in place, with Senate Republicans planning on moving on the other half “in the coming days,” according to Thune.

    Trump Issues Pardons For J6 Defendants

    By
    Patrick Houck
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    8
    Tyler Merbler, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    President Donald Trump has granted pardons to approximately 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the January 6 Capitol riot. He also announced several commutations for those who committed violent acts during the event.

    Reports indicate that most participants in the January 6 protest and riot at the U.S. Capitol in 2021 are being released from prison tonight, including those who have not yet gone to trial or received sentences.

    The sweeping pardons signify the conclusion of one of the most extensive FBI investigations in history.

    As The Hill reports:

    “What they’ve done to these people is outrageous,” Trump said while signing various orders from the Oval Office, his first time in the White House since he was inaugurated early in the day.

    He briefly said Monday night that he would grant roughly 1,500 pardons for rioters charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. There have been 1,583 total defendants charged.

    They came just hours after former President Biden in the 11th hour of his presidency issued preemptive pardons for members and staff of the House Jan. 6 committee, which investigated the riot.  

    Following his Inauguration, the president signed executive orders at the Capitol One Arena that include:

    • A freeze on all further regulations
    • A freeze on all federal hiring, except for military personnel and certain other categories
    • A requirement for all federal employees to return to in-person work full-time
    • A directive to all federal agencies and departments to address the cost of living crisis
    • A directive for the government to restore freedom of speech and eliminate government censorship
    • A directive to end the weaponization of the government against former presidential administrations

    Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News

    Trump Revokes Security Clearances For Officials Linked To Hunter Biden Laptop Letter

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    3
    President Joe Biden hugs his family during the 59th Presidential Inauguration ceremony in Washington, Jan. 20, 2021. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took the oath of office on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. (DOD Photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Carlos M. Vazquez II)

    In one of his first moves as President, Trump revoked the security clearances of more than 50 national security officials who said Hunter Biden’s laptop had “all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.”

    In 2020, a total of 51 former national security officials released a public letter in 2020 claiming that even though the laptop did not have “any evidence of Russian involvement,” it looked like a “Russian information operation.”

    The letter came after the New York Post reported that they had emails showing Hunter Biden coordinated for Joe Biden to meet with a top executive at Ukrainian energy company Burisma months before pressuring Ukrainian officials to oust a prosecutor to investigate the company. 

    Included on the list are former director of National Intelligence James Clapper Jr., former directors of the Central Intelligence Agency Michael Hayden, John Brennan, former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, and former National Security Advisor John Bolton. 

    Fox News Digital previously reported that federal investigators with the Department of Justice were aware that Hunter Biden’s laptop was not manipulated and contained “reliable evidence.” 

    The order was one of more than 200 executive orders Trump approved on Inauguration Day, joining directives like withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement that the U.S. initially entered under former President Barack Obama’s administration in 2015. 

    Other executive orders Trump signed on day one include rescinding nearly 80 executive orders and memoranda issued under Biden, issuing a regulatory and hiring freeze upon the federal government, preventing “government censorship” of free speech, and directing every department and agency to address the cost of living crisis. 

    Prior to Trump’s Inauguration, the House Judiciary Committee signaled it plans to continue its probe into the criminal investigation of Hunter Biden who was issued a full pardon by his father.

    READ NEXT: Republican Says Hunter Biden Investigation Will Move Forward

    Republican Holdout Opts To Support Sec. Of Defense Nominee

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America - Pete Hegseth, CC BY-SA 2.0

    A significant win…

    On Tuesday, Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump’s nominee to lead the Pentagon, scored a significant endorsement after a grueling hearing with the Senate Armed Services Committee.

    According to Fox News, Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst — who previously declared herself being on the fence regarding Hegseth — said Tuesday evening that she was on board with the appointment.

    That speaks volumes because Ernst was the only GOP holdout making her reservations public on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

    “After four years of weakness in the White House, Americans deserve a strong Secretary of Defense,” Ernst told Fox News via a statement.

    “Our next commander in chief selected Pete Hegseth to serve in this role, and after our conversations, hearing from Iowans, and doing my job as a United States Senator, I will support President Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense,” she added.

    “As I serve on the Armed Services Committee, I will work with Pete to create the most lethal fighting force and hold him to his commitments of auditing the Pentagon, ensuring opportunity for women in combat while maintaining high standards, and selecting a senior official to address and prevent sexual assault in the ranks.”

    The endorsement is critical, as Ernst had first told the media she was skeptical of Trump’s pick and subsequently issued a statement vaguely supportive of him.

    In December Ernst, a combat veteran, told Fox News that she had a “very long, lengthy discussion” with Hegseth in early December and added that “we will continue with the vetting process. I think that is incredibly important.”

    When Fox News’ Bill Hemmer responded that it sounded like the Senator hadn’t “gotten to a yes” yet, she responded, “I think you are right.”

    Trump Issues Warning To Hamas During Post-Certification Address

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Palestinian News & Information Agency (Wafa) in contract with APAimages, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    President-elect Trump repeated his warnings that “all hell will break loose” in the Middle East if hostages kidnapped from Israel and held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip are not released before his inauguration.

    “It will not be good for Hamas, and it will not be good, frankly, for anyone,” Trump said during a press conference at his residence in Florida, Mar-A-Lago. “All hell will break out. I don’t have to say anymore, but that’s what it is.” 

    Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, said at the same press conference that there’s been a lot of progress on efforts to release about 100 hostages held in the Gaza Strip, saying he’s hopeful a deal is achieved ahead of the inauguration. 

    Witkoff said he had just returned from discussions in Doha, Qatar on the hostage release deal and was planning to head back to the region on Wednesday or Thursday. 

    “I believe we’ve been on the verge of it. I don’t want to discuss sort of what’s delayed it,” he said.

    Secretary of State Antony Blinken had earlier said he hoped the Biden administration could conclude a hostage release and ceasefire deal before the end of President Biden’s term

    Report: Trump Admin. Planning Major Loophole To Deport Illegal Migrants

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    9
    Trump at the border wall via Wikimedia Commons

    The incoming Trump administration is reportedly devising a plan to remove illegal migrants from the United States.

    Illegal migrants that have been ordered deported by an immigration judge, but hail from a country that refuses to take them back, may be sent to Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas, Grenada, Panama or possibly elsewhere once President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House, according to NBC News.

    The Trump transition team has not confirmed the proposed immigration plan.

    The Daily Caller reports:

    Foreign governments that refuse to take back deportees have long frustrated federal immigration authorities in multiple administrations. In lieu of remaining in detention indefinitely, many of these individuals may simply be released back into the U.S., even if an immigration judge has ordered them to be removed.

    During Trump’s first White House term, he secured safe third country agreements with El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, which were intended to keep asylum seekers at bay by forcing them to seek refuge in those countries first before applying in the U.S. However, the Biden administration suspended those deals immediately upon entering office — part of a massive unraveling of Trump-era immigration policies by President Joe Biden that helped spark the current southern border crisis.

    Trump FBI Nominee Targeted By Iranian Hackers

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Ramón Colón-López and the chief of staff to Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller, Kash Patel, arrive at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Jan. 14, 2021. (DoD photo by Lisa Ferdinando)

    President-elect Donald Trump’s FBI director pick, Kash Patel, was the target of an Iranian hacking plot.

    Sources close to the matter informed CNN that the hackers successfully accessed some of Patel’s communications.

    Hackers reportedly accessed some of Patel’s communications, according to one source. Patel, a former chief of staff to the defense secretary during Trump’s first term, has been a vocal critic of Iran and an advocate for aggressive measures against the regime.

    While refraining from addressing the specifics of the incident, Trump transition spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer framed Patel’s leadership as integral to the incoming administration’s security policies.

    “Kash Patel was a key part of the first Trump administration’s efforts against the terrorist Iranian regime and will implement President Trump’s policies to protect America from adversaries as the FBI Director,” Pfeiffer told the network.

    Patel is only the latest to be targeted in the foreign hacking plot. Iranian and Chinese actors have reportedly ramped up efforts to infiltrate the communications of those close to the President-elect.

    Last month, the FBI informed Todd Blanche, Trump’s lead attorney and nominee for deputy attorney general, that Chinese hackers had tapped his cellphone, sources confirmed. 

    Texas Land Commissioner Unveils Plan To Construct Deportation Facilities

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1
    Construction continues on new border wall system project near Yuma, AZ. Recently constructed border wall near Yuma, Arizona on June 3, 2020. CBP photo by Jerry Glaser.

    Starr County, TX – Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham has announced the launch of the Jocelyn Initiative, a plan to lease state land for the construction of deportation facilities aimed at addressing violent criminal activity. The initiative, named in honor of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, who was raped and murdered by two illegal immigrants, is ready to begin implementation immediately upon President-elect Donald Trump‘s inauguration.

    “My office has already identified several state properties suitable for this effort,” Buckingham stated during the announcement. “We are prepared to act on day one of the Trump presidency to ensure the necessary facilities are in place.”

    A Personal and Symbolic Ceremony

    The announcement took place on a newly purchased 1,400-acre tract in Starr County, acquired by the state in October as part of Texas’s broader border security strategy. During the ceremony, Jocelyn’s family joined Buckingham in laying a symbolic panel of the state-funded border wall. In an emotional moment, family members were invited to install a section of the wall themselves, commemorating their beloved daughter’s memory.

    Expanded Vision for State Land

    The Starr County property, already designated for border wall construction, is now being considered for additional infrastructure, including deportation facilities. Buckingham highlighted the strategic importance of the site, calling it an ideal location for “processing, detention and coordination of what will be the largest deportation of violent criminals in our nation’s history.”

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    “I am 100% on board with the Trump administration‘s pledge to get these criminals out of our country, and we are more than happy to offer our resources to facilitate deportations of these violent criminals,” she added. “We’re happy to make this offer and hope they take us up on it.”

    MyHighPlains.com continues:

    Buckingham described the plot as “essentially farmland,” and “easy to build on.” Her office did not specify how much the state paid to acquire it.

    Tom Homan, President-elect Trump’s pick to serve as “border czar,” told Fox News that the incoming administration expects to use the gifted land as part of its deportation program. He did not go into details about any plans.

    Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    Homan is scheduled to visit the Rio Grande Valley on Tuesday. He will join Gov. Greg Abbott to present holiday meals to National Guard troops serving along the border. Commissioner Buckingham announced a “border wall construction kick-off” on the newly acquired state land in Starr County on the same day.

    …

    The Texas legislature is also preparing to take state border enforcement even further. State Sen. Bob Hall, for example, has filed bills to establish the “Texas Department of Homeland Security” and to authorize the Texas Department of Public Safety to deport migrants — measures the Biden administration challenged as unconstitutional.

    These initiatives highlight a rising trend among border states, especially Texas and Arizona, to take charge of immigration enforcement. However, Trump’s approach might reduce the need for states to assert control, as the federal government steps up its efforts.

    Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News

    Denver Mayor Could Face Removal, Jail Time Over Deportation Stance

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    4
    Trump at the border wall via Wikimedia Commons

    Democrat Denver Mayor Mike Johnston recently said he was prepared to break with President-elect Donald Trump’s deportation plans and Republicans are warning he will absolutely suffer the consequences.

    Johnston said during a recent interview that he was prepared to protest against anything he believes is “illegal or immoral or un-American” in the city – including the use of military force.

    During a Sunday morning interview on Face The Nation, Paul told anchor Margaret Brennan that Johnston’s plan is a “form of insurrection” that could see him removed from office.

    BRENNAN: The stated Trump plan is to use the military or military assets, deputize the National Guard, and have them act as immigration agents. Do you believe that is lawful?

    PAUL: You know, I’m 100% supportive of going after the 15,000 murderers, the 13,000 sexual assault perpetrators, rapist, all of these people. Let’s send them on their way to prison or back home to another prison. So I would say all points bulletin all in. But you don’t do it with the army because it’s illegal. And we’ve we’ve had a distrust of putting the army into our streets because the police have a difficult job. But the police understand the Fourth Amendment. They have to go to judges. They have to get warrants. It has to be specific. And so I’m for removing these people. But I would do it through the normal process of domestic policing.

    Now, I would say that the mayor of Denver, if he’s going to resist federal law, which there’s a long standing, standing history of the supremacy of federal law, he’s going to resist that. It will go all the way to the Supreme Court. And I would suspect that he would be removed from office. I don’t know whether or not that would be a criminal prosecution for someone resisting federal law. But he will lose. And people need to realize that what he is offering is a form of insurrection where the states resist the federal government. Most people objected to that and rejected that long ago. So I think the mayor of Denver is on the wrong side of history and really, I think will face legal ramifications if he doesn’t obey the federal law.

    The president-elect’s pick to be the next border czar responded that he’s willing to put the Denver Mayor in jail for outright flouting Trump’s policies.

    “You are absolutely breaking the law,” Tom Homan, Trump’s “border czar” designate, told Fox News’ Sean Hannity. “All he has to do is look at Arizona v. U.S. and he would see he’s breaking the law. But, look, me and the Denver mayor, we agree on one thing. He’s willing to go to jail, I’m willing to put him in jail.”

    Homan pointed to a statute that says it’s a “felony if you knowingly harbor and conceal an illegal alien from immigration authorities.”

    Homan said they have to secure this country and save lives. 

    “President Trump has been clear, we want to concentrate on public safety threats and national security threats. I find it hard to believe that any governor would say they don’t want public safety threats removed from their neighborhoods,” he said.

    Trump To Tap Former ICE Director For ‘Border Czar’ Role

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    2
    Trump at the border wall via Wikimedia Commons

    Donald Trump is slowly but surely announcing key appointments for his administration.

    President-elect Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he plans to appoint Thomas Homan as the next “border czar.” Vice President Kamala Harris was appointed to the role by President Biden in 2021.

    Trump made the announcement on his social media platform Truth Social.

    “​​I’ve known Tom for a long time, and there is nobody better at policing and controlling our Borders. Likewise, Tom Homan will be in charge of all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin. Congratulations to Tom. I have no doubt he will do a fantastic, and long awaited for, job.”

    Trump added that the “border czar” position isn’t just for monitoring the U.S. southern border with Mexico, but also “the Northern Border, all Maritime, and Aviation Security. I’ve known Tom for a long time, and there is nobody better at policing and controlling our Borders.”

    Trump vowed during his campaign he would once again take a hard-line approach to securing the border.

    “It’s going to be a well-targeted, planned operation conducted by the men of ICE. The men and women of ICE do this daily. They’re good at it,” Homan said during a Fox News interview on Sunday, adding that deportations would be a “humane operation.”

    This is only the beginning of many positions that need to be filled by his presidency. Trump has already announced that Susie Wiles, his co-campaign manager, will be the White House chief of staff.

    On Saturday, Trump announced Steve Witkoff and former Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler will co-chair his inaugural committee.

     “On Election Night, we made history and I have the extraordinary honor of having been elected the 47th President of the United States thanks to tens millions of hardworking Americans across the nation who supported our America First agenda. The Trump Vance Inaugural Committee will honor this magnificent victory in a celebration of the American People and our nation,” stated President Donald J. Trump. “This will be the kick-off to my administration, which will deliver on bold promises to Make America Great Again. Together, we will celebrate this moment, steeped on history and tradition, and then get to work to achieve the most incredible future for our people, restoring strength, success, and common sense to the Oval Office.” 

    Republicans are also vying to replace Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) as House GOP conference chair almost immediately after news broke that President-elect Trump had picked her to serve at the United Nations,

    Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), the House GOP conference secretary, told The Hill she is running for Stefanik’s old post, as is Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.), according to a source familiar with her bid.

    Rep. Blake Moore (R-Utah), the current House GOP Vice Chair, is also making calls to colleagues about seeking the position, according to another source with knowledge of his activities.

    The role of conference chair is the No. 4 post in the House GOP majority. Stefanik was elevated to the job in May 2021, after the group voted to oust former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) from the position.

    Some, however, have already taken themselves out of the running. Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.) told The Hill that she will not seek the position, and Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) also said she will not vie for the role.

    “I’m humbled that my colleagues would consider me for this important post but I am not running for a leadership position. My focus is on serving Iowa’s Second Congressional District and working to ensure we carry out President Trump’s agenda,” Hinson said in a statement.

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