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    Trump Responds After Iranian General Threatens To Retaliate

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    9
    President Donald Trump takes questions after signing Executive Orders, Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok) President Donald Trump signs Executive Orders, Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)

    An Iranian general vowed to respond “decisively and destructively” to any threats from President Trump.

    “We warn our enemies that Iran will respond decisively and destructively if they carry out their threats,” Gen. Hossein Salami, the leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, told state media following U.S. strikes over the weekend against the Tehran-backed terrorist group, according to Reuters. 

    “We are not a nation to live in hiding. We are a valid and legitimate system in the world. We announce it if we attack anywhere,” Salami was quoted as saying by ABC News. 

    U.S. Central Command said Saturday it had “initiated a series of operations consisting of precision strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets across Yemen to defend American interests, deter enemies, and restore freedom of navigation.”  

    Trump wrote on Truth Social Saturday that he “ordered the United States Military to launch decisive and powerful Military action against the Houthi terrorists in Yemen.” 

    “It has been over a year since a U.S.-flagged commercial ship safely sailed through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, or the Gulf of Aden,” Trump continued. “The last American Warship to go through the Red Sea, four months ago, was attacked by the Houthis over a dozen times.” 

    Trump wrote that the “relentless assaults have cost the U.S. and World Economy many BILLIONS of Dollars while, at the same time, putting innocent lives at risk.” 

    “To all Houthi terrorists, YOUR TIME IS UP, AND YOUR ATTACKS MUST STOP, STARTING TODAY. IF THEY DON’T, HELL WILL RAIN DOWN UPON YOU LIKE NOTHING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN BEFORE!” his post concluded. 

    The large-scale campaign against Houthi targets in Yemen will be “unrelenting” until the Iran-backed proxies pledge to back off U.S. assets, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Fox News on Sunday. 

    Trump said in a post on his Truth Social account that any future attacks would be viewed as having come directly from Tehran:

    Let nobody be fooled! The hundreds of attacks being made by Houthi, the sinister mobsters and thugs based in Yemen, who are hated by the Yemeni people, all emanate from, and are created by, IRAN. Any further attack or retaliation by the “Houthis” will be met with great force, and there is no guarantee that that force will stop there. Iran has played “the innocent victim” of rogue terrorists from which they’ve lost control, but they haven’t lost control. They’re dictating every move, giving them the weapons, supplying them with money and highly sophisticated Military equipment, and even, so-called, “Intelligence.”

    Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN, and IRAN will be held responsible, and suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire!

    DONALD J. TRUMP,
    PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

    According to the US Treasury Department, Iran launders funds to the Houthi rebels that the group uses to finance strikes against Israel and other US allies.

    FBI Agents Sue DOJ To Block Release Of Officials’ Names In Trump Investigations

    By
    Patrick Houck
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    6

    Nine anonymous FBI officials who worked on investigations related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and the classified documents case at Mar-a-Lago have filed a class-action lawsuit against the Trump administration. The lawsuit seeks to prevent the Department of Justice (DOJ) from compiling a list of officials involved in these high-profile cases, arguing that such a move could lead to retaliation and security risks.

    Agents Warn of National Security Concerns

    The plaintiffs claim the DOJ’s actions amount to an “unlawful” and “retaliatory” purge, raising alarms about potential misuse of the information.

    “Should this information fall into the wrong hands, the national security of the United States would be severely compromised,” the lawsuit states.

    Beyond job security, the agents fear broader professional consequences, alleging they could face demotions, lost promotions or blocked career opportunities as a result of their past investigative work.

    The New York Times has additional details:

    The lawsuits came in response to a demand by Emil Bove, the acting deputy attorney general, that the F.B.I. compile and turn over a list of everyone who worked on those cases. That group, the lawsuits estimated, could number as many as 6,000 agents.

    The lawsuits said that the agents believed the administration intended to reveal their identities, exposing the agents and their families to profound danger. They seek court orders prohibiting the executive branch from releasing the names.

    The Trump administration has not said it intends to release the identities of the law enforcement officials, but its demand for names of people who worked on the cases has stoked the belief that it may move to fire them en masse. At the Justice Department, prosecutors who have worked on cases involving President Trump or the Jan. 6 rioters have been dismissed. The lawsuits on Tuesday appear to be putting down a marker that could expand into a challenge to any mass firings if they happen.

    “It is clear that the threatened disclosure is a prelude to an unlawful purge of the F.B.I. driven solely by the Trump administration’s vengeful and political motivations,” Chris Mattei, a lawyer for the Federal Bureau of Investigation Agents Association, said in a statement. “Releasing the names of these agents would ignite a firestorm of harassment towards them and their families, and it must be stopped immediately.”

    DOJ Under Scrutiny

    The lawsuit marks a significant legal challenge to the administration’s handling of federal law enforcement personnel, particularly those involved in the cases against President Trump. Critics warn that the creation of such a list could pave the way for politically motivated employment retaliation, a concern that has gained traction, especially on the left, amid ongoing debates over government oversight and accountability.

    A key element of the case is a DOJ questionnaire, which the plaintiffs say was distributed to thousands of FBI officials, asking them to disclose their involvement in Jan. 6 and Trump-related investigations. The lawsuit argues this effort could set a dangerous precedent for targeting law enforcement officials based on past casework.

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

    Trump Confirms US Military Airstrike Killed Al-Qaeda Official

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    0
    David B. Gleason from Chicago, IL, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    A member of a group linked to al Qaeda has been killed in a U.S. airstrike.

    On Saturday, U.S. forces “conducted a precision airstrike in Northwest Syria targeting and killing a senior finance and logistics official in the terrorist organization Hurras al-Din (HaD), an Al-Qaeda affiliate,” U.S. Central Command said in a press release.

    CENTCOM said the airstrike was part of its “ongoing commitment, along with partners in the region, to disrupt and degrade efforts by terrorists to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against civilians and military personnel from the U.S., our allies, and our partners throughout the region and beyond.”

    “We will continue to relentlessly pursue terrorists in order to defend our homeland, and U.S., allied, and partner personnel in the region,” Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla said in a statement.

    President Donald Trump congratulated U.S. forces following the mission.

    “US forces conducted a precision airstrike against a member of al-Qaeda in Syria this weekend,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The terrorist leader was working with al-Qaeda across the region.”

    “Congratulations to CENTCOM Commander Gen. Michael Kurilla, and the US warfighters who dealt Justice to another Jihadi threatening America and our allies and partners,” he continued.

    Hurras al-Din was formed in 2018 after the Nusrah Front terror group broke off from Al-Qaeda. The group operates primarily in Syria’s Idlib Province and could have as many as 2,500 members, according to the National Counterterrorism Center.

    This Trump Cabinet Member Is On ‘Thin Ice’

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    4
    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    The tides are turning against this Trump Cabinet member…

    Michael Wolff, the Trump biographer who has long studied the president, revealed on The Daily Beast Podcast this week that the Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is getting increasingly close to being fired.

    Over the weekend, the U.S. launched an attack on three nuclear enrichment sites in Iran. Despite Trump’s declared victory, however, early intelligence assessments suggest that the strikes did not destroy the facilities at all.

    “It’s always important in the Trump script, the fallback is always who to blame, who to blame,” Wolff told The Daily Beast’s Joanna Coles. “Just have to have someone to blame. Tulsi is in the line of fire.”

    To Trump, he added, she is a “stooge” at this point.

    Reports of the still-existent nuclear sites are at odds with Trump’s repeated claims that the strikes “completely and totally obliterated” the facilities.

    Tulsi Gabbard via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told CNN: “This alleged assessment is flat-out wrong and was classified as ‘top secret’ but was still leaked to CNN by an anonymous, low-level loser in the intelligence community.”

    But now that the assessment is available for the public to judge for themselves, Wolff said that Trump is in search of someone to throw under the bus.

    “There is an investigation that is going on,“ said Wolff. ”They will try to find someone to blame. Within the White House, within the West Wing, what they are saying as of this morning, who this is being pinned on, is Tulsi.”

    White House staff have confirmed that the leak is already being investigated.

    “President Trump’s Peace through Strength foreign policy is a tried-and-true approach that keeps America safe and deters global threats,” White House Communications Director Steven Cheung told the Daily Beast in a statement. “Efforts by the legacy media to sow internal division are a distraction that will not work. President Trump has full confidence in his entire exceptional national security team. DNI Gabbard is an important member of the President’s team and her work continues to serve him and this country well.”

    Watch:

    Gabbard was awkwardly snubbed by President Donald Trump this week after he dismissed her Congressional testimony that countered the administration’s justification for bombing Iran.

    “The intelligence community continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Khomeini has not authorized the nuclear weapons program that he suspended in 2003,” she said in March.

    But this month, Trump publicly slammed Gabbard when her comments resurfaced.

    “I don’t care what she said,” Trump said of Gabbard’s comments. “I think they were very close to having them.”

    Trump later doubled down, telling reporters that Gabbard was “wrong” about the issue.

    Gabbard bowed down to Trump’s assertions, quickly posting on X that the “dishonest media is intentionally taking my testimony out of context and spreading fake news as a way to manufacture division.”

    Sign Now: Trump, Rubio, and Israel Need You in This Fight

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

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    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 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.

    Republican Holdout Opts To Support Sec. Of Defense Nominee

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    2
    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.”

    Pentagon Official Removed From Joint Chiefs Of Staff

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1
    David B. Gleason from Chicago, IL, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    A Pentagon official has been removed from his role with the Joint Chiefs of Staff after his anti-Israel social media posts were brought to light

    Colonel Nathan McCormack, who was tasked with helping advise the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Israel-related matters, was immediately fired after his anti-Israel posts were uncovered.

    McCormack, who was the Levant and Egypt branch chief at the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s J5 planning directorate, according to his LinkedIn, posted several controversial tweets on his X account. He called Israel a “death cult” and referred to the Israeli government as “Netanyahu and his Judeo-supremacist cronies,” among other things, Jewish News Syndicate reported.

    A Joint Staff official told The Daily Wire that the Department of Defense said McCormack was removed from his position with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and that the matter is being handed over to the U.S. Army for further action.

    “Our global alliances and partnerships are vital to our national security, enhancing our collective defense, deterrence, and operational reach,” the official said.

    McCormack’s semi-anonymous account has been deleted following JNS’s report.

    The J5 directorate of the Joint Chiefs of Staff advises the chairman of the Joint Chiefs on military strategy, planning, and policy across a wide range of national security issues. McCormack’s role tasked him with preparing senior leadership to speak with partner nations —including Israel.

    McCormack made the posts on an X account where he calls himself “Nate,” but has posted several times about his job and even shared a photo of his Meritorious Service Medal certificate.

    Since assuming his position — which his LinkedIn says he began in June 2024 — McCormack has posted numerous times about his views on the Jewish state, especially after Hamas’s October 7 massacre of Israeli civilians.

    “The Western states go to great lengths to avoid criticism of Israel, much out of Holocaust guilt,” McCormack tweeted in April.

    In May, he posted that “Netanyahu and his Judeo-supremacist cronies are determined to prolong the conflict for their own goals: either to remain in power or to annex the land.”

    In April 2024, McCormack questioned if the United States was a proxy of Israel.

    “I’ve lately been considering whether we might be Israel’s proxy and not realized it yet,” he posted. “Our worst ‘ally.’ We get literally nothing out of the ‘partnership’ other than the enmity of millions of people in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.”

    McCormack has also disclosed details about his official duties on the account, claiming in August 2024 that “we” warned Israel it would be “fuxked” if it escalated into an offensive against Lebanon. Despite the warning, Israel launched an invasion two months later and decimated the terrorist group Hezbollah. He also shared information about his conversations and briefings with Israeli Defense Forces officers.

    McCormack’s account also shared information about his movements and work trips being canceled, according to JNS.

    The Department of Defense has strict social media guidelines, including telling service members to “avoid use of Department of Defense titles, insignia, uniforms or symbols in a way that could imply DoD sanction or endorsement of content on your personal page.”

    The Left wants to erase the Electoral College — will you speak up?

    Space Force Commander Fired After Sending Mass Email To Staff About VP Vance

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    3
    David B. Gleason from Chicago, IL, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    She’s out…

    The Pentagon fired the commander at the U.S. Space Force base in Greenland after she broke with Vice President JD Vance who recently traveled to Greenland.

    After the vice president’s visit, Col. Susannah Meyers emailed base personnel on March 31, writing, “I do not presume to understand current politics, but what I do know is the concerns of the U.S. administration discussed by Vice President Vance on Friday are not reflective of Pituffik Space Base.”

    She added that she had “spent the weekend thinking about Friday’s visit — the actions taken, the words spoken, and how it must have affected each of you.” The email was first reported by Military.com.

    The Space Force said in a public statement Meyers had been relieved of command “due to loss of confidence in her ability to lead.” 

    “Commanders are expected to adhere to the highest standards of conduct, especially as it relates to remaining nonpartisan in the performance of their duties,” the statement read. 

    Col. Shawn Lee has now assumed the command, Space Force said. 

    “Actions to undermine the chain of command or to subvert President Trump’s agenda will not be tolerated at the Department of Defense,” Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell posted on X. 

    Meyers became commander of the 821st Space Base Group in July, according to a Facebook post about the change-of-command ceremony. 

    Vance, during his visit to the snow-covered island, criticized Denmark for treating Greenlanders as “second-class citizens.” 

    “Our message to Denmark is very simple,” Vance said. “You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland. You have underinvested in the people of Greenland, and you have underinvested in the security of this incredible, beautiful landmass.”

    Vance was the highest-ranking official to ever travel to the base in Pituffik, the White House said. 

    The Trump administration has made acquiring Greenland a top goal. 

    “We need Greenland for national security and international security,” President Donald Trump said on March 11. 

    Trump Names Former Fox Star As Deputy FBI Director

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    0
    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Trump announced on Sunday that Dan Bongino will be the next deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Bongino is a former Secret Service agent and will serve under Kash Patel.

    Bongino is a former Fox News host and well-known conservative podcaster who supported Trump throughout the 2024 election. He is a close ally of Patel and will now serve directly under him at the FBI, according to a Sunday night post made by Trump on Truth Social.

    Bongino and Patel will report directly to Attorney General Pam Bondi.

    Dan Bongino via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    On Truth Social, Trump praised Bongino for his past service in the Secret Service and “as one of the most successful podcasters in the country.” The president also pointed to Bongino’s service in the New York Police Department.

    Great news for Law Enforcement and American Justice! Dan Bongino, a man of incredible love and passion for our Country, has just been named the next DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE FBI, by the man who will be the best ever Director, Kash Patel. Dan has a Masters Degree in Psychology from C.U.N.Y., and an MBA from Penn State. He was a member of the New York Police Department (New York’s Finest!), a highly respected Special Agent with the United States Secret Service, and is now one of the most successful Podcasters in the Country, something he is willing and prepared to give up in order to serve. Working with our great new United States Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and Director Patel, Fairness, Justice, Law and Order will be brought back to America, and quickly. Congratulations Dan!

    In a follow-up post, Trump said, “Another aspect of the life of Dan Bongino that I think is very important. He has a great wife, Paula, and two wonderful daughters who truly love their dad. What an incredible job Dan will do!!!”

    Last week, the Senate voted to confirm Patel along party lines.

    During his confirmation hearing, Patel pledged to depoliticize the FBI and restore accountability within the Bureau. However, Democrats continued to vigorously criticize his close ties to President Trump and questioned his qualifications and impartiality.

    Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) warned last week, “My prediction is if you vote for Kash Patel, more than any other confirmation vote you make, you will come to regret this one to your grave.” Other Democrats attacked Patel over his comments on the 2020 election, his defense of Jan. 6 defendants and concerns that he could lead a purge at the Bureau.

    As he begins his 10-year term, Patel faces major tasks ahead, having articulated a comprehensive agenda aimed at restructuring the FBI to enhance its efficiency and public trust.

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