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    Report: Trump Tells Congress The U.S. Is Engaged In ‘Armed Conflict’ With Drug Cartels

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    By The White House - https://www.flickr.com/photos/202101414@N05/54581054338/, Public Domain,

    On Thursday, the White House 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 of 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 of illegal drugs into the U.S.

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

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

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    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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    FAA Contractor Pleads Guilty To Spying For Iran

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2
    Arrest image via Pixabay

    A former Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) contractor has pleaded guilty to acting as an agent of Iran.

    The Department of Justice announced on Wednesday that 42-year-old Abouzar Rahmati, a naturalized U.S. citizen and resident of Virginia, pleaded guilty to acting as an agent of Iran by pursuing an FAA job to gain access to information. From 2017 to 2024, Rahmati met with Iranian officials, communicated with security officials, and provided “non-public materials about the U.S. solar energy industry.”

    According to the DOJ, it was Rahmati who offered his services to Iran:

    In August 2017, Rahmati offered his services to the Iranian government through a senior Iranian government official who previously worked in Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security and with whom Rahmati had previously attended university. Four months later, in December 2017, Rahmati traveled to Iran, where he met with Iranian intelligence operatives and government officials and agreed to obtain information about the U.S. solar energy industry, to provide that information to Iranian officials, and to conduct future communications under a cover story based on purported discussions about research with fellow academics.

    Rahmati previously was an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) 1st Lt., a branch of the Iranian Armed Forces, from June 2009 to May 2010. The IRGC is a designated terrorist group by the U.S. government.

    The DOJ said Rahmati offered his services to Iran in August 2017 through a former colleague who was a senior Iranian government official who previously worked at the country’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security.

    Rahmati traveled to Iran four months later and met with intelligence operatives and government officials, the DOJ said. He also agreed to gather and provide Iranian officials with information about the solar industry in the U.S.

    Read:

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    Rahmati provided information “relating to solar energy, solar panels, the FAA, U.S. airports, and U.S. air traffic control towers” to his brother in Iran, which was then provided to government officials. He also at one point provided information related to “the National Aerospace System (NAS), Airport Surveillance Radar systems, and radio frequency data.”

    In early 2018, Rahmati obtained private and open-source materials related to the U.S. solar industry, then provided them to the office of Iran’s Vice President for Science and Technology.

    Rahmati is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 26, and he faces a maximum of 10 years in prison for acting as an agent of a foreign government, and up to five years in prison for conspiracy.

    The guilty plea comes amidst President Donald Trump’s ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran in which the president has warned military options are on the table should Iran not agree to never possess a nuclear weapon.

    Senior Iranian Official Issues Deadly Threat To Trump

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    A senior Iranian official issued a pointed warning to President Donald Trump on Tuesday, escalating tensions after Iran selected a new supreme leader without consulting the United States and as conflict in the region continues to intensify.

    Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, responded directly to Trump’s recent warnings about Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz.

    “The sacrificial nation of Iran doesn’t fear your empty threats,” Larijani wrote on the social media platform X in a post translated by The Associated Press. “Even those bigger than you couldn’t eliminate Iran. Be careful not to get eliminated yourself.”

    Larijani’s remarks came after Trump issued a stark warning Monday on Truth Social, threatening severe retaliation if Iran interferes with oil shipments passing through the strategic waterway.

    “If Iran does anything that tops the flow of Oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far,” Trump wrote.

    “Additionally, we will take out easily destroyable targets that will make it virtually impossible for Iran to ever be built back, as a Nation, again — Death, Fire, and Fury will reign upon them — But I hope, and pray, that it does not happen!” he continued. “This is a gift from the United States of America to China, and all of those Nations that heavily use the Hormuz Strait. Hopefully, it is a gesture that will be greatly appreciated.”

    The exchange comes as Iran moves forward with a major leadership transition following the death of longtime supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran’s governing clerical establishment selected his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as the country’s new supreme leader — a move that has drawn scrutiny abroad and further strained relations with Washington.

    Trump said he is skeptical that Iran’s new leader will bring stability to the region.

    “I don’t believe he can live in peace,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst.

    Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that the new supreme leader of Iran, “would be wise to heed the words of our president, which is to not pursue nuclear weapons and come out and state as such.”

    The leadership change comes amid a rapidly expanding regional conflict. Iranian forces launched a new wave of attacks Tuesday targeting Israel and several U.S.-aligned Gulf nations, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain, according to The Associated Press.

    In Bahrain, an Iranian strike on a residential building killed a 29-year-old woman and injured eight others.

    The escalating confrontation follows the U.S.-Israeli joint military campaign against Iranian targets, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, which began Feb. 28 and aimed to dismantle Iran’s alleged nuclear weapons capabilities.

    The conflict has also disrupted global energy markets.

    Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced it would block oil exports from the region in response to the attacks.

    The Guard said it would not “allow the export of even a single liter of oil from the region to the hostile side and its partners until further notice.”

    The threat has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman that connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply typically passes through the strait each day, making it one of the most critical energy chokepoints in the world.

    Shipping traffic has slowed dramatically.

    According to monitoring data from hormuzstraitmonitor.com, only two ships passed through the strait in the last 24 hours — far below the typical average of about 60 daily vessels. As of Tuesday, 157 ships remain stranded near the passage, including 98 oil tankers and 34 bulk carriers.

    The disruption has already driven up energy prices.

    West Texas Intermediate crude oil, the benchmark for North American markets, rose to just over $90 per barrel Tuesday morning. The national average price for gasoline in the United States climbed to $3.54 per gallon, according to AAA.

    Trump has defended the military campaign despite the economic fallout, arguing that higher fuel prices are a necessary cost to eliminate Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

    The spike in oil prices is a “very small price to pay,” he said.

    Still, some lawmakers worry the administration may not have fully anticipated the economic consequences.

    Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) criticized the White House for appearing unprepared for the energy market shock.

    “For heaven’s sakes, are you telling me you didn’t game this one out?” she told Punchbowl News last week. “I’m starting to think they didn’t game this one out.”

    With tensions rising and oil markets rattled, the confrontation between Washington and Tehran appears poised to intensify as Iran’s new leadership consolidates power and the U.S. continues its military pressure campaign.

    On Tuesday, Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine told reporters at the Pentagon that Iran is “fighting, and I respect that.”

    “But I don’t think they’re more formidable than what we thought,” he added about Tehran’s defensive capabilities.

    “Our strikes mean we’ve made significant progress in reducing the number of missile and drone attacks out of Iran,” Caine also said. “Ballistic missile attacks continue to trend downward, 90% from where they’ve started, and one-way attack drones have decreased 83%, since the beginning of the operation.”

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    GOP Senator Flips War Powers Stance Following Trump Criticsm

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0

    Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) will reportedly now vote with Senate Republican leaders to defeat a resolution that aims to block President Trump from using military force against Venezuela.

    Hawley, who backed advancing the measure last week, said Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed to him that Trump will not deploy troops to Venezuela.

    Hawley changed his position on the bill several days after Trump lashed out at him and the four other Republican senators who voted to advance the measure out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week.

    The Hill reports:

    A person familiar with Hawley’s position confirmed that he will vote against the war powers resolution when it comes up for consideration on the Senate floor Wednesday.

    Hawley told Punchbowl News on Wednesday that he will vote to quash the war powers resolution after receiving assurances from Rubio that the administration would seek approval from Congress before deploying troops to Venezuela.

    Trump called for the ouster of Hawley and GOP Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Rand Paul (Ky.) and Todd Young (Ind.) after they defied him last week with their votes.

    “Republicans should be ashamed of the Senators that just voted with Democrats in attempting to take away our Powers to fight and defend the United States of America. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul, Josh Hawley, and Todd Young should never be elected to office again,” Trump wrote on Truth Social after the vote.

    Hawley brushed off the President’s criticism last week, arguing his reading of the Constitution led him to believe deploying troops to Venezuela or another country requires authorization from Congress.

    “I don’t take any offense to that,” Hawley told reporters at the time. “I think the president’s great. Love the president.

    “But on this, today … I was asked to vote on would Congress need to weigh in if the administration decided they needed to commit troops to the future for hostilities,” he said. “Under the Constitution … I think we have to vote on that.

    Sen. John Kennedy needs something rarer than hen’s teeth in Washington: Your honest opinion. Before the election, he wants to hear from real Americans. Share your thoughts below.

    Trump’s Patience With Zelensky Evaporates As White House Issues Dire Warning

    By
    Patrick Houck
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    By President Of Ukraine - https://www.flickr.com/photos/165930373@N06/54169325552/, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=156221279

    President Trump’s growing frustration with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky came to a head on Wednesday. At the center of the tension: a statement from Zelensky demanding full Russian withdrawal — including from Crimea — before even sitting down for peace talks.

    While the Ukrainian leader remains steadfast in his refusal to negotiate without a complete rollback of Russian control, critics argue that this kind of rigid posture may be stalling real progress and prolonging the war’s human cost.

    The Trump team has been exploring more pragmatic solutions to break the deadlock — one of which includes floating the idea of formally recognizing Crimea as Russian territory. It’s a bold play meant to strip away one of the biggest barriers to getting both sides to the table.

    As the New York Post explains, Trump’s dire warning to the Ukrainian president included a particularly ominous comment: settle for a negotiated peace or risk “losing the entire country.”

    Trump, 78, was responding to Zelensky telling reporters Tuesday that “Ukraine will not legally recognize the [Russian] occupation of Crimea” — a key part of a US-proposed peace plan under discussion in London Wednesday, and a condition that has long been a red line for Kyiv.

    “This statement is very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia in that Crimea was lost years ago under the auspices of President Barack Hussein Obama, and is not even a point of discussion,” the president seethed on Truth Social. 

    “Nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory but, if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?”

    Trump a decade ago criticized Obama for not intervening when Russia annexed Crimea. Kyiv has been working since 2014 to get its territory back and expel Russians from eastern Ukraine.

    In a bid to end the grinding, trench-style war in Ukraine, the Trump administration is preparing to upend more than eight decades of U.S. foreign policy.

    “There’s a doctrine out there called the Welles Declaration, that goes back to 1940, that says the United States will not acknowledge the occupation of a foreign land by another nation,” a senior administration official told the Post. “That’s on the table.”

    The Welles Doctrine, first invoked to condemn the Soviet occupation of the Baltic states, has long guided America’s refusal to recognize territorial seizures. Reversing or softening that position would mark a historic shift — one aimed at pressuring Ukraine and Russia toward a negotiated ceasefire.

    The move, while politically explosive, is rooted in realpolitik. Crimea has been effectively under Russian control since 2014, and there’s an argument to be made that clinging to pre-2014 maps may be standing in the way of saving lives today.

    Predictably, the proposal sparked outrage in Kyiv. For Ukrainians, Crimea isn’t just land — it’s a Maryland size chunk of heritage, identity and pride.

    But an important question remains: At what point does principled resistance become strategic blindness?

    READ NEXT: Fox News Star UNLOADS On Democrat Rep In Explosive Clash [WATCH]

    Lawmaker Whose Parents Fled Iranian Regime Files Impeachment Articles

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    6
    By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America - Pete Hegseth, CC BY-SA 2.0

    Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.) whose parents fled Iran following the rise of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, announced Monday that she will file articles of impeachment against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, accusing him of war crimes tied to the escalating conflict in the region.

    Ansari, who previously told The New York Times she felt “a rush of hope, but also unease” after Americans and Israelis killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in February, has since become sharply critical of how the Trump administration has handled the aftermath.

    Her announcement comes at a volatile moment. A ceasefire agreement was reached Tuesday evening, following intense fighting, but tensions quickly resurfaced after Iran again moved to close the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, raising fears of renewed economic and military escalation.

    “Donald Trump’s deranged statements — including one on Easter Sunday — are further entrenching our country and our world in another devastating, never-ending war,” Ansari said in a statement announcing her plans.

    She pointed specifically to Trump’s warning to Iran’s remaining leadership to “open the f—ing Strait” of Hormuz or face strikes on critical infrastructure.

    Ansari accused the administration of crossing legal and moral lines, arguing that both the president and Pentagon leadership have engaged in conduct that could constitute war crimes.

    “Ansari claimed Trump is threatening war crimes in violation of the Geneva Convention and has already committed ‘illegal actions and atrocities already committed at his direction — including violence that has destroyed schools, hospitals, and critical civilian infrastructure.'”

    “As the daughter of Iranian immigrants who fled this regime, and as an American Congresswoman who swore an oath to the United States Constitution, I know that this cannot go on,” she said.

    Her family’s history with Iran shapes much of her stance. Her father was studying medicine in the United States when the Iranian Revolution unfolded and was unable to return home, while her mother fled the country as a teenager after facing increasing restrictions on women’s rights under the Khomeini regime.

    Ansari is also calling for the invocation of the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office, and said she will move forward with impeachment proceedings against Hegseth “next week.”

    She argued the Pentagon chief has overstepped his authority and violated constitutional limits on war powers.

    “Hegseth’s reckless endangerment of U.S. servicemembers and repeated war crimes, including bombing a girls’ school in Minab, Iran, and willfully targeting civilian infrastructure, are grounds for impeachment and removal from office.”

    “Only Congress has the power to declare war, not a rogue president or his lackeys,” she added.

    The administration has forcefully pushed back on those claims. Hegseth and Trump recently oversaw a major operation to rescue a U.S. airman shot down by Iranian forces, which the president said required a large-scale military response.

    Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson dismissed Ansari’s impeachment effort as political theater.

    “Secretary Hegseth will continue to protect the homeland and unleash epic fury on Iran’s radical regime,” Wilson said.

    “This is just another charade in an attempt to distract the American people from the major successes we have had here at the Department of War.”

    Ansari’s move adds to a growing list of Democratic efforts to challenge the administration’s conduct in the conflict, even as the fragile ceasefire and renewed tensions in the Strait of Hormuz underscore how quickly the situation on the ground continues to shift.

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    Texas Land Commissioner Unveils Plan To Construct Deportation Facilities

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    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.”

    – Advertisement –

    “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

    TikTok Signs Trump-Backed Deal With US Investors To Avert Ban

    By
    Patrick Houck
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    1
    By The White House - https://www.flickr.com/photos/202101414@N05/54581054338/, Public Domain,

    TikTok has secured a last-minute lifeline.

    The social media giant reached a binding agreement Thursday with a Trump-backed group of U.S. and global investors, restructuring its American operations in an effort to avoid a nationwide ban and remain available to its 170 million U.S. users.

    Under the agreement with its Chinese parent ByteDance, the hugely popular social media app will shift control of its core U.S. operations to a newly created joint venture majority-owned by American investors.

    TikTok’s U.S. business will be placed under a newly created company, TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, majority-owned by American investors including Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX. ByteDance will retain a 19.9% stake — the maximum allowed under U.S. law.

    The new entity will control sensitive areas like user data, algorithms, and content moderation, while ByteDance continues to handle advertising and e-commerce through separate units. Oracle will act as a trusted security partner, hosting U.S. data and monitoring compliance.

    The move comes after years of mounting pressure from Washington. A 2024 bipartisan law forced ByteDance to divest TikTok’s U.S. operations or face a ban, putting the platform on borrowed time after repeated deadline extensions.

    Trump and other supporters argue the deal protects national security without wiping out one of the country’s most influential tech platforms. Critics remain skeptical, warning that ByteDance’s continued involvement could still pose risks.

    At the heart of the TikTok debate is China.

    ByteDance operates under Chinese laws that can force companies to turn over user data, intensifying fears in Washington that information on millions of Americans could — or may already — be in Beijing’s hands.

    National security officials and lawmakers warn that such data could have military value, raising concerns about potential access by the Chinese Communist Party.

    Mediaite continues:

    The White House has confirmed that Oracle, co-founded by Trump ally Larry Ellison, will license a copy of TikTok’s powerful recommendation algorithm and expand its existing role managing the data of the app’s 170 million U.S. users. A potential ban was hinged on national security concerns.

    In September, Trump said he had spoken directly with China’s leader, adding: “I had a very good talk with President Xi [Jinping]” and “he gave us the go ahead.” A month later, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declared that Washington and Beijing had “reached a final deal on TikTok.”

    During his first term, Trump threatened to ban TikTok outright in 2020. Congress later passed legislation forcing a sale or shutdown over security fears, which former President Joe Biden signed into law in April 2024. The ban was due to take effect in January 2025, but was repeatedly delayed by Trump as negotiations continued.

    Not everyone is on board, however. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) panned the deal in a post on BlueSky late Thursday: “First Paramount/CBS and now TikTok. Trump wants to hand over even more control of what you watch to his billionaire buddies. Americans deserve to know if the president struck another backdoor deal for this billionaire takeover of TikTok.”

    If regulators sign off, the deal is expected to close by Jan. 22, 2026. TikTok says users shouldn’t notice any immediate changes — but scrutiny of the platform is far from over.

    READ NEXT: Trump Immediately Suspends Controversial Program Following Shocking Incidents

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

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    3
    The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    The Biden administration’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 Bolton’s Bethesda, Maryland residence and his Washington, D.C. office.

    Sources told the Times that investigators claim Bolton sent emails containing “sensitive information” 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 country’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 substance—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 Biden’s own mishandling of classified documents, discovered in multiple unsecured locations, including his Delaware garage. Unlike Bolton—or former President Trump, who continues to face relentless investigations—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.

    What’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.

    Obama’s “Knockout Blow” Is a Plot to Buy the House. He’s dusted off his political machine to fund radical Democrats who will IMPEACH President Trump over another witch hunt. Don’t let it happen. [DEFEND TRUMP — RUSH A GRASSROOTS GIFT]
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