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    Senate Confirms Kash Patel As FBI Director

    By
    Patrick Houck
    -
    2
    Image via gage Skidmore Flickr

    Kash Patel has been appointed to a 10-year term as the new director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), following the resignation of Christopher Wray.

    The U.S. Senate first voted on Thursday morning to invoke cloture, the last procedural step before the afternoon’s confirmation vote. Patel, 44, cleared the hurdle largely along party lines, with Republicans supporting his nomination and Democrats expressing significant concerns.

    A final roll call vote was conducted at 1:45 p.m., securing Patel’s nomination following a confirmation process marked by adversity.

    The vote comes amidst efforts by Trump-backed officials to reshape the FBI and Department of Justice to align more closely with the administration’s priorities.

    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.

    Patel fired back at Democrats, accusing them of twisting his words and taking his comments out of context—including a list in his book where he identified government officials as part of the “deep state,” which they categorized as an “enemies list.”

    The Senate Judiciary Committee ultimately advanced Patel’s nomination last week in a 12-10 vote, strictly along party lines.

    During Thursday’s cloture vote, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) came out in opposition to Patel’s nomination.

    Maine’s senior senator voiced concerns over Patel’s ability to lead the FBI impartially.

    “While I strongly support efforts to ensure all federal employees perform their responsibilities ethically and in accordance with the law, Mr. Patel’s recent political profile undermines his ability to serve in the apolitical role of director of the FBI,” Collins said, adding, “Therefore, I will vote against his nomination.”

    At the same time, news broke that longtime Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell would not seek reelection. McConnell backed Patel, surprising some observers.

    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.

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

    Tulsi Gabbard Revokes Security Clearance From 37 Intelligence Officials

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1

    This week, National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard revoked security clearances for 37 current and former intelligence community officials, accusing them of politicizing and manipulating intelligence.

    Fox News reports that a DNI memo sent out on Monday included the names of officials who worked at the CIA, NSA, State Department and National Security Council, including former Obama DNI James Clapper, who Gabbard claimed told officials to “compromise” normal procedures to rush a 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment related to Russia’s influence in the 2016 election.

    “Being entrusted with a security clearance is a privilege, not a right,” Gabbard wrote in an X post. “Those in the Intelligence Community who betray their oath to the Constitution and put their own interests ahead of the interests of the American people have broken the sacred trust they promised to uphold.”

    Notable officials include:

    Brett M. Holmgren

    • Former Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research

    Richard H. Ledgett

    • Former Deputy Director of the National Security Agency (NSA)

    Stephanie O’Sullivan

    • Former Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence

    Luke R. Hartig

    • Former Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council

    Maher Bitar

    • Served on the National Security Council (NSC) under Biden

    Emily Horne

    • Former NSC Spokesperson under Biden

    Also included was Yael Eisenstat, a former CIA officer and White House advisor known for her involvement in the Facebook election integrity operation.

    Gabbard said the decision was made at President Donald Trump’s direction.

    “Our Intelligence Community must be committed to upholding the values and principles enshrined in the US Constitution and maintain a laser-like focus on our mission of ensuring the safety, security and freedom of the American people,” Gabbard wrote on X.

    The memo noted the revocation was effective immediately, and the officials’ access to classified systems, facilities, materials and information would be terminated.

    Trump has revoked security clearances for a number of officials, including those who signed on to a letter saying the Hunter Biden laptop had the hallmarks of a Russian disinformation campaign.

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    Iranian Plot Against Trump, Officials More Serious Than Previously Reported

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    4
    Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Trump is facing serious threats…

    U.S. officials have warned more than a half dozen former national security officials from the Trump administration that Iran’s assassination threats against them are serious and likely to continue for the foreseeable future as tensions reach fever pitch.

    The threats, including the ones against former President Donald Trump, stem from the administration authorizing the drone strike that killed Qassem Soleimani in January 2020.

    A new report from Politico revealed that the plots against the officials are “even more extensive and aggressive than previously reported,” according to interviews with a dozen officials about the threats.

    “This is extraordinarily serious,” said Matt Olsen, the Justice Department’s assistant attorney general for national security. “Iran has made it very clear that they are determined to seek retaliation against former officials in connection with the Soleimani strike.”

    A former senior Trump administration said that the threats they are facing are “historic” as the U.S. has “never had former senior national security officials,” including cabinet members, face serious threats on their life from a foreign adversary.

    The threat against Trump’s life is so serious that he has not played golf — his favorite pastime — in a month and will not do so until after the election because federal officials are not able to secure courses to the extent needed to guarantee his safety.

    Trump’s motorcade is now being broken up at random times as a precaution and he has started traveling on “nondescript planes that do not have his name on the side instead of his longtime 757 jet.”

    Trump is now requesting military assets to guard and transport him.

    At least seven former Trump officials receive 24/7 protection from the U.S. government, which can include up to six officers at a time.

    Six of the seven are top former officials who were directly involved with the operation going after Soleimani,  including Mark Esper, Secretary of Defense; Mark Milley, Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Paul Nakasone, head of NSA and U.S. Cyber Command; Kenneth McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command; Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State; and Brian Hook, the State Department’s Special Representative for Iran.

    Hegseth’s Inner Circle Crumbles — Top Aide Out In Pentagon Shakeup

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

    Joe Kasper, former chief of staff to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, likely walked out of the Pentagon as a Department of Defense (DOD) employee for the last time Thursday as controversy over leaked classified information spiraled out of control. His exit follows bombshell revelations that Hegseth shared sensitive military plans — including airstrike details in Yemen — with unauthorized parties via Signal, an encrypted messaging app.

    The scandal, now called “Signalgate,” has set off a series of investigations and toppled senior aides, including Deputy Chief of Staff Darin Selnick and Senior Advisor Dan Caldwell. Former Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot called it a “full-blown meltdown,” and warned that Hegseth’s days could be numbered.

    Even as the chaos grows, President Trump is standing by Hegseth — at least publicly. But the fallout is exposing serious cracks in the Pentagon’s leadership and raising alarms about operational security.

    Kasper’s abrupt departure marks another blow during a brutal period of scrutiny. Although Hegseth told the hosts of “Fox & Friends” that his chief adviser would move to “a slightly different role” within the DOD, Kasper is officially gone — eyeing a return to government relations and consulting.

    A senior official confirmed the news on Friday, according to a report by The Guardian:

    “Secretary Hegseth is thankful for [Kasper’s] continued leadership and work to advance the America First agenda,” the official said in a statement, referring to Donald Trump’s protectionist policy push.

    The quick exit comes after Kasper was implicated as the orchestrator of a power grab that led to the dismissal of three senior Pentagon officials – Dan Caldwell, Darin Selnick and Colin Carroll – allegedly as part of a leak investigation.

    The administration’s first hundred days created a troubled tenure for Kasper, with anonymous sources claiming he was frequently late to meetings, failed to follow through on critical tasks, and displayed inappropriate behavior, including berating officials and making crude comments allegedly about his bowel movements during high-level meetings.

    “He lacked the focus and organizational skills needed to get things done,” one anonymous insider told Politico.

    Other reports surfaced that the strip club aficionado shared inappropriate personal stories about exotic dancers during classified meetings — one of several reasons he became a liability. He’s now the fifth top aide to leave Hegseth’s circle in just a week.

    Meanwhile, the broader Pentagon leadership is under fire for security breaches, including Hegseth’s use of an unsecured “dirty” internet line for Signal communications — a move that may have exposed critical data to foreign surveillance, according to NSA warnings.

    READ NEXT: Trump’s Deportation Squad Takes Down Judge Linked To Gruesome Pics

    Karoline Leavitt Says Trump Won’t Give Security Details Back to Ex-Officials Amid Iran Tensions

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2
    Karoline Leavitt speaking with attendees at the 2022 Student Action Summit at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida. [Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore ]

    In a bold reaffirmation of his America First leadership style, President Donald J. Trump is standing firm in his decision not to reinstate security details for former officials—even amid rising tensions with the Iranian regime.

    White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt made it clear on Thursday that the issue isn’t even up for debate. “That’s not in consideration,” she said when asked if Secret Service protection would be restored to former National Security Adviser John Bolton, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and former Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley.

    This refusal reflects Trump’s long-standing belief that federal security resources should be allocated wisely and not squandered as political favors for former insiders who may no longer reflect his administration’s priorities.

    John Bolton, a self-styled foreign policy hawk who distanced himself from Trump after leaving the administration, went public in January claiming he was “disappointed but not surprised” when his Secret Service detail was revoked. But critics of Bolton note that his policy stances often ran counter to Trump’s vision of restraint abroad and strength at home.

    Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his top aide Brian Hook also had their security details pulled shortly after Bolton’s. Both men were instrumental in enforcing sanctions and confronting Iranian aggression. But as Leavitt and others close to Trump suggest, their job was to serve the country during his presidency—not to become lifetime beneficiaries of the national security apparatus.

    Pompeo and Hook are reportedly still under threat from Tehran, but many MAGA supporters argue that American taxpayers shouldn’t be expected to foot the bill indefinitely, especially for those now spending more time on book tours and speaking engagements than protecting the Republic.

    Perhaps the most controversial figure in the mix is Gen. Mark Milley, who lost his protection by the end of January. Milley, who had a strained relationship with President Trump following the 2020 election, was provided security after Trump took decisive action to eliminate Iranian terrorist Qasem Soleimani.

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    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.

    Iranian Grand Ayatollah Issues Fatwa Targeting Trump

    By
    Patrick Houck
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    4
    The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    A senior Iranian cleric has called for the assassination of U.S. President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and other Israeli officials, calling them “Enemies of God.”

    Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, a leading Shiite cleric in Iran with authority to issue legal rulings under Islamic law, has issued a fatwa — an Islamic legal decree — escalating regional tensions and offering religious justification for violence against Western and Israeli leaders.

    As Newsweek rightly notes, the development highlights the Islamic Republic’s ongoing use of religious decrees as political tools — a strategy Iran has long used to project power beyond its borders.

    While a fatwa is not legally enforceable, it can influence judicial decisions in countries with Sharia-based legal systems.

    Khosro K. Isfahani, senior research analyst at the National Union for Democracy in Iran wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that the fatwa issued by Shirazi against Trump was similar to the murder fatwa issued against the author Salman Rushdie for his novel The Satanic Verses which led to a number of assassination attempts.

    Fatwa Targets U.S. and Israeli Leadership

    Shirazi’s ruling singles out Trump, Netanyahu, and senior Israeli officials for death, framing the call as a divine imperative. While fatwas lack direct enforcement mechanisms outside of Islamic law, they carry significant weight among hardline elements and militias aligned with Tehran.

    The fatwa comes on the heels of a fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire that followed a 12-day conflict involving Israel, Iran, and the United States.

    At the height of the fighting, President Trump declared that the U.S. knew the whereabouts of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, calling him an “easy target” — though he added Khamenei was safe “for now.” Around the same time, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued his own threat, saying that Khamenei should be assassinated.

    As Newsweek reporters Brendan Cole and Shane Croucher add, “Shirazi said anyone who threatens the Leader or Marja is considered ‘an enemy of God’ and reminded Muslims and Islamic states that it would be ‘haram’ (forbidden) to stand in support of the enemy.”

    They continue:

    “It is necessary for all Muslims around the world to make these enemies regret their words and mistakes,” the fatwa said.

    Isfahani said on X that the fatwa had been signed and sealed responding to an Estefta (formal query) and was significant because it directly named Trump and that “unlike the nonexistent Fatwa against nukes, this one is real.”

    Not Shirazi’s First Outrageous Decree

    Shirazi, known for issuing rulings against smoking and even banning women from attending soccer matches, has a long record of using his clerical position to shape Iranian social and political norms.

    Critics say the fatwa resembles Iran’s infamous 1989 ruling against author Salman Rushdie, which led to a decades-long threat on Rushdie’s life and culminated in a violent stabbing in 2022 that left the writer blind in one eye.

    Elena Ternovaja, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    Comes Amid Pattern of Threats Against U.S. Officials

    This latest fatwa doesn’t come in a vacuum. It follows reported Iranian-backed plots targeting Trump and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo — both of whom played key roles in the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and the targeted killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Qasem Soleimani in 2020.

    While the White House has not yet responded to Shirazi’s declaration, U.S. officials have previously acknowledged ongoing threats from Iranian actors against Trump-era leaders.

    What This Means Going Forward

    Even if symbolic, Shirazi’s call could inspire real-world violence — and it’s likely to complicate diplomatic efforts in the region, particularly as Tehran faces renewed scrutiny over its nuclear ambitions and destabilizing activity across the Middle East.

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    Report: Senator Accuses Secret Service Of Hiding Information To Ensure Trump’s Safety

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1

    Is the Secret Service hiding something?

    Sen. Josh Hawley sent letters to U.S. Secret Service (USSS) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leaders on Wednesday detailing a new whistleblower claim that Secret Service leadership is trying to hide the level of protection given to former President Donald Trump.

    The letter to USSS Director Ronald Rowe and DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari alleges a whistleblower’s claims that government auditors are being denied access to certain Trump campaign events in an effort to hide these apparent protection shortfalls for the former president.

    “You of course have publicly stated that former President Trump is receiving ‘the highest level of Secret Service protection’ and that ‘he’s getting everything.’ This new whistleblower information troublingly contradicts your public statements,” Hawley wrote in his letter to Rowe.

    In his letter to Cuffari, Hawley said the new whistleblower allegations say “Secret Service headquarters blocked several of your auditors from accessing recent Trump campaign events.”

    “The Secret Service whistleblower alleges that the denial was in order to hide the fact that the former president is not receiving a consistent level of protective assets for all of his engagements,” Hawley wrote. “[Y]ou should be aware of these allegations, which indicate that the Secret Service is not in fact cooperating with your auditors and is instead painting a false picture.”

    Since the July 13 assassination attempt against the former president in Butler, Pennsylvania, Hawley has been collecting whistleblower claims to expose potential USSS deficits and errors.

    Hawley released a wide-ranging whistleblower report detailing various allegations against the agency.

    Hawley found a “compounding pattern of negligence, sloppiness, and gross incompetence that goes back years, all of which culminated in an assassination attempt that came inches from succeeding,” the report read.

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    Top House Democrat Calls On Hegseth To Resign

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    6
    David B. Gleason from Chicago, IL, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    The fifth-ranking House Democrat called for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to resign Tuesday.

    Rep. Ted Lieu (Calif.), the vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus and an Air Force veteran, said Hegseth’s sensitive messages — which detailed the Pentagon’s plans to strike Houthi rebels in Yemen earlier this month — were “reckless” and put the lives of U.S. troops at risk. 

    “Had that information gotten to the Houthis, American pilots could have been shot down, [and] Navy sailors could have been targeted,” Lieu said during a press briefing in the Capitol. “His reckless actions endangered lives of American troops, endangered our national security and makes it so that our allies don’t want to share sensitive classified information with us anymore.”

    Lieu’s remarks came shortly after another top congressional Democrat, Sen. Mark Warner (Va.), the ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, called for the resignations of two top Trump officials who participated in the group chat: Hegseth and Mike Waltz, the White House national security adviser.

    The uproar was sparked Monday when Jeffrey Goldberg, the top editor of The Atlantic, published an explosive story revealing he had been invited to join a Signal group chat featuring many of the highest ranking officials in the Trump administration, including Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Hegseth and Waltz. 

    On March 15, the discussion focused on the Pentagon’s plans to launch missile strikes against the Houthis, an Iran-backed group

    Hegseth has denied that narrative, saying “nobody was texting war plans” while accusing Goldberg of concocting the allegations. 

    “You’re talking about a deceitful and highly discredited so-called journalist who’s made a profession of peddling hoaxes time and time again,” Hegseth said Monday. 

    Hegseth’s denial, however, has been undermined by the White House National Security Council, which verified the authenticity of the group chat and said it’s looking into the story. 

    Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said the White House “is addressing” the episode, and no disciplinary actions should be taken against Hegseth or Waltz. 

    Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) blamed the “leftist media” for focusing on process instead of Trump’s policies, which he said are popular.

    “They can’t argue with this new demonstration of American strength that is keeping Americans safe at home and abroad, so now we’re griping about who’s on a text message and who’s not,” Hawley told Fox News on Monday. “I mean, come on.”

    Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), another Air Force veteran, said it’s a certainty that Russia and China intercepted the chat messages around the time the strikes occurred. 

    “It’s a security violation, and there’s no doubt that Russia and China saw this stuff within hours of the actual attacks,” Bacon told CNN on Monday.  

    Lieu piled on, accusing Hegseth and other Trump officials of neglecting their chief responsibility: safeguarding the country they serve.

    “It shows how not serious these national security professionals take our national security,” he continued. “Hegseth needs to resign, and everyone on that text chain needs to go take some courses on how to deal with national security classified information.”

    Trump Claims U.S. Military Killed Three More ‘Confirmed Narcoterrorists from Venezuela’

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    3

    President Donald Trump announced that he had ordered a second military strike on a Venezuelan boat on Monday, claiming that the vessel was carrying “confirmed narcoterrorists from Venezuela.”

    Regarding this new strike, Trump described the strike as targeting “positively identified, extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility,” 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 “transporting illegal narcotics,” and three male “terrorists” were killed in the strike. No U.S. service members were harmed.

    The president added a warning to those who are “TRANSPORTING DRUGS THAT CAN KILL AMERICANS,” writing “WE ARE HUNTING YOU!”

    Trump’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 — 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.

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