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    Trump Signs Executive Order To Support America’s Military Families

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    President Donald Trump monitors U.S. military operations in Venezuela, from Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday, January 3, 2026.

    President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday establishing a new White House commission dedicated to improving life for America’s military spouses and families.

    Surrounded by military spouses in the Oval Office, Trump described the initiative as “long overdue” and said supporting families at home is essential to maintaining a strong and prepared fighting force.

    “America cannot have the strongest military in the world without the love and devotion of our remarkable military spouses,” Trump said during the signing ceremony, according to the Department of War.

    The executive order creates the President’s Military Spouse Commission, which will advise Trump on challenges involving employment, housing, health care, education, child care and support during military deployments.

    The commission will be chaired by Jennifer Hegseth, the wife of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Its membership will include the spouses of the military service secretaries, members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, senior enlisted leaders and the secretary of Homeland Security.

    Together, the commission’s members have more than 400 years of experience as active-duty military spouses, Trump said.

    Military families routinely move to a new duty station every two or three years, often forcing spouses to leave jobs, transfer professional licenses, find new schools and secure child care in unfamiliar communities. Deployments can also leave spouses managing households and raising children alone for months at a time.

    Those disruptions have produced significant economic consequences.

    The Pentagon’s 2024 Active Duty Spouse Survey found that the unemployment rate among civilian military spouses was 20%—several times higher than the national rate.

    Spouses who had experienced a permanent change-of-station move during the previous year faced 136% higher odds of being unemployed, according to the survey. Having children younger than six increased the odds of unemployment by 68%.

    Jennifer Hegseth said the commission’s members will bring decades of personal experience to the effort, including firsthand knowledge of the difficulties families encounter as they move between military installations.

    Secretary Hegseth argued that addressing those concerns directly affects military performance.

    “If that warfighter knows that their family is good to go, they will go the extra mile, which is what our nation asks,” he said.

    Under the order, the commission will communicate directly with military spouses, identify recurring concerns and develop practical policy recommendations for the president. It is expected to meet monthly at the White House and submit a report at the end of each fiscal year.

    Members will serve without compensation, although they may receive reimbursement for travel. The Department of War will provide administrative, technical and financial support using existing appropriations.

    The commission is scheduled to operate for two years unless Trump extends it.

    The initiative builds on policies Trump pursued during his first term to expand federal employment opportunities for military spouses, improve the portability of professional licenses and encourage remote and flexible work.

    It also follows approximately $9 billion in military and family quality-of-life funding included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed by Trump in July 2025, according to the Department of War.

    The White House said the new commission reflects Trump’s belief that military families are inseparable from military readiness.

    “Thriving military families mean a more resilient fighting force and thus a stronger and more secure America,” the executive order states.

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    Trump Suggests Pulling His Own Nominee Amid Bitter GOP Standoff

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

    President Donald Trump threatened Thursday to temporarily withdraw Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general and wait for two Republican holdouts to leave Washington before trying again.

    The extraordinary maneuver would allow Blanche to remain acting attorney general while Trump attempts to outlast Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., whose opposition forced Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, to postpone Thursday’s scheduled vote.

    “Todd Blanche is a STAR, and everyone knows it!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “He has the potential to go down as one of the Greatest Attorney Generals of All Time.”

    Trump then turned his fire on Cornyn and Tillis, accusing the departing senators of blocking a nominee they know is qualified.

    “John Cornyn, of Texas, and Thom Tillis, of North Carolina, both of whom I refused to Endorse, and whose political careers have been ended by my action, are refusing to vote for this Great Nominee, who will remain, in any event, as Acting,” Trump wrote.

    “I have no objection to temporarily withdrawing Todd’s name, if they do not do the right thing, and putting him back after Cornyn and Tillis are out of office,” he added.

    Tillis announced last year that he would not seek reelection, while Cornyn lost the Texas Republican primary to state Attorney General Ken Paxton, who received Trump’s endorsement.

    Trump had already suggested Wednesday that Cornyn’s resistance could be rooted in lingering resentment over the primary.

    “He’s outstanding,” Trump told reporters when asked about Blanche’s nomination. “Maybe John Cornyn’s upset with me because I didn’t endorse him,” according to The Associated Press.

    Cornyn laughed off that suggestion, calling it “a convenient excuse” for the administration’s failure to cooperate with the Judiciary Committee, ABC News reported.

    The standoff centers on a controversial settlement of Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leaking of his tax returns.

    That agreement created a proposed $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” to compensate people who claim they were targeted by the federal government. It also included protections shielding Trump, members of his family and affiliated businesses from certain tax audits.

    The Justice Department announced in June that it would no longer move forward with the fund after bipartisan backlash. Blanche also testified at his July 15 confirmation hearing that the fund was “dead.”

    Cornyn and Tillis, however, want those assurances put in writing and the settlement language amended so the fund cannot be revived later. Cornyn also wants confirmation that Trump will not receive immunity from audits of future tax returns.

    “We want to make sure that it remains dead, and that the president isn’t given any immunity from future audits that the ordinary taxpayer would not enjoy,” Cornyn told CBS News Thursday.

    Cornyn said the Justice Department sent him proposed language Wednesday night, but he found it inadequate and responded with a counterproposal Thursday morning. He blamed “higher ups” at the White House for resisting the changes.

    “Basically I get the sense that Todd Blanche is not the problem, it’s other folks at the White House who are resistant to any changes, any additional documentation,” Cornyn told The Hill. “But they need to make a fundamental decision whether they want him confirmed or not.”

    Tillis similarly suggested that an unnamed White House adviser may be urging Trump to preserve the fund as an option.

    “The only reason why we wouldn’t move forward with this language is because that same adviser wants to bring it back to life at some point,” Tillis told CBS News.

    “That is horrible policy and it’s horrible politics,” he told The Hill.

    Tillis acknowledged that Trump is “perfectly entitled” to hold Blanche’s nomination until January but warned the strategy could backfire if Republicans lose Senate seats—or control of the chamber—in November.

    Cornyn also disputed Trump’s portrayal of the fight as a two-senator rebellion.

    “POTUS is mistaken if he believes concerns about the provisions in his tax lawsuit settlement are limited to me and Senator Tillis,” Cornyn wrote on X.

    Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., another outgoing Republican, declined Thursday to say whether he would support Blanche if the nomination came up for a vote, telling CBS News he was still gathering information.

    For now, Blanche can continue overseeing the Justice Department in an acting capacity because he was previously confirmed as deputy attorney general. The White House has also highlighted support for his nomination from major law enforcement organizations, Republican state attorneys general and former Attorney General William Barr. The administration called Blanche a proven leader committed to fighting violent crime, fraud and transnational gangs.

    Cornyn said Blanche’s nomination could advance as soon as next week if the administration agrees to clarify the settlement. Otherwise, the confirmation fight could stretch into September—or Trump could carry out his threat

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    Trump’s Handpicked Graham Successor Draws Challenge From Old GOP Nemesis

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    [Photo Credit: The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons]

    Mark Sanford is back — and once again running headlong into President Donald Trump’s political machine.

    The former South Carolina governor and congressman announced Thursday that he is seeking the Senate seat previously held by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, joining a rapidly expanding Republican field despite Trump already throwing his support behind Graham’s sister, Sen. Darline Graham.

    “Our country is at a financial tipping point, and I can’t sit on the sidelines while Washington adds a trillion dollars to the debt every 100 days,” Sanford wrote on social media.

    “I’ve spent my entire time in politics fighting this fight, and I’m running for U.S. Senate to keep the American dream alive for our sons, my grandson, and those you love. Join us,” he added.

    Sanford’s announcement included a video in which he reflected on Graham’s death and described the loss as a reminder of “how short and precious life is.”

    “My own dad got Lou Gehrig’s disease when I was in high school, and this notion of all of us having just a little time has always hit me hard,” Sanford said. “We’re stewards of our lives and the things that we love for just a short time.”

    The campaign gives Sanford another opportunity to revive his longtime crusade against federal spending — but it also places him squarely against Trump’s preferred candidate.

    Trump announced last week that Darline Graham would receive his “Complete and Total Endorsement” if she entered the race, enthusiastically declaring: “RUN, DARLINE, RUN!” (RELATED: Trump Speaks Out On Potential Lindsey Graham Replacement)

    Graham, who was appointed by Gov. Henry McMaster to temporarily fill her brother’s seat, confirmed during an interview with Sean Hannity that she would seek the full six-year term. Her appointment made her the first woman to represent South Carolina in the Senate.

    Sanford’s entry creates an especially combustible matchup because he and Trump have already fought — and Trump won.

    Sanford repeatedly criticized Trump during his first administration, drawing the president’s wrath while seeking another House term in 2018. Just hours before polls closed in that year’s Republican primary, Trump endorsed Sanford’s opponent, state Rep. Katie Arrington, and declared that Sanford had been “very unhelpful” and was “better off in Argentina.”

    The jab referenced Sanford’s infamous 2009 disappearance while serving as governor. His staff initially said he was hiking the Appalachian Trail, but Sanford later acknowledged that he had traveled to Argentina to visit a woman with whom he was having an affair.

    Arrington narrowly defeated Sanford, handing him his first loss in a South Carolina election. Arrington had spent much of the campaign portraying Sanford as a “Never Trumper.”

    Sanford returned the challenge the following year by launching a long-shot campaign against Trump for the 2020 Republican presidential nomination. That effort, which also focused heavily on the national debt, lasted roughly two months before Sanford pulled the plug after struggling to gain traction.

    His latest campaign also represents a reversal from the position he took only months ago.

    Sanford briefly launched a campaign for his former House seat earlier this year but withdrew in April, saying “the most effective way I can contribute right now is not by seeking office.” At the time, he said he planned to build a nonprofit and grassroots movement focused on the country’s growing debt.

    Graham’s death, however, opened a rare statewide opportunity — and Sanford is now arguing that Washington’s spending binge demands his return to elected office.

    The 66-year-old served as South Carolina’s governor from 2003 through 2011. He represented the state’s 1st Congressional District from 1995 through 2001 and again from 2013 through 2019.

    Sanford joins a Republican field that already includes Graham, Reps. Russell Fry and Ralph Norman, businessman Mark Lynch and attorney Duke Buckner. Norman has secured support from several prominent conservatives, including Rep. Nancy Mace and former Sen. Jim DeMint, underscoring the resistance to Trump’s effort to consolidate the party behind Graham.

    The compressed campaign leaves Sanford little time to rebuild his political organization or convince Republican voters to look past his long-running feud with Trump.

    Candidate filing closes July 28. The special Republican primary will be held Aug. 11, followed by an Aug. 25 runoff if no candidate receives a majority. The winner will advance to the Nov. 3 general election against Democrat nominee Annie Andrews, according to the South Carolina Election Commission.

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    Jim Jordan Demands DOJ Probe Jack Smith Over Trump Testimony

    By
    admin
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    House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan is calling on the Justice Department to investigate former Special Counsel Jack Smith, accusing the longtime prosecutor of misleading Congress about his pursuit of lawmakers’ private communications during the Trump election case.

    Jordan sent a criminal referral Wednesday to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche after newly released Justice Department records appeared to conflict with testimony Smith gave under oath in December 2025.

    The referral does not compel the DOJ to open an investigation or bring charges, but it formally places Smith’s testimony before federal prosecutors for review.

    At the center of the explosive dispute are text messages involving members of Congress.

    During a closed-door deposition, Smith was asked whether telephone records subpoenaed by his office included the contents of lawmakers’ calls or text messages. Smith answered “no” to both questions.

    Those answers were technically accurate when applied specifically to toll records, which generally contain information such as telephone numbers, dates and call durations—not the substance of communications.

    But Jordan argues Smith left lawmakers with a deeply misleading impression.

    Records recently released by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley indicate Smith’s team separately obtained the contents of text messages through a subpoena issued to the National Archives and Records Administration. According to Jordan, the material included communications involving dozens of lawmakers.

    “The responses provided by Mr. Smith gave the impression that neither Mr. Smith nor his team had access to the content of Members’ privileged text messages. We now know this to be false,” Jordan wrote.

    Smith’s attorneys fired back, accusing the Republican chairman of twisting their client’s words to manufacture a criminal allegation.

    Peter Koski and Lanny Breuer argued that Smith answered the precise questions he was asked about toll records, which did not contain message content. They said Jordan was improperly conflating those subpoenas with a separate legal process used to obtain communications from another source.

    “During his testimony, Mr. Smith provided truthful, responsive answers, and candidly discussed his work as Special Counsel,” the attorneys wrote in a letter to Jordan and Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin.

    They characterized the referral as an effort to “weaponize the justice system” against a career prosecutor.

    The Justice Department confirmed that it received Jordan’s referral and said it “will investigate all evidence of criminal conduct.” The department did not say whether it has formally opened an investigation into Smith.

    Jordan alleges the former special counsel may have violated federal law by knowingly making materially false statements to Congress. Prosecutors must now determine whether Smith merely answered a narrowly worded question—or deliberately concealed the full reach of his investigation.

    The referral opens another front in the long-running battle over Smith’s prosecutions of President Donald Trump involving classified documents and challenges to the 2020 election results.

    Smith abandoned both cases following Trump’s 2024 election victory, citing Justice Department policy against prosecuting a sitting president. He resigned shortly before Trump returned to the White House.

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    Trump’s New DHS Chief Already Ruffling Feathers Inside White House: Report

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    Indian Affairs Committee Hearings to examine Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act successes and opportunities at the Department of the Interior and the Indian Health Service, in Washington, DC on September 17, 2025. (Official U.S. Senate photo by Ryan Donnell)

    Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has been on the job for just four months — and he is reportedly already stepping on toes inside President Donald Trump’s White House.

    Tensions between Mullin and senior administration officials have been building after a string of policy disputes, public missteps and concerns surrounding his preferred candidate to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement, NBC News reported Thursday.

    The first major collision reportedly came when Mullin ordered ICE to temporarily halt most vehicle stops following fatal shootings involving immigration agents in Houston, Texas, and Biddeford, Maine.

    The Wall Street Journal reported that Mullin and acting ICE Director Dave Venturella made the call without first briefing Trump. News of the pause began leaking before the president could be informed, leaving him caught off guard. The Wall Street Journal and ABC News separately confirmed that Mullin directed the suspension.

    Trump wasted little time reversing it.

    “We CANNOT give up one of I.C.E.’s most important and effective Crime Fighting tools, THE TRAFFIC STOP!” the president wrote on Truth Social.

    The episode apparently did not sit well inside the West Wing.

    “Every Cabinet secretary knows that they have to come to the White House for major policy decisions,” a senior administration official told NBC News. “The president sees, hears, reads everything.”

    Mullin also reportedly irritated officials with a recent CNN interview concerning the Supreme Court’s decision allowing the administration to move forward with ending Temporary Protected Status for immigrants from Haiti and Syria.

    The secretary suggested that hundreds of thousands of affected immigrants could apply for another legal status. They could not automatically do so under the ruling, according to NBC News, which described Mullin’s remarks as a misstatement that “annoyed” some administration officials.

    The Supreme Court ruled on June 25 that lower courts could not continue postponing the administration’s termination of the two countries’ TPS designations while litigation moved forward.

    Another potential fault line involves Richard “Lance” Schroyer, Trump’s nominee to lead ICE.

    Schroyer, a former Marine and Oklahoma Highway Patrol veteran, is a longtime Mullin ally whom the secretary previously called “a good friend of mine.” Mullin brought Schroyer into DHS to advise local law enforcement agencies participating in a federal immigration enforcement program before Trump nominated him for the top ICE post in June.

    But the nomination has reportedly drawn resistance from officials who question whether Schroyer possesses enough federal management experience to run the agency spearheading Trump’s deportation campaign.

    Trump border czar Tom Homan was among those who objected to the selection, according to The Wall Street Journal.

    “Homan and others aren’t particularly thrilled with him,” the administration official told NBC News.

    The White House publicly played down any suggestion of a widening rift, insisting Mullin remains committed to carrying out Trump’s immigration agenda.

    “Secretary Mullin is working hard to implement the President’s immigration enforcement agenda,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said. “Thanks to President Trump and Secretary Mullin, the border is totally secure, dangerous illegal immigrants are being deported, and Americans are safer.”

    “Secretary Mullin will continue to enforce federal immigration law as effectively as possible,” she added.

    Trump selected Mullin to replace Kristi Noem, and the former Oklahoma senator was sworn in on March 24 after receiving bipartisan Senate confirmation.

    During his confirmation process, Mullin said his goal was to keep DHS from dominating the daily news cycle.

    “My goal in six months is that we’re not in the lead story every single day,” he told senators.

    Four months later, the reported turbulence inside Trump’s team is threatening to make that promise harder to keep.

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    Trump To Welcome Fallen Heroes Home As Iran Faces Fierce Warning

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attend the Dignified Transfer of remains of six U.S. soldiers killed in an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait, Saturday, March 7, 2026, at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)

    President Donald Trump is heading to Dover Air Force Base to welcome home two young American soldiers killed by Iran—and he is promising Iran that their deaths will not go unanswered.

    Trump will attend the dignified transfer of fallen U.S. service members Tuesday evening following one of the deadliest weekends for American forces during the renewed conflict.

    “President Trump will attend the dignified transfer of our fallen heroes tomorrow evening at Dover Air Force Base,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote Monday on X. “The President and the entire White House are praying for their families.”

    The solemn military ceremony will return the remains of the fallen to American soil. Flag-draped transfer cases will be carried from a military aircraft to vehicles bound for Dover’s mortuary facility as grieving families, military leaders and the commander in chief look on.

    The Department of War identified two of the fallen soldiers Monday as 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas.

    Gonzales was killed in action July 17 when Iran unleashed ballistic missiles and drones against Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. Feehan was killed in action the following day as a result of the same attack, according to the Pentagon.

    Both soldiers were supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, the American-led mission against the Islamic State.

    Feehan served with the 2nd Battalion, 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Gonzales was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment in Ansbach, Germany.

    “U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command mourns the loss of 1st Lt. Tyler Feehan, whose service and sacrifice will never be forgotten,” Lt. Gen. John L. Rafferty said in an Army statement.

    “Losing him to enemy fire will inspire our Soldiers and strengthen their resolve to continue the mission,” Rafferty added.

    The Army said Feehan will be posthumously promoted to captain and awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

    Four other American service members were medically evacuated after the Jordan attack, according to U.S. Central Command. They have since been discharged.

    Another service member was initially declared missing. American personnel later recovered unidentified remains at the base, but military officials said the examination process was still underway.

    A third American service member was killed in northern Iraq on July 18 during the controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian attack drone. Another service member suffered minor injuries.

    As the fallen return home, Trump has issued a chilling warning to the regime responsible.

    “Every time Iran kills an American Soldier they will pay for that killing many times over!” Trump declared on Truth Social.

    The president said his directive had already been delivered to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine and military leaders throughout the chain of command.

    Trump previously told reporters that the latest American attacks on Iran were carried out in honor of the troops lost over the weekend.

    “We hit them very hard again tonight, and we did that in honor of the probably three, as opposed to two, great patriots,” Trump said Sunday after arriving at Joint Base Andrews.

    American forces responded to the attack in Jordan by striking Iranian coastal surveillance and air defense facilities, maritime capabilities, and missile and drone storage sites.

    https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2079001736396652710

    CENTCOM said the military also directly targeted Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces accused of launching the deadly assault against the Americans.

    That retaliatory operation was followed by a ninth consecutive evening of strikes on Iranian command centers, communications networks, air defenses and missile and drone launch sites.

    Tuesday’s ceremony will be another somber visit to Dover for Trump during the conflict. The president and first lady Melania Trump attended the dignified transfer of six American soldiers killed in an Iranian drone attack in Kuwait in March.

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    Trump DHS Chief Warns Election Officials: Cooperate — Or Face Prison

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    DHSgov, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin fired a blistering warning at state election officials Friday: Help the Trump administration police voter rolls — or risk fines, penalties and even prison time.

    Mullin delivered the threat during a White House press conference one day after President Donald Trump used a primetime address to sound the alarm over alleged vulnerabilities in America’s election system.

    Asked by a Daily Caller reporter whether the administration could ensure the midterm elections would be secure, Mullin said Washington could restore public confidence — but only if states cooperate.

    “Yes, we absolutely can build confidence in the American people, but the states have to do their part,” Mullin said.

    Then came the warning shot.

    “I will tell you, if the states that choose not to participate with the SAVE program and they choose not to participate in securing the elections, we will make sure that we make those states a priority to look at who voted in their states and hold them, the election officials, accountable,” Mullin said.

    “If the election officials, once we gave them the information they need to secure their elections and they chose not to, then those individuals can also be held accountable by fines, by penalties, and even, depending on how far it goes, prison time.”

    Mullin did not specify which federal laws could be used to prosecute officials who decline to participate in the program or what conduct would trigger criminal charges.

    His comments came as DHS claimed that a review of publicly available voter files uncovered more than 250,000 suspected noncitizens registered to vote in California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Nevada.

    Mullin said those states had not cooperated with the administration’s review. DHS has reportedly sent letters notifying officials of its findings and asking them to confirm within two weeks whether they intend to work with the department.

    The secretary also said that 23 states already using the federal verification system had identified another 23,000 suspected noncitizens and approximately 400,000 deceased people on voter rolls, according to The Daily Signal.

    DHS has not publicly demonstrated that the individuals it identified actually cast ballots. Being listed on a voter roll does not necessarily mean someone voted.

    The Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements program, known as SAVE, is an existing DHS database originally designed to help government agencies verify the citizenship and immigration status of people applying for public benefits and licenses. It is separate from the pending SAVE America Act, despite sharing the acronym.

    The Trump administration has expanded the database’s use for election-related citizenship checks and is pressing states to run their voter files through it.

    Mullin also indicated that federal election funding could become another pressure point.

    “We are going to make our security enhancements mandatory, meaning that if these states want a grant, and they want to be reimbursed to run federal elections, they’re going to have to implement security measures,” he said.

    The crackdown comes as Trump continues demanding that Congress pass the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship and identification for federal voter registration while sharply limiting mail-in voting.

    The legislation has repeatedly stalled in the Senate. Majority Leader John Thune has said Republicans lack the votes needed to overcome the filibuster or change Senate rules to force it through.

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    White House Slams Staffer Accused Of Betting On Trump Speech

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2

    A longtime Trump aide has been yanked from the White House after allegedly turning advance knowledge of President Donald Trump’s speeches into a six-figure betting haul.

    White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed Thursday that Gabriel Perez, who has operated Trump’s teleprompter since his first presidential campaign in 2016, was placed on unpaid administrative leave at the president’s direction.

    “Obviously, I’m aware of the report. The president is, too. I spoke with him about it,” Leavitt told reporters. “He believes it’s deeply unfortunate and, frankly, a disgrace.”

    “The White House has extremely strict ethical guidelines with respect to issues like this,” she added, stressing that Perez’s leave would be without pay. “That was the decision by the president, so it speaks for itself.”

    Another operator was tapped to handle Trump’s nationally televised speech Thursday night.

    Perez is accused of using his behind-the-scenes access to place bets on more than a dozen Trump speeches through Kalshi, an online prediction market where users can wager on whether specific words, phrases or subjects will come up during public events.

    Sources familiar with the federal investigation told ABC News that Perez won more than $100,000 over a roughly three-month period.

    The alleged bets reportedly involved Trump’s State of the Union address, a December primetime speech, his appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos and remarks delivered during a March Medal of Honor ceremony.

    As Trump’s teleprompter operator, Perez was often among the final people to see the president’s prepared remarks and was reportedly responsible for inserting last-minute changes.

    Investigators even uncovered instances in which Perez allegedly abandoned certain positions while a speech was still underway after Trump skipped passages containing words on which the operator had wagered, ABC News reported.

    That wrinkle is especially notable because Trump is famous for veering away from his prepared remarks.

    “You know, when you go up here, you take a big chance, especially me because I go off teleprompter about 80% of the time,” Trump said during a January appearance at the Detroit Economic Club—another speech investigators reportedly believe Perez bet on.

    Kalshi’s internal surveillance system reportedly detected unusual activity that did not match normal trading patterns. The company froze Perez’s account, trapping more than $90,000 in alleged profits, before referring the matter to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

    “Our surveillance team promptly flagged and referred these trades to the CFTC after an exchange investigation,” Kalshi enforcement chief Robert DeNault told CBS News. “We have been assisting regulators on this matter and provided evidence we collected, as we do in any referral.”

    The CFTC has declined to confirm or deny that an investigation is underway.

    Perez has reportedly cooperated with regulators and acknowledged some of the trades during an interview. Sources told ABC News that federal prosecutors in Manhattan declined to launch a criminal investigation, while CFTC officials have discussed a possible settlement that could require Perez to surrender his profits and stay out of similar markets.

    Perez did not respond to requests for comment from several news organizations.

    The allegations surfaced only months after the White House explicitly warned employees against using privileged information to make prediction-market bets.

    A March 24 email from the White House Management Office reminded staffers that using nonpublic information to trade such contracts could constitute a criminal offense.

    “All White House employees are reminded that the misuse of nonpublic information by government employees for financial benefit is a very serious offense and will not be tolerated,” the email said, according to CBS News.

    White House spokesman David Ingle said the administration expects every employee to follow its ethics rules and confirmed that Perez was cooperating with regulators.

    Leavitt said the White House was not aware of any other staffers suspected of making similar trades.

    The case could add fuel to a bipartisan push on Capitol Hill to crack down on government insiders using prediction markets for personal profit. Republican Sens. Todd Young and John Curtis joined Democratic Sens. Elissa Slotkin and Adam Schiff in introducing legislation that would prohibit federal officials and employees from trading on material nonpublic information.

    “Public service should never be a pathway to personal profit based on insider information,” Young said when the bill was introduced.

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    Trump Hails Iran’s Surprise ‘Goodwill’ Move As American Finally Heads Home

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    President Donald Trump announced Wednesday evening that Iran had allowed an American citizen trapped inside the country since 2024 to leave, calling the unexpected release a “gesture of goodwill” amid a rapidly escalating military confrontation.

    “Iran has allowed an American Citizen, who was wrongfully detained in December of 2024 under the ‘presidency’ of Sleepy Joe Biden, to leave the Country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

    “She is now safely outside of Iran, and in good condition,” the president added. “The United States of America appreciates this gesture of Goodwill by Iran!”

    The woman was identified by her attorney as Dena Karari, a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen who traveled to Iran to visit family in December 2024 and was subsequently blocked from leaving.

    International human rights attorney Jared Genser said Karari had faced “bogus charges” involving allegations of espionage and collaboration with a hostile country.

    “I am delighted and excited to report that my client U.S. citizen #DenaKarari, who had been trapped in #Iran since December 2024 on bogus charges, is now free,” Genser wrote on X.

    “This would not have happened but for the extraordinary and relentless efforts of President @realDonaldTrump,” he added.

    Genser said Karari was safe and traveling back to the United States.

    Although Trump described Karari as having been wrongfully detained, CBS News reported that she was placed under an exit ban rather than held continuously in prison. Iranian authorities confiscated her American and Iranian passports and subjected her to repeated interrogations, but she was never formally charged, according to the outlet.

    The Wall Street Journal similarly reported that Karari spent roughly a year and a half unable to leave Iran after authorities accused her of espionage and collaborating with a hostile power.

    Karari reportedly worked for an American technology company and operated a charity helping underprivileged children in Iran.

    Her freedom offers a rare diplomatic bright spot as Washington and Tehran trade military strikes and threats over the Strait of Hormuz.

    Karari’s release came as the Trump administration weighed options for expanding its military campaign against Iran. U.S. forces also launched additional daytime strikes against Iranian military targets near the strategically vital waterway.

    The United States has expanded its strikes deeper into Iran while trying to break Tehran’s grip on the strait, one of the world’s most important energy corridors. Iran, meanwhile, has launched retaliatory missiles and drones at targets elsewhere in the region.

    Against that backdrop, Tehran’s decision to release Karari could be an isolated concession—or a signal that Iran is searching for a way to lower the temperature.

    The administration has made securing the return of Americans detained abroad a major priority. The State Department says 76 Americans held as hostages, wrongful detainees or under other concerning circumstances have returned home since Trump took office in January 2025.

    Earlier this year, the department formally designated Iran a “State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention,” accusing the regime of seizing innocent Americans and using them as political leverage.

    Stand with Rudy Giuliani. Add your name to “THE PEOPLE’S PARDON” today to drop the charges, protect his freedom, and help us reach our critical citizen goal.

    Trump Mourns Iconic Late Village People Singer

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1
    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    President Donald Trump is mourning the death of Village People co-founder and lead singer Victor Willis, whose iconic hit “Y.M.C.A.” became one of the defining songs of Trump’s campaign rallies and victory celebrations.

    Willis, who co-wrote the 1978 disco classic and fronted the legendary group for decades, died Tuesday at the age of 74 following what his wife, Karen Huff-Willis, described as a “short, but aggressive illness.”

    Trump honored the singer Wednesday in a heartfelt Truth Social post, reflecting on the special connection the two shared through one of the most recognizable campaign songs in modern political history.

    “Victor Willis, the lead singer of the Village People, has passed away. He was a really good guy. Our favorite song, ‘Y.M.C.A.,’ has become, over the last few years, our ‘theme song,'” Trump wrote.

    The president credited his campaign rallies with helping introduce the song to a new generation of Americans.

    “It has brought so much happiness to millions of people. They loved the action, and we loved them and their great and uplifting song.”

    Trump added that Willis’ legacy would live on every time the unmistakable opening notes of “Y.M.C.A.” are heard.

    “We will think of Victor every time YMCA is played, like today, and all throughout this July Fourth Birthday week. My condolences to his wonderful family and group, Victor Willis will be sorely missed. God Bless Him!!!”

    A song that became synonymous with Trump

    Few songs became more closely associated with Trump’s political movement than “Y.M.C.A.”

    Whether closing out campaign rallies, celebrating election victories or walking off the stage after speeches, Trump frequently danced to the Village People anthem—complete with his now-famous fist-pump routine that became a viral internet meme and was copied by supporters around the country.

    The tradition continued throughout the 2024 campaign and into Trump’s second inauguration festivities, where Village People themselves performed “Y.M.C.A.” during inaugural events in Washington.

    Over time, the president’s signature dance became so recognizable that many supporters simply refer to it as the “Trump dance.”

    Willis embraced the renewed popularity

    While Trump’s use of the song initially generated controversy, Willis eventually defended the president’s continued use of “Y.M.C.A.”

    The singer said Trump had legally obtained the necessary political license to use the song and acknowledged that the president’s rallies dramatically boosted its popularity.

    Willis noted that after Trump began regularly playing the song, “Y.M.C.A.” climbed back to No. 2 on Billboard’s Digital Songs chart, adding that the renewed exposure generated millions of dollars in additional royalties for the classic hit.

    The Village People later accepted an invitation to perform during Trump’s 2025 inauguration festivities, saying they believed music should help bring Americans together regardless of politics.

    From church choir to disco legend

    Born in Dallas in 1951 and raised in San Francisco, Willis first discovered music singing in his father’s Baptist church before moving to New York to pursue acting and theater.

    He joined the Negro Ensemble Company and appeared in several stage productions before teaming up with French producer Jacques Morali to create Village People.

    As the group’s unmistakable lead vocalist and principal songwriter, Willis helped create enduring hits including “Y.M.C.A.,” “Macho Man,” “In the Navy,” and “Go West.” He later fought a lengthy legal battle to reclaim songwriting rights and eventually regained ownership of many of the group’s biggest hits.

    He is survived by his wife, Karen Huff-Willis.

    Powerless families don’t stand a chance against government corruption without supporters like you. Read her story today — then join the fight and protect this mother.
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    © Great America News Desk 2022