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Supreme Court Rejects Trump Request To Cancel $2B In Foreign Aid

By
Madeleine Jackson
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10
Duncan Lock, Dflock, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court in a 5-4 emergency ruling refused to halt a judge’s decision ordering the Trump administration to immediately release nearly $2 billion in foreign aid payments owed under existing contracts. 

It hands a loss to the administration in the first time that Trump’s efforts to drastically reshape federal spending, agency by agency, have reached the high court. 

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined with the court’s three liberals to side against the administration. 

Four of the court’s conservatives — Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh — dissented. 

“Does a single district-court judge who likely lacks jurisdiction have the unchecked power to compel the Government of the United States to pay out (and probably lose forever) 2 billion taxpayer dollars? The answer to that question should be an emphatic ‘No,’ but a majority of this Court apparently thinks otherwise. I am stunned,” Alito wrote, joined by the three others. 

The Trump administration has broadly sought to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), including by firing employees and freezing its payments to contractors, sparking a wave of lawsuits. 

The Supreme Court’s emergency decision keeps in place a lower judge’s order enforcing his directive that the administration maintain foreign aid agreements that existed before Trump took office. 

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

Report: Democrats Planning Protests During Trump Speech

By
Madeleine Jackson
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12
President Donald Trump attends the National Prayer Breakfast, Thursday, February 6, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley.)

Trump’s speech tonight could feature some interesting moments…

The White House brushed off reports that far-left Democrats in Congress are discussing plans to go further than ever to protest and even disrupt President Donald Trump’s speech to Congress

Some Democrat lawmakers are advocating for major disruptions at the event, ranging from outright walkouts to using noisemakers to drown out Trump’s speech, Axios reported Tuesday. Some of the more moderate ideas reportedly floated include carrying egg cartons to highlight costs, carrying protest signs, and coordinating outfits.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital that Trump is prepared for whatever the Democrats might throw at him.

“Democrats behaving like children would be the least surprising news of the night,” Leavitt told Fox News Digital.

According to Fox News, other Democrats discussed plans to storm out of the chamber if Trump crosses certain rhetorical lines, such as discussing gender-confused youths.

“The part that we all agree on is that this is not business as usual and we would like to find a way — productively — to express our outrage,” one lawmaker told Axios.

Democrat leaders reportedly encouraged members in closed-door meetings this week to keep their protests civil, however, with many arguing that major outbursts would only help Trump.

“There are definitely a lot of constituents that really want Democrats to disrupt and there are constituents who feel like that just plays into his hands,” another lawmaker told the outlet.

One Democrat – Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia – is not planning to attend at all.

“These are not normal times. The challenges my constituents face demand more than sitting in a chamber I revere, listening as if the person addressing our country is not unleashing chaos and cruelty on their lives. I cannot give audience to that,” he said in a statement Tuesday morning.

Connolly also said he’s not attending “In solidarity with federal workers and contractors, who have been treated with unspeakable disregard and disrespect by a president and an oligarch billionaire who do not value their public service.”

Protests at State of the Union speeches and other major presidential events have grown more common and severe in recent years. While Trump’s Tuesday address is not technically a State of the Union address, it follows essentially the same format.

The president is scheduled to speak before all members of Congress on Tuesday at 9 p.m. EST.

Watch HERE:

Ukraine Bends The Knee: Zelenskyy Calls White House Clash ‘Regrettable’

By
Madeleine Jackson
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3
By President Of Ukraine - https://www.flickr.com/photos/165930373@N06/54169325552/, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=156221279

On Tuesday, Ukraine leader Volodormyr Zelenskyy called his meeting at the White House last week “regrettable” and said he is ready to pursue peace under President Donald Trump’s leadership.

Zelenskyy made the concession in a lengthy statement posted to social media on Tuesday, saying Ukraine “is ready to come to the negotiating table.” He added that last week’s meeting “did not go the way it was supposed to be,” and he said “it is time to make things right.”

“My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts,” Zelenskyy wrote.

“We are ready to work fast to end the war, and the first stages could be the release of prisoners and truce in the sky — ban on missiles, long-ranged drones, bombs on energy and other civilian infrastructure — and truce in the sea immediately, if Russia will do the same. Then we want to move very fast through all next stages and to work with the US to agree a strong final deal,” he added.

“We do really value how much America has done to help Ukraine maintain its sovereignty and independence. And we remember the moment when things changed when President Trump provided Ukraine with Javelins. We are grateful for this,” the statement continued.

“Our meeting in Washington, at the White House on Friday, did not go the way it was supposed to be. It is regrettable that it happened this way. It is time to make things right. We would like future cooperation and communication to be constructive. Regarding the agreement on minerals and security, Ukraine is ready to sign it at any time and in any convenient format. We see this agreement as a step toward greater security and solid security guarantees, and I truly hope it will work effectively,” Zelenskyy concluded.

Zelenskyy’s statement came less than a day after Trump paused all aid to Ukraine on Monday night. A senior Trump administration official also told Fox News that military aid will remain on hold until Ukrainian leaders show a commitment to good faith peace negotiations.

“This is not permanent termination of aid, it’s a pause,” the official emphasized. “The orders are going out right now.”

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

Musk Fantasizes About Jailing Zelenskyy After Trump Pauses Aid To Ukraine

By
Madeleine Jackson
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2
By President Of Ukraine from Україна - Joint Statement of the fourth Ukraine - Nordic Summit in Reykjavik., CC0, curid=156221560

The rift between President Trump and Ukraine leader Volodormyr Zelenskyy is growing wider…

On Monday, the Trump administration paused all aid to Ukraine, including weapons in transit or in Poland, until Ukrainian leaders show more appreciation for U.S. support and a commitment to peace.

“President Trump has been clear that he is focused on peace,” a White House official told Fox News. “We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well. We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution.”

A senior Trump administration official also told Fox News that military aid will remain on hold until Ukrainian leaders show a commitment to good faith peace negotiations.

“This is not permanent termination of aid, it’s a pause,” the official emphasized. “The orders are going out right now.”

Zelenskyy’s meeting with Trump and Vice President JD Vance last week erupted into a shouting match that was seen worldwide. The Ukrainian president traveled to the United States to meet with Trump after the commander-in-chief said a peace negotiation to end the war between Ukraine and Russia is in its final stages. 

Zelenskyy was apparently presented with a minerals for security agreement by the Trump administration prior to the press event, but the deal included no security guarantees to protect Ukraine from another Russian invasion. 

Minutes after reporters in the Oval Office asked their first questions, an aggressive spat unfolded between the heads of state.

The Biden administration gave billions in military aid to Ukraine to fend off Russian forces amid its three-year war following Moscow’s invasion of its neighbor. 

When asked Monday about the status of the rare-earth minerals deal, Trump told reporters that he would disclose where the deal stands when he addresses a joint session of Congress Tuesday in a speech akin to the annual State of the Union. He added that he would like to see the Ukrainian leader express more gratitude for U.S. support during the war in order to rekindle peace negotiations. 

“I just think he should be more appreciative because this country has stuck with him through thick and thin,” Trump said. “We’ve given them much more than Europe, and Europe should have given more than us because, as you know, that’s right there, that’s the border.” 

Later on Monday, President Trump spurred extreme reactions from senior advisers such as Elon Musk after responding to Zelenskyy’s comments signaling the end to Ukraine’s conflict with Russia is still “very, very far away.”

“This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelenskyy, and America will not put up with it for much longer!” wrote Trump on Truth Social. “It is what I was saying, this guy doesn’t want there to be Peace as long as he has America’s backing and, Europe, in the meeting they had with Zelenskyy, stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the U.S. – Probably not a great statement to have been made in terms of a show of strength against Russia. What are they thinking?”

On X, Musk shared Trump’s post and argued that “Zelensky wants a forever war, a never-ending graft meat grinder. This is evil.”

Right-wing social media personality Rogan O’Handley then shared Musk’s post along with a theory:

Zelensky knows if the war ends, his power ends

Elections will resume and he’ll lose

Then his adversary will investigate his money laundering and he’ll be sent to prison

Zelensky is sending innocent Ukrainians to die in his meat grinder so he can stay in power

Dictator

“True,” replied Musk. “As distasteful as it is, Zelensky should be offered some kind of amnesty in a neutral country in exchange for a peaceful transition back to democracy in Ukraine.”

Report: Trump Demanding ‘Explicit Public Apology’ From Zelenskyy Before Proceeding With Ukraine Deal

By
Madeleine Jackson
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4
By President Of Ukraine - https://www.flickr.com/photos/165930373@N06/54169325552/, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=156221279

President Trump has some demands…

According to Fox News senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy, Trump is seeking public contrition from Zelensky following the chaotic Oval Office meeting between the two leaders on Friday.

“I have been told by a senior official here that nothing’s going to happen with this minerals deal until Zelensky goes in front of cameras and makes an explicit public apology for the way that he behaved himself, behaved in the Oval Office with that meeting,” Doocy said during Monday’s edition of the Faulkner Focus.

The president’s public comments on Truth Social, Monday, seem to track with Fox’s reporting — as he blasted Zelensky for saying that the end of the war with Russia is “very, very far away.”

“This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelenskyy, and America will not put up with it for much longer!” Trump wrote.

Zelensky has signaled he believes he’s still on solid footing with the U.S. and Trump.

In public comments earlier Monday, he declared his belief that the minerals deal can proceed without any strings attached.

“We are not making any steps back,” Zelensky said. “This is our policy to be consistent regardless of what happened before. We are constructive if we agree that it will be signed from our side, we are ready to sign. I honestly think the United States will be ready as well. Yeah, maybe they need time to analyze some things.”

On Monday, President Trump was asked if the deal was dead, to which he replied, “I don’t think so.”

“It’s a great deal for us, because you know Biden very, very foolishly, stupidly, frankly, gave $300 billion…to a country to fight and to try and do things. And you know what happened? We get nothing.”

Asked what Zelensky needed to do to restart negotiations, Trump said the Ukrainian leader needed to express more gratitude for U.S. assistance.

“I just think he should be more appreciative, because this country has stuck with them through thick and thin,” Trump said. “We’ve given them much more than Europe, and Europe should have given more than us because as you know that’s right there.”

On Friday, President Trump called off negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to end the conflict in Ukraine after a tense Oval Office meeting in which the two leaders sparred over U.S. support for Kyiv.

“We had a very meaningful meeting in the White House today. Much was learned that could never be understood without conversation under such fire and pressure,” Trump posted on Truth Social after the meeting. 

“It’s amazing what comes out through emotion, and I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations,” Trump continued. “I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.”

Report: Top HHS Spokesman Out After Clashing With RFK Jr.

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    5
    By Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America - Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., CC BY-SA 2.0,

    Just in…

    The top communications official at Health and Human Services has stepped down after just weeks on the job — as it was revealed he clashed with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over the deadly measles outbreak gripping Texas, according to multiple reports.

    Thomas Corry, the assistant secretary of public affairs, who has only been on the job for a few weeks, announced he was quitting Monday, according to Politico.

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

    White House Press Sec. Fiercely Defends Trump Over Zelenskyy Showdown

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    3
    By Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America - Karoline Leavitt, CC BY-SA 2.0,

    White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended President Trump’s recent behavior during negotiations with Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday.

    Friday’s joint press event quickly turned sour as Zelenskyy, Trump, and Vice President JD Vance openly argued and insulted one another over the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine — in a stunning showdown that unfolded on live TV.

    During Sunday’s Media Buzz, Kurtz acknowledged Zelenskyy could be “irritating” but pointedly noted that “it also seemed like President Trump lost his temper.”

    Leavitt pushed back hard, dismissing the idea outright: “I would disagree with that. I think what happened in the Oval Office, I was there, was unfortunately President Zelenskyy came in with a mindset not wanting to negotiate peace.”

    She shifted blame to the Ukrainian leader: “President Zelenskyy was also antagonistic, and frankly, he was rude. He picked a fight with the Vice President of the United States. He repeatedly interrupted President Trump… After three years of funding this brutal war, [Americans] are sick and tired of footing the bill.”

    Kurtz, sticking to his initial take, pushed back and even rationalized Zelenskyy’s issue with ongoing negotiations: “The president kicked him out without the expected agreement about rare minerals, and President Zelenskyy kept saying he needed security agreements, security because Vladimir Putin had a long history of breaking agreements, so wasn’t that a reasonable point for him to make?”

    “Well, that’s not what this meeting was about,” Leavitt shot back. “And President Zelenskyy was told that ahead of time… This meeting was about signing an economic partnership between the United States of America and Ukraine.”

    When Kurtz interjected — “His country’s at war!” — Leavitt pivoted, arguing Trump is still actively pursuing peace.

    “Yeah, I would just say a ceasefire might leave all the Russian land gains intact,” Kurtz replied, before adding: “I’ve never seen anything like it, would have happened behind closed doors. So why hold the meeting in front of the cameras?”

    Leavitt replied: “Because President Trump is the most transparent president in history and it was great for the cameras to be in there because the American people and the world were able to see what the president and his team has seen behind the scenes in negotiating with President Zelenskyy’s team.”

    On Sunday, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer put forward a framework for a peace plan between Ukraine and Russia, though he acknowledged it relies heavily on assumed U.S. support.

    Starmer said the U.K. is prepared to deploy boots on the ground in Ukraine as well as air force assets to ensure Russia does not infringe on a peace agreement. He nevertheless stated that the plan would rely heavily on U.S. backing as well.

    Trump Transports Raided Materials Back To Mar-A-Lago

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
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      2
      Marine One lifts-off after returning President Donald J. Trump to Mar-a-Lago Friday, March 29, 2019, following his visit to the 143-mile Herbert Hoover Dike near Canal Point, Fla., that surrounds Lake Okeechobee. The visit was part of an infrastructure inspection of the dike, which is part of the Kissimmee-Okeechobee Everglades system, and reduces impacts of flooding for areas of south Florida. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian) [Photo Credit: The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons]

      It’s over…

      President Donald Trump said he is taking the government-generated documents found in Mar-a-Lago after his first term, where they were seized by the FBI, back to Florida.

      The president took to Truth Social on Friday to say he is taking the documents back:

      The Department of Justice has just returned the boxes that Deranged Jack Smith made such a big deal about. They are being brought down to Florida and will someday be part of the Trump Presidential Library. Justice finally won out. I did absolutely nothing wrong. This was merely an attack on a political opponent that, obviously, did not work well. Justice in our Country will now be restored.

      The FBI seized the documents at Trump’s Florida home and resort in August 2022. Agents found boxes of documents all over Mar-a-Lago, including in a ballroom, a storage room, and a bathroom. Two months before, an attorney for Trump attested to the Department of Justice that to the best of her knowledge, no government documents were at Mar-a-Lago. The raid showed otherwise.

      Trump has long claimed he declassified the documents in question and that he took them “very legally.”

      “There’s something going on because they’re going after me viciously,” he said in March 2024. “Then all of a sudden it comes out that Biden took 10 times the number of documents that I did. And I took them very legally and I wasn’t hiding them.

      On Friday, Kyle Griffin of NBC News reported that White House staffers were seen loading about 15 boxes on Air Force One en route to Mar-a-Lago.

      Trump was criminally prosecuted by former Special Counsel Jack Smith, who alleged that the president willfully took classified material to Mar-a-Lago after departing the White House in January 2021. 

      Judge Aileen Cannon, who was appointed by Trump in 2020, ultimately dismissed the case on the grounds that Smith’s appointment as special counsel was illegal.

      Trump Ends Talks With Zelenskyy, Cancels Joint Press Conference

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
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      4
      By The White House - https://www.flickr.com/photos/202101414@N05/54325633746/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=159707159

      It’s over…

      President Trump has called off negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to end the conflict in Ukraine after a tense Oval Office meeting in which the two leaders sparred over U.S. support for Kyiv.

      “We had a very meaningful meeting in the White House today. Much was learned that could never be understood without conversation under such fire and pressure,” Trump posted on Truth Social after the meeting. 

      “It’s amazing what comes out through emotion, and I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations,” Trump continued. “I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.”

      Shortly after Trump’s post on Truth Social, Zelensky’s motorcade pulled up to the White House, signaling negotiations had ended.

      The two leaders had been scheduled to hold a joint press conference and sign a deal giving the U.S. access to Ukraine’s critical minerals supply later in the day. The press conference has been canceled, and the minerals deal was not signed.

      Trump’s post followed a stunning exchange in the Oval Office in which the president and Vice President Vance teed off on Zelensky, accusing him of being ungrateful for U.S. support and of having little leverage in talks.

      Watch:

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reacted publicly for the first time since his Oval Office blowup with President Donald Trump on Friday with a social media post thanking the United States.

      “Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit,” Zelenskyy posted on X. “Thank you @POTUS. Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.”

      Famed Dem Strategist Predicts Trump Admin Will ‘Collapse’ Within 30 Days

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
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      13
      President Donald Trump takes questions after signing Executive Orders, Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok) President Donald Trump signs Executive Orders, Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)

      A stunning claim…

      Longtime Democrat strategist James Carville suggested the Trump Administration will “collapse” within 30 days as the public reacts to the sweeping actions from the executive branch.

      “I believe that this administration, in less than 30 days, is in the midst of a massive collapse and particularly a collapse in public opinion,” Carville said during a conversation with Mediaite’s Dan Abrams about the Trump administration’s unprecedented recent actions.

      Abrams asked Carville to clarify what he meant, to confirm that Carville believes the administration will crumble shortly.

      “It’s collapsing right now. We’re in the midst of a collapse,” Carville replied. “This is the lowest approval, not even close, that any president has ever had at a comparable time.”

      The Trump administration has made drastic moves to slash federal spending through Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has caused concern across the country. Thousands of federal workers are out of work as DOGE is examining various federal agencies, potentially gaining access to sensitive information.

      Carville noted Trump has already dropped in approval ratings from one “pretty damn good poll” and believes it will be “easy pickings” in about six weeks. The mentioned poll showed Trump’s approval rating dropping from the low 50s to the upper 30s.

      Carville’s comments follow previous ones he’s made predicting the Trump administration would collapse. He joined Fox News’s “Hannity” last week to say Democrats don’t need to be aggressive in combating Trump because his poll numbers predict a “collapse is already underway.”

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