Home Blog Page 19

Trump Admin. Frees American Hostage From Taliban

By
Madeleine Jackson
-
0
Gage Skidmore Flickr

Another U.S. citizen is coming home…

On Thursday, the Taliban released American hostage George Glezmann after holding him for more than two years in Afghanistan after negotiations between the Trump administration and Qatari officials, a diplomatic source with knowledge of the release told Fox News Digital.

Glezmann departed the Kabul airport Wednesday evening local time on his way to Doha where he will then be met by U.S. hostage envoy Adam Boehler along with a team from the Qatari Foreign Ministry.

The release of the 65-year-old American, abducted while visiting Kabul as a tourist on Dec. 5, 2022, comes after Boehler met with officials from the Afghan foreign ministry in direct talks alongside Qatari officials.

The diplomatic source confirmed that Glezmann’s release was done as a “goodwill gesture” by the Taliban as an indication of “trust” in Qatar’s continued role as intermediary between Washington and Kabul. 

The exchange differs from the release of two other Americans freed earlier this year, including Ryan Corbett and William Mckenty, who were released in exchange for a Taliban member in U.S. custody in a final-hour deal struck by the Biden administration. (RELATED: Report: Officials In Talks Over Potential US-Russia Prisoner Swap)

Last month, the Trump administration also secured the release of multiple Americans being held prisoner in Russia, including Pennsylvania teacher Marc Fogel. (RELATED: Trump Secures Release Of Second American While Revealing Details Of Russian Prisoner Swap)

Fogel, a history teacher from Pennsylvania, was serving a 14-year prison sentence after his arrest in August 2021 at a Russian airport for being in possession of drugs, which his family and supporters said were medically prescribed marijuana. 

Anne Fogel, his sister, told “Fox & Friends” that she is “so happy to have this massive boulder” lifted off her shoulders with her brother’s release. 

“I am so incredibly grateful to the president,” she added. “Just amazing.” 

Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News

Trump To Sign Executive Order Shuttering Dept. Of Education

By
Madeleine Jackson
-
7
President Donald Trump signs Executive Orders, Monday, February 10, 2025, in the Oval Office. (Official White House photo by Abe McNatt)

President Donald Trump is moving forward with plans to close the Department of Education.

Trump is expected to sign an executive order following through on a campaign promise to disband the department, claiming on the campaign trail that the department was full of “radicals, zealots and Marxists.”

A White House fact sheet states that the move will “turn over education to families instead of bureaucracies. Trump and proponents of eliminating the department have long said the agency has failed American students. 

“NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) scores reveal a national crisis — our children are falling behind,” Harrison Fields, the White House principal deputy press secretary, told Fox News. “Over the past four years, Democrats have allowed millions of illegal minors into the country, straining school resources and diverting focus from American students.”

“Coupled with the rise of anti-American CRT and DEI indoctrination, this is harming our most vulnerable,” he added. “President Trump’s executive order to expand educational opportunities will empower parents, states, and communities to take control and improve outcomes for all students.”

The directive comes after the Senate voted to confirm Linda McMahon, former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), to lead the agency on March 3. McMahon issued a memo later that day outlining her support for the Trump administration’s plans for the department and that she would oversee a “new era of accountability” in the agency’s final days. 

“The reality of our education system is stark, and the American people have elected President Trump to make significant changes in Washington,” McMahon said in the March 3 memo. “Our job is to respect the will of the American people and the President they elected, who has tasked us with accomplishing the elimination of bureaucratic bloat here at the Department of Education — a momentous final mission — quickly and responsibly.”

The American Federation of Teachers issued a statement imploring Congress to oppose the executive order and “to make clear to the president that the federal government, in the face of this order, will not abdicate its responsibility to all children, students and working families, who deserve a future full of promise and possibility, not diminished dreams.”

The teacher’s union pointed to an NPR/PBS News/Marist Poll conducted in February that found more than 60% of Americans “strongly oppose” eradicating the agency. 

“The Department of Education, and the laws it is supposed to execute, has one major purpose: to level the playing field and fill opportunity gaps to help every child in America succeed,” the American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said in a March 5 statement. “Trying to abolish it — which, by the way, only Congress can do — sends a message that the president doesn’t care about opportunity for all kids. Maybe he cares about it for his own kids or his friends’ kids or his donors’ kids — but not all kids.”

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

Associated Press Retracts Story Claiming Trump and Putin Are ‘Very Good Friends’

By
Madeleine Jackson
-
3
Image via Gage Skidmore Flickr

The Associated Press has retracted a story it published Monday which wrongly claimed that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said that President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin were “good friends.”

“The Associated Press has withdrawn its story about U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard saying President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin ‘are very good friends.’ Gabbard was talking about Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The AP will publish a corrected version of the story,” a statement from AP said.

The link to the original story displays a “page unavailable” message. The outlet published an updated piece reflecting Gabbard saying that Modi and Trump were good friends, including an editor’s note at the end acknowledging the AP deleted the original article that contained “erroneous reporting.”

“AP has removed its story about U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard saying President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin ‘are very good friends’ because it did not meet our standards. We notified customers and published a corrected story with an editor’s note to be transparent about the error,” the Associated Press told Fox News Digital in a statement.

Alexa Henning, Gabbard’s deputy chief of staff, addressed the headline on X. 

The AP has clashed with Trump’s White House since the president took office, as the outlet was barred from certain White House events over its refusal to call the now-renamed Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. 

Steve Bannon Predicts Trump Will Win Third Term

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1
    Thor Brødreskift / Nordiske Mediedager, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    The next presidential election could feature a familiar name according to former White House adviser Steve Bannon.

    Bannon leaned into President Trump’s aspirations for a third term, suggesting Trump will run and win in 2028 while denying his own presidential ambitions.

    “I’m a firm believer that President Trump will run and win again in 2028, so I’ve already endorsed President Trump,” Bannon told NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo. “A man like this comes along once every century, if we’re lucky. We’ve got him now.”

    Trump has floated the idea of running for a third presidential term a number of times despite it being unconstitutional with the 22nd Amendment, which limits politicians to two presidential terms. 

    Asked about his own presidential ambitions, Bannon replied, “No, and I’m a firm believer that President Trump will run and win again in 2028, so I’ve already endorsed President Trump. A man like this comes along once every century if we’re a little lucky. We’ve got him now, he’s on fire, and I’m a huge supporter. I wanna see him again in 2028.”

    “You’re a smart guy. You know he’s term-limited,” replied Cuomo. “How do you think he gets another term?”

    Bannon answered, “We’re working on it. I think we’ll have a couple of alternatives, let’s say that. We’ll see what the definition of term limit is.”

    “So you’re talking about litigating this issue, because I don’t want people to listen to our interview and say, ‘Bannon’s cooking up an insurrection.’ You know what I mean?” asked Cuomo. “I want people to get a straight take on where your head is.”

    “Chris, as you know, I’ve had greater long shots than this,” declared Bannon, who previously floated the possibility of a third Trump term in December. “We’ve had greater long shots than Trump 2028 and we’ve got a lot of stuff we’re working on there. We’re not prepared to talk about it publicly, but in a couple months I think we will be.”

    Cuomo questioned, “But you are not suggesting revolution or overthrow or anything that people would condemn?”

    After Bannon dodged the question, Cuomo once again pressed, “I just want to make it clear for people so that they can’t paint you as, you know, suggesting revolution. Your analogy is to ’32 and how FDR extended it?”

    “We are, but I firmly believe in the revolution you’re seeing going on now, the revolution of common sense to deconstruct the administrative state,” concluded Bannon.

    Report: Minnesota Lawmaker Behind ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ Bill Accused Of Soliciting Teen

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    5
    Arrest image via Pixabay

    Hours after introducing a bill proposing “Trump derangement syndrome” (TDS) as a form of mental illness police arrested Minnesota state Sen. Justin Eichorn for soliciting a minor.

    According to The Hill, Bloomington Police Department detectives had communicated with Eichorn, who was under the assumption he was talking to a 17-year-old female. He arrived Monday to meet the teen in person but was instead met by local officers.

    He was later booked at the Bloomington Police Department jail and was expected to be transported to the Hennepin County Adult Detention Center. A felony charge of soliciting a minor to practice prostitution was pending, authorities said in a statement Tuesday.

    “As a 40-year-old man, if you come to the Orange Jumpsuit District looking to have sex with someone’s child, you can expect that we are going to lock you up,” Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said in a statement. “I have always advocated stiffer penalties for these types of offenses…We need our state legislature to take this case and this type of conduct more seriously.”

    Eichorn, who is married with four children, represents St. Paul, Minn., according to his legislative profile. 

    The bill, sponsored by Republican State Senators Eric Lucero, Steve Drazkowski, Nathan Wesenberg, Justin Eichorn, and Glenn Gruenhagen, seeks to amend the state’s definition of mental illness by adding a specific reference to TDS. According to the text of the bill, mental illness would include “Trump Derangement Syndrome” or an organic disorder of the brain that significantly impairs an individual’s ability to function in daily life. (RELATED: Minnesota Republicans Propose Bill Classifying “Trump Derangement Syndrome” as Mental Illness)

    The bill describes TDS as “the acute onset of paranoia in otherwise normal persons that is in reaction to the policies and presidencies of President Donald J. Trump.” According to the proposal, individuals affected by TDS exhibit symptoms of paranoia and an inability to separate legitimate political disagreements from perceived personal or psychological pathology in Trump’s behavior.

    In the wake of Eichorn’s arrest, his colleagues have urged him to resign.

    “We are shocked by these reports and this alleged conduct demands an immediate resignation,” Minnesota State Republicans wrote in a statement, posted on X. “Justin has a difficult road ahead and he needs to focus on his family.”

    Trump And Putin Agree To 30-Day Ceasefire

    By
    Patrick Houck
    -
    0
    Kremlin.ru, via Wikimedia Commons

    U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to a 30-day cessation of attacks on energy infrastructure in Ukraine, following an extensive phone conversation. This agreement is a preliminary step toward broader peace negotiations, although a comprehensive ceasefire has not yet been established.

    During their three hour discussion, both leaders emphasized the importance of addressing the underlying causes of the conflict to achieve lasting peace. They agreed to initiate technical negotiations aimed at a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea and to continue efforts toward a full cessation of hostilities.

    Additionally, Russia and Ukraine have consented to exchange 175 prisoners each as part of confidence-building measures. While Ukraine has accepted the 30-day ceasefire proposal, Russia’s support is conditional, with President Putin expressing concerns about Ukraine potentially regrouping during the ceasefire and emphasizing the need for guarantees to prevent such actions

    President Trump has indicated that further sanctions could be imposed on Russia if a comprehensive peace agreement is not reached, underscoring the urgency of the situation.

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

    Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News

    Report: Impeachment Articles Officially Hit Federal Judge

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    7
    By The White House - https://www.flickr.com/photos/202101414@N05/54325633746/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=159707159

    On Tuesday, A house Republican filed articles of impeachment against U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who recently ordered the Trump administration to stop deportation flights being conducted under the Alien Enemies Act.

    “For the past several weeks, we’ve seen several rogue activist judges try to impede the president from exercising, not only the mandate voters gave him, but his democratic and constitutional authority to keep the American people safe,” Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital. “This is another example of a rogue judge overstepping his…authority.”

    Gill’s resolution, first obtained by Fox News Digital, accused U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg of abusing his power in levying an emergency pause on the Trump administration’s plans to deport illegal immigrants under a wartime authority first issued in 1798, which President Donald Trump recently invoked to get members of the criminal Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua out of the U.S.

    “Chief Judge Boasberg required President Trump to turn around planes midair that had aliens associated with Tren De Aragua, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization,” the resolution said. “This conduct jeopardizes the safety of the nation, represents an abuse of judicial power, and is detrimental to the orderly functioning of the judiciary. Using the powers of his office, Chief Judge Boasberg has attempted to seize power from the Executive Branch and interfere with the will of the American people.”

    In a brief interview with Fox News Digital shortly before filing his resolution, Gill suggested he wanted the matter to go through the House in traditional form – which would first put the resolution in front of the House Judiciary Committee, where Gill is a member.

    “I’ll be talking to [Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio] about it,” Gill said. “I think the best way to do this…is to go through the judiciary committee, which is where impeachment of judges runs through. I think the more we can stick with that plan, the better.”

    Read:

    rep.-gill-articles-of-impeachment-judge-james-boasberg-final-1Download

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

    Authorities Respond To Multiple Tesla Dealer Vandalisms

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1
    Tesla

    Authorities are responding after multple Tesla’s were destroyed.

    Police are investigating a fire involving several vehicles at a Tesla Collision Center in Las Vegas.

    The fire was reported around 2:45 a.m. in the 6000 block of West Badura Avenue near Jones Boulevard and Warm Springs Road. Badura is closed to traffic.

    “LVMPD Communications received information that an individual had set several vehicles on fire in the parking lot and caused damage to the property, according to police.

    A California Tesla dealership was also vandalized early Monday.

    Multiple cars were found with swastikas spray-painted on them, and several windows of the dealership building were spray-painted with swastikas and profanity.

    The incident occurred around 5 a.m., the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release Monday. No suspects have been identified, and no arrests have been made.

    The vandalism comes two days after a protest at the same Tesla dealership where community members rallied against federal funding cuts. Protesters could be seen holding signs with messages like “boycott Tesla” and “save Social Security.”

    The string of vandalism come after Donald Trump said last week considering labeling the vandals as domestic terrorists.

    Other incidents of vandalism have occurred around the country, including two incidents at an Oregon dealership where shots were fired and Molotov cocktails thrown at a dealership.

    A 41-year-old man faces charges for those incidents.

    Earlier this month, authorities responded to multiple Tesla superchargers being set ablaze in Massachusetts. (RELATED: Trump Hater Accidentally Sets Himself On Fire While Trying To Destroy Tesla Station)

    A total of seven chargers were damaged, police said. 

    On Saturday, NBC News noted, “There have been at least a dozen [acts] of vandalism against Tesla vehicles, dealerships or charging stations in recent weeks, according to police and local reports.” (RELATED: Woman In Custody After Explosives Discovered At Tesla Dealership)

    The incidents come months after a Tesla Cybertruck exploded in front of the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas.

    A U.S. Army soldier drove the Cybertruck, which he rented from Turo, outside of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on Monday morning. Upon arriving, the vehicle was detonated by explosives in the car.

    Investigators found fireworks, gasoline canisters and camping fuel in the remains of the vehicle. The soldier was believed to have fatally shot himself shortly before the explosion.

    On the day of the attack, Musk commented on X that the individual “picked the wrong vehicle for a terrorist attack” because the “Cybertruck actually contained the explosion and directed the blast upwards.”

    Federal Judge Faces Impeachment Threat Over Recent Deportation Fight

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    4
    Image via Pixabay

    Things are heating up…

    On Tuesday, President Donald Trump called for the impeachment of a judge in a Truth Social post, referring to U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg who recently sought to block deportation flights to El Salvador.

    “This Radical Left Lunatic of a Judge, a troublemaker and agitator who was sadly appointed by Barack Hussein Obama, was not elected President – He didn’t WIN the popular VOTE (by a lot!), he didn’t WIN ALL SEVEN SWING STATES, he didn’t WIN 2,750 to 525 Counties, HE DIDN’T WIN ANYTHING! I WON FOR MANY REASONS, IN AN OVERWHELMING MANDATE, BUT FIGHTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION MAY HAVE BEEN THE NUMBER ONE REASON FOR THIS HISTORIC VICTORY,” Trump declared in the post.

    “I’m just doing what the VOTERS wanted me to do. This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges’ I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED!!! WE DON’T WANT VICIOUS, VIOLENT, AND DEMENTED CRIMINALS, MANY OF THEM DERANGED MURDERERS, IN OUR COUNTRY. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!” the president added.

    Over the weekend, Republican Rep. Brandon Gill (Texas) said he would be pushing to impeach the federal judge who ordered the Trump administration to halt deportations of Venezuelan gang members.

    “I’ll be filing Articles of Impeachment against activist judge James Boasberg this week,” Gill wrote in a post on X.

    On Saturday, President Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. The order was intended to target members of the Tren de Aragua gang, who Trump said could be arrested, restrained and removed from the country. The moment marked only the third time the wartime act has been used and the first time since World War II.

    U.S. District Judge James Boasberg had earlier ordered a temporary block on the deportation of five of the group’s members, which prompted Trump to issue the proclamation.

    The editorial board of The New York Post also hammered billionaire Elon Musk for calling to impeach Judge Boasberg, calling the move “way out of line.”

    “Elon Musk is way out of his lane in cheering a bid to impeach federal Judge James Boasberg, who’s put a temporary hold on deportation flights of illegal migrant gangbangers,” the editorial board wrote in their Sunday piece, which was highlighted by Mediaite.

    “We like the idea of the flights: The brutes of Tren de Aragua and MS-13 have had it too easy for far too long, and current efforts to get tough are a necessary correction to Biden-era denial,” they added

    “The case seems destined to go all the way to the Supreme Court. Can the feds simply declare anyone a TdA member before putting them on a plane off to an El Salvadoran prison?” the Post editorial board questioned in their piece.

    “Which makes it just plain silly for Musk to tweet ‘necessary’ of a Texas rep’s plan to file to impeach the judge: It’s nothing of the kind, and cheering it only makes Musk look reckless — a reputation he doesn’t need when many DOGE actions also face court challenge,” they added.

    Trump Responds After Iranian General Threatens To Retaliate

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    1...181920...244Page 19 of 244
    © Great America News Desk 2022