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VP Vance Says Trump Aims To Complete Border Wall By 2029

By
Madeleine Jackson
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Trump at the border wall via Wikimedia Commons

The Trump Administration is working hard to secure the border.

During a visit to Eagle Pass, Texas, a reporter asked Vice President Vance how he and the President would define “success” when it comes to the initiative and how much of the border needs to be “walled off” before the end of Trump’s administration.

“I think the president’s hope is that by the end of the term we build the entire border wall,” the vice president replied.

“And of course that’s the physical structure — the border wall itself — but we even heard today, there are so many good technological tools, so many great artificial intelligence-enabled technologies that allow us” to guard the southern border, he added.

The Hill reported that Vance also suggested the administration would employ artificial intelligence (AI) tools to aid with efforts to combat illegal immigration — a top priority for Trump, who promised while on the campaign trail to conduct the largest deportation operation in history. The vice president pointed to AI-enabled cameras that can spot migrants up to 2 miles away from the border, before they cross over.

“We’re using artificial intelligence to make us better at the job of border enforcement, but we’ve got to make sure that technology is deployed across the entire American southern border,” Vance said.

“We’re going to do it as much as we can, as broadly as we can, because that’s how we’re going to protect the American people’s security,” he added.

Building the wall was a centerpiece of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. During his first term, his administration reinforced more than 400 miles of the already existing wall and added about 80 miles of barrier to the border.

Trump administration officials recently told GOP senators that they’re running out of money to secure the border and need Congress to immediately pass $175 billion to complete the U.S.-Mexico border wall and hire more law-enforcement agents.

Report: Trump To Sign Order To Shutter Dept. Of Education

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

An administration official told NewsNation White House correspondent Libbey Dean that Trump will sign an executive order Thursday afternoon that directs McMahon to begin dissolving the Education Department

The executive order, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, has been in the works since before Trump was sworn into office in January.

The draft of the order recognizes that the president does not have the authority to abolish the department and that it would likely take 60 votes in the Senate, where Republicans hold only 53 seats, The Washington Post reported.

But it directs McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Education Department” based on “the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law,” according to the Journal.

“The experiment of controlling American education through Federal programs and dollars—and the unaccountable bureaucrats those programs and dollars support — has failed our children, our teachers, and our families,” the draft order reportedly reads.

The official White House schedule was updated Thursday morning with Trump signing unspecified executive orders at 2 p.m. EST.

The Post also noted that the draft was labeled “pre-decisional,” citing a personal familiar with the matter who cautioned that its details could change before it is final.

McMahon was confirmed Monday to lead the Education Department. That evening, she foreshadowed the executive order in a letter in which she described her goal of making education a matter for the states.

“My vision is aligned with the President’s: to send education back to the states and empower all parents to choose an excellent education for their children,” she wrote. “As a mother and grandmother, I know there is nobody more qualified than a parent to make educational decisions for their children.”

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

Trump Announces One Month Delay on Mexico, Canada Tariffs

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

Just in…

President Trump on Wednesday announced a one-month exemption on tariffs against Canada and Mexico for cars following a meeting with the three major U.S. automakers.

Trump spoke with the leaders of the “Big Three” automakers — Ford, General Motors and Stellantis — on the heels of imposing 25 percent tariffs on all imports from Mexico and Canada on Tuesday.

Following those discussions, Trump said in a statement read by press secretary Karoline Leavitt that the administration is giving a one-month exemption for automakers associated with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA), which Trump signed during his first term. 

The exemption would apply to Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, as well as companies with production facilities in the three North American countries.

Asked if there would be any other carveouts to come, Leavitt said Trump is “open to hearing about additional exemptions.”

Trump on Tuesday imposed 25 percent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, as well as an additional 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods. He cited frustration over the flow of fentanyl into the United States, though experts have noted relatively little fentanyl enters the country through the northern border.

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

Republican Campaign Chair Warns Lawmakers Against In-Person Townhalls

By
Madeleine Jackson
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1

Republicans are on high alert…

National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Richard Hudson warned congressional lawmakers to avoid in-person town halls and predicted that protests are only going to get worse.

The remarks came after President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to accuse “paid troublemakers” and Democrats of manufacturing the scenes of discontent at GOP events across the country. In a post on Truth Social,

Paid ‘troublemakers’ are attending Republican Town Hall Meetings. It is all part of the game for the Democrats, but just like our big LANDSLIDE ELECTION, it’s not going to work for them!

According to Wall Street Journal Congress reporter Olivia Beavers, Hudson called for the full attention of all present at the closed GOP House meeting on Tuesday before warning that protests would be getting worse and that no one should be doing in-person town halls for the time being.

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) reportedly stood up and shared that protestors had been picketing outside of her house and were harassing her children.

Hudson went on to claim that Democratic activists were “hijacking” the town hall events and “drowning out” local constituents, another source told Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman. He added that Democrats would be attending the events just to get a “viral clip” of Republican lawmakers being challenged.

Hudson reportedly recommended that Republicans do virtual town halls or tele-town halls instead, rationalizing that this was a more efficient way of reaching constituents.

Social Media Erupts Over Dem Responses To Child Cancer Survivor

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    7
    Photo via Pixabay images

    Democrats have some thinking to do…

    Social media erupted after many Democrat lawmakers notably stayed seated as a 13-year-old brain cancer survivor was asked to be made an honorary Secret Service agent

    “A terminally ill child with brain cancer is given an honorary Secret Service award and the Democrats refuse to stand or clap for the child,” Trump administration official Ric Grennell tweeted regarding the interaction between the 13-year-old and the president. 

    “Democrats refused to stand for the brain cancer surviving kid! How awful can one party be?” Outkick founder Clay Travis tweeted.

    “Democrats didn’t even stand for the boy who survived brain cancer,” Republican activist Scott Pressler posted on X.

    “Democrats refused to stand or clap for a little boy fighting cancer,” Libs of TikTok posted on X. “Truly sick people.”

    However, others highlighted the overall importance of the moment. 

    “This is the first time I can remember crying during a state of the union. Thank you President Trump,” Meghan McCain posted. “This is so beautiful. Anyone who has been impacted by brain cancer knows how special this is.” 

    McCain’s father, the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., died of brain cancer in 2018. 

    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.”

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