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For decades, we’ve been told America’s wars are about drugs, democracy, or “defending freedom.” But look closer at what’s unfolding off the coast of Venezuela, and you’ll see something far more strategic taking shape. Donald Trump’s so-called drug war isn’t about fentanyl or cocaine. It’s about control — and a rebirth of American sovereignty.

The aim of Trump’s ‘drug war’ is to keep the hemisphere’s oil, minerals, and manufacturing within the Western family and out of Beijing’s hands.

The president understands something the foreign policy class forgot long ago: The world doesn’t respect apologies. It respects strength.

While the global elites in Davos tout the Great Reset, Trump is building something entirely different — a new architecture of power based on regional independence, not global dependence. His quiet campaign in the Western Hemisphere may one day be remembered as the second Monroe Doctrine.

Venezuela sits at the center of it all. It holds the world’s largest crude oil reserves — oil perfectly suited for America’s Gulf refineries. For years, China and Russia have treated Venezuela like a pawn on their chessboard, offering predatory loans in exchange for control of those resources. The result has been a corrupt, communist state sitting in our own back yard. For too long, Washington shrugged. Not any more.

The naval exercises in the Caribbean, the sanctions, the patrols — they’re not about drug smugglers. They’re about evicting China from our hemisphere.

Trump is using the old “drug war” playbook to wage a new kind of war — an economic and strategic one — without firing a shot at our actual enemies. The goal is simple: Keep the hemisphere’s oil, minerals, and manufacturing within the Western family and out of Beijing’s hands.

Beyond Venezuela

Just east of Venezuela lies Guyana, a country most Americans couldn’t find on a map a year ago. Then ExxonMobil struck oil, and suddenly Guyana became the newest front in a quiet geopolitical contest. Washington is helping defend those offshore platforms, build radar systems, and secure undersea cables — not for charity, but for strategy. Control energy, data, and shipping lanes, and you control the future.

Moreover, Colombia — a country once defined by cartels — is now positioned as the hinge between two oceans and two continents. It guards the Panama Canal and sits atop rare-earth minerals every modern economy needs. Decades of American presence there weren’t just about cocaine interdiction; they were about maintaining leverage over the arteries of global trade. Trump sees that clearly.

RELATED: A war on Venezuela would be a war on reality

Photo by PEDRO MATTEY/AFP via Getty Images

All of these recent news items — from the military drills in the Caribbean to the trade negotiations — reflect a new vision of American power. Not global policing. Not endless nation-building. It’s about strategic sovereignty.

It’s the same philosophy driving Trump’s approach to NATO, the Middle East, and Asia. We’ll stand with you — but you’ll stand on your own two feet. The days of American taxpayers funding global security while our own borders collapse are over.

Trump’s Monroe Doctrine

Critics will call it “isolationism.” It isn’t. It’s realism. It’s recognizing that America’s strength comes not from fighting other people’s wars but from securing our own energy, our own supply lines, our own hemisphere. The first Monroe Doctrine warned foreign powers to stay out of the Americas. The second one — Trump’s — says we’ll defend them, but we’ll no longer be their bank or their babysitter.

Historians may one day mark this moment as the start of a new era — when America stopped apologizing for its own interests and started rebuilding its sovereignty, one barrel, one chip, and one border at a time.

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​Opinion & analysis, Opinion, Venezuela, Venezuelan strike, Drug war, Drug wars, Us caribbean drills, Monroe doctrine, Trump doctrine, Donald trump, National defense, National interest, Navy, Marco rubio, Guyana, Colombia, Cocaine, Fentanyl, China, Russia, Oil, Energy independence, Rare earth minerals, Realism 

Robert De Niro opened up about his struggle with Trump derangement syndrome on MSNBC’s “The Weekend” this Sunday, when co-host Jonathan Capehart asked De Niro whether he believes Trump will leave office when his term ends.

“No way. … He will not want to leave. He set it up with his, I guess, the Goebbels of the Cabinet,” De Niro replied, referencing Stephen Miller.

“He’s a Nazi. Yes, he is, and he’s Jewish. He should be ashamed of himself,” he said.

De Niro also attacked Americans across the country, picking on those in rural areas for supporting the president.

“They’re used to seeing Trump do his stuff, and they talk, and they listen, and that’s the truth to them because they don’t listen to anything else except somewhere way out in the Midwest, somewhere out west, in certain places, the rural places. That’s the truth,” De Niro said.

“’Cause he gets the air time. And I think that we need more air time. … The news media could find ways to kind of ignore or tamp down nonsense from Trump. It’s just total nonsense. But those people out there listen to it and assume if it can be on the air and it’s out there, it’s the truth,” he added.

“Completely lost,” BlazeTV co-host Jeff Fisher says on “Pat Gray Unleashed.”

“He wants to censor the president,” executive producer Keith Malinak adds.

“Absolutely. And he wants to censor what Americans are seeing and getting their information, you know, like on X or any other platform,” Fisher agrees.

“You wouldn’t be referring to Americans, quote, ‘out there,’ end quote?” Malinak mocks, adding, “Flyover country. He wants to say flyover country so badly.”

“He wants to say he hates middle America, and he does kind of without actually saying it. And he’s just babbling about Donald Trump,” Fisher says. “The TDS has got him strong. I mean, it’s just actually taken full effect. And it’s just, MSNBC just lets him come in and babble.”

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What do you call someone who thinks drag queen story hour better embodies “liberty” than Americans buying Bibles in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s martyrdom? I’ll tell you — and, let me assure you, I choose my words here with theological precision.

David French is a satanic slanderer of the brethren. In my view, he’s become an instrument of deception, and I’ll explain why.

If poetic justice prevailed, David French’s byline would read ‘Judas.’ May he enjoy the potter’s field he’s bought for himself.

Charlie Kirk’s legacy speaks for itself. Nearly everyone who spent time with the murdered founder of Turning Point USA left more grounded in the gospel than they were before. Even Donald Trump Jr., during Charlie’s memorial service, spoke to millions about St. Stephen — the church’s first martyr — because friendship with a man who had given his life and last breath to God bore visible fruit.

French, like Kirk, enjoys a powerful platform. From his perch at the New York Times — the epicenter of America’s corporate media machine — he can influence an elite readership. Yet what evidence shows that his faith leads anyone closer to Christ? None.

Instead, French routinely simps for the spirit of the age, mocking what is good, true, and beautiful. The man once known for moral clarity has become a parody of himself — Joe Biden with less drool and better diction.

French should not be engaged as a serious Christian thinker. He should be exposed and rebuked as what he has become: an agent of deception. As the apostle Paul wrote of Demas, his former companion who “loved this present world,” French has traded salt and light for relevance and applause.

Believers must guard against such turncoats as faith becomes costlier and clearer in our time. Scripture warns repeatedly about impostors who infiltrate the church, seeking to poison it from within. Paul named names in his epistles. He called out the frauds without apology. He didn’t leave the flock guessing about where the danger lay.

Today’s “nicer than God” crowd would scold Paul for being uncharitable. But Charlie Kirk understood that clarity, not niceness, wins spiritual battles. His campus Q&As didn’t leave students guessing about the truth. You might not have liked every answer, but you knew exactly what was at stake. That conviction, lived to the point of death, is what faith demands.

RELATED: Antifa is what you get when cowards run civilization

Photo by Michael Nigro/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

Our faith is the cross, so all of us must provide an unambiguous understanding of the gospel and what it costs.

French’s conduct offers the opposite lesson. His public witness bears no fruit. He delights in the approval of secular elites who despise the gospel. He preens before the godless No Kings crowd, too vain to notice his own descent. Even the biblical warning about millstones and those who lead children astray doesn’t give him pause. He’s chosen his side: deceit and damnation.

I’ve mostly ignored French’s unraveling in recent years. But Charlie is dead, and I won’t let my friend — or the gospel — be caricatured by a man who has become nothing short of a terrorist to the faithful. French couldn’t tie Charlie Kirk’s shoes, which may explain his bitterness. He’s rewriting history to cheapen Charlie’s sacrifice.

How dare he.

You can’t hold such covetous slander in too much contempt. If poetic justice prevailed, French’s byline would read “Judas.” May he enjoy the potter’s field he’s bought for himself. The hireling always receives his reward in full.

​Opinion & analysis, David french, Liberty, Christianity, Drag queen story hour, Religion, Satanic, Charlie kirk, Assassination, Church, Apostle paul, Bible 

No Kings protests erupted across the country this weekend, but per usual — they were anything but organic.

George Soros’ Open Society Foundations funded the protests nationwide, awarding $7.61 million in grants to the group behind the No Kings protest.

“So when you go to their website, George Soros has actually donated over $32 billion of his own money to that foundation, which they then go on to fund all of these … leftist rags, Black Lives Matter, No Kings protests,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales says.

“I think it’s a joke. I looked at the people. They’re not representative of this country. And I looked at all the brand new signs, I guess it was paid for by Soros and other radical left lunatics. It looks like it was. We’re checking it out,” Trump said in response.

“The demonstrations were very small, very ineffective, and the people were whacked out. When you look at those people, those are not representative of the people of our country,” he continued.

“By the way, I’m not a king. I work my a** off to make our country great. That’s all it is. I’m not a king at all,” he added.

“When you look at what President Trump said, which is absolutely correct, by the way, he’s absolutely correct that these people are completely whacked out. They also are not representative of the country,” Gonzales says, noting that while the protest’s website claims seven million people showed up, law enforcement claims differently.

“I actually saw, according to all of the law enforcement intel, that it was probably closer to three million,” she explains. “Now, three million might sound like a lot to you, until you consider how many people are in this country, and you realize this is actually a very small minority of people.”

“This is the good news of the day,” she adds.

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A South Carolina man pleaded guilty to child abuse against his daughter that prosecutors described as “staggering.”

Ian Tatro, 28, admitted to 20 counts of unlawful neglect of a child and one count of obstruction of justice on Monday.

The father also told the child that he ‘wished he could kill her and get away with it.’

The Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office said that Tatro’s daughter spent two days in the hospital and was one of four children who were taken into emergency protective custody.

The torture of the 8-year-old child was uncovered after authorities received an anonymous tip and investigated the residence in 2022. Workers with the Department of Social Services said they had gone to the home several times to investigate but that the girl had been hidden by four adults who lived there.

When they were finally able to find the girl, they determined that she had temporary tattoos in an attempt to hide bruises on her legs, and she had a noticeable limp.

Court documents detailed incredible torture that the girl went through. She was made to eat cat food as well as cat feces and was force-fed laxatives. She was beaten with cords, a frying pan, and boards. She was also made to kneel in a crate, which left her with scars on her knees.

The father also told the child that he “wished he could kill her and get away with it.”

Three other adults in the home were arrested and charged with various counts that ranged from cruelty to children to assault and battery.

A forensic doctor examined the girl and concluded that she met the medical diagnosis of child torture.

RELATED: Teacher caught taking photos of children in theater bathroom led to the arrest of second teacher, police say

Tatro was sentenced to 50 years in prison by Circuit Court Judge R. Keith Kelly.

“The amount of abuse this child suffered at the hands of adults who should have loved and cared for her is staggering,” Solicitor Barry J. Barnette said. “The abuse was not just physical abuse but repeated psychological abuse.”

A spokesperson for the solicitor’s office reported what the victim said when she was rescued: “This is the best day of my life.”

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​Child torture, Laxative child abuse, Ian tatro, South carolina child abuse, Crime 

Many on the left expressed their outrage after images appeared on social media of demolition commencing at the White House to build the ballroom ordered by President Donald Trump.

Among those outraged were California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), who posted a response on social media.

‘Unhinged leftists and their Fake News allies are clutching their pearls over President Donald J. Trump’s visionary addition of a grand, privately funded ballroom to the White House.’

“Ripping apart the White House just like he’s ripping apart the Constitution,” Newsom said.

The White House fired back via its own social media account by pointing out Newsom’s hypocrisy.

“Your Capitol renovation is costing California taxpayers $1.1 BILLION — 4x more than the privately funded White House ballroom, which costs taxpayers NOTHING,” the account wrote.

The construction of the ballroom is being paid in part by $22 million from the settlement Trump reached with Alphabet, the parent company of YouTube, over its decision to suspend the president’s account after the Jan. 6 rioting.

“It’s not his house. It’s your house. And he’s destroying it,” Hillary Clinton replied.

The president’s son Eric Trump replied to Clinton.

“The ballroom will be spectacular … unlike your work in Haiti,” he said, referring to controversy surrounding the Clinton Foundation.

Others pounced to criticize the president.

“Trump won’t pay for health care, education, or a federal government budget. But Trump will build a brand new $200 million ballroom for himself and his donors. It’s clear what Trump’s priorities are — and the American people are not on that list,” replied Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

“Everyone knows the ballroom monstrosity he’s having built is nothing more than a testament to corruption, bribery central, the new headquarters of the old swamp. Trump is destroying the White House. He’s destroying America. Disgusting,” responded liberal influencer Majid M. Padellan.

“Sometimes the symbolism feels like it’s just too obvious; too much on the nose. Trump is vandalizing the White House to build his gaudy Liberace-on-steroids ballroom, using cash from his serial shakedowns of the rich and spineless,” Trump critic Charlie Sykes replied.

RELATED: YouTube agrees to $24.5 million settlement for 2021 suspension of Trump social media account

The White House mocked the reaction in a statement that included a list of renovations made by other presidents.

“In the latest instance of manufactured outrage, unhinged leftists and their Fake News allies are clutching their pearls over President Donald J. Trump’s visionary addition of a grand, privately funded ballroom to the White House,” reads the statement, “a bold, necessary addition that echoes the storied history of improvements and additions from commanders-in-chief to keep the executive residence as a beacon of American excellence.”

The construction of the ballroom is being funded by the Trust for the National Mall nonprofit organization.

“We’re putting up our own money. The government is paying for nothing. You probably hear the beautiful sound of construction to the back. You hear that sound? That’s music to my ears. … When I hear that sound it reminds me of money. In this case it reminds me of lack of money because I’m paying for it,” the president said to Republicans Tuesday.

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​White house ballroom, Trump’s ballroom, Liberal outrage, Trump mocks liberals, Politics 

Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre had a lively interview with Stephen Colbert where she accused the Democratic Party of ignoring black women.

Jean-Pierre, who is black and identifies as “gay,” defended statements she made in her book against Democrats while also defending former President Joe Biden and supporting extremists seeking election.

‘Millions of people who voted in 2020 for the Biden-Harris ticket did not come out in 2024. We have to figure out why. What happened there?’

Colbert pressed Jean-Pierre on whether she was weakening the effort to oppose President Donald Trump by criticizing the Democratic Party and leaving to become an independent.

“Do you recommend everyone leave the party, and if so, where do they go? Because organization is how you face tyranny. Freelancing isn’t going to get anybody anything done,” the host asked.

“So, here’s the thing: I am not telling everybody to be an independent. I’m trying to start a conversation,” Jean-Pierre responded. “I’m not saying that we need a third party. I am saying that right now, the two-party system is not working.”

She received loud applause from the audience before blaming the Democratic Party for losing the 2024 election.

Jean-Pierre claimed that people would stop her in public and ask her tearfully, “What’s happening? Why is the Democratic leadership not fighting? What’s happening? We need more. How are we going to get out of this?”

She said she wanted to offer people a road map to get engaged to continue fighting for the left-wing agenda.

Colbert pointed out that many popular politicians like AOC and Zohran Mamdani are socialists, which says to him that the party is not meeting the needs of many on the far left.

“They’re actually throwing people under the bus who are vulnerable and need protection,” Jean-Pierre said.

“As a black woman who has walked through the walls of the White House and been part of this party for a very long time, I believe — and this is my personal opinion — that we get forgotten and that by large part the Democratic Party does not see us,” she added. “And for me, especially in this past year, I needed to make a statement and to make a point.”

RELATED: Furious Karine Jean-Pierre hangs up on radio interview after being asked if Biden has dementia: ‘It is incredibly insulting!’

“We are under attack. Our democracy is slipping through our fingers,” she claimed.

“Millions of people who voted in 2020 for the Biden-Harris ticket did not come out in 2024. We have to figure out why. What happened there?” she asked rhetorically.

The interview can be viewed in its entirety on the YouTube channel for Colbert’s show.

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​Karine jean-pierre, Democrat in-fighting, Dems ignore black women, Stephen colbert show, Politics 

Antifa defenders have claimed that they are simply standing up to tyranny, much like the Boston Tea Party patriots — but a quick journey back through time tells a much different story.

Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck uses the image of the skull and crossbones with a crown that floats above the head of the skull to illustrate the major difference between the No Kings protesters and America’s brave founders.

“This comes from colonial days when they would say ‘no kings.’ But they followed that with ‘no kings but Christ.’ Meaning the only king they serve is Christ,” Glenn says, explaining that the meaning of the skull and crossbones is that the “leaders of the country are mortal.”

“They die. They turn to dust. But the crown of Christ doesn’t,” he adds.

This is what changed everything in America, because initially, kings were considered to be appointed by God.

“So when you say ‘no kings,’ what exactly do you mean?” he asks.

“They’ll tell you a democracy, but a democracy gives you kings. It gives you dictators. It gives you authoritarians. We know this because that’s why the founders wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution the way they did,” he explains.

“Now, let me tell you the difference between our founders and Antifa, because you know our kids are being taught that what happened in the Boston Harbor in 1773 with the Boston Tea Party was the same that Antifa is doing,” Glenn says.

Rather than a crew of “faceless anarchists,” those boarding three ships under the cover of night were farmers, shopkeepers, and artisans.

“They’re husbands, they’re fathers, they’re Sons of Liberty, and they’re not out to burn their own neighborhoods. In fact, they’re not out to burn the ships themselves. What they want to do is make a statement against the king that had refused to listen to them,” Glenn explains.

“And so their protest is very targeted, very deliberate, and very symbolic,” he says, noting that it was also “completely non-violent.”

“No looting, no torched businesses, no innocent citizens bloodied in the streets. Property was destroyed, yes, but the destruction was purposeful, singular, squarely at the political grievance of taxation without representation,” Glenn says.

“And nobody lost anything except for the insurance companies,” he adds.

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After refusing to call on Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones to drop out of the race over a text message scandal, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger is hoping to boost her odds with a Tuesday campaign event featuring two familiar names.

Bill Nye “the Science Guy” and Biden Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg were scheduled to join Spanberger on Tuesday for her rally in Charlottesville, according to Fox News Digital. Buttigieg and Spanberger will host a “Virtual Coalitions All Call” on Tuesday evening.

‘I made clear to Jay that he must fully take responsibility for his words.’

Former President Barack Obama, who endorsed Spanberger last week, will attend her Norfolk rally on November 1, her campaign website states.

“Virginia’s elections are some of the most important in the country this year, and I am proud to endorse Abigail Spanberger for governor. Republican policies are raising costs on working families so billionaires can get massive tax cuts,” Obama stated. “As governor, Abigail will stand up for Virginia families. She’ll work to build an economy that works for everyone, not just big corporations and the wealthy.”

Nye attended a No Kings event in D.C. over the weekend. During his speech, he criticized President Donald Trump.

“We are here to tell our lawmakers that what’s going on in our government is wrong. They must stop the abuses of this petulant president and his circle of sycophants,” Nye said.

“This president and his associates cannot tolerate dissent. To them, our free speech is frightening. They are arresting people and denying due process in courts,” he continued.

RELATED: Democrat Jay Jones cancels fundraiser amid growing backlash over violent texts about GOP rival and his kids

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

Spanberger’s high-profile endorsements follow a public relations scandal that Virginia Democrats have attempted to downplay. In a leaked text message exchange from 2022, Jones, a former Virginia delegate, wished death upon a Republican lawmaker and his children.

In the texts, Jones presented a hypothetical scenario in which he would choose to use “two bullets” to shoot then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert (R), if given the choice between Gilbert, Adolf Hitler, and Pol Pot. He also accused Gilbert and his wife of “breeding little fascists” and wished harm on their children.

RELATED: VIDEO: Earle-Sears crushes Democratic candidate over death-wish texts during gubernatorial debate

Abigail Spanberger. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Spanberger released a statement condemning Jones’ violent comments but stopped short of calling for him to end his campaign. Instead, Spanberger continues to host events sponsored by her campaign and those of Jones and Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor Ghazala Hashmi.

“After learning of these comments earlier today, I spoke frankly with Jay about my disgust with what he had said and texted,” Spanberger stated. “I made clear to Jay that he must fully take responsibility for his words. What I have also made clear is that as a candidate — and the next governor of our commonwealth — I will always condemn violent language in our politics.”

As of Tuesday evening, no Democrats have called on Jones to step out of the race.

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​News, Abigail spanberger, Jay jones, Virginia, Bill nye, Pete buttigieg, Barack obama, Obama, Politics 

Republican Rep. Marlin Stutzman of Indiana is leading the charge alongside Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas to protect Nigerian Christians who are being persecuted and slain by jihadist groups.

Stutzman introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act on Tuesday in the House, an identical companion bill to Cruz’s legislation, Blaze News learned. This legislation is in response to the “rapidly deteriorating” conditions for Christians in Nigeria, who are being abducted, targeted, and murdered by the tens of thousands.

‘We must use the targeted tools we have at our disposal.’

Stutzman’s bill would protect Christians by placing targeted sanctions on Nigerian officials who facilitate violence and enforce Sharia law against religious minorities, according to the bill text obtained exclusively by Blaze News. The bill would also designate Nigeria as a country of particular concern and ensure that the jihadist militant groups Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa remain designated as entities of particular concern.

“It is the responsibility of the United States to protect religious freedom worldwide,” Stutzman told Blaze News. “Implementing Sharia law and condoning the murder of innocent people is barbaric.”

RELATED: Nigerian Christians face latest massacre by militant Muslims

Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call

“We must use the targeted tools we have at our disposal to combat religious violence in all its forms,” Stutzman told Blaze News. “I am proud to partner with Senator Cruz to introduce this important legislation, which will create real consequences for those responsible for violence and save the lives of thousands of Christians who are facing persecution.”

Since the jihadist group Boko Haram launched its insurgency in 2009, over 125,000 Christians in Nigeria have been murdered. In just 2025 alone, these jihadists have reportedly murdered over 7,000 Christians and abducted an additional 7,800, destroying roughly 100 churches every month.

“Nigerian Christians are being targeted and executed for their faith by Islamist terrorist groups, and are being forced to submit to Sharia law and blasphemy laws across Nigeria,” Cruz said in a statement.

RELATED: Blaze News investigates: Why are Islamists targeting Catholic priests?

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

“It is long past time to impose real costs on the Nigerian officials who facilitate these activities, and my Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act uses new and existing tools to do exactly that,” Cruz added. “I urge my colleagues to advance this critical legislation expeditiously.”

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​Marlin stutzman, Ted cruz, Nigeria, Christian persecution, Jihadists, Religious freedom, Religious persecution, Boko haram, Isis west africa, Terrorism, Islamic terrorist, Sharia law, Politics 

The White House has denied a TMZ report saying that President Donald Trump is considering commuting the sentence of rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, who was convicted of sex crimes.

The president was considering commuting Diddy’s sentence “as early as this week,” TMZ said, citing “a high-ranking White House official.” The official also claimed that Trump is “vacillating” on the decision and will ultimately “do what he wants.”

‘The president, not anonymous sources, is the final decider on pardons and commutations.’

On Tuesday the White House denied the report and accused TMZ of neglecting to ask the administration to comment on the story.

“There is zero truth to the TMZ report, which we would’ve gladly explained had they reached out before running their fake news,” read the statement. “The president, not anonymous sources, is the final decider on pardons and commutations.”

TMZ said it stands by the story.

When previously pressed by a CNN reporter to answer questions about the possibility of a pardon for Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, the president said that the rapper had asked him for a pardon.

“I have a lot of people [who] have asked me for pardons,” Trump said. “I call him Puff Daddy, has asked me for a pardon.”

Trump also said that he had been friends with Combs but they had a falling-out after the rapper criticized him when he became president.

Combs was convicted by a jury in July of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, but he was acquitted of more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. He has been imprisoned since his arrest in Sept. 2024 and was sentenced earlier this month to four years and two months.

RELATED: Blaze News exclusive: ‘I’ve attended these parties’: Former Diddy protégé recalls ‘dark hours’ with ‘extra activities’

“You abused the power and control with women you professed to love,” said the judge at his sentencing. “You abused them physically, emotionally, and psychologically.”

Combs had admitted to the court in a statement asking for clemency that he was “sick from the drugs.”

“I can’t change the past but can change the future,” the wealthy celebrity said. “I ask your honor for mercy. I beg your honor for mercy, to be a father again, a son again and be a leader in my community again and get the help I desperately need.”

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​White house vs tmz, Sean diddy combs, Pardon for combs, Trump and puff daddy, Politics 

The House Judiciary Committee officially referred former CIA Director John Brennan to the Department of Justice for allegedly lying to Congress about his involvement in the Russia collusion hoax.

Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) referred Brennan to the DOJ on Tuesday for allegedly making “false statements” during his transcribed testimony before the Judiciary Committee in 2023. During his testimony, Brennan made “numerous willfully and intentionally false statements,” including that the CIA was not “involved at all” with the Steele dossier, according to Jordan.

‘It indicates a pattern of Brennan’s willingness to lie.’

“Congress cannot perform its oversight function if witnesses who appear before its committees do not provide truthful testimony,” a letter from Jordan to Attorney General Pam Bondi reads. “Making false statements before Congress is a crime that undermines the integrity of the Committee’s constitutional duty to conduct oversight.”

In the letter, Jordan outlined every falsehood he claims Brennan stated during his 2023 testimony, testimony that Jordan said directly contradicted the Intelligence Community Assessment.

RELATED: ‘Ultimate hypocrisy’: Murkowski, now whining about Comey indictment, sang a different tune when Dems went after Trump

Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

In 2017, several intelligence agencies published a report alleging that Russia had meddled in America’s elections to elect President Donald Trump to his first term in 2016. This report, which was later debunked, was based on the Steele dossier, which was funded by the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee through the law firm Perkins Coie and other opposition research firms like Fusion GPS.

After the Trump administration declassified documents showing that the report’s claims were apparently fabricated by former President Barack Obama’s administration, Brennan’s testimony was called into question.

Brennan initially claimed in May 2023 that the “CIA was not involved at all with the [Steele] dossier,” a statement that contradicted the findings “jointly made by the Directors of CIA and FBI,” according to Jordan’s letter. Jordan also claimed that Brennan “overruled senior CIA officers” who had objections about including the dossier material in the report.

“Brennan’s assertion that the CIA was not ‘involved at all’ with the Steele dossier cannot be reconciled with the facts,” the letter reads. “As the newly declassified documents show, a CIA officer drafted the annex containing a summary of the dossier; Brennan made the ultimate decision, along with then-FBI Director James Comey, to include information from the dossier in the ICA.”

RELATED: Released FBI docs reveal Comey allegedly used media mole to plant info at New York Times for Russian collusion investigation

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

Brennan similarly testified that the CIA “very much opposed” including the Steele dossier in the report, despite declassified documents claiming he “refused to remove it” from the report regardless of its “many flaws.”

Durin separate testimony in 2017, Brennan said the Steele dossier “was not in any way used as a basis for the Intelligence Community Assessment,” despite contrary evidence found after the Trump administration declassified documents. Notably, this testimony was made beyond the five-year statute of limitations, but Jordan said that “it indicates a pattern of Brennan’s willingness to lie to Congress about the Steele dossier.”

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​Russia collusion hoax, Russiagate, John brennan, Donald trump, Steele dossier, Hillary clinton, Clinton campaign, 2016 election, Trump administration, Dnc, Cia, Doj, Pam bondi, Fbi, Nsa, Judiciary committee, Jim jordan, Political weaponization, Government weaponization, James comey, Barack obama, Politics 

A review of the voter rolls in Texas has led officials to find that thousands of possible illegal aliens have been unlawfully registered to vote.

Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson said in a press release Monday that 2,724 noncitizens were found to be registered to vote after officials cross-referenced the voter rolls with a federal citizenship database.

‘Noncitizens must not be allowed to influence American elections, and I will use the full weight of my office to investigate all voter fraud.’

“Only eligible United States citizens may participate in our elections,” wrote Nelson in the release.

“The Trump administration’s decision to give states free and direct access to this data set for the first time has been a game changer, and we appreciate the partnership with the federal government to verify the citizenship of those on our voter rolls and maintain accurate voter lists.”

About 18 million voter profiles were compared to the SAVE database of citizens managed by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The 2,724 cases are to be referred to county officials, who will determine if any of those should be purged from the voter rolls. Noncitizens can refer to illegal aliens as well as resident aliens who are legally in the U.S. but not allowed to vote.

Nelson said that any noncitizen who is found to have voted in an election would be referred to the attorney general’s office for possible criminal prosecution.

She included a file with a list of those cases found for each county. Forty-eight potential noncitizen registrations were found in Brazoria County, 68 cases were found in Cameron County, 277 cases were found in Dallas County, and 165 cases were found in El Paso County.

In June Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that Nelson had referred 33 cases of potential illegal voting in the 2024 election to his office.

RELATED: Trump order leads to investigation of 33 potential incidents of noncitizen voting, AG Paxton says

“Noncitizens must not be allowed to influence American elections, and I will use the full weight of my office to investigate all voter fraud,” Paxton said at the time.

Nelson added that President Donald Trump had opened up access to the SAVE database in order to root out possible cases of voter fraud.

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​Illegal aliens voting, Voter fraud, Texas state sec. jane nelson, Election fraud, Politics 

An Indiana man died in a head-on collision on Wednesday involving an unlicensed semitruck driver who is allegedly in the country illegally.

The crash occurred amid national scrutiny in the trucking industry over an increase in non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses issued to foreign nationals, some of whom do not meet required English language proficiency standards, raising concerns about road safety and national security.

‘Immigration and Customs Enforcement Chicago lodged an immigration detainer with the Porter County Jail against criminal illegal alien Borko Stankovic following his arrest on Oct. 15 for reckless homicide and criminal recklessness.’

Borko Stankovic, 41, an alleged illegal alien from Serbia and Montenegro living in Lyons, Illinois, was driving his truck eastbound along U.S. 20 in Portage, Indiana, when he failed to slow down for a stopped van in his lane waiting to make a left turn, according to authorities. In a last-minute maneuver to avoid a collision with the van, Stankovic made a hard left turn, crossing into oncoming traffic and striking a Subaru Crosstrek heading westbound, police told WFLD-TV.

Stankovic’s truck jackknifed, causing the trailer to collide with the rear of the van, which then was forced into a road sign. While the driver and passenger of the van were treated at the scene and released, Jeffrey Eberly, the 54-year-old driver of the Subaru, died at the scene.

Stankovic reportedly did not have a valid CDL. According to WFLD, his carrier was not registered with the Department of Transportation. Blaze News contacted the DOT to confirm whether Stankovic’s trucking operation was legally registered with the department.

RELATED: Exclusive: DOT withholds $40M from blue state for flouting English requirements for truckers

Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images

While Stankovic reportedly did not have a driver’s license or a CDL, WFLD stated that he was in possession of a suspended Illinois CDL belonging to a family member.

The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles stated that it does not have a record of Stankovic. Blaze News contacted the Illinois secretary of state to determine whether he holds any licenses with the state.

DOT Secretary Sean Duffy stated that Stankovic “spoke broken English.”

“This is EXACTLY why President Trump and I are working so hard to get dangerous foreign drivers OFF our roads. More to come,” Duffy said.

An Indiana case summary revealed that Stankovic is facing two felony charges: reckless homicide and criminal recklessness.

RELATED: ICE nabs alleged illegal alien truck driver with ‘NO NAME GIVEN’ license

Photographer: David Peinado/Bloomberg via Getty Images

According to the Porter County Sheriff’s Office, Stankovic was arrested by state police and booked on October 15 around 6:30 p.m. When reached for comment, the Indiana State Police directed Blaze News to contact the Portage Police Department, noting that the local police were handling the investigation.

The Department of Homeland Security stated that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed a detainer against Stankovic. The department told Blaze News that he has been in the U.S. illegally since February 2011, which is when his nonimmigrant visa status expired.

Nassau County Police Department in New York previously arrested Stankovic in 2018 for resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration. New York also ordered Stankovic to pay $3,400 after he was accused of damaging a guide rail in 2018, according to court records.

Blaze News reached out to the New York DMV to verify whether Stankovic has ever been licensed there.

Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated, “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Chicago lodged an immigration detainer with the Porter County Jail against criminal illegal alien Borko Stankovic following his arrest on Oct. 15 for reckless homicide and criminal recklessness.”

“Stankovic, a 41-year-old illegal alien from Serbia and Montenegro, was driving a semitruck and caused a multi-vehicle accident in Portage, Indiana, that tragically claimed the life of Jeffrey Eberly,” McLaughlin continued. “This criminal illegal alien didn’t even have a valid commercial driver’s license (CDL). DHS is working with our state and local partners to get illegal alien truck drivers who often don’t know basic traffic laws off our highways.”

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​News, Indiana, Illinois, Commercial driver’s licenses, Cdls, Cdl, Department of transportation, Dot, Department of homeland security, Dhs, Non-domiciled cdl, Non-domiciled cdls, Politics 

The Department of Homeland Security announced on Tuesday that the illegal alien target of an immigration operation was shot during an arrest attempt by federal agents in Los Angeles after he allegedly used his vehicle as a weapon against the agents.

In a statement to Blaze News, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the information was preliminary and the targeted suspect had previously evaded apprehension.

‘Fearing for the safety of the public and law enforcement, our officers followed their training and fired defensive shots.’

“ICE law enforcement officers, assisted by U.S. Marshals, pulled the illegal alien over in a standard law enforcement procedure. The illegal alien weaponized his vehicle and began ramming the law enforcement vehicle in an attempt to flee. Fearing for the safety of the public and law enforcement, our officers followed their training and fired defensive shots. The illegal alien was shot in the elbow and one law enforcement officer was shot in the hand by a ricochet bullet. Both are in the hospital,” McLaughlin explained.

McLaughlin placed blame for the increased attacks against federal agents on Democrats, who have been calling the immigration raids immoral and illegal.

“Our law enforcement officers are facing a more than 1,000% increase in assaults against them, including vehicle rammings by illegal aliens. We are once again calling on sanctuary politicians, agitators, and the media to turn the temperature down and stop calling for violence and resistance against ICE law enforcement,” she said.

Tensions in Los Angeles remain high as the Trump administration has doubled down on its efforts to deport illegal aliens who are residing in sanctuary cities. During the No Kings protests over the weekend, anti-ICE crowds formed near the federal building in downtown Los Angeles but were unable to reach the driveway because it was blocked by the city’s police.

RELATED: Anti-ICE agitator acts hurt after being ‘ran over’ by LAPD — but video shows the real story

@AnthonyCabassa_/X

This is a developing story.

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​Politics, Dhs 

A new video shows a female beating up a male Metro bus driver in Madison, Wisconsin, earlier this year before the bus crashed into a restaurant — and somehow the female continued the beatdown after the crash.

Prosecutors said 26-year-old Raeven Johnson attacked the bus driver on Feb. 25 after he said her desired destination wasn’t part of the bus route, according to Channel3000.com, which recently obtained the video.

Opting for a different mode of transportation that night would’ve been a much better — and much less costly — idea for Johnson.

The clip shows Johnson attempting to insert a ticket, and the bus driver attempting to prevent the ticket from going into the slot.

With that, Johnson begins hitting the bus driver, who is seated — and the bus begins moving as the driver attempts to defend himself against Johnson’s relentless attack.

Soon the out-of-control bus veered to the right and smashed into the Asian House restaurant, Channel3000.com reported.

While the collision momentarily interrupted her beatdown and threw her to the door of the bus, Johnson — who appeared to lose her wig during the altercation — quickly went right back to attacking the bus driver, as she appeared to pull him backward from his seat.

RELATED: ‘Drivers are gonna start fighting back … somebody’s gonna get knocked out’: Bus drivers’ union rep warns violent passengers

Two people, including the driver, were injured in the crash, Channel3000.com said, and one of them had to be hospitalized.

According to WMTV-TV, the back office of QPS Employment Group was crushed as a result of the crash, and Asian House’s kitchen appliances were damaged as well.

Opting for a different mode of transportation that night would’ve been a much better — and much less costly — idea for Johnson.

She pleaded guilty in August to second-degree recklessly endangering safety and attempted battery to a public transit officer, WMTV said, adding that a judge earlier this month ordered her to serve three years in prison.

Conditions of her sentence include a ban from all Madison Metro property and buses, and she’s prohibited from having alcohol, the station said.

Her sentence will be followed by three years of extended supervision, WMTV said, adding that online court documents indicate a restitution hearing is scheduled for Dec. 5.

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​Female attacks bus driver, Wisconsin, Madison, Metro bus, Surveillance video, Physical attack, Bus crash, Arrest, Prison sentence, Crime 

Tensions over the legacy of Charlie Kirk reached a boiling point at the No Kings protests that took place over the weekend, where furious demonstrators hurled slurs at the late conservative leader and cheered his death.

“Charlie Kirk is a piece of garbage. Of course, we were mean. I am so tired of people saying, ‘Oh, but you know it’s a terrible thing.’ No. Hitler is dead. I’m glad Hitler’s dead. Evil people have no place in my world. He was a hateful human being. It was disgusting the things that he said and did,” one woman told the Daily Signal at a No Kings protest.

“This could be someone’s grandmother. Probably not. Probably not. And this is actually a consequence of the childlessness epidemic that we have in society, that you have all of these just, like, listless people who don’t know where to direct their energy,” BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey says.

Stuckey calls it a phenomenon of “misplaced mothering” that’s common among older white women.

“And because they are not channeling their God-given mothering instincts into people, into their own children, into the next generation in some way, they are channeling it in directions that are not actually healthy,” she explains.

“And so they believe that they are mothering the migrant, that they are mothering the criminal, that they are mothering the people who are on the margins of society. And so this makes them feel better, but it’s actually a lazy way to demonstrate that you’re a good person, which means you’re not a good person at all,” she continues.

“In the same way that socialism is like outsourcing your compassion to the government, this social justice is outsourcing your virtue to the government,” she adds.

In another clip from the protest, Nathan Hughes was conducting man-on-the-street-style interviews with some of the protesters. His interaction with two of the protesters, who were upset that he was wearing a “for Charlie” shirt, has gone viral — and for good reason.

“You get triggered because it has ‘Charlie’ on there, right?” Hughes asked the protesters.

“Because he was a racist! Because he was a misogynist! And that means that you are, too, because you support him,” she screamed. “Get out!”

Another protester chimed in: “He hated anyone that wasn’t white, that wasn’t male, that wasn’t straight.”

“Okay, well, as someone who is not male, I can say that Charlie didn’t hate me, didn’t hate his wife, didn’t hate his daughter,” Stuckey comments.

“These people in these videos are very, very unwell. That is true,” she continues, noting that she doesn’t believe it’s just a “mental health crisis.”

“I actually think that’s just an excuse for evil, because evil really exists, and it’s evil that can make you very stupid. Sin makes you stupid, and iniquity makes you insane. We can use those alliterations,” she says.

And Stuckey points out that while the protesters believe they’re protesting tyranny, they’re the ones who have made it clear that they love tyranny the most.

“These are the very people who wanted to force kids to wear masks, who wanted you to be fired from your job if you didn’t get an experimental vaccine. These are the very same people that support taking children out of their parents’ homes if their parents don’t affirm the stated gender identity of a person,” she says.

“You know which side the Democrats would have been on in 1776,” she adds.

Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?

To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture, news, and theology from a Christian, conservative perspective, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Video phone, Upload, Free, Video, Sharing, Camera phone, Youtube.com, Relatable, Relatable with allie beth stuckey, The blaze, Allie beth stuckey, Blazetv, Blaze media, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, No kings protests, The daily signal, Nathan hughes, Mental health crisis, Charlie kirk assassination, Liberals celebrating charlie kirk assassination, Liberal hypocrisy 

The attorney general of Florida is adding to the list of legal defenses that are piling up for video gaming company Roblox.

Roblox, a gaming platform with more than 40 million children playing on it, was accused by Republican James Uthmeier in a scathing video posted on Monday.

‘We prohibit the sharing of images and videos in chat.’

Uthmeier posted the video on X, along with the accusation that Roblox has “become a breeding ground for predators to gain access to our kids.”

“Our office will be issuing criminal subpoenas to the online children’s gaming company Roblox,” Uthmeier said. “Roblox profited off our kids while exposing them to the most dangerous of harms. They enabled our kids to be abused.”

The Florida AG added that the subpoenas are meant to “gather more information” for prosecutors about the criminal activity allegedly taking place on Roblox’s platform, as well as to compile “evidence on the predators.”

“We will stop at nothing to fight to protect our kids,” he concluded.

In response, Roblox told Return that the allegations are simply not true.

RELATED: Kentucky sues Roblox over Charlie Kirk ‘assassination simulators’

— (@)

“Attorney General Uthmeier’s claims about Roblox are false,” a spokesperson told Blaze News. “The suggestion that illicit image sharing is happening on Roblox demonstrates a lack of understanding of our platform’s functionality. In fact, we prohibit the sharing of images and videos in chat, use filters designed to block the exchange of personal information, and our trained teams and automated tools continuously monitor communications to detect and remove harmful content.”

The representative was likely referring to Uthmeier’s press release, which said investigations not only revealed predators were using Roblox to “access, communicate with, and groom minors,” but that the platform has allowed “sexually explicit material to evade filters and circulate within the platform.”

Roblox said it is working to implement “age estimation,” which Blaze News previously reported includes verification through selfie-videos, “facial age estimation,” ID, or verified parental consent.

“We share the AG’s commitment to keeping kids safe, and we will continue to assist his office in their investigations. We have a strong record of working with law enforcement and investing in advanced safety systems to help protect our users and remove bad actors,” Roblox added.

RELATED: ‘Ginger ISIS member’ has terror plot thwarted by Roblox user: ‘I cannot agree with the term terrorist’

Photo by INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images

The Florida press release also said reports suggest that predators are using the in-game currency Robux to “bribe minors into sending sexually explicit images of themselves.”

In 2024, Blaze News reported on at least two instances where two individuals were charged for soliciting sexual content from minors. One man was from Florida, and the other was a registered sex offender in Michigan. Both allegedly bribed children with Robux.

In 2025, a man from Bakersfield, California, was sentenced to three years in prison for crimes related to a sexual relationship he had with a 14-year-old girl he met through Roblox.

The subpoenas come as a multitude of social media platforms are being targeted for massive lawsuits over their alleged addictive nature and the promotion to minors.

This includes Snap Inc. (which owns Snapchat), Meta, ByteDance (TikTok), and Alphabet (YouTube). Roblox was not noted in reports surrounding the litigation.

Roblox has reinforced that it has “rigorous safety features” which are “purposely stricter than those found on social networks.”

It does not allow image sharing via chat and “constantly” monitors all communication for “critical harms.”

Roblox is currently facing a lawsuit in Kentucky that accuses the platform of allowing Charlie Kirk “assassination simulators.”

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​Return, Roblox, Child safety, Online games, Gaming, Gamers, Video games, Tech 

Much ink has been spilled in the mainstream media and by Democrats after the Department of Homeland Security acquired new jets for top officials within the agency to use for travel, but a deeper dive shows the purchases are not only standard but also a matter of safety.

Liberals such as David Axlerod have characterized the aircraft as “luxury jets” and bewailed their hefty price tag.

However, while two used Gulfstream jets added to the Coast Guard air assets cost $172 million, the Coast Guard has been using Gulfstream aircraft for travel for its leadership since the early 2000s.

The plane the new long-range Gulfstream V jet replaced was also 20 years old. The New York Times noted that the acting commandant of the Coast Guard told Congress back in May that the “avionics are increasingly obsolete, the communications are increasingly unreliable.”

The need to modernize the air fleet was again emphasized by Admiral Kevin Lunday in a press release on Saturday.

“The timing of this investment underscores the Coast Guard’s vital need to modernize its command and control capabilities to meet today’s rapidly evolving operational demands. As maritime activity increases and national security challenges grow more complex, maintaining reliable air mobility is essential to ensuring continuity of operations and mission success,” Lunday said.

The two airplanes were costing nearly $10 million per year to maintain at the time.

Since January 2025, the plane that is being replaced has experienced 30 days of unplanned maintenance, with six missions requiring unplanned cancellation.

RELATED: Kristi Noem hammers Zach Bryan over apparently anti-ICE song — singer says he’s ‘scared’ by negative reaction

Kristi Noem hammers Zach Bryan over apparently anti-ICE song — singer says he’s ‘scared’ by negative reaction Photo (left): James Smith/Sam Snap/Getty Images; Photo (right): Klaudia Radecka/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The Coast Guard under former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas facilitated the acquisition of a new C-37B long-range command and control aircraft from Gulfstream in June 2022.

“The aircraft’s overall mission is to operate as a command and control platform anywhere in the world for the secretary of Homeland Security, the commandant of the Coast Guard, and other top DHS leadership. The LRCCA is equipped with a broad range of commercial and military communications systems, providing secure voice and data capabilities as well as the capability to perform routine administrative duties in-flight worldwide,” the press release said about the purchase at the time.

Going back to fiscal year 2021, a Coast Guard report found maintenance for the service’s long-range aircrafts was costing millions of dollars per year due to the mileage and age. The two airplanes were costing nearly $10 million per year to maintain at the time.

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​Politics, Planes, Gulfstream 

Colombian President Gustavo Petro appeared to call for the ousting of President Donald Trump in an interview with MRC Latino on October 20.

Addressing the tensions between the U.S. and various South American nations over the Trump administration’s deportation efforts and drug crackdown, Petro said, “Humanity has a first off-ramp, and it is to change Trump in various ways. The easiest way may be through Trump himself.” Petro went on to say that the second option would be to “get rid of Trump.”

‘US government officials have committed murder and violated our sovereignty.’

President Trump has been highly critical of Petro, calling him “an illegal drug leader” in a post on Truth Social on Sunday. Trump went on to say in the post that the production of illegal drugs “has become the biggest business in Colombia, by far, and Petro does nothing to stop it.” He called Petro “a low rated and very unpopular leader” and said that if Petro does not stop the drug routes to the U.S., “the United States will close them up for him, and it won’t be done nicely.”

On September 16, the U.S. military carried out a drone strike that destroyed a submarine reportedly carrying drugs in international waters off the coast of Colombia.

RELATED: ‘Illegal drug leader’: Trump accuses Colombian president of doing worse than nothing about drug cartels

Photo by Omar Havana/Getty Images

Last week, Petro stated on X that “U.S. government officials have committed murder and violated our sovereignty in territorial waters.” He went on to say that the submarine was a fishing vessel in distress and demanded an explanation from the United States about the strike.

In response, Trump announced that he would end all U.S. funding to Colombia, cutting off hundreds of millions in economic, military, and humanitarian aid. Speaking to reporters, Trump went after Petro, calling him “a lunatic who’s got a lot of problems. Mental problems.” He added that the funding cuts were in response to Colombia’s unwillingness to combat the drug trade: “They are a drug-manufacturing machine, Colombia, and we’re not going to be part of it. So we’re going to drop all money that we are giving to them.”

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​Trump, Colombia, Cartels, Politics