White House Sidelines 160 Biden National Security Council Staffers

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White House Sidelines 160 Biden National Security Council Staffers

(Headline USA) President Donald Trump’s national security adviser has sidelined about 160 National Security Council staffers, telling them to work from home while the administration reviews staffing and tries to align it with Trump’s agenda, administration officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The career government employees, commonly referred to as detailees, were summoned on Wednesday to an all-staff call in which they were told that they’ll be expected to be available to the NSC’s senior directors but would not need to report to the White House. The NSC, a White House arm, provides national security and foreign policy advice to the president.

Trump’s national security adviser, Mike Waltz, had signaled before Inauguration Day that he would look to move holdover civil servants who worked in the NSC during President Joe Biden’s administration back to their home agencies. That’s meant to ensure the council is staffed by those who support Trump’s agenda.

By the end of the review, Waltz will look to have a “more efficient, flatter” NSC, one official said. The officials declined to comment on the ultimate number of personnel — nonpolitical detailees as well as political appointees — that Trump and Waltz would like to see as part of the NSC once the review is completed.

Officials said that they have already begun bringing detailees from agencies with expertise that the new administration values, including some who had served during the first Trump administration.

Some directors have already made decisions to inform detailees they will be sent back to the federal agencies they were on loan from. For example, multiple holdover detailees assigned to counterterrorism directorate were told on Tuesday that their assignment was being cut short and that they will be sent back to their home agencies, according to two people familiar with the move who were not not authorized to comment publicly.

At least some holdover detailees sent home Wednesday had their White House emails turned off soon after the all-staff call ended, but they were told to remain reachable on their personal cellphones.

“National Security Advisor Mike Waltz promised and authorized a full review of NSC personnel,” White House National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes said in a statement.

“It is entirely appropriate for Mr. Waltz to ensure NSC personnel are committed to implementing President Trump’s America First agenda to protect our national security and wisely use the tax dollars of America’s working men and women. Since 12:01 pm on Monday personnel reviews and decisions based on the evaluations are being made.”

Waltz in a recent interview with Breitbart News said that he wanted the NSC to be staffed by personnel who are “100 percent aligned with the president’s agenda.”

The NSC was launched as an arm of the White House during the Truman administration, tasked with advising and assisting the president on national security and foreign policy and coordinating among various government agencies.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

Trump Unveils $500B Venture w/ Big Tech to Promote AI Infrastructure

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Trump Unveils $500B Venture w/ Big Tech to Promote AI Infrastructure

(Headline USA) President Donald Trump on Tuesday talked up a joint venture investing up to $500 billion for infrastructure tied to artificial intelligence by a new partnership formed by OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank.

The new entity, Stargate, will start building out data centers and the electricity generation needed for the further development of the fast-evolving AI in Texas, according to the White House. The initial investment is expected to be $100 billion and could reach five times that sum.

“It’s big money and high quality people,” said Trump, adding that it’s “a resounding declaration of confidence in America’s potential” under his new administration.

Joining Trump fresh off his inauguration at the White House were Masayoshi Son of SoftBank, Sam Altman of OpenAI and Larry Ellison of Oracle. All three credited Trump for helping to make the project possible, even though building has already started and the project goes back to 2024.

“This will be the most important project of this era,” said Altman, CEO of OpenAI.

Ellison noted that the data centers are already under construction with 10 being built so far. The chairman of Oracle suggested that the project was also tied to digital health records and would make it easier to treat diseases such as cancer by possibly developing a customized vaccine.

“This is the beginning of golden age,” said Son, referencing Trump’s statement that the U.S. would be in a “golden age” with him back in the White House.

Son, a billionaire based in Japan, already committed in December to invest $100 billion in U.S. projects over the next four years. He previously committed to $50 billion in new investments ahead of Trump’s first term, which included a large stake in the troubled office-sharing company WeWork.

While Trump has seized on similar announcements to show that his presidency is boosting the economy, there were already expectations of a massive buildout in data centers and electricity plants needed for the development of AI, which holds the promise of increasing productivity by automating work.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

President Trump Brings Back Midnight Tweets w/ Post Blasting ‘Nasty’ Bishop

Julianna Frieman
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President Trump Brings Back Midnight Tweets w/ Post Blasting ‘Nasty’ Bishop

(Julianna Frieman, Headline USA) President Donald Trump brought back midnight social media posts early Wednesday with a strong rebuke of the “nasty” bishop who doused her sermon at his inaugural prayer service in leftist politics.

Trump appeared to roll his eyes in church as Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde pleaded for him to “have mercy” on LGBT people and illegal migrants “who are scared” as he takes office.

Budde appeared on CNN hours later to defend her politicized sermon, telling anchor Erin Burnett that she weaponized her words against the president because she feels he is “charged” and must find “room for mercy.”

“The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater. She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart,” Trump wrote on Truth Social at 12:39 a.m.

On the leftist bishop’s plea for the migrants “who pick our crops,” Trump torched her failure to mention the illegal status of mass waves of criminals crossing the border.

“She failed to mention the large number of illegal migrants that came into our Country and killed people. Many were deposited from jails and mental institutions,” the president wrote. “It is a giant crime wave that is taking place in the USA.”

Trump called Budde’s attacks the only interesting part of her sermon, which was otherwise “very boring and uninspiring.” The president demanded an apology from the bishop for her disrespectful behavior.

“She is not very good at her job! She and her church owe the public an apology!” Trump added.

Budde has a history of Trump Derangement Syndrome. The biased bishop blasted Trump on CNN in June 2020 over photos taken at St. John’s Church after unruly Black Lives Matter protesters were cleared out by the U.S. Park Police in a move planned before the president’s visit.

Budde criticized Trump for his approach to the “agony of our country” and said he used the church “as a backdrop for a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus and everything that our churches stand for.”

Julianna Frieman is a freelance writer published by the Daily Caller, Headline USA, The Federalist, and the American Spectator. Follow her on Twitter at @JuliannaFrieman.

Trump Takes Executive Action to Stop DEI in the Sky

Julianna Frieman
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Trump Takes Executive Action to Stop DEI in the Sky

(Julianna Frieman, Headline USA) President Donald Trump took executive action Tuesday to end “illegal” diversity, equity and inclusion hiring practices for American flights.

Trump ordered the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation to stop prioritizing race, gender and disability status over qualification when it comes to bringing employees aboard.

DEI hiring “harms all Americans” and “penalizes” those who don’t fit the FAA’s preferred “disability or skin color,” according to Trump’s executive order titled “Keeping Americans Safe in Aviation.”

“FAA employees must hold the qualifications and have the ability to perform their jobs to the highest standard of excellence,” the executive order continued.

The Trump administration referred to DEI initiatives as “dangerous discrimination” at the expense of “excellence.”

The FAA under former President Joe Biden moved to hire employee in air travel jobs who suffer from “targeted disabilities,” especially those with “severe intellectual” and psychiatric issues, the agency’s website, which now shows a “Page Not Found” error, previously said.

“This week I will also end the government policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life,” Trump said Monday on Inauguration Day.

Among dozens of executive orders signed on the first day of his second term, Trump passed multiple actions including one ending “radical and wasteful” DEI practices and another prioritizing merit in federal hiring practices.

On Tuesday, Trump signed another executive order titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination And Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.” This action encourages the private sector to end “DEI discrimination” and moves to terminate its implementation in the federal government.

“In case after tragic case, the American people have witnessed first-hand the disastrous consequences of illegal, pernicious discrimination that has prioritized how people were born instead of what they were capable of doing,” the executive order states.

The Trump administration will place all federal employees in DEI roles on paid leave on Wednesday by 5 p.m., CBS News reported. Concurrently, DEI offices and programs will be ordered to shut down.

Julianna Frieman is a freelance writer published by the Daily Caller, Headline USA, The Federalist, and the American Spectator. Follow her on Twitter at @JuliannaFrieman.

Tucker Pressures NYC Mayor to Go ‘Full Fascist’ on Illegal Migrants to Prove He’s Not Playing Trump

Julianna Frieman
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Tucker Pressures NYC Mayor to Go ‘Full Fascist’ on Illegal Migrants to Prove He’s Not Playing Trump

(Julianna Frieman, Headline USA) Political commentator Tucker Carlson pressured New York City Mayor Eric Adams to go “full fascist” on illegal migrants in his city to call his bluff in an interview released Tuesday evening.

Federal prosecutors under former President Joe Biden indicted Adams in September 2024 after he spoke out against the Democrat administration’s open border policies.

To prove he’s not playing President Donald Trump by espousing more moderate politics in exchange for reprieve, Carlson challenged Adams’s lack of action to safeguard his city.

Adams said the Biden administration downplayed the migrant crisis by comparing it to passing a “gallstone.” The New York City mayor suggested he wasn’t being “good Democrat” and said, “the party left me.”

Adams claimed he “did everything” to get migrant encampments off the street and said he was “fighting” in court about the issue. Skeptical as always, Carlson blurted out, “Why were you in court? Why don’t you just send the cops in there, ‘Get off the street!’”

Adams chuckled as Carlson proposed his commonsense approach.

“I’m with you, Tucker!” the New York City mayor laughed.

Carlson did not let Adams off the hook. He continued to probe the New York City mayor for his lack of swift action to stop his city’s migrant crisis.

“No, but I’m just saying, like, I’m not saying—” Carlson said before being cut off by Adams, who said “we’re suing because of it.”

Carlson shot back, “So what! So what.”

Adams claimed he and his administration were just doing their job, but the political commentator did not relent on his belief that Adams should have the guts to assert dominance as the city’s leader in a total crackdown on illegal migrants.

“You ban guns. Like, all of the cops have guns. Say we’re not allowing people to live on the sidewalk and sell fentanyl to kids. Like, sorry! Tough s**t!” Carlson said as Adams laughed along. “Why don’t you do that? Had to go full fascist a little bit.”

Carlson told Adams that “people would love” him if he took a stand to rid New York City of its illegal migrant invasion.

“You thought about that,” Carlson teased.

Julianna Frieman is a freelance writer published by the Daily Caller, Headline USA, The Federalist, and the American Spectator. Follow her on Twitter at @JuliannaFrieman.

Will Elon Musk Buy TikTok? Here’s What Trump Thinks.

Julianna Frieman
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Will Elon Musk Buy TikTok? Here’s What Trump Thinks.

(Julianna Frieman, Headline USA) President Donald Trump revealed Tuesday during a press conference whether he would consent to billionaire ally Elon Musk buying TikTok.

Trump signed an executive order Monday giving ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, a 75-day extension to make a deal with the U.S. before the popular social media app goes dark for 170 million American users.

A reporter asked, “Are you open to Elon buying TikTok?”

Trump responded, “I would be if he wanted to buy it,” before saying he would “negotiate in front of the media.”

Trump called TikTok “worthless” without permission to operate in the U.S. as he proposed a deal for America to have partial ownership of the video-sharing platform with China.

Musk bought Twitter in 2022 after the social media platform interfered in the 2020 election to help former President Joe Biden’s campaign.

The SpaceX and Tesla boss rebranded the popular app as X, which has since flourished as a haven for free speech.

TikTok temporarily shut down in the U.S. on Sunday after a law signed by Biden took effect. After Trump announced on Truth Social that he would take executive action to give ByteDance more time to make a deal, TikTok restored its services in the country.

Trump wrote in his Truth Social Post on Sunday, “I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture. By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to stay up.”

TikTok shouted out Trump in its in-app error message and restoration of services note, thanking Trump for his willingness to work out a deal.

While TikTok was blocked early Sunday, Musk teased that he would revive popular video-sharing platform Vine, which permanently shut down just three days before Trump first took office in January 2017.

“We’re looking into it,” Musk wrote.

Musk strongly spoke out against a TikTok ban, including in April 2024 when Biden signed the ban into law.

On Sunday, the social media mogul reposted his comments from April and slammed the TikTok ban as an infringement on free speech.

“I have been against a TikTok ban for a long time, because it goes against freedom of speech,” Musk wrote on X. “That said, the current situation where TikTok is allowed to operate in America, but X is not allowed to operate in China is unbalanced. Something needs to change.”

Julianna Frieman is a freelance writer published by the Daily Caller, Headline USA, The Federalist, and the American Spectator. Follow her on Twitter at @JuliannaFrieman.

Hamas Official Wants to Negotiate Directly w/ Trump

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Hamas Official Wants to Negotiate Directly w/ Trump

(Headline USA) After President Donald Trump forced a ceasefire in Gaza before he even took office, a senior Hamas official reportedly said he’s willing to negotiate directly with the new administration.

“We’re prepared for a dialogue with America and achieving understandings on everything,” Abu Marzouk, the first leader of Hamas’s political office, said in a phone interview on Sunday, according to the New York Times.

“He can come and see the people and try to understand their feelings and wishes so that the American position can be based on the interests of all the parties, and not only one party,” he reportedly said.

Trump may be considering the offer. NBC News reported Saturday that Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, is mulling a visit to Gaza to help maintain the cease-fire agreement that helped broker.

Earlier this month, two Arab officials told The Times of Israel that Trump did more to sway Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a single sit-down than outgoing President Joe Biden did all year.

The Times of Israel was referring to Trump having sent Witkoff to negotiate with Netanyahu on Saturday. Witkoff  told Netanyahu “in no uncertain terms that Trump expected him to agree to a deal,” Amos Harel, the Haaretz military analyst, reported on Tuesday.

“Witkoff’s blunt reaction took them by surprise. He explained to them in salty English that Shabbat was of no interest to him. His message was loud and clear,” Haaretz reported. “Thus in an unusual departure from official practice, the prime minister showed up at his office for an official meeting with Witkoff, who then returned to Qatar to seal the deal.”

According to the White House, the six-week ceasefire will allow for negotiations to bring about a permanent end to the war. If negotiations take longer than six weeks the ceasefire would continue as long as talks continue.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

Trump’s Tariff Threat Fuels Ongoing Gold & Silver Market Volatility

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Trump’s Tariff Threat Fuels Ongoing Gold & Silver Market Volatility

(Jesse Colombo, Money Metals News Service) There’s a frantic global scramble for bullion as major dealers rush to move gold into the U.S. ahead of potential tariffs.

Around a month ago, gold and silver markets were being roiled by the possibility that imported gold and silver could be subject to tariffs announced by the newly elected Trump Administration. This uncertainty prompted banks and hedge funds to scramble to cover short positions.

Since then, ongoing speculation about these potential tariffs has fueled continued volatility in the gold and silver markets, particularly as the January 20th inauguration of President Trump approached.

In addition, a frenzied global rush for gold and silver bullion has unfolded, with major dealers racing to move metal into the U.S. ahead of any potential tariff imposition.

The disruption in the precious metals market has been evident in the behavior of front-month futures contracts for silver (March) and gold (February) compared to their spot prices.

Futures prices have been climbing sharply above spot prices, reflecting the urgency of banks and funds scrambling to mitigate risk by closing out short positions, driving gold and silver prices higher in the process. Typically, front-month futures and spot prices move in close alignment, but in recent weeks, they have frequently diverged in an anomalous manner.

For instance, in the days leading up to the inauguration, the premium for front-month silver futures surged from 56 cents per ounce to $1.12, far above the typical 14-cent range.

On the morning of January 20th, the premium dropped sharply from 88 cents to just 52 cents after the Trump administration released a memo stating that broad tariffs would not be imposed on Day 1 of his presidency. Instead, the administration announced plans to first conduct reviews of trade and currency imbalances.

However, the premium rebounded sharply later that day when President Trump suggested he might impose 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada starting February 1.

Similar to silver, the premium on front-month gold futures surged from $12 per ounce to $44 per ounce ahead of the inauguration, far surpassing the typical $10 premium.

However, it plummeted to as low as $8 after the Trump administration released the memo announcing that tariffs would not be enacted on Day 1 of the presidency. I anticipate continued volatility in gold and silver futures premiums as the market speculates and reacts to news surrounding potential tariffs that could impact imported gold and silver.

A recent Bloomberg article highlighted that gold lease rates in London have surged to their highest levels in decades amid a frantic global scramble for bullion. Major dealers are rushing to move gold into the U.S. ahead of potential tariffs.

Gold lease rates represent the return demanded by holders of bullion in London’s vaults for lending their gold to other buyers. While these rates typically hover near zero, they have recently spiked to an annualized 3.5%, reflecting the mounting urgency and heightened leasing activity.

Robert Gottlieb, a former precious metals trader and managing director at JPMorgan Chase & Co. explained in the Bloomberg article that “The markets are in total dislocation” and that “There seems to be a scarcity of available stocks in both gold and silver.”

In a LinkedIn post, Gottlieb noted that since November 7, 7.4 million ounces of gold have been delivered to CME Group warehouses in the United States.

The rush for physical gold and silver has the potential to escalate into a squeeze scenario, driving both metals significantly higher. This scramble already seems to be contributing to gold’s nascent breakout:

Silver also appears poised for a bullish move, and I believe it will see a significant surge once it breaks out of its recent consolidation pattern, much like gold’s recent breakout from its triangle pattern:

The start of Trump’s presidency has ushered in significant uncertainty and volatility, but so far, it has proven favorable for gold and silver by sparking a scramble for physical bullion.

Now that both the election and inauguration are behind us, I believe gold and silver are well-positioned to resume their bull markets, which were abruptly disrupted by the November 5th election, causing a sharp but short-lived pullback.

As I’ve maintained all along, this pullback was a temporary buying opportunity for stackers to accumulate at lower prices—a prediction that has proven accurate and will likely continue to hold true as 2025 shapes up to be another strong year for gold and silver.

Continue

Lip Reader Reveals Obama’s Pleas to Dubya at Trump’s Inauguration

Luis Cornelio
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Lip Reader Reveals Obama’s Pleas to Dubya at Trump’s Inauguration

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) A lip reader has come forward with her interpretation of what former presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush whispered to each other during President Donald Trump’s historic inauguration on Monday. 

Social media influencer Jackie Gonzalez, known for her viral lip-reading videos on TikTok, posted a clip interpreting the now-famous interaction between Bush and Obama, which unfolded inside the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. 

Gonzalez, who is deaf, alleged Obama greeted Bush with a simple, “Good to see you.” Obama then leaned toward Bush, who was standing next to former First Lady Laura Bush, and allegedly quipped, “How can we stop what’s happening?” 

Obama’s remarks prompted laughter from both Bush and his wife.  

While Gonzalez warned that her lip readings may not be accurate, many users on X took her interpretation as truth. 

According to the New York Post, some users speculated that Obama’s alleged comment referred to Trump’s inauguration ceremony, wondering whether Obama wanted to “stop” it.

Others suggested Obama wanted to “stop” the frequent applause that followed the arrival of each special guest at Monday’s ceremony. 

For instance, applause broke out at the arrival of former President Bill Clinton and his wife, twice-failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The same occurred at Bush’s arrival. 

Jenna Bush Hager, one of Bush’s daughters, also reacted to the viral exchange, joking that Obama had been a “bad influence” on her dad. 

“You all already guessed what moment has been blowing up our family group chat,” Bush Hager said on Today. “Yeah, my dad went viral for these cutaway shots during yesterday’s broadcast. The internet’s obsessed with this little smile and goofy expression.” 

She added, “You guys, you can’t just blame him because it looks like my dad was also seated next to a bad influence. Take a look at what former President Barack Obama had to say.” 

J6 Hostages Share Heartwarming Moments of Freedom Following Trump Pardons

Luis Cornelio
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J6 Hostages Share Heartwarming Moments of Freedom Following Trump Pardons

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Free at last, free at last! 

Several Jan. 6 defendants on Tuesday flooded X with heartfelt messages of gratitude and emotional videos capturing reunions with loved ones after President Donald Trump issued sweeping pardons for individuals prosecuted in connection with Jan. 6, 2021. 

Many of these Americans endured inhumane conditions while in the custody of the Biden-Harris administration. Some were denied life-saving medical treatment, while others were separated from their families for minor infractions, such as entering the U.S. Capitol. 

But no more. 

Dozens of videos and photos shared online captured the exact moments these individuals—victims of the weaponized DOJ under former President Joe Biden—were finally reunited with their loved ones.

One video, shared by X personality Orea Express, showed approximately 13 Americans walking out of the D.C. Central Detention Facility. 

“They’re out! Promises made, promises kept!” a man is heard celebrating, referring to Trump’s pledge to pardon the 1,500 individuals targeted in connection to Jan. 6. 

“Let these heroes out! Let’s go! Let’s go!” the man cheered as several women rushed to embrace and kiss their newly released husbands. 

Another emotional moment was captured when Rachel Powell, a beloved mother and grandmother, was released from prison after serving part of a 57-month sentence for protesting the results of the 2020 presidential election. 

“I’m overwhelmed. I’m joyful, just blessed,” Powell said, holding back tears. She expressed gratitude for the support she received during what she described as “the last four years of hell.” 

Renowned conservative activist Brent Bozell, an author and founder of the Media Research Center, shared a heartfelt account of his son’s experience as a Jan. 6 defendant. 

Leo Brent Bozell IV, also known as Zeeker, was aggressively prosecuted because of his father’s life-long contributions to the conservative movement. 

Zeeker was sentenced to an astonishing four years in prison for just breaking two windows at the Capitol. 

 “I want to know who was behind this persecution,” Bozell wrote, rebuking the prosecutors who targeted his son for political reasons.

Bozell added, “I want to know who chose my son because he shares my name. I want to know who gave the orders to throw the book against him – including inventing heinous crimes – because I supported President Trump. I want them brought to justice. I want to see them in prison.” 

A photo shared by Bozell showed Zeeker standing outside a federal prison in Pennsylvania, moments before reuniting with his wife and three daughters. 

These are just a handful of over 1,500 stories of families torn apart and lives upended in what many view as a calculated effort by the previous administration to annihilate political opponents. 

While thousands celebrate the Jan. 6 pardons, some Americans were not as fortunate.

Four individuals—Mark Aungst, Chris Stanton, Nejourde Meacham, and Matthew Perna—died by suicide under the immense pressure of their federal cases.

Ashli Babbitt, a 35-year-old veteran and devoted wife, lost her life after being fatally shot inside the Capitol on Jan. 6.

 

Watch some of the Jan. 6 defendants’ emotional reunions below:

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