President Trump made some big league changes to the White House grounds on Thursday, installing a pair of massive flagpoles on the North and South Lawns.
The real estate mogul, who is famous for doing everything on a "big, beautiful" scale, showed off the fresh renovations with enthusiasm.
“This is the real deal,” he said. “This is the best you can get. There’s nothing like this.”
For about an hour, the former real estate developer supervised the project while riffing with reporters on the political news of the day.
The president was asked about the crisis in Iran, which has presented him with a pivotal choice whether to enter a new Middle Eastern conflict - but he offered few details on geopolitics as he discussed the flag poles with a builder's passion.
“I love construction,” he added. “I love it, I know it better than anybody.”
“They put sand inside, and if they use dirt or anything else other than sand, it rots out the pole over a period of years. But sand, for some reason, chemically just works," he said. "It gives you flexibility and it doesn’t do anything to the cask,” he said.
“It’s such a beautiful pole,” Trump said.
Trump said he has wanted to do this for some time, but he was distracted during his first term by witch hunts. Now, he's "the hunter."
“I’ve had it for a long time. In the first term I had it, but, you know, you guys were after me. I said I had to focus. I was the hunted. And now I’m the hunter. There’s a big difference,” he said.
Trump also came with jokes, as usual, asking the hard-hatted workers if any of them were in the country illegally.
"We're taking them out by the thousands. Murderers, drug dealers, people that are mentally insane, from insane asylums," Trump said.
"Do we have anybody here who's a member of -- no, I don't think so. You've known these people for a long time?" he asked. "Any illegal immigrants?"
When the job was finished, Trump returned and saluted Old Glory.
The president has added gold touches to the Oval Office, and he is installing a patio in the Rose Garden, opulent renovations that have drawn criticism from those who compare him to an aspiring "king."
With his "beautiful" flagpoles, Trump is leaving another stamp of his personality on the White House - while honoring America's democracy at the same time.
Joe Biden crashed the set of the action series "Reacher" in Philadelphia, once again defying his Democratic Party's wishes to disappear from public view.
The show's crew was filming a police chase outside a restaurant when Biden shuffled on set, making for a surreal turn of events. As reported by CBS Philadelphia, Biden and his family were getting breakfast at a local spot, Parc.
While it isn't clear if the Bidens knew what they were getting into, the cast and crew of "Reacher" were definitely taken aback.
"I thought it was the end of the scene — that they were wrapping for the day. And no, it was, you know, Joe Biden decided he needed some breakfast at Parc Rittenhouse," HughE Dillon, a local photographer, said.
In case there were any doubts about Hollywood's liberal bias, the cast and crew of the show erupted in cheers when they saw Biden's decrepit form emerge from a black SUV.
“Out walked these men, that I thought they were actors, but then the entire cast and crew started clapping and cheering,” Dillon said. “Then someone said, ‘We love you, Joe, we love you!'”
Lead actor Alan Ritchson, who is known for his anti-Trump views, snapped selfies with Biden, his wife Jill, and son Hunter, with Ritchson calling it an "honor."
"So our Reacher set got in the way of these legends,” Ritchson wrote on Instagram. “Was a privilege and honor to meet the Biden family. They couldn’t have been more lovely. Kind, joyful, gracious and present. We chatted briefly about simple stuff, like string theory and quantum entanglement. Then Joe beat me at arm wrestling. All in a day’s work.”
Biden is known for his ties to Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania, where he held a lucrative position after leaving the White House for the first time in 2017. Biden netted almost $1 million from the professor role, despite appearing a handful of times on campus.
Weeks after resigning the presidency in January, Biden signed with a Hollywood talent agency, signaling a continued desire to profit on his notoriety.
Biden's wish to stay in the spotlight has angered Democrats, who blame their disastrous losses in November on Biden and his quixotic re-election hopes, although many argue the party's problems run much deeper.
The infamously stubborn ex-president has continued to defend his tarnished legacy, frustrating Democrats who want him to exit public life for good.
Scrutiny of Biden has been increasing, with former allies in the liberal media no longer defending him as Republicans in Congress launch an investigation into the cover-up of his cognitive decline. Democrats are boycotting the GOP's probe, calling it a partisan distraction.
Tulsi Gabbard rescheduled her appearance before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, as President Trump weighs his response to the conflict between Israel and Iran.
Trump's tone towards Iran has grown more ominous, putting him at odds with non-interventionists in the "America First" movement who are urging him not to get involved in Israel's war.
Gabbard has been a prominent critic of "forever wars" in the Middle East, although she insists that she and Trump are on the same page concerning Iran.
The delay in her Senate testimony was actually requested by senators who couldn't attend the hearing - but White House officials told the Washington Examiner that Gabbard, who heads the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, is preoccupied with White House meetings.
A rift in Trump's MAGA movement had appeared to reach the White House this week when Trump was asked about Gabbard's past testimony to Congress that Iran is not developing a bomb. Trump has long maintained that Iran cannot get its hands on nuclear weapons.
“I don’t care what she said,” Trump replied. “I think they were very close to having a weapon.”
The White House has downplayed rumors of a divide, noting that Gabbard went on to tell Congress that Iran's enriched uranium stockpiles are at an unprecedented level. Officials have also said that Gabbard has been at the White House every day, and not the ODNI office in Virginia.
“She said they’re not building [a nuclear weapon], but then she goes on to say they’re at unprecedented levels of enriched uranium,” a White House aide told the Washington Examiner.
“So I feel bad for her, but she has been in the Situation Room every single meeting in the past week.”
It has also been reported that Gabbard was not invited to a huddle at Camp David on Sunday, and she is said to have angered Trump by releasing an ominous video that warned of "nuclear annihilation."
"I don't think he dislikes her as a person... But certainly the video made him not super hot on her... and he doesn't like when people are off-message," a senior administration official told Politico.
Trump faces a pivotal choice as he considers whether to enter Israel's war. He has not ruled out further diplomacy, but he isn't taking force off the table, either.
"You don’t seriously think I’m going to answer that question,” Trump responded when asked Wednesday about his plans.
“You don’t know that I’m going to even do it. You don’t know. I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do. I can tell you this — that Iran’s got a lot of trouble and they want to negotiate.”
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Amid a faceoff between a rogue Islamic regime in Iran, which openly has stated its intent to wipe Israel from the face of the earth, and that tiny democracy sitting at the fulcrum of Middle East power that launched a series of bombings to destroy Iran's nuclear weapons hopes, President Donald Trump has been getting a lot of advice.
Bomb or not. Intervene or not. Much more. Trump himself has suggested, often, that Iran reach an agreement to give up its nuclear weapons plans and join the world economy in multiple ways.
Now popular evangelical leader Franklin Graham has endorsed a suggestion from Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, on which voice to follow.
"HIS voice."
Explained Graham, online, "I appreciate Ambassador Mike Huckabee and what he said in his text message to President Donald J. Trump. I agree with every word. Pray for Ambassador Huckabee as he serves in Israel during these difficult days, and pray for President Trump – and that all of our leaders would listen to God's voice, the ONE that matters."
Huckabee earlier had urged the president to listen to "HIS voice."
He said, according to the image re-posted by the White House:
Mr. President.
God spared you in Butler, PA to be the most consequential President in a century – maybe ever. The decisions on your shoulders I would not want to be made by anyone else.
You have many voices speaking to you Sir, but there is only ONE voice that matters. HIS voice.
I am your appointed servant in his land and am available for you but I do not try to get in your presence often because I trust your instincts.
No President in my lifetime has been in a position like yours. Not since Truman in 1945. I don't reach out to persuade you. Only to encourage you.
I believe you will hear from heaven and that voice is far more important that mine or ANYONE else's.
You sent me to Israel to be your eyes, ears and voice and to make sure our flag flies above our embassy. My job is to be the last one to leave.
I will not abandon this post. Our flag will NOT come down! You did not seek this moment. This moment sought YOU!
It is my honor to serve you!
Mike Huckabee
Reaction to Huckabee's comments were split on social media. Democrats condemned them, while those members of less extreme parts of the American community supported.
WND had reported earlier this year as the Trump administration was being assembled on Huckabee's perspective about the future of the Mideast.
He told interviewer Maria Bartiromo, "I'm personally optimistic that we're going to see something bold. I will use this term, Maria. I think we will see something of biblical proportion happen with his leadership in the Middle East."
His comment came just as Trump was proposing the U.S. take over the troubled Gaza Strip to help transform it into a Riviera-style region.
That followed Israel's strikes on the terrorists of Hamas who used the region as a base from which to attack Israel and slaughter some 1,200 Israeli civilians, often in horrific fashion.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
The U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed a state law in Tennessee that bans the infliction of transgender procedures on minors.
The 6-3 ruling revealed a pointedly leftist trio on the court demanding the agenda of chemically and surgically altering children to accommodate what almost always is a temporary gender dysphoria.
The majority opinion, supported by the conservative members of the court, was written by Chief Justice John Roberts.
The ruling found the Tennessee law does not violate the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.
Regarding the state's SB 1, Justices Clarence Thomas, Amy Coney Barrett, and Samuel Alito wrote concurring opinions, while Sonia Sotomayor wrote a dissenting opinion, which was joined by Ketanji Jackson and Elena Kagan.
"We are asked to decide whether SB1 is subject to heightened scrutiny under the Equal Protection Clause. We hold it is not. SB1 does not classify on any bases that warrant heightened review," Roberts found.
The ruling is significant, as there are about 20 other states that have similar laws preventing the infliction of body alterations and mutilations on minors.
The case revolved around the fact, according to the court, the "growing number of states restricting sex transition treatments for minors by enacting the Prohibition on Medical Procedures Performed on Minors Related to Sexual Identity."
In Tennessee, SB1 "prohibits healthcare providers from prescribing, administering, or dispensing puberty blockers or hormones to any minor for the purpose of (1) enabling the minor to identify with, or live as, a purported identity inconsistent with the minor's biological sex, or (2) treating purported discomfort or distress from a discordance between the minor's biological sex and asserted identity."
"At the same time, SB1 permits a healthcare provider to administer puberty blockers or hormones to treat a minor's congenital defect, precocious puberty, disease, or physical injury," the court noted.
Three "transgender minors," their parents, and a doctor challenged the law under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
A trial judge halted the law but the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals allowed it to take effect, as the law "did not trigger heightened scrutiny and satisfied rational basis review."
The ruling said SB1 "is not subject to heightened scrutiny because it does not classify on any bases that warrant heightened review."
The law's classifications are based on age and medical condition.
"Classifications based on age or medical use are subject to only rational basis review," the court explained.
In fact, the plaintiffs claimed the classifications were based on sex, but they are not, the ruling said.
"The law does not prohibit certain medical treatments for minors of one sex while allowing those same treatments for minors of the opposite sex. SB1 prohibits healthcare providers from administering puberty blockers or hormones to any minor to treat gender dysphoria, gender identity disorder, or gender incongruence, regardless of the minor's sex; it permits providers to administer puberty blockers and hormones to minors of any sex for other purposes," the ruling said.
Also, the ruling said, "the court rejects the plaintiffs' argument that, by design, SB1 enforces a government preference that people conform to expectations about their sex."
The court said, "Tennessee determined that administering puberty blockers or hormones to minors to treat gender dysphoria, gender identity disorder, or gender incongruence carries risks, including irreversible sterility, increased risk of disease and illness, and adverse psychological consequences. The legislature found that minors lack the maturity to fully understand these consequences, that many individuals have expressed regret for undergoing such treatments as minors, and that the full effects of such treatments may not yet be known. At the same time, the State noted evidence that discordance between sex and gender can be resolved through less invasive approaches. SB1's age- and diagnosis-based classifications are rationally related to these findings and the State's objective of protecting minors' health and welfare."
"In today's historic Supreme Court win, the common sense of Tennessee voters prevailed over judicial activism," said Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti. "A bipartisan supermajority of Tennessee's elected representatives carefully considered the evidence and voted to protect kids from irreversible decisions they cannot yet fully understand. I commend the Tennessee legislature and Governor Lee for their courage in passing this legislation and supporting our litigation despite withering opposition from the Biden administration, LGBT special interest groups, social justice activists, the American Medical Association, the American Bar Association, and even Hollywood."
Roberts wrote, "This case carries with it the weight of fierce scientific and policy debates about the safety, efficacy, and propriety of medical treatments in an evolving field. The voices in these debates raise sincere concerns; the implications for all are profound. The Equal Protection Clause does not resolve these disagreements. Nor does it afford us license to decide them as we see best. Our role is not 'to judge the wisdom, fairness, or logic' of the law before us, but only to ensure that it does not violate the equal protection guarantee of the Fourteenth Amendment. Having concluded it does not, we leave questions regarding its policy to the people, their elected representatives, and the democratic process."
Leftists who brought the fight to create mandates for transgenderism, one of Joe Biden's highest priorities while in office, included an official of Lambda Legal, who said, "This is a heartbreaking ruling, making it more difficult for transgender youth to escape the danger and trauma of being denied their ability to live and thrive."
Sotomayor explained the basis for her claim it is sex discrimination, asserting in her dissent, the "law conditions the availability of medications on a patient's sex. Male (but not female) adolescents can receive medicines that help them look like boys, and female (but not male) adolescents can receive medicines that help them look like girls."
U.S. Judge Julia Kobick blocked the State Department's requirement that passports reflect the biological sex of the passport bearer, the Daily Caller reported. Kobick is an appointee of then-President Joe Biden and maintains close ties to the Democratic Party.
The State Department implemented the policy that President Donald Trump introduced on his first day in office, stating that the U.S. recognizes only two genders. "Under the executive order, we will no longer issue U.S. passports or Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBAs) with an X marker," the State Department's website said.
"We will only issue passports with an M or F sex marker that match the customer’s biological sex at birth," it added. Applicants for U.S. passports are currently allowed to have their sex listed as "X" instead of male or female.
The new rule would require individuals obtaining new passports, renewing old ones, or changing their name or gender to have their correct biological sex recorded on the official document. However, Kobick's ruling Tuesday puts a temporary hold on Trump's rollback of gender nonsense.
It comes as no shock that this judge has deep and cozy ties with Democrats. It was a well-known fact that Kobick volunteered for Democratic heavy hitters, such as John Kerry's 2004 failed presidential bid and Sen. Elizabeth Warren's 2020 presidential campaign.
The judge volunteered for her local Democrats, including in the state senate campaign for Eric Lesser in 2014 and the congressional candidacy of Chris Pappas in 2018. She also personally donated to Warren and other candidates, including Hillary Clinton.
Kobick contributed to the leftist fundraising group ActBlue, with contributions to Democrats totaling $1,202.92. The judge clerked for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a hero of the Democratic Party and the feminist left.
She served as assistant attorney general under Massachusetts Democratic Gov. Maura Healey, who was previously the Attorney General. In 2022, Biden announced Kobick's nomination and touted her as one of several diverse candidates because she's a woman.
"I cultivate relationships with the fellows and interns, and I served for a year on the Government Bureau’s Racial Equity Working Group," Kobick disclosed to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees. Predictably, she has espoused radical leftist ideals from the bench.
Before this idiotic take, Kobick has had others that were similarly ridiculous. "She argued before the Supreme Court claiming the 2nd Amendment didn't apply to stun guns because they did not exist when the Amendment was written," a user on X, formerly Twitter, charged in a post with a screenshot of Kobick's recent ruling.
Julia Kobick, Biden appointed, is a former elementary school teacher. She clerked for RBG and was deputy attorney general for MA. She argued before the Supreme Court claiming the 2nd Amendment didn't apply to stun guns because they did not exist when the Amendment was written!😂 pic.twitter.com/jrCpeFRtlB
— Lauren G 🇺🇸 (@lbc360) June 17, 2025
According to Fox News, Kobick was deputy solicitor general when she "supported the conviction of a Massachusetts woman in 2016 for owning a stun gun that she used to defend herself against her violent ex-boyfriend." The Supreme Court dismissed the case against the woman, Jaime Caetano, calling it "frivolous."
Justice Samuel Alito supported Caetano's use of the weapon in his concurring opinion. "Caetano’s encounter with her violent ex-boyfriend illustrates the connection between those fundamental rights: By arming herself, Caetano was able to protect against a physical threat that restraining orders had proved useless to prevent," Alito wrote.
There should be no question about whether a person should list his or her biological sex on a document used for identification. Unfortunately, there are leftists like Kobick who are trying to subvert the natural order of things for political reasons, and it's shameful.
U.S. Judge Julia Kobick issued a preliminary injunction Tuesday against the Trump administration's requirement for passports to reflect the correct biological sex of the individual, Fox News reported. The regulation originated from President Donald Trump's executive order, which declared that only male and female genders exist.
The decision Tuesday put up a roadblock in President Donald Trump's effort to restore sanity to the gender argument. It was one of his campaign promises, and Trump fulfilled it with an Inauguration Day executive order.
The order applied to the entire federal government and instructed agencies to "recognize two sexes, male and female." The order rightly stated that "these sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality."
However, the mainstream media and partisans like Kobick object to such reality. Kobick, who was appointed by then-President Joe Biden, framed her objection in the predictable terms of discrimination and hatred despite biology dictating the fact.
The ruling from Kobick blindsided Trump and other rational conservatives, including the Libs of TikTok account on X, formerly Twitter. "Unreal," the user posted on Tuesday, which applies both literally and colloquially to such a ruling.
BREAKING: Julia Kobick, a Biden-appointed U.S. District Judge, has issued an order BLOCKING the Trump administration's policy requiring that individuals use their biological sex (male or female) on their passport.
UNREAL pic.twitter.com/RNjoZ8Di5A
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 17, 2025
In her ruling against the State Department's regulation, Kobrick objected to reality in favor of leftist nonsense. Kobick said she's confident in her decision because the rule is "arbitrary and capricious" and "rooted in irrational prejudice toward transgender Americans."
The judge claimed "transgender and non-binary people who possess passports bearing sex markers that conflict with their gender identity and expression are… significantly more likely to experience psychological distress, suicidality, harassment, discrimination, and violence." Kobrick asserted that "obtaining gender concordant identity documents is part of the standard of care for treating gender dysphoria."
Her reasoning is that people would "experience anxiety and psychological distress or fear for their safety if they were required to travel with passports bearing a sex designation corresponding to their sex assigned at birth, largely because they would effectively ‘out’ themselves every time they presented their passports." This focus on feelings leaves out the impact these policies have on real women.
It's all well and good to worry about how people feel because they are gender confused. However, these policies have far-reaching implications that have a detrimental impact on real women.
Trump's executive order was titled "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government." He rightly asserted that "efforts to eradicate the biological reality of sex fundamentally attack women by depriving them of their dignity, safety, and well-being."
The president further acknowledged that "the erasure of sex in language and policy has a corrosive impact not just on women but on the validity of the entire American system." Trump's order said that such policies open women-only spaces to men, including domestic abuse shelters, bathrooms, changing rooms, etc., and thus threaten their safety.
"This is wrong … Basing Federal policy on truth is critical to scientific inquiry, public safety, morale, and trust in government itself," Trump's order said.
The judge founded her ruling on feelings instead of facts, and in doing so, neglected women's safety and ignored biology. Kobrick's reversal is a shocking decision, but there is no doubt that Trump and his administration will continue to fight this madness.
On Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance was removed from the left-leaning social media site Bluesky shortly after he had joined and shared his initial post.
Vance, who is thought of as a way forward for Republicans who hope to elect another conservative during the 2028 election cycle, has long been a source of frustration for the left, as The New York Post reported.
“Hello Bluesky, I’ve been told this app has become the place to go for common sense political discussion and analysis,” Vance's first post on the X competitor said. “So I’m thrilled to be here to engage with all of you.”
As a follow-up, the VP commented on the Supreme Court's decision to preserve Tennessee's ban on transgender minors receiving medical treatment.
“To that end, I found Justice [Clarence] Thomas’s concurrence on medical care for transgender youth quite illuminating,” Vance wrote. He also included a screenshot of the conservative justice’s statement which was in agreement with the 6-3 ruling.
“He argues that many of our so-called ‘experts’ have used bad arguments and substandard science to push experimental therapies on our youth,” the vice president continued. “I might add that many of those scientists are receiving substantial resources from big pharma to push these medicines on kids.”
“What do you think?”
The writer Marc Caputo of Axios noted the change and stated that Vance's Bluesky account was suspended within twelve minutes after the post and his announcement on X about joining the site.
A message that said: “Not found. Account has been suspended,” was emblazoned across what had been Vance’s Bluesky page.
There has been no indication that the current vice president's comments were in violation of Bluesky's community guidelines in any way.
The suspension was only temporary, as the account was reinstated within a few minutes of its suspension.
The company responded to the account suspension, saying, “Vice President Vance’s account was briefly flagged by our automated systems that try to detect impersonation attempts, which have targeted public figures like him in the past.
“The account was quickly restored and verified so people can easily confirm its authenticity,” the spokesperson added. “We welcome the Vice President to join the conversation on Bluesky.”
GOP Senator Mike Lee posted on X, outraged at the company's reaction, saying, “Why’d it take BlueSky 17 whole minutes to ban @JD Vance? What kind of self-respecting, leftist censorship takes that long to stamp out free speech?”
Likewise, influencer Charlie Kirk asserted that the platform banned Vance “for offending them," saying, “And thanks to Elon Musk, we get to point and laugh at them instead of howling in anger about censorship. And thanks to us using our free speech on 𝕏, mocking and laughing at them, they’ve been forced to reinstate him!”
In a significant policy shift, the Trump administration has rescinded a temporary pause on immigration enforcement that was previously granted to critical industries such as agriculture and hospitality, NBC San Diego reported.
The move reinstates enforcement actions, focusing on arresting non-citizen workers in these sectors despite their recognized importance.
Initially, enforcement activities against sectors like hotels, restaurants, and agriculture were paused to address the challenge of replacing foreign workers who hold positions deemed essential. This exemption was granted by President Trump, who acknowledged the difficulties employers face in finding replacements for their longstanding, experienced workers.
However, the pause was short-lived. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) quickly reversed the exemption earlier this week, signaling a return to a strict enforcement policy. This decision emerged as a surprise to some, given President Trump's own remarks highlighting the valuable contributions of these workers.
Speaking to reporters, President Trump had praised these immigrant workers as being “necessary” and nearly “impossible” to replace. He acknowledged their contribution to farming communities, stating that many have been in these roles for twenty years or more, despite not being U.S. citizens.
The swift about-face drew internal comments, with California Governor Gavin Newsom noting on the social media platform X that Trump effectively had his decision overridden by his staff.
The DHS reinforced its stance by emphasizing that there will be no protected zones for industries that undermine Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) efforts. This assertion underscores the department's commitment to resuming its rigorous enforcement activities, including targeting immigrant workers at farms, hotels, and eateries.
Brigette Browning, a labor leader, shared her concerns regarding the persistent danger facing immigrant workers. She expressed skepticism about protective measures, highlighting ongoing fears within communities: “I think if workers are still in jeopardy when they go to their kids' school or when they go to houses of worship or stores, that there is no safety.”
Browning's comments paint a picture of unease, noting that individuals are advised to limit outings, even for critical errands like purchasing supplies at local home improvement stores. Such sentiments underscore the environment of fear engendered by the renewed enforcement.
The Trump administration’s mixed signals have sparked broader discussions on the contributions of immigrants to the nation's workforce. Browning pointedly remarked that America’s economic wealth has long been supported by immigrant labor, a perspective often echoed in debates about immigration reform.
Notably, President Trump had recently posted on Truth Social about plans for upcoming changes, reacting to the outcry over potentially losing "good, long-time workers" who are critical to the functioning of these industries. Yet, the subsequent reinstatement of ICE actions contradicted these public assurances.
Despite President Trump's stated recognition of the need to protect valuable workers, DHS’s aggressive posture marks a return to the administration's broader hardline immigration strategy. The move appears incongruent against the backdrop of Trump's acknowledgment of the irreplaceable roles played by non-citizen workers.
As the policy shift generates discourse across political and social lines, it highlights ongoing tensions within the administration regarding immigration policy. Governor Newsom’s observation about internal disconnect underscores the complexity of reconciling enforcement with economic and labor sustainability.
Looking ahead, the direction of the Trump administration’s immigration policies remains under scrutiny. The latest development could foreshadow future conflicts between economic realities and stringent policy enforcement. For now, affected industries may face renewed uncertainties as they navigate the landscape of labor and legal challenges.
Former Democratic senator Bob Menendez has officially reported to prison to begin his 11-year sentence for corruption.
It's a humbling step for the once-powerful New Jersey Democrat, who was found guilty of taking bribes in a lurid corruption trial.
The longtime senator and his wife Nadine were convicted of accepting gold bars, a luxury car, cash, and mortgage help in the sprawling scheme.
Menendez reported to Federal Correctional Institution, Schuylkill in Minersville, Pennsylvania, which houses 1,200 inmates.
The facility has a medium-security prison and a minimum-security camp. It's expected that Menendez, 71, will serve his time in the minimum-security camp, the AP noted.
The senator was found guilty of selling his influence as chair of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee to businessmen with ties to the governments of Egypt and Qatar.
In return for the senator's favors, the businessmen gave a Mercedez-Benz vehicle to his wife Nadine after she crashed her previous car in a deadly accident that killed a pedestrian. Nadine also received help with her mortgage, and the couple was showered with hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and gold bars.
In exchange for the glitzy gifts, Menendez promised to protect his co-conspirators from criminal prosecution, among other favors.
Menendez was tried separately from his wife, who is set to be sentenced on September 11. She was found guilty in April, months after her husband's conviction for bribery, corruption, and acting as a foreign agent. He resigned from Congress a month after his conviction in July.
At his trial, Menendez blamed his foreign-born wife, who is from Lebanon, painting her as the sophisticated mastermind.
"She kept things from him," the senator's attorney, Avi Weitzman, told jurors during opening statements. "She kept him in the dark on what she was asking others to give her. She was outgoing; she was fun loving. But she wasn't going to let Bob know that she had financial problems."
Two businessmen, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, were also found guilty and sentenced to eight years and seven years respectively, while a third businessman, Jose Uribe, turned state's witness against Menendez.
The former senator appears to be lobbying for a pardon, claiming he is a victim of the same politicized justice system that targeted President Trump.
“This process is political and it’s corrupted to the core. I hope President Trump cleans up the cesspool and restores the integrity to the system,” Menendez told reporters after his January sentencing.