President Donald Trump reportedly fired the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Board (CFPB) Rohit Chopra via email last week in an effort to rid his administration of Biden holdovers.
Chopra was originally appointed to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) by Trump in 2017, but was made director of CFPB in 2021 by Joe Biden.
Chopra's term on the board was supposed to go until the end of 2026, but was prematurely cut short by Trump.
Chopra posted on X that he was grateful to serve under both Trump and Biden.
It's been an honor serving as your @CFPB Director.
Every day, Americans from across the country shared their ideas and experiences with us. You helped us hold powerful companies & their executives accountable for breaking the law, and you made our work better.
Thank you. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/JD7lIcwmHa
— Rohit Chopra (@chopracfpb) February 1, 2025
Chopra claimed in a letter to Trump that he was ready to work with the new administration.
He may have run afoul of Trump, however, when he backed forcing banks to give loans to illegal immigrants in 2023.
He said at the time that the government “will not allow companies to use immigration status as an excuse for illegal discrimination.”
It probably didn't help that he was a protege of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), whose views on finance differ widely from Trump's.
Liberals including Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, speculated that ousting Chopra signals a desire to get rid of the CFPB altogether.
The board was created after the Great Recession of 2008 to protect consumers engaging in transactions like mortgages and car loans.
Republicans have long considered it a “government power grab that does little to protect consumers and hampers economic growth."
The increase in paperwork that consumers have to deal with when getting these kinds of loans is due to the board, and does not seem to have made a great deal of difference in the long term.
In her recently released bestselling memoir, First Lady Melania Trump disclosed that she was "deeply worried" about the health of her son Barron (and husband Donald) when she and the then-president both tested positive for the coronavirus in October 2020.
While the president's physician, Dr Sean Conley, released a statement at the time saying that the Trumps were doing well and would "remain at home within the White House during their convalescence," the president was subsequently hospitalized out of an abundance of caution.
He was given an experimental drug cocktail injection and remdesivir, after which he quickly recovered.
The virus hit the older population and those with certain pre-existing conditions hardest, but that was not well known in the early months of the pandemic.
The first lady said she was "overwhelmed" with worry for her husband and son.
"Barron and I had spent the previous evening chatting in my room, and although he continued to test negative, I feared he might soon fall ill as well," she wrote.
"He was young and healthy, but the uncertainties surrounding the virus were daunting. As any mother would, I worried deeply about my son."
Barron did eventually contract the virus, but had only mild symptoms.
Melania Trump also recovered well, even though she didn't take the same treatments as her husband. She is more than 20 years younger than he is, and younger populations seemed to have an easier time of it if they were already fairly healthy prior to infection.
After Trump recovered, he made an address to the nation urging people to return to work.
"Don't let it [coronavirus] dominate you," he urged, adding, "We're going to be out front. As your leader, I had to do that. I knew there's danger to it, but I had to do it. I stood out front and led."
Trump went on to narrowly lose his re-election bid, and the nation was subjected to months of mask-shaming and other scare tactics by the incoming Biden administration.
Many were strong-armed into getting the COVID-19 vaccines available at the time under onerous rules that threatened their jobs for resisting.
The Supreme Court had to get involved and strike down the mandates in order to preserve the freedom to avoid these untested vaccines, which have now proven to be more risky than anyone thought at the time.
President Donald Trump has wasted little time in enacting his second-term agenda, but last week he encountered some judicial obstacles to one of his key priorities.
On Friday, a federal judge placed a temporary block on the Trump administration's freeze on federal funds disbursement covering a range of potential programs, the second time in a week that such a halt was implemented by a court, as NBC News reports.
At issue is a memo issued by Trump's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that ordered federal agencies to place a temporary freeze on the disbursement of grants and loans, a move meant to make certain that funds are not being spent on programs that do not align with the president's overall agenda, as Roll Call explained.
The spending freeze was set to take effect last Tuesday at 5 p.m., and the administration said that it was intended to eliminate spending on “Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering.”
Acting OMB Director Matthew Vaeth stated, ““Career and political appointees in the Executive Branch have a duty to align Federal spending and action with the will of the American people as expressed through Presidential priorities,” and added that the memo “requires Federal agencies to identify and review all Federal financial assistance programs and supporting activities consistent with the President's policies and requirements.”
It did not take long for Democrats and members of the mainstream media to seize on the memo and declare it an attempt to circumvent Congress by withholding duly appropriated funding from the American people, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer decrying what he said was “lawlessness and chaos” that would extract “an awful price,” as Fox News reports.
Though White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt went to great lengths to explain that the freeze did not impact anyone who receives direct assistance such as payments from Social Security, Medicare benefits, food stamps, or the like, legal action was initiated to stop the administration's move.
On Tuesday, before the freeze was set to take effect, U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan issued a temporary block on the action via an administrative stay.
After hearing arguments from those protesting the action as well as from the administration, AliKhan said, “I do think there is the specter of irreparable harm” and granted the aforementioned stay, effective until Monday.
On Friday, U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell agreed with a group of 22 states who sought a block on the funding freeze, stating, “The Executive's action unilaterally suspends the payment of federal funds to the States and others simply by choosing to do so.”
He went on, “The Executive cites no legal authority allowing it to do so; indeed, no such federal law would authorize the Executive's unilateral action here” and granted a temporary restraining order against the administration.
Though the White House last week rescinded the OMB memo at issue and suggested that doing so rendered the nascent litigation moot, Judge McConnell noted that administration spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said that the action did not mean that the funding freeze had been ended, only the memo itself, something he interpreted to mean that the “policies...that the States challenge here are still in full force and effect and thus the issues presented in the States' TRO motion are not moot.”
McConnell's order suggested his belief that the plaintiff states are “likely to succeed on the merits of some, if not all, of their claims,” stating, “Federal law specifies how the Executive should act if it believes that appropriations are inconsistent with the President's priorities -- it must ask Congress, not act unilaterally.”
He continued, “Are there some aspects of the pause that might be legal and appropriate constitutionally for the Executive to take? The Court imagines there are, but it is equally sure that there are many instances in the Executive Orders' wide-ranging, all-encompassing, and ambiguous 'pause' of critical funding that are not,” but given the apparent confidence from the White House that the spending freeze will pass legal muster, only time will tell how this confrontation ultimately concludes.
Princess Anne, often hailed as the “hardest-working royal,” continues to hold a pivotal role within the British royal family, steadfastly maintaining her busy schedule despite King Charles' vision of a streamlined monarchy, Fox News reported.
At 74, Princess Anne remains adamant about fulfilling her royal duties, dismissing the notion of retirement as she navigates the evolving landscape of the British monarchy.
In a recent discussion, Anne reflected on her role, indicating that stepping back is not part of her plan. Her dedication is evident as she manages over 300 charitable and organizational commitments annually. This level of engagement underscores her importance as a stabilizing figure amid significant changes and health challenges confronting the royal family.
The past year has seen considerable health challenges within the royal family, which have placed additional pressure on its active members. In early 2023, King Charles underwent treatment for an enlarged prostate and an undisclosed form of cancer. Concurrently, Kate Middleton also faced health issues, undergoing abdominal surgery and cancer treatment.
Amid these health concerns, Prince William took a step back to support the Duchess of Cambridge during her recovery. This temporary absence highlighted the need for other royals to assume additional responsibilities, further elevating the role of Princess Anne in sustaining the monarchy’s activities.
In the midst of such challenges, the royal family has also dealt with shifts in responsibilities. Prince Andrew stepped down from official duties in 2019 following public scrutiny, while the Duke and Duchess of Sussex relocated to California in 2020, altering the dynamic of the royal household.
Despite encountering her own health setback—a concussion from a horse-related accident in June 2024—Princess Anne displayed her resilience by returning to her duties just three weeks later. According to royal expert Ian Pelham Turner, many believed this incident might mark an end to her service, yet she proved otherwise by resuming her commitments with characteristic resolve.
Kicking off 2025, Princess Anne demonstrated her enduring commitment with a visit to South Africa from January 21 to January 22. Her active involvement and travel itinerary reflect her continuous dedication to international and domestic engagements.
Her relationship with younger members of the royal family also remains a focal point. Her close bond with Princess Charlotte, Prince William’s daughter, is notable, with Anne offering guidance and support as Charlotte grows into her royal role. Royal commentator Helena Chard emphasizes Anne’s valuable presence as a trusted advisor within the family, stating she provides “sound advice,” particularly to the young princess.
Princess Anne’s unwavering commitment is often attributed to the enduring legacy of her late parents, Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II. Both were known for their devotion to their duties well into their later years, serving as powerful examples for the younger generations of royals. Royal expert Hilary Fordwich notes that this inspiration fuels Anne's determination to continue her significant contributions to the monarchy.
Last year alone, Anne participated in an impressive 457 royal engagements, surpassing the number managed by her brother, King Charles, as well as Prince William and Kate Middleton. Her exceptional work ethic is a testament to her vital role within the institution.
The vision of a reduced monarchy, championed by King Charles, faces ongoing scrutiny and challenges. As Helena Chard remarks, the concept requires Anne’s ongoing involvement, given her extensive experience and tireless dedication. Analyst Richard Fitzwilliams also notes Anne’s reservations about her brother’s streamlined monarchy vision, yet her actions consistently demonstrate her commitment to adapting and fulfilling her responsibilities.
In the larger narrative of the British royal family, Princess Anne remains an emblem of continuity and steadfast service. As she forges ahead without taking retirement into consideration, she is a significant anchor for the royal family’s public engagement efforts.
Her story exemplifies resilience and the enduring importance of duty, highlighting her as an indispensable member of the monarchy at a time of transition and uncertainty. As the royal family navigates its future, Anne’s role will likely continue to be indispensable, providing a touchstone of constancy and dedication within the broader landscape of the British monarchy.
The Army Black Hawk that collided with an American Airlines passenger jet in Washington D.C. was reportedly training for an event in which the White House would be evacuated.
The Army confirmed that three soldiers, who all perished, had been rehearsing a plan that involved the evacuation of the White House when their Black Hawk collided with American Airlines flight 5342 just before 9 pm on Wednesday night.
As soon as news broke that the collision had involved a military aircraft, online commentators immediately began to speculate about the purpose of the helicopter's flight with some commentators correctly speculating that they were conducting a training exercise involving evacuating the president.
Defense officials confirmed that the helicopter was rehearsing for a Continuity of Government contingency plan which would involve evacuating key staff from the White House in the event of an emergency.
COG contingency plans are a set of procedures designed to ensure that government functions are preserved during and after a catastrophic event, like a nuclear or chemical attack on Washington D.C.
Two of the crew members were identified as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves and crew chief Staff Sergeant Ryan O'Hara but the identity of the third was withheld by the Army at the request of the family.
This immediately drew the attention of Americans as this was an unusual situation. Typically, the identities of deceased soldiers are withheld until "next-of-kin" are notified, but the family is trying to withhold the identity past that point.
Information still began to leak out as it was revealed that the third soldier was a female co-pilot who was reportedly flying during the time of the collision.
Eventually, the identity of the third crewmember was released despite an apparent attempt by the family to scrub all social media and references.
The third crewmember was identified as Captain Rebecca Lobach which immediately drummed up speculation that this tragedy may have been caused by DEI policies pushed aggressively by the Biden administration in the armed forces.
The fact that Lobach's family made the unusual move of requesting her identity be hidden while they worked to scrub her social media suggests there could be something strange happening.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies have been pushed hard by the Biden administration in the armed forces and the most notable sign of these policies is the push to have women in combat positions as well as in critical roles flying aircraft.
President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have been talking extensively about DEI in the armed forces ever since Wednesday's tragedy suggesting that Lobach may have been pushed into a situation she wasn't ready for in order to tick off DEI quotas.
Internet sleuths have since discovered that Lobach was a lesbian who attended LGBTQ+ pride events and served as a social aid to the Biden White House which further raises questions about what was wiped from Lobach's social media.
The truth is likely to come out in the coming days as the Trump administration has sworn to transparency and is going to do everything possible to get all the information out to those families grieving the loss of their loved ones in this terrible accident.
While there is certainly not a shortage of reports from the mainstream media casting doubt on the ability of some of President Donald Trump's picks getting confirmed, one senator in the know completely shut down that idea.
According to a Breitbart exclusive, Sen. John Husted, a Republican from Ohio, told the outlet that despite the headlines, Republican senators "will get to yes" on votes for more controversial nominees like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard.
Husted, a newly-elected senator who was the former lieutenant governor of Ohio, assured Breitbart that Republican senators will get on board.
Trump has enjoyed wide-ranging support for most of his nominees -- many of which who have already been confirmed.
Husted opened up about the process, which is admittedly a whirlwind as Trump hopes to get all of his people in place so that the government can function as efficiently as he would like it to.
"It’s just really been trying to, you know, monitor that process, try to understand, you know what the background of all of these folks, and ask them helpful questions, or make sure I’m supporting them and helping them get through the nomination process," Husted said.
Husted was then asked about Gabbard and RFK. He expressed confidence that they would ultimately get the nod.
"I think that the Republican members of the Senate are working to get to yes on this," he said, adding, "I believe ultimately they will get to yes on it."
The Ohio senator then talked about the Health Committee hearing with RFK, saying that he believes he did a good job.
"I’m on the Health Committee. We had RFK there, and, you know, I thought Robert did a good job of trying to reassure people on vaccine questions, where he said, ‘Look, I’m not against vaccines. I just want to make sure that they’re safe and effective before we approve them.,'" he said.
"What I’ve really liked, what he’s done is put a focus back on the fact that certainly the foods that we are eating are causing, you know, some of our chronic health problems — obesity, diabetes."
Husted believes that ultimately all GOP senators will get on board with Trump in confirming who he wants in his Cabinet.
"Right now, the President is getting the benefit of the doubt from the public, and I believe, from my colleagues in the Senate, and that’s why I believe all of these folks will ultimately be confirmed," Husted said.
Only time will tell if his prediction comes true. Hopefully, that's the case.
Former President Joe Biden was quite the busy man in the lead-up to his ouster from the White House, but with the stroke of many pens, President Donald Trump continues to erase his predecessor's doings.
According to Fox News, Trump is expected to sign a memo that lifts the collective bargaining agreements (CBA) put into place by Biden shortly before he left office, which affects federal workers.
The memo will urge all federal agencies to reject Biden's last-minute CBAs, which were largely put in place to prevent Trump from reforming the government to his liking.
Trump's memo largely affects the remote federal workforce, which were terms included in many of the CBAs struck with the Biden administration .
Trump's memo was crystal clear. It instructed federal agencies to not make collective bargaining agreements within the last 30 days of a president's term.
Heads of federal agencies were instructed to reject any CBAs struck with the former president during his last 30 days in office.
Fox News noted an example of one of the CBAs struck by the Biden administration during his last days in office.
Biden’s Social Security Administration Commissioner, Martin O’Malley, in December 2024 came to an agreement with the American Federation of Government Employees guaranteeing that the agency’s 42,000 employees would not have to work in office during the Trump administration.
Fox News added:
The White House told Fox News Digital that the new policy "ensures the American people get the policies they voted for, instead of being stuck with the wasteful and ineffective Biden policies rejected at the ballot box."
A White House fact sheet regarding the issue claimed that Biden simply tried to tie Trump's hands in the final days of his time in the White House.
"The outgoing Biden administration negotiated lame-duck, multi-year collective bargaining agreements — during the week before the inauguration — in an attempt to tie the incoming Trump administration’s hands," the sheet read.
The White House justified its move by saying that the CBAs in place would only prevent Trump from following through on his promise to return federal workers to the office.
"These CBAs attempt to prevent President Trump from implementing his promises to the American people, such as returning Federal employees to the office to make government operate more efficiently," the White House said.
It added, "President Biden’s term of office ended on January 20th. Under this memorandum, he and future Presidents cannot govern agencies after leaving office by locking in last-minute CBAs."
Anti-Trump Democrats are already throwing hissy fits over the move. But what else is new?
The plane crash that involved a Blackhawk helicopter last week over Washington D.C. rocked the entire nation and cost dozens their lives.
According to Breitbart, new video has been released that shows a different angle of the crash between the American Airlines commercial jet and the helicopter, which occurred over the Potomac River.
American Airlines flight 5342, with 60 passengers and four crew, was on its final approach from Witchita, Kansas before colliding with the helicopter, resulting in a fiery explosion.
Multiple videos of the tragic accident have been pushed across social media, which has raised mountains of questions from many as to how such a deadly accident could have occurred.
Many have claimed that the odds of the crew of the Blackhawk helicopter not seeing the large commercial jet are simply too slim to be a terrible, random accident.
Audio transcript from the air traffic control tower was also released this week.
“Um, I just saw a fireball and then it was just gone. I haven’t seen anything since they hit the river. But it was a CRJ [the type of plane that crashed] and a helicopter that hit, I would say a half-mile off the approach," the tower said after the crash.
The new angle in the video that quickly went viral simply served to fuel conspiracy theories that the accident might not have been an accident at all.
There is absolutely NO WAY the Black Hawk didn’t see the American Airlines plane. They flew right into it," Ian Miles Cheong wrote, with the video attached.
There is absolutely NO WAY the Black Hawk didn’t see the American Airlines plane. They flew right into it. pic.twitter.com/Fco4yVzSXy
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) January 31, 2025
There were plenty of theories and potential explanations for the collission across social media. Some current and former pilots weighed in on the tragedy as well.
"Army helicopter pilot here. Based on what we’ve seen so far, my guess is the PAT Blackhawk helicopter pilots confirmed visual on the wrong aircraft and likely never even saw the aircraft they crashed into. Comms between tower and the helicopter crew weren’t very explicit," one X user wrote.
Another X user wrote, "Helicopter pilot flying so low using NVGs assumed airspace was cleared, his flight vector was consistent for some distance. My question, why is the army doing night training ops near such a busy airport? Amazing this hasn't happened before."
Investigations are already well underway as the American public demands answers as to what happened that evening.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Beautiful little babies born without arms, or without legs, or suffering other extreme deformities. I still remember, as a young boy, paging through the latest issue of Life magazine and seeing all these shocking and heart-breaking photos. An estimated 10,000 children had been born with such severe deformities in a short period of time, most of them in Europe, though a small number in the U.S.
Introduced as a sedative to help pregnant women with morning sickness, anxiety or sleeplessness, thalidomide has long been regarded as the cause of one of the greatest medical scandals in world history.
That was 1962. Two years later, in 1964, the surgeon general of the United States revealed with maximum publicity that smoking tobacco – at the time widespread, heavily advertised and glorified throughout the culture – causes cancer. Oops.
Fast forward to today, in a time of much greater scientific and medical knowledge, experience and supposedly far stricter drug-testing requirements … and everything is worse.
How can that possibly be?
A brief overview of Americans' alarmingly declining health demonstrates conclusively that "Make America Healthy Again," the new Trump administration agenda inspired and led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., couldn't be more vital – indeed, crucial. Consider:
* The U.S. is in the grip of a full-blown obesity epidemic, with well over 200 million Americans – including millions of children – being overweight or obese. According to the CDC, over 40% of adults in the United States are clinically obese – a serious medical condition – in stark contrast with the 1950s, when approximately 10% of U.S. adults were obese.
* The number of American children and adults with autism spectrum disorders has exploded, rising by 175% over just the last decade. One out of every 36 children in the U.S. has been diagnosed with autism, up from 1 in 44 as recently as 2021. In contrast, during the 1950s, autism was virtually nonexistent, afflicting between 0.01% and 0.05% of Americans born during that decade.
* Early-onset cancer cases rose almost 80% over the last three decades and show no signs of slowing down. One major 2022 study reveals the incidence of early-onset cancers – including breast, colon, esophagus, kidney, liver and pancreas – has been dramatically increasing since around 1990.
* A staggering 38 million Americans are suffering from diabetes, a number expected to increase to almost 55 million in the next five years. During the late 1950s, the prevalence of diabetes in the U.S. was estimated to be 9 cases per 1,000 people, for a total of 1 million cases.
What's going on? Why is the health of Americans degrading so radically? With the rapid growth of knowledge and technology, including medical technology, one might expect the exact opposite to be the case – that everyone's health would be ever improving.
Yet Americans are becoming less and less healthy, including, tragically, the nation's children. Statistics vary, but as many as half of America's children are dealing with some sort of chronic health issue, up from less than 1% five decades ago.
Obviously, with Americans' health in crisis, the goal to "Make America Healthy Again" is welcome and necessary. But there's one major obstacle to achieving this goal that needs to be addressed up front.
They all lied
As deadly and traumatizing as the COVID-19 pandemic was, it did bring about a mass awakening in at least one important area: Americans discovered they absolutely could not trust the government agencies tasked with safeguarding their health. From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to the Food and Drug Administration, to the National Institutes of Health and other branches of the federal Department of Health and Human Services, they all lied to Americans, either explicitly or by willful suppression of the truth.
Most visible, of course – and setting the standard for all other government bureaucrats – was Dr. Anthony Fauci, longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, under the NIH. Fauci acted the part of the kindly, grandfatherly presidential adviser on all things COVID. Unfortunately, he turned out to be a classic sociopath, smiling while lying about virtually everything – from mask-wearing (he initially admitted the truth, that masks are ineffective, only later doing a full 180 and insisting on universal masking, even outdoors!) to imposing the "six-foot rule" (later admitting this arbitrary rule was based on exactly zero science), to perversely denying that natural immunity provided ideal protection against COVID-19 just as it does for other viruses – a pivotal and unconscionable lie that flung open the doors to ruthless vaccine mandates.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Washington, D.C., on Sunday morning as he heads for crucial talks later this week with U.S. President Donald Trump, with the two having a wide range of issues to discuss.
While Netanyahu becomes the first foreign leader to be hosted at the Trump 2.0 White House, there will likely be many dedicate negotiations, including the continuation (or not) of the current ceasefires with both Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, the hostages-for-security prisoners "deal" with regard to the war with the Strip's terrorist rulers, the situation with Iran's nuclear ambitions, and the possibility of normalization with Saudi Arabia.
At the steps of the Wings of Zion plane – Israel's version of Air Force One – Netanyahu told reporters he thought the fact President Trump's first meeting with a foreign leader was with him was "telling."
"I think it's a testimony to the strength of the Israeli-American alliance. It's also a testimony to the strength of our personal friendship," Netanyahu added.
The prime minister referenced the impact Trump – and his negotiating team – had in securing the Abraham Accords and the peace deals emanating from them, as Israel normalized relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan. Netanyahu explained Israel's prosecution of its Swords of Iron war, initiated when Hamas invaded the country, bursting across its border and massacring more than 1,200 people, had "changed the face of the Middle East."
With Hamas having admitted one of the catalysts for starting the war was the perception Israel-Saudi normalization were imminent, it seems its action worked; the Israel-Saudi normalization track has been all but shelved since Oct. 7, and it appears Riyadh will only offer it as part of a deal to put the Palestinians on a path to statehood.
"I believe we can strengthen security, broaden the circle of peace, and achieve a remarkable era of peace through strength," Netanyahu said.
It is thought Netanyahu was specifically referencing the prospect of Israel-Saudi peace, with Israel's Kan public broadcaster reporting Trump – who would likely have delivered normalization between the two if he had continued in office following the 2020 election – viewing peace between Jerusalem and Riyadh as part of the president's vision for a "golden age of peace in the Middle East."
Netanyahu's visit comes at a fork in the road moment, as the negotiations for the second part of a complex three-part ceasefire deal are supposed to commence shortly, although the prime minister is likely keeping his options open until the conclusion of his discussions with Trump.
The prime minister has a tricky domestic political situation to manage, not least from his right-wing coalition partner Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. On Trump's election, Smotrich – who called the president a "lover of Israel" – said it was an opportunity to push for Israel's annexation of Judea and Samaria.
"A great deal is at stake – complete victory in Gaza, the destruction of Hamas and the return of all our hostages, strengthening our security on all borders – in Syria, Lebanon, and of course against the head of the octopus, the Iranian regime and the nuclear threat. This danger must be removed," Smotrich insisted on Sunday in a video message aimed at Netanyahu.
It is thought Netanyahu will hold a meeting with Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff the day before he is due to hold talks with the president, regarding the initiation of the second stage of the hostage deal with Hamas. However, reports in Israel have emerged the prime minister is seriously considering a return to the war after the first phase of the deal has been completed.