Uncategorized - Patriot News Alerts

President Donald Trump said the prospect of the U.S. going to war with Venezuela is unlikely, but was unapologetic about the strikes he has authorized against Venezuelan boats carrying drugs into the country and said that Nicholas Maduro's days as president are numbered.

"I doubt it, I don't think so," Trump said to "60 Minutes," host Norah O’Donnell when asked about whether the repositioning of the USS Gerald R. Ford to the Caribbean meant war with Venezuela.

Trump then bemoaned the way Venezuela seemingly flooded the U.S. with its criminals and mentally ill people during Joe Biden's presidency when the borders were thrown pretty much wide open.

"Emptied their prisons"

"They've dumped hundreds of thousands of people into a country that… we didn't want – people from prisons," Trump said. "They emptied their prisons into our country. They also, if you take a look, they emptied their mental institutions and their insane asylum into the United States of America because Joe Biden was the worst president in the history of our country."

O'Donnell then asked Trump whether the strikes are more about stopping the flow of drugs into the U.S. or removing Maduro.

"To me, that would be almost number one because we have other countries like Mexico has been very bad to us in terms of drugs. Okay. Very bad," he said. "We have a closed border right now… So think of this: zero people coming into our country through our southern border."

O'Donnell also asked Trump whether Maduro's days as president were numbers, and he said. "I would say yeah. I think so, yeah."

Land strkes?

On the question of whether Trump planned land strikes on Venezuela, he said "I’m not saying it’s true or untrue."

He added that he wasn't going to give a reporter information about any plans for military strikes.

There have been rumors about land strikes on Venezuela, which Trump said Friday were not on the table.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was asked on Saturday whether land strikes were planned, but he also refused to discuss it.

"Appreciate the question. But, of course, we would not share any amount of operational details about what may or may not happen," Hegseth said.

It's really good to see a president do something about the flow of drugs into the country, no matter what anyone in the media thinks about it.

“With civil unrest exploding in Ukraine, Syria, Somalia, Libya, and the desperation of those in power, isn’t this perfect for you?” That’s the provocative question Jeffrey Epstein allegedly posed to former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak in a 2014 email.

This bombshell from hacked correspondence paints a shadowy picture of backdoor diplomacy during the Syrian civil war, raising serious questions about influence and power.

Leaked emails, obtained by the hacker group Handala Hacking Team and disseminated by Distributed Denial of Secrets, allege that Epstein facilitated covert diplomatic efforts between Israel and Russia to shape policy during the Syrian conflict, the Daily Caller reported.

The main players here are Epstein, a disgraced financier with notorious connections, and Barak, a former Israeli leader with deep military and political roots. Their alleged collaboration, spanning 2013 to 2016, aimed to sway U.S. policy, oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and secure Russian cooperation. But that wasn’t the only revelation.

Uncovering a Covert Diplomatic Backchannel

According to the leaks reported by Drop Site News, Epstein arranged a private 2013 meeting between Barak and Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the Syrian conflict. Their attempt to gain Russian support for Assad’s removal ultimately failed. Still, the discussions may have contributed to later U.S.-Russia cooperation on dismantling Syria’s chemical weapons.

Epstein didn’t stop there, allegedly feeding Barak insider information from Russian elites about Putin’s international contacts and even offering advice on Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency. It’s a startling claim—Epstein as a geopolitical fixer. Could such unofficial channels really shift global events?

By 2015, the duo reportedly revived their efforts, pushing for U.S. military action against Iran and opposing the Obama administration’s nuclear agreement. Barak’s attempts to change Washington’s stance fell flat, but the persistence of this backchannel raises eyebrows about hidden agendas.

Turning Point: Frustration with U.S. Policy

Epstein’s frustration with the Obama administration’s lack of forceful policy toward Iran shines through in the leaks. He reportedly urged Barak to publish narratives linking Syria to Iran, even suggesting Congress could be pushed to authorize military action. “Hopefully someone suggests getting authorization now for Iran,” Epstein allegedly wrote, showing his impatience with diplomatic delays.

For context, it’s worth recapping the broader stakes during this period: the Syrian civil war raged with chemical attacks prompting Obama’s “red line” statement in 2013, while tensions with Iran over nuclear ambitions simmered. Epstein’s alleged advice to Barak wasn’t just strategic—it was a calculated play to exploit unrest, much like his provocative 2014 email hinted.

Barak, leveraging Epstein’s connections, also sought ties with Russian-Israeli oligarch Viktor Vekselberg for wealth and access to Russian officials. Though outcomes of these negotiations remain unclear, the emails suggest a pattern of using unofficial routes to bypass traditional diplomacy.

Conflicting Interests in Global Power Plays

Critics might argue that such backchannels, while unsavory, are a reality of geopolitics—nations often use unconventional means to secure interests. Yet, when figures like Epstein, with questionable motives, are involved, it muddies the waters of accountability. Do you agree with that reasoning? Many readers might not.

Others could counter that Israel’s regional security concerns, especially regarding Syria and Iran, justify exploring all avenues, even controversial ones. Still, aligning with Epstein’s network risks undermining legitimate diplomatic efforts.

Here’s how we got here: from a failed 2013 meeting with Putin to renewed 2015 efforts against the Iran deal, this alleged collaboration spanned years of global unrest. And it’s far from over.

Why This Story Still Resonates Today

For everyday Americans, the message is clear—hidden dealings like these can shape the wars and policies that affect us all, often without oversight. When unelected figures like Epstein allegedly broker international deals, it’s a reminder of how much happens behind closed doors.

That 2014 question, “isn’t this perfect for you,” echoes as a chilling motif of opportunism amid chaos. It’s a stark contrast to the transparency we demand from leaders. What else lurks in the shadows of power?

As Assad now lives under Kremlin restrictions in Russia after fleeing Damascus in 2024, the long-term fallout of these alleged backchannels remains unclear. The next leak or investigation could change everything.

The Facts

Hacked emails allege Jeffrey Epstein facilitated a diplomatic backchannel between Israel and Russia during the Syrian civil war.
Communications reportedly involved former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak from 2013 to 2016.
Epstein allegedly arranged a 2013 meeting between Barak and Vladimir Putin to discuss Syria.
Efforts focused on removing Bashar al-Assad and influencing U.S. policy toward Iran.
Barak sought connections with Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg for access and wealth, per the leaks.

Leaked emails allege Jeffrey Epstein helped former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak establish a covert diplomatic backchannel with Russia during the Syrian civil war, aiming to influence U.S. policy and remove Bashar al-Assad.

President Donald Trump isn't messing around when it comes to using tariffs -- both for leveraging economic trade and punishing nations that believe they can get one over on the United States.

According to Breitbart, President Trump sent shockwaves through the markets this week when he announced an added 100% tariff on Chinese imported goods after the communist nation announced a restriction on rare earth mineral exports.

The news of the new tariffs sent the markets into spiral mode, with most major markets taking a sharp dip given the gravity of the level of tariffs Trump said he'll slap on China on November 1.

The president's announcement was a direct response to China restricting rare earth minerals, which they happen to have a vast majority of control over on the global scale, giving the communist nation great leverage in the tech and AI fields that drive global trade.

What's going on?

China's announcement of stringent restrictions on rare earth mineral exports is a big blow not only to the United States but also to other Western countries that heavily depend on China's supply.

China has incredible leverage on the rare earth minerals market, as Breitbart noted:

The announcement also chilled relations, with an upcoming meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the rocks.

Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social account, stirring immediate reactions in the market and the media.

“It has just been learned that China has taken an extraordinarily aggressive position on Trade in sending an extremely hostile letter to the World, stating that they were going to, effective November 1st, 2025, impose large scale Export Controls on virtually every product they make, and some not even made by them," Trump wrote.

Social media reacts

"Investors should brace themselves. trump’s 100% tariff on china kicks in nov 1. this will fire up the trade war over their export controls. expect higher us costs and supply shake-ups. and most importantly, diversify wisely my friends," one X user wrote.

Another X user wrote, "We gave President @realDonaldTrump a mandate in 2024, which included ending decades of unfair trade. Call the ball, Mr. President. We back you 100%."

Five Republicans helped block a censure motion against Rep. LaMonica McIver, the New Jersey Democrat who was criminally charged for allegedly assaulting immigration officials outside a detention facility.

The House voted 215-207 to reject the resolution brought by Clay Higgins (R-LA), which would have removed McIver from the Homeland Security Committee.

“Had she withdrawn from the Homeland Security Committee, I certainly wouldn’t have offered a resolution, even though censure [is] legitimate and called for,” he said.

Republicans block censure

The five Republicans who voted to kill the measure are Reps. Don Bacon and Mike Flood of Nebraska, Dave Joyce and Mike Turner of Ohio, and David Valadao of California. All Democrats voted no.

Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) and Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-TX) voted "present." Notably, Garbarino, who is known to be a moderate, has been the chair of the Homeland Security Committee since July.

Turner later said his vote was in error, but it would not have impacted the outcome.

Garbarino called the vote premature without a complete House Ethics investigation.

“I voted ‘present’ in order to preserve the integrity of the investigation and to comply with Committee rules and fundamental due process considerations requiring that Ethics Committee Members make impartial and unbiased decisions,” Garbarino said.

Criminal charges

McIver has been charged with assaulting and interfering with immigration officers outside the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark during a visit in May.

Prosecutors released bodycam footage that they said shows McIver grabbing and shoving Department of Homeland Security officials outside the facility.

Democrats have rallied to McIver's defense, portraying her as a victim of political retribution who was carrying out legitimate congressional oversight.

“We were all elected to do the people’s work. I take that responsibility seriously -- Clay Higgins clearly does not,” McIver said before the censure vote.

The criminal case against McIver was brought by U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, whose authority has been challenged in the courts. An Obama-appointed judge ruled recently that she is serving "unlawfully," but Habba has said she is the target of dirty politics by partisan judges and Democrats who have obstructed her appointment.

Both of New Jersey's Democrat senators have refused to advance Habba's nomination, using a traditional courtesy called the blue slip, which gives deference to home-state senators when considering nominees for U.S. attorney and the federal courts. Despite Trump's demands to scrap the blue slip, Senate Republicans have defended it, so far.

Amid President Donald Trump's crackdown on crime in Washington, D.C., it's become clear that the American people fully trust Trump and the GOP to clean up American cities.

Polling data has found that despite all the screeching from Democrats, Trump's federalization of the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department was a popular move, and similar action in other cities has support from Americans tired of rampant crime.

Even CNN's analysts were forced to admit that Trump had made a masterful play by striking at the center of one of the Democratic Party's toughest strongholds in the nation's capital.

CNN's Elie Honig and CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten both admitted that Trump's tough-on-crime stances, from enforcement actions in Los Angeles to the southern border, have gained the approval of a majority of voters.

Cracking down on crime is a sure-fire way to garner support with voters, and the Democrat Party made a rookie mistake by playing into Trump's hands so easily.

Cracking Down On Crime

CNN's Harry Enten broke down this situation by saying, “Americans view Trump far more favorably now on crime than they did a year ago. And while this polling doesn’t take into account what’s exactly happening in D.C. right now, it does take into account what happened in Los Angeles, what’s happened earlier this year, and Americans, for the most part, actually view Trump favorably."

Democrats claim that Trump's actions in D.C. are "fascist," but that message has not resonated with voters who are watching Trump crack down on crime that has been tolerated for too long by D.C.'s Democrat leadership.

Videos of rampant crime and disorder go viral seemingly every day, and Americans have become increasingly aware of the wave of crime that has infected American cities run by Democrat Mayors and city councils.

Enten continued in his analysis of the issue by saying, "Donald Trump is like Air Jordan towering over Joe Biden when it comes to their handling of crime. Look, in 2024, look at where Biden’s net approval was on crime: way under water there, at minus 26 points. It was one of Biden’s worst issues — granted, pretty much every issue was one of Biden’s worst issues."

Enten finally came to the obvious conclusion by saying, "So Americans vastly prefer Donald Trump’s approach to crime than they did to Joe Biden’s. And again, I think it gets back to the point that Americans are far more hawkish on crime than a lot of Democrats want to admit."

Even CNN analysts are having to face the obvious reality that regular Americans don't like criminals or crime going unpunished, and Democrats were delusional for ever believing otherwise.

Future Campaigns

The numbers are still out on Trump's crackdown in D.C., but the general sentiment among Trump voters is that they are getting what they voted for. This could lead to further campaigns by the Trump administration in other notoriously leftist cities.

Chicago is high on the list of problem cities with a brutal crime rate and dozens of murders every weekend. The city has been ruled by Democrats for decades, and Trump could score big points with regular Americans by taking a sledgehammer to Chicago's Democrat leadership.

Los Angeles is another Democratic city in a blue state that has felt Trump's wrath already, much to the joy of Trump's support base. Further law enforcement action can be expected in the coming months, especially if Democrats continue to commit political suicide by siding with criminals over regular Americans.

U.S. Track and Field superstar Sha'Carri Richardson, an Olympic gold medalist, may be faster than most of her competition, but she can't outrun the law.

Richardson was arrested last Sunday and charged with domestic violence following an altercation with her boyfriend at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, USA Today reported.

The arrest and criminal charge is just the latest career blemish for the world champion sprinter, who was infamously disqualified from competing in the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games, which she was heavily favored to win, after she tested positive for marijuana use.

Arrested for domestic violence

The Associated Press reported that, according to a copy of the police report, the 25-year-old track star Richardson was arrested Sunday evening at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and spent the night at the South Correctional Entity in Des Moines, Washington, before she was eventually released shortly after noon on Monday.

Per the report, a Transportation Security Administration supervisor notified local police to the situation after they witnessed Richardson in a prolonged verbal and physical altercation with her boyfriend, fellow sprinter Christian Coleman, after they passed through a TSA checkpoint.

A responding officer reviewed surveillance camera footage and similarly observed Richardson making repeated physical contact with Coleman, including yanking his backpack and shoving him into a nearby column. She is said to have continued to make physical contact with Coleman and get in his way even as he repeatedly attempted to walk around and away from her.

Richardson also reportedly threw a set of headphones at Coleman, who later told officers that he "did not want to participate any further in the investigation and declined to be a victim."

In response to questions about the arrest, the U.S.A. Track and Field organization said that it "is aware of the reports and is not commenting on this matter."

Competed in a major qualifying event this week

Richardson's arrest for domestic violence last Sunday did not stop her from competing this week at the U.S. Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, according to AFP.

The 100m world champion was on the track on Thursday for preliminary heat races and advanced to the semifinals round on Friday, but later withdrew herself from contention for the finals.

She remains automatically qualified for the upcoming World Championship event in September in Japan, however, given her status as the current defending world champ.

USATF said that Richardson still intends to compete in Sunday's 200m event, though, after initially withdrawing from and then reentering that race.

World champion with multiple medals

USA Today noted that Richardson, after missing the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games because of the positive marijuana test, returned to the world stage with a vengeance and something to prove in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, where she earned a silver medal in the 100m along with a gold medal as part of Team USA's 4x100m relay squad.

According to the AP, she also won the 100m event at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

President Trump's war on liberal elites has led to millions of dollars in settlements, as powerful institutions in media, higher education, and the legal profession surrender left and right to his demands.

As reported by Axios, Trump has received over $1 billion from big names like Columbia, ABC News, and Paramount, and it may not be long before Harvard gives in.

Trump has leveraged the federal purse strings and the Justice Department's law enforcement powers to secure big concessions, both monetary and political.

Trump shakes down elites

His success has shaken the left, which had until recently enjoyed uncontested cultural influence that it used to proselytize to half the nation.

The recent cancellation of Stephen Colbert's stridently partisan, and unprofitable, late-night show on CBS led to speculation that Trump was somehow responsible, although the move reportedly had nothing to do with Trump's $16 million settlement with CBS parent company Paramount.

The Trump administration announced a $50 million settlement with Brown University this week, making it the latest Ivy League school to capitulate to Trump's demands to roll back "DEI "and address campus anti-Semitism.

“Congratulations to Brown University on the settlement made with the United States Government. There will be no more Anti-Semitism, or Anti-Christian, or Anti-Anything Else!” Trump posted on Truth Social.

“Woke is officially DEAD at Brown. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he added.

Obama enraged

The oldest and wealthiest university in America, Harvard, resisted Trump's pressure initially but has moved towards a settlement. Harvard is reportedly prepared to pay $500 million, which would be the largest prize yet for Trump in his cultural shakedown.

The nation's left-wing elite legal profession has not been spared in Trump's war on "woke," either. Some of the biggest law firms have pledged nearly $1 billion in free legal services for conservative causes. It's a particularly notable development, considering the expenses Trump has incurred battling liberal "lawfare" over the years.

Trump has also scored major wins against the legacy media, or what he calls the "Fake News." ABC News and Paramount/CBS separately agreed to pay millions of dollars towards Trump's presidential library to settle a pair of lawsuits over defamation and election interference, respectively.

According to Trump, Paramount will also give him $20 million in free advertising, but Paramount denies this.

President Barack Obama, a Columbia University graduate and lawyer who owns several mansions, recently expressed anger at the capitulation of the nation's top law firms, chastising them for putting money ahead of their liberal values.

"Not because, by the way, that they’re going to be thrown in jail, but because they might lose a few clients and might not be able to finish that kitchen rehab at their Hampton house," the frustrated former president said. "I’m not impressed."

Columbia University has agreed to pay over $200 million to the federal government to settle civil rights probes and unfreeze research funding that Trump paused.

President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown has been nothing short of a massive success, and his policies are paying dividends in unexpected places.

According to the Daily Mail, the Trump administration was able to brag heavily this week about a particularly dangerous jungle choke point "where hundreds of thousands of migrants bound for the U.S. routinely imperiled themselves.

The number of migrants' who crossed there during former President Joe Biden's rule was off the charts, but under President Donald Trump, the numbers have dropped significantly.

The chokepoint, described as "an expanse of dense rainforest, steep ravines and swamps that regularly endures extreme rainfall, flash-floods and landslides."

What's going on?

The area is called the Darien Gap, and due to the sheer number of migrants who attempted to cross there, given the deadly risks of the area, it's known as one of the most dangerous in the world.

Under President Trump's immigration crackdown, the numbers have reportedly slowed to "a trickle."

But it's no wonder why the Panamanian government was shocked by the latest report, as only 3,000 have reportedly tried crossing there in 2025, compared to what's typicall hundreds of thousands.

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson explained to the Daily Mail why the numbers have dropped.

"Word of the United States’ secure border has spread so far around the world, that migrants aren’t even willing to make the dangerous journey to get here because they know they’ll be turned away," she told the outlet.

She added, "For the last two months, Border Patrol released zero illegal aliens into the United States."

Locals confirm

Several locals in the area who have helped those attempting to cross the gap have confirmed the good news.

Most of them reported that while they used to help hundreds, they're currently only helping a few here and there.

It's simply further proof that whatever Trump is doing, it's working quite well.

Radical socialist New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani is trying everything he can to win the upcoming election, even if it means "laundering" his otherwise very vocal "defund the police" stance.

According to the New York Post, the socialist frontrunner is apparently entertaining the idea of keeping tough-on-crime Jessica Tisch as NYPD commissioner, despite his radically opposite views on crime.

Mamdani's history of making statements that oppose everything Tisch stands for don't seem to matter as he's eyeying up the best way to convince as many as possible to vote for him.

The outlet noted that many "Big Apple elites" hope that by doing so, Mamdani can "sand off" his far-left edges.

What's going on?

Political operative Ken Frydman believes Mamdani is simply "laundering" his radical stances on crime and police in order to win the election.

“He’s laundering his radical stances, that’s what he’s doing," Frydman said.

"But he needs his defund-the-police voters to turn out again and cop-hating Tiffany Cabán is lurking," he added, referencing another socialist firebrand that is possibly in the running to take over the commissioner's spot if Mamdani wins.

Many of New York's elite residents have urged Mamdani to keep Tisch as commish if he's elected mayor, as it seems to be a good political match.

For his part, Mamdani wouldn't confirm whether or not he would consider keeping Tisch.

"I believe that it’s premature to make any personnel commitments at this time, but it’s a consideration that is real — and it’s in keeping with the city that we’re fighting for," he recently stated.

Obvious views

Mamdani's social media posts are more than enough to show where he stands on the issues.

"Defund it. Dismantle it. End the cycle of violence," he once said about the NYPD, also calling it "corrupt" and "wicked."

A Republican intern on Capitol Hill was tragically killed in a shooting on Monday night in northwestern D.C.

21-year-old Eric Tarpinian-Jachym was caught in the crossfire of a deadly "altercation" after 10 p.m., Metropolitan Police said.

The college senior had recently joined the staff of Kansas Rep. Ron Estes, a Republican, who released a statement sharing his condolences.

"I will remember his kind heart and how he always greeted anyone who entered our office with a cheerful smile," Estes said in a press release. "We are grateful to Eric for his service to Kansas' 4th District and the country."

Intern killed in D.C.

According to police chief Pamela Smith, the incident began as an "altercation" between two groups of people. The shooting was targeted, but Tarpinian-Jachym was not one of the intended victims.

On Monday, around 10:28 p.m., police responded to gunshots in the 1200 block of 7th Street, Northwest. They found three injured individuals: Tarpinian-Jachym, an adult female, and a 16-year-old male.

"The preliminary investigation indicates that multiple suspects exited a vehicle at the intersection of 7th and M Street, Northwest and began firing at a group. The suspect vehicle has been recovered," Metropolitan Police said in a press release.

Tarpinian-Jachym was brought to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries Tuesday. The unidentified woman is in stable condition, and the teenager is still being treated for injuries to his spine.

Police say the teenage boy was likely involved in the confrontation that led to the shooting.

"The child, I can say, we believe was kind of engaged as part of the group," police chief Pamela Smith said at a press conference Thursday.

Senseless tragedy

According to the latest data, crime in D.C. is declining compared to 2023, when the city had its most homicides in over a decade.

The 2020s crime wave placed public officials in danger, including Democratic Rep. Angie Craig (MN), who was assaulted in her apartment lobby, and Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar (TX), who had his car stolen at gunpoint. A former Trump official was murdered during a carjacking spree in 2024.

Tarpinian-Jachym, of Gramby, Massachusetts, was a senior at University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he majored in finance with a minor in political science. He had only just begun a summer internship at Rep. Estes' office.