EXCLUSIVE Shock impact of Epstein scandal on Trump's presidency... and the cabinet member now on the brink, revealed in new Daily Mail poll
Apparently, Trump's public support is on a downward trajectory - at least according to the latest Economist/YouGov poll and others.
Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Army sergeant investigated for forcing soldiers to do pushups under MAGA banner
An army drill sergeant is under investigation after a video appeared to show him forcing soldiers to do pushups under a MAGA flag. Staff Sgt. Thomas Mitchell is accused of breaking rules about political neutrality in the army. Mitchell allegedly posted a now-deleted video which featured a group of training soldiers doing pushups and burpees under a MAGA banner while on a base in Georgia. The flag read, 'This is Ultra MAGA Country,' in the video uploaded on Friday before it was removed. A second video was then reportedly re-uploaded with the caption, 'Cry about it.' The video uploaded to @11chuckduece on TikTok, a now-deleted account, launched an investigation into the sergeant. The demonstration violates 'multiple military regulations' regarding political activity in uniform on federal property,' wrote. 'The US Army is an apolitical organization,' Jennifer Gunn, a service spokesperson, said in a statement. 'Displaying partisan political materials in government facilities, including training areas, is prohibited under Army regulation. 'We will investigate this matter and address it in accordance with established policies to ensure compliance with standards of conduct and to maintain an environment free from political influence.' Mitchell serves as an infantry drill sergeant with B Company, 2-19th Infantry Battalion, 198th Infantry Training Brigade, at Fort Benning, Georgia. His current status remains unclear. Garrison Public Affairs Director Joe Cole told Law & Crime that the investigation into the video would 'take some time.' The display of political flags or memorabilia inside federal buildings is prohibited according to Defense Department regulations which are 'designed to preserve the military's role as a nonpartisan institution.' Rules also dictate that troops in positions of authority may not use their position of authority or power to politically influence subordinates. Daily Mail reached out to the US Army and Sgt. Mitchell for comment. The incident comes a month after Trump made a speech during the celebration of the Army's 250th birthday. Troops in the crowd behind the president at Fort Bragg were reportedly carefully selected for the televised event based on their political views and physical appearance. Internal 82nd Airborne Division communications obtained by showed the soldiers were sent messages including 'No fat soldiers.' Another memo said that 'if soldiers have political views that are in opposition to the current administration and they don't want to be in the audience, then they need to speak with their leadership and get swapped out.' The end result was a predominantly white, male crowd who booed as Trump hit out at California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for the fiery protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations as he vowed to 'liberate' the city. They were also seen booing former President Joe Biden and the press - and roared with laughter at Trump's remarks berating his successor. Such actions appear to also be in violation of longstanding Department of Defense protocol, with even the Army's recently-published field manual touting the importance of a politically neutral force. 'Being nonpartisan means not favoring any specific political party or group,' it says, according to NBC News. 'Nonpartisanship assures the public that our Army will always serve the Constitution and our people loyally and responsively.' It goes on to note that troops can participate in political functions - so long as they are not in uniform. 'As a private citizen, you are encouraged to participate in our democratic process, but as a soldier you must be mindful of how your actions may affect the reputation and perceived trustworthiness of our Army as an institution,' the field guide says. At least one 82nd Airborne noncommissioned officer now says he does not see how the troops' reactions on Tuesday could be seen as anything other than 'expressing a political view while in uniform.' He even suggested that none of the soldiers who were booing Newsom and Bass 'even knew the mayor's name or could identify them in a lineup.' Department of Defense officials, though, have denied that the soldiers were in violation of its rules. 'Believe me, no one needs to be encouraged to boo the media,' Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesman replied to 'Look no further than this query, which is nothing more than a disgraceful attempt to ruin the lives of young soldiers.' Even if the soldiers did violate Defense Department rules, multiple Army officials told they likely would not be held accountable because they were goaded by the commander-in-chief.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Texas torn apart over A-listers' attempt to make it 'the new Hollywood' as bizarre rules directors must follow are revealed
In many ways deep red Texas could not be further from the liberal movie sets of Hollywood. But now a gaggle of A-listers and lawmakers believe the it is the perfect place to set up a film industry which could not only rival Tinseltown's, but topple it altogether. Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson and Renée Zellweger are among the actors leading the charge. They have recently helped secure a bill that will inject $300 million into the Texas film industry over the next two years and provide tax incentives for the next decade. However the new law, which comes into effect on September 1, does contain some distinctly Texan stipulations when it comes to who can qualify for the cash. Officials plan to be far more selective about who gets taxpayer money than their Californian counterparts, with Governor Gregg Abbott given veto powers under the new law. But despite the strict parameters, the decision has been heavily criticized by conservatives in Texas, who described the bill as an 'abomination' and fear it will turn the Lone Star State into a new La La Land. Subsidy Rules Supporters of the new Texas law say they want to be as influential as Hollywood, but without the same liberal cultural values. As a result, they have created a series of hoops filmmakers must jump through if they want to secure any state cash. 'We are not trying to make Texas the next Hollywood - we don't like Hollywood. We want to export Texas values,' Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, one of the biggest proponents of the scheme, recently said in a campaign update. Patrick is a staunch conservative who despite his opposition to legal marijuana, gambling and abortion, wants to make Texas 'the film capital of the world'. He and other legislators have devised a system which will reward films with, 'export Texas values', according to Patrick. For projects that spend at least $1.5 million in Texas, the new law offers tiered grants worth 25 percent of that in-state spending. Films that are faith-based, shoot in historic sites or employ a percentage of crew who are Texas-based military veterans can get a grant as high as 31 percent. Additionally, the governor's office has broad powers in determining which projects do and do not get funding. If films are deemed to have content that is 'inappropriate,' has obscene content or portrays Texas negatively - they won't get a dime. Celebrity backing None of this would have been possible without the support of several towering figures in the entertainment industry. In January, Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Renée Zellweger and several others appeared in a video that campaigned for Texas officials to bring increased film incentives so people can make movies in the state without breaking the bank. The four-minute video begins with Harrelson and McConaughey barreling down a highway in a sedan as they're deep in conversation about this very issue. 'You ever wonder if this industry of ours is just chasing its own tail?' Harrelson asks. 'No, I don't wonder. Restrictions, regulations, nickel and diming productions, political lectures,' McConaughey replies. The video had a surprising level of credibility, considering the fact that McConaughey, Harrelson, Zellweger and Dennis Quaid (who also appeared) were all born in Texas. McConaughey, whose social media feed focuses almost exclusively on Texas sports, attended a March hearing with state legislators and had the final word. 'If we pass this bill, we are immediately at the bargaining table for shooting more films and TV and commercials in our state,' he said while wearing a cowboy hat. 'That is money that's going to local Texas restaurants, hotels, coffee shops, dry cleaners, street rentals, home rentals ― even Woody's barber,' in reference to Harrelson, who was also in attendance. Two months after McConaughey's overture, the Senate voted 23-8 in favor of the bill and it became law by June. The Opposition But these restrictions weren't enough for the many conservatives who opposed the law when it was being debated over the last few months. Some were concerned that the bill would allow Texas to go down a path of unrighteousness, while others thought the subsidies were taxpayer theft. 'The Bible warns us of the consequences of the government wrongfully taking money from some and handing it out to others,' Texans for Fiscal Responsibility said in one of its papers against the bill. Republican State Rep. Brian Harrison has emerged as the main enemy of the bill, calling it an abomination. 'And shame on everybody who voted for it,' he has said. 'This is big government liberal redistributive socialism,' Harrison told the LA Times. 'The governor and lieutenant governor of the supposedly Republican-controlled state of Texas chose to keep property taxes billions of dollars higher so that you can subsidize a rich liberal Hollywood movie industry - how embarrassing.' He plans to introduce legislation at a special hearing later in July that would repeal the law. Exodus from California The bill deepens the growing rivalry between California and Texas, which has already poached several major companies once based in the Golden State, including Tesla and Hewlett-Packard. These businesses were largely lured by lower taxes and a business-friendly environment, both things the bill signed by Abbott seeks to address with the film industry specifically. It couldn't come at a worse time for California, a state that is already bleeding talent and expertise. When Hollywood writers and actors went on strike in 2023, California lost roughly 40,000 film and TV jobs that year alone, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. California also has to worry about the tax subsidies being offered in the other states, not just Texas, and even other nations. That's why in late June, California legislators doubled their own tax incentive ceiling to a staggering $750 million a year. While Texas isn't spending nearly as much tax money as California on movies and TV, experts believe that this could be the start of a real competition. 'Texas now has a program that is going to be competitive,' Fred Poston, the executive director of the Texas Media Production Alliance, told the Los Angeles Times. 'When you really take a close look at it, you realize this is a big deal. We have this new level of funding to start building more industry around it.' A Return to the Glory Days Proponents of the law feel that without the incentives, Texas is leaving tons of economic growth on the table. Texas, while not Hollywood, has been the filming location for many highly-celebrated pieces of media, including but not limited to the 1956 western 'Giant', the 1974 slasher film 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' and the high school football drama TV series 'Friday Night Lights.' By the early 2000s, nearby states became more attractive to film because of better incentives being offered to producers. 'Texas had been highly competitive, we had all of these ingredients,' Rebecca Campbell, CEO of the Austin Film Society, told the LA Times. 'Then all of a sudden, Texas stories were getting shot in New Mexico and Louisiana.' Texas introduced its first program for film incentives in 2007, earmarking $20 million for it. Because of how underfunded it became over the years, the producers of 'Fear the Walking Dead' decided to move production in 2021 from Austin to Georgia. Richard Linklater, a Houston-born director, filmed his 2024 romantic crime thriller 'Hit Man' starring Glen Powell in his hometown. But because there wasn't enough incentive funds, he had to move the operation to New Orleans. 'We're completely surrounded by states that have very active film incentive programs,' he said on the podcast 'Friends on Film.'
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Trump threatens to bomb Iran again if it builds new nuclear plants
Donald Trump has warned Iran that he will bomb the country again if it tries to resume its nuclear programme. The US president claimed it would take 'years' to bring the sites at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan back into service and promised to 'obliterate' any new nuclear sites Iran may try and build. In a post on his Truth Social site sent from his golf club near Washington, he claimed all three of Tehran's nuclear sites had been destroyed after the US dropped 14 30,000lb GBU-57 'bunker buster' bombs on them. 'It would take years to bring them back into service and, if Iran wanted to do so, they would be much better off starting anew, in three different locations, prior to those sites being obliterated, should they decide to do so,' he said before ending with his trademark signoff. 'Thank you for your attention to this matter!' Mr Trump has endured a difficult week, fending off criticism from his supporters about his administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case and the embarrassing revelation that he allegedly sent a lewd message and drawing to the billionaire financier in 2003, before he was convicted of sex offences. On Thursday, the White House said the swelling in Mr Trump's legs was caused by chronic venous insufficiency, a condition in which veins have trouble moving blood back to the heart. On Saturday, he pivoted back to one of the major successes of his presidency so far: Operation Midnight Hammer, when B-2 bombers struck Iran's nuclear sites without Iran firing a shot in defence. Mr Trump claims the Iranian programme was 'totally obliterated'. But a recent assessment by US intelligence suggested that only the underground site at Fordow was completely destroyed. Two other sites, at Natanz and Isfahan, may not have been dealt a knockout blow, according to officials who briefed NBC News last week. Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesman, dismissed the report. He said: 'The credibility of the Fake News Media is similar to that of the current state of the Iranian nuclear facilities: destroyed, in the dirt, and will take years to recover.' There have also been questions about whether the lead-up to the strikes on June 21 allowed Iran enough time to move highly enriched uranium to secret locations. For example, 16 lorries were spotted lining up outside Fordow ahead of the attacks. A possible destination was Pickaxe mountain, Kūh-e Kolang Gaz Lā, which is 90 miles south of Fordow, and minutes away from Natanz in central Isfahan province. Rafael Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Iranian officials refused to answer questions about what was happening at the fortified, underground facility. He said: 'Since it is obvious it is in a place where numerous and important activities related to the programme are taking place, we're asking them, 'What is this for?' And they are telling us, 'It's none of your business.'
