Latest news with #HomelandSecurityAdvisoryCouncil
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mark Levin rages at ex-Fox colleague Tucker Carlson as MAGA-on-MAGA violence breaks out: ‘You little b*stard!'
Mark Levin and Tucker Carlson, two of the top pro-Trump commentators in the right-wing media ecosystem who also happen to be former Fox News colleagues, are currently embroiled in a war of words that has now seen one call the other a 'schmuck' and a 'little b*stard.' The tête-à-tête began last week when Levin, a Fox News host whom Donald Trump recently appointed to the 'revamped' Homeland Security Advisory Council, took issue with recent comments Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff made to MAGA outlet Breitbart. 'The Neocon element believes that war is the only way to solve things,' Witkoff said in the interview. 'The president believes that his force of personality, the way he is going to respond to certain situations, can bend people to do things in a better way in the interests of the United States government.' Levin, a hawkish right-winger who still believed in the WMD rationale for war in Iraq in 2014, reacted to the interview by claiming Witkoff 'talks like the fifth column isolationists' before saying he waited with 'great interest' on the deal the envoy was negotiating with Iran. 'In the meantime, rather than sloganeering against patriotic Americans who love our country, use your name-calling for the terrorist regime that has murdered Americans, tried to assassinate our president, chants death to America, and has lied its way toward a nuclear bomb,' Levin added before tweeting: 'By the way, neocon is a pejorative for Jew. Unbelievable.' It was this claim that using the term 'neocon' is somehow antisemitic – both Levin and Witkoff are Jewish – that prompted a response from Carlson, who has become the 'king of the isolationists' in the American conservative movement. Carlson, who was fired from Fox News in 2023, said that his former employer 'basically seems to turn its programming over to advocating for a war with Iran' before ridiculing Levin for his taking offense at Witkoff's take on the 'neocon element' in the GOP. 'So you have Mark Levin calling Steve Witkoff an antisemite. We've reached peak crazy, I mean, I think Witkoff is Jewish, right?' Carlson asked his guest Dave Smith, a comedian turned foreign policy critic. 'If Mark Levin is calling the Trump administration antisemitic, Steve Witkoff, we're at the end of something and the beginning of something new,' Carlson added. 'If you're calling Steve Witkoff an anti-Semite on Twitter, like, you know you're losing, right?' Carlson, who said he didn't call Levin because he would just be 'scolded' by the 'screaming' host, likely knew that the conservative pundit was going to return fire, especially since Levin spends much of his airtime raging at his critics. And that's exactly what happened this week. Midway through his syndicated radio show on Tuesday, Levin launched into an over-the-top tirade in which he repeatedly referred to his former Fox News cohort by the nickname deceased conservative radio star Rush Limbaugh bestowed on Carlson – Chatsworth Osborne Jr. 'So schmuck picks a fight with me, doesn't call me,' Levin fumed. 'You see, all the neocons are gone. So why do they keep using the word neoconservative? Notice they don't use hawk, interventionist. Neocon! Why do they keep saying neocon? Because many of the neoconservatives were old time, left-wing, Democrat Jews!' Continuing his explanation for why the term neocon is anti-Jewish, Levin said: 'Chatsworth knows it. I know it, and many of the people that use that phrase either don't know what they're talking about, but in the magazines and on the internet, they know it. So they're not going to say the Jews are dragging us into a war, they'll say Israel is, Netanyahu is. They're not gonna say the Jews this and the Jews that, so they use neocon.' Levin proceeded to use the next few minutes to claim that wanting to stop the 'Islamo-Nazi regime in Iran' means 'you're not a warmonger' but rather 'a peacemaker, only to bring it back around to Carlson's attacks on him. 'But I don't have to pretend I'm Helen Keller! That I don't see and I don't hear, and neither do you! And neither do you. And there's a whole pattern over there, with Chatsworth Osborne Jr., a whole pattern,' he raged. 'Now he's free to do what he wants. I believe in free speech. Go ahead, buy a subscription. Do whatever you want, it's perfectly fine by me. But don't screw with me, you little bastard, by twisting my words,' Levin concluded. 'And you should have picked up the phone because I would have cleared things up for you.' This isn't the first time that there's been tension between Carlson and Levin. When they were both hosting Fox News shows, Levin took issue with the now-former primetime star for being a frequent source for mainstream journalists. At the time, Ben Smith – then a New York Times columnist – revealed that despite his self-portrayal as the sworn enemy of the media establishment, Carlson had regularly dished to reporters about Fox and Trump. 'Now, I could go further into this, I'm not going to. That is a serious misunderstanding of one's role, of loyalty, and character. Let me leave it at that,' Levin said about Carlson in 2021.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Controversial RHONJ Private Investigator Bo Dietl Appointed by Trump to Security Advisory Council
Two years ago, stepped into the spotlight on . The private investigator and friend of Luis Ruelas supposedly had dirt on everybody. Now, he's been appointed by to serve on the Homeland Security Advisory Council. It's wild, but it's just another example of the undeniable fact that all roads lead back to Bravo. Bo isn't just a private investigator, he's also a retired NYPD officer and podcaster who's been floating around the political sphere for years. For example, he ran for New York City mayor in 2017 and got around 1% of the vote. In Season 13 of RHONJ, Bo became a central part of the drama when Luis threatened to send him after his wife's enemies. A few months later, that dynamic duo got sued for allegedly hacking computers to get information about Luis' ex. She accused them of 'harassment and abuse.' With that impressive resume, our former reality star president decided that Bo needed to bring his talents to the federal government. He announced the news with a congratulatory post on his social media site, Truth Social. Try not to roll your eyes too hard while reading this. 'I am proud to announce the formation of my revamped Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC), which is comprised of Top Experts in their field, who are highly respected by their peers,' Trump began. 'It is a big honor to serve on HSAC, and I know the new Members, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, Mark Levin, Bo Dietl, and Joseph Gruters, will do an incredible job,' he added. So, what exactly will Bo be doing in this new role? According to Trump, this group will be 'developing new policies and strategies' to help 'secure' the borders of the United States. We'll see how that goes. Real Housewives of New Jersey is streaming on Peacock and Hayu in the UK and Ireland. TELL US – WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON BO DIETL'S NEW ROLE WITH HOMELAND SECURITY? DO YOU THINK HE'S QUALIFIED TO SERVE ON THE ADVISORY COUNCIL? The post Controversial RHONJ Private Investigator Bo Dietl Appointed by Trump to Security Advisory Council appeared first on Reality Tea.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
George Clooney Says ‘I Don't Care' If Trump Calls Me a ‘Fake Movie Actor' Because ‘My Job Is Not to Please the President of the United States'
George Clooney is not bothered by Donald Trump slamming him. Appearing on 'CBS Mornings' to promote his Broadway debut in 'Good Night and Good Luck,' the Oscar winner was asked by host Gayle King about the time Trump branded him a 'fake movie actor' on Truth Social. 'I don't care,' Clooney said. 'I've known Donald Trump for a long time. My job is not to please the President of the United States. My job is to try and tell the truth when I can and when I have the opportunity. I am well aware of the idea that people will not like that… people will criticize that. Elon Musk has weighed in [about me]. That is their right. It's my right to say the other side.' More from Variety Vince Vaughn Visits Donald Trump and The White House Shares 'Wedding Crashers' Parody Poster Trump Appoints Fox News Host Mark Levin to Homeland Security Advisory Council Lil Wayne Lovingly Calls Trump 'An Asshole,' Says He Didn't Watch Kendrick Lamar at the Super Bowl and Had No Idea About Drake Beef Trump launched a social media attack on Clooney last summer after the actor published an op-ed for The New York Times in which he urged Joe Biden to step down as the Democratic nominee for president. Clooney wrote that Biden had saved democracy before and could do so again by stepping aside and giving Democrats a better shot at beating Trump given Biden's old age. 'So now fake movie actor George Clooney, who never came close to making a great movie, is getting into the act,' Trump posted in reaction. 'He's turned on Crooked Joe like the rats they both are.' 'What does Clooney know about anything?' Trump then asked. 'He uses the Democrat 'talking point' that Biden, the WORST President in the history of the United States, has 'saved our Democracy.' No, Crooked Joe was the one who WEAPONIZED Law Enforcement against his political Opponent, who created the most devastating INFLATION in the history of our Country, who Embarrassed our Nation in Afghanistan, and whose crazy Open Border Policy has allowed millions of people to illegally pour into our Country, many from prisons and mental institutions. Crooked Joe Biden didn't save our Democracy, he brought our Democracy to its knees. Clooney should get out of politics and go back to television. Movies never really worked for him!!!' Clooney appeared on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' shortly after Trump's post against him, where the late night host read aloud Trump's quote requesting Clooney get out of politics. The actor simply clapped back at the time: 'I will if he does. That's a trade-off I'd do.' The studio audience roared in approval. Clooney recently sat down with CNN's Jake Tapper and said it was his 'civic duty' to go against Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential election and champion an alternate Democratic nominee. 'I don't know if it was brave,' Clooney said. 'It was a civic duty because I found that people on my side of the street — you know, I'm a Democrat in Kentucky so I get it — when I saw people on my side of the street not telling the truth I thought that was time to… some people [are mad], sure. That's OK, you know, listen the idea of freedom of speech is you can't demand freedom of speech and then say, 'But don't say bad things about me.'' 'That's the deal, you have to take your stand if you believe in it,' he continued. 'Take a stand, stand for it and then deal with the consequences. That's the rules, so when people criticize me — they criticized me for my stance against the war 20 years ago, people picketed my movies and they put me on a deck of cards — I have to take that, that's fair. I'm OK with that, I'm OK with criticism for where I stand. I defend their right to criticize me as much as I defend my right to criticize them.' Watch Clooney's full 'CBS Mornings' interview in the video below. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in April 2025 The Best Celebrity Memoirs to Read This Year: From Chelsea Handler to Anthony Hopkins
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Calls in Fox News Host and TV P.I. to Help ICE Barbie
President Donald Trump has added two more of his Fox News favorites to a role in his administration. He announced Thursday the current network host Mark Levin and former commentator Bo Dietl, who recently grabbed headlines as a central figure in a Real Housewives of New Jersey scandal, had been appointed to a Homeland Security Advisory Council. Also added to the 'revamped' council is the Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster and the MAGA Florida lawmaker Joseph Gruters. Trump wrote that the quartet are 'experts in their field, who are highly respected by their peers.' They will serve on the council in addition to their existing roles, and it is unclear how much they will be compensated—if at all—for their advisory work. 'Under Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem's leadership, HSAC will work hard on developing new Policies and Strategies that will help us secure our Border, deport Illegal Criminal Thugs, stop the flow of Fentanyl and other illegal drugs that are killing our Citizens, and MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN,' Trump added. Levin, 67, is the host of Fox News' Life, Liberty & Levin, and has been supportive of Trump's immigration crackdown. He even had Noem on his show in February to talk about flying alleged criminal migrants to Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Levin has at times been critical of MAGA 2.0, criticizing the Trump administration for cozying up to Russia's Vladimir Putin and for negotiating with 'Hamas Nazis.' That appears to be water under the bridge now, however. Levin posted to X after the announcement: 'What an honor! Thank you, Mr. President!' Dietl, 74, was banished from Fox News in 2016 after he was accused of accepting a private detective gig to discredit sexual harassment allegations against the network's then-CEO Roger Ailes. Before his ouster, he was Fox's 'tough cop' commentator who once called for the execution of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on air. Notably, given his new spot on Noem's team, Dietl told the network in 2017—amid his failed NYC mayoral bid—that the U.S. should not seek to deport immigrants who are 'working hard' or are 'peaceful' with U.S. citizen kids. 'Someone with three kids who are illegally here,' he said, 'what are we going to do? Get rid of the breadwinner? If he's a peaceful, loving person? We have to identify them. We got to give path to citizenship. We have to identify who they are. That's where I'm at. I'm not for deporting the family of three—with three kids, because who's going to pay for them? We're going to.' Dietl is a former New York Police Department detective who was the head of security for Jordan Belfort, of Wolf of Wall Street fame, in the 1990s. He starred as himself in the 2013 blockbuster, which also featured Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, Jonah Hill, and Matthew McConaughey. Dietl has also featured in other Martin Scorsese crime flicks, like Goodfellas and The Irishman, and was at one point an Arby's pitchman in the fast-food chain's attempts to cut into Subway's customer base. He most recently has worked as a private investigator and was accused in a lawsuit last year of hacking a computer to dig up dirt on Real Housewives of New Jersey stars. He has denied being involved. He also sold a 50 per cent stake in his private security company to a Chinese firm in 2015, which boasted about the deal being part of the Chinese Communist Party's 'belt and road initiative,' The New York Post reported. The Queens native thanked Trump for appointing him Thursday by writing a statement that was similar to what the president posted himself on Truth Social. 'I am incredibly honored to share that President Trump has appointed me to serve on the newly revamped Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC)!' he wrote. 'It is a true privilege to join this important mission alongside South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, Mark Levin, and Joseph Gruters, under the leadership of Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. 'Our focus will be on securing our borders, removing violent criminal offenders, stopping the deadly flow of fentanyl and other illegal drugs, and helping to MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN. With decades of experience in law enforcement and security, I am ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work for the American people. Thank you, President Trump, for this incredible opportunity. Let's get it done!' Previously the advisory group had included the former CIA director and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, former New York, Boston and Los Angeles police commissioner Bill Bratton, and William Webster, who had led both the FBI and CIA.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Gives Fox News Host Stunning Amount of Power in Cabinet
Donald Trump is once again sourcing administration officials from the talent pool at Fox News. The president announced Thursday night that he had formed a 'revamped' Homeland Security Advisory Council, including the likes of Fox News host Mark Levin and former Fox News contributor Bo Dietl. The council would also include South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster and Florida state Senator Joseph Gruters, who serves on the Republican National Committee and is a close ally of Trump's. 'Under Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem's leadership, HSAC will work hard on developing new Policies and Strategies that will help us secure our Border, deport Illegal Criminal Thugs, stop the flow of Fentanyl and other illegal drugs that are killing our Citizens, and MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. It's not exactly clear how the 'revamped' group will differ from past iterations of HSAC, which has been a fixture of administrations since George W. Bush announced its creation in 2002, to generate counterterrorism strategy and oversee a reorganized department. Joe Biden's iteration of the same group had a whopping 33 members, from the private sector and law enforcement groups—but none from TV. The DHS website, which was last updated in January, lists no current members of the group. Trump has been known to tune into Levin's show Life, Liberty & Levin, where the ultra-conservative attacks the president's enemies and regularly makes recommendations for his administration. Now, he will make those same recommendations in an official capacity. In November, Levin suggested to border czar Tom Homan that the Trump administration should withhold federal funding from states that failed to comply with its draconian immigration policies. Levin was once described by Rolling Stone as a 'bomb-throwing Trump sycophant.' Bo Dietl is a former detective with the New York Police Department and actor, who served as a contributor on Fox News until 2016, when he it was revealed that he'd been hired to dig up dirt on Andrea Mackris and Gretchen Carlson in an attempt to discredit their sexual harassment allegations against former CEO Roger Ailes.
