Latest news with #TrojanHorse
Daily Mirror
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
9 unhinged Trump moments in 24 hours as he says Ukraine cash was 'p****d away'
The President did an interview with a TV news channel - we'll let you guess which one - while he was out there, during which he said money given to Ukraine was "p****d away" Donald Trump arrived back in the US last night after a lucrative and eventful tour of the Middle East. He's (probably) sleeping off the jet lag, so has no public engagements planned for today. But that doesn't mean the MAGA machine has slowed down. The President did an interview with a TV news channel - we'll let you guess which one - while he was out there, during which he said money given to Ukraine was "p****d away". The confected outrage about James Comey's Instagram rumbles on unabated. And Trump ramped up his feuds with both Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift. Here's a roundup of all the most unhinged things that happened in Trump World overnight that you need to know about. And a couple of things you probably don't. 1. Trump doesn't believe what the secret service tell him about the attempt on his life In a weird moment during his interview with (who else?) Fox News' Brett Baier, Trump seemed to suggest he doesn't entirely trust his own secret service agents. He said he'd been briefed by officials on the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania - where a bullet grazed his ear during a campaign speech - but that he still has questions. Investigators found unusual activity on the assailant's phone, he told Baier. "Three apps. Very unusual apps. And two of them were foreign apps," he said. Trump told Baier he still doesn't have all the information about the incident. "But you're the President," Baier asked. "I know, I know," Trump mused. "I'm relying on my people to tell me what it is. You know we have deep-seated craziness in this country. And I'm relying on my people and so far..." He paused, before adding: "...and they're good." He went on: "So far - and in this case the Secret Service, they tell me it' But it's a little hard to believe to be honest, OK? "It's a little bit hard to believe as I get that throbbing feeling." Trump laughed and touched the ear that was grazed in the near-miss incident. "I get a throbbing feeling every once in a while... It's a little bit strange." 2. He said the money America gave to Ukraine was "p****d away" Trump is still clearly a little bit irked at having to help Ukraine defend itself from an illegal invasion by a foreign dictator - branding Volodymyr Zelensky the "greatest salesman in the world." "What bothered me, I hated to see the way it was - excuse me - pissed away. "I hated to see that cheques were sent for $60 million. I think Zelensky is the greatest salesman in the world. Far better than me. "Zelensky, he comes to Washington, he walks away with $100 million every time he came. "Now his abilities were shrinking because he only got $60 million." 3. He still thinks he can use the Trojan Horse plane straight away "I made a good deal," he told Baier of the free luxury jet Qatar has offered him. "We need a plane for a couple of years." Trump insisted the plane would be gifted to the US Air Force "for whoever is President", and would only transfer to his foundation when it was "decommissioned." But he then noted the plane is already 11 years old, and the actual new Air Force Ones being built by Boeing will be delivered pretty soon anyway. He's apparently starting to grasp that the reason the new AF1 models are taking so long is that it's not just a plane - it's an "incredibly complex" flying White House. But he hasn't followed that thought to its natural conclusion - which is that any plane he flies on has to be secured to the same level. In reality, it would take years - and cost tens of millions of dollars - to ensure the Qatari plane isn't bugged, booby trapped or filled with angry Greeks ready to invade the city of Troy. 4. Liberation Day 2: This time it's postal During a meeting with business leaders in the United Arab Emirates yesterday, Trump teased what is being called a "re-run" of Liberation Day - where he listed the wildly arbitrary tariffs he planned to impose on America's trading partners. You see, the reason the US has only struck one deal so far - with the UK - isn't that nobody is lining up to negotiate. No, no. It's that there's so many countries dying to negotiate that it's "not possible to meet the number of people that want to see us". "We have, at the same time, 150 countries that want to make a deal, but you're not able to see that many countries," he said. (There are a total of 195 countries in the world.) He didn't explain why that was stopping him making a deal with, you know, some of them. But anyway, the solution is easy. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick will be sending out some letters. "At a certain point over the next two or three weeks, I think Scott and Howard will be sending letters out essentially telling people - it will be very fair - but we'll be telling people what they'll be paying to do business in the United States," he said. It's unclear whether these will be new tariffs, extra tariffs or whether they'll be tweaked at all from the ones set out on "Liberation Day". It's also unclear how the penguins are going to write back, lacking as they do, thumbs. 5. America got downgraded The US last night lost its last perfect credit rating. Moody's, the lone holdout maintaining a AAA rating for the States, downgraded the country one notch down to Aa1 - the level already set by Fitch and S&P. Moody's said in a statement the downgrade was influenced by "the increase over more than a decade in government debt and interest payment ratios to levels that are significantly higher than similarly rated sovereigns." So not all Trump's fault - although he was in power for quite a lot of the last decade. 6. Never mind that, look how old Joe Biden is... In an apparent bid to distract from the unwelcome Moody's announcement, the White House apparently leaked tapes of Joe Biden's interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur during an investigation into his keeping classified documents at his home and former office. In his report, Hur concluded Biden was a "well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory". The transcripts were published last year, but the Biden administration refused to release the tape, saying Republicans wanted to "manipulate it" for "potential political gain." Can't imagine what would give them that impression. Get Donald Trump updates straight to your WhatsApp! As tension between the White House and Europe heats up, the Mirror has launched its very own US Politics WhatsApp community where you'll get all the latest news from across the pond. We'll send you the latest breaking updates and exclusives all directly to your phone. Users must download or already have WhatsApp on their phones to join in. All you have to do to join is click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! We may also send you stories from other titles across the Reach group. We will also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. 7. Comey Shell-gate somehow rumbles on The MAGAsphere is still screaming about a picture ex-FBI director James Comey posted, of some shells on a beach spelling out "86 47". Now, a bit of code breaking for you. Trump is the 47th President of the United States. For non-Americans, '86' is a casual term for removing, getting rid of or - very occasionally - killing something or someone. It's kind of a rhyming slang for "nix", although some have claimed it has a different etymology referring to the average size of a grave. What it's probably not is a suggestion that the President should be assassinated. Nevertheless, many performative MAGA types have chosen to interpret it that way and have accused the former FBI director of ordering a "hit" on the sitting President. Kentucky Republican Congressman went on (where else?) Fox News last night, accusing Comey of trying to "jizz up some kind of coup, some kind of insurrection." Which is funny, both because of the choice of words, but also because Comer visited people who took part in an actual attempted coup on January 6th in prison, and has branded the investigation into the violent incident as a "sham." Comey has deleted the Insta snap that sparked the furore - saying he had no idea the number 86 could have violent connotations. Nevertheless, Mr Comey - and also apparently his wife for some reason - have been questioned by the secret service. Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence has called for Comey to be jailed for "calling a hit" on the President while he was in the Middle East. And Trump himself has now weighed in, telling (who else?) Fox News: "He knew exactly what that meant. A child knows what that meant. If you're the FBI director and you don't know what that meant, that meant assassination. And it says it loud and clear." One wonders whether the President saw this even louder and clearer message his own FBI director Kash Patel posted online earlier this year, where he was shown in an AI video chopping up members of congress with a chainsaw. 8. Donald Trump does not like Bruce Springsteen Turns out the Donald is not a fan of the Boss. Especially, as it turns out, after the Greatest Living American branded the Trump White House "a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration" during a gig in Manchester. Trump, as you might expect did not take kindly to Springsteen's words. "I see that Highly Overrated Bruce Springsteen goes to a Foreign Country to speak badly about the President of the United States," he posted on Truth Social. "Never liked him, never liked his music, or his Radical Left Politics and, importantly, he's not a talented guy - Just a pushy, obnoxious JERK, who fervently supported Crooked Joe Biden, a mentally incompetent FOOL, and our WORST EVER President, who came close to destroying our Country." He went on to criticise Springsteen's skincare regime. "This dried out "prune" of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied!) ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back into the Country, that's just "standard fare." Then we'll all see how it goes for him!" Bruce Springsteen, for the record, is 75 - three years younger than Trump. His concerts are legendary for their length - often lasting 3-4 hours and performing 25-30 songs - and his superhuman energy levels. Donald Trump, on the other hand, struggled to stay awake through a brief event in Saudi Arabia the other day. 9. Neither does he like Taylor Swift The President of the United States wrote on his Truth Social account yesterday: "Has anyone noticed that, since I said "I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT," she's no longer "HOT?" Again, Donald Trump is 78 years old.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
It's Your Call for May 15
Who to actually address I see in the Wednesday, May 14, 2025, Midweek the article talking about Motorcycle Safety Month, and they're advising people to be extra alert and to share the road responsibly, to make sure that the drivers slow down. I think you need to talk to the people that ride motorcycles, especially the kids that run up down the belt highway at 60 or 70 miles an hour, popping wheelies. That's who you need to be addressing safety to. Please enlighten him Well, apparently, in all his great wisdom, Donald Trump has never heard of the Trojan Horse. Somebody please enlighten him. Tearing down the Constitution Well, Trump's out again trying to tear our Constitution down. There's two things in the Constitution that are guaranteed. One of them is due process and the other one is habeas corpus. He's being tromping all over due process. Nobody has rights in court anymore. Now he's going after habeas corpus where he doesn't even have to tell you why he's arresting people. He can do anything with them he wants. He can pick up anybody he wants. No clue what he's doing On national news: Trump backs off steepest tariffs because the trade war is escalating. I'm going to tell you why we're not in the same league with China. We might have made them right. They don't need us no more. Do you know why he's backing off? Because he's ignorant. The guy hasn't a clue what he's doing.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's critics and supporters unite against Qatar plane deal
In his eagerness to accept a plane from Qatar, Donald Trump has achieved a remarkable feat, uniting many partisans across America's bitter political divide. The problem for the White House is that unity is happening in opposition to it. Predictably, Trump's opponents in the Democratic Party slammed the president after he indicated he would accept a luxury jet from the Qatari royal family. More noteworthy – and potentially more troubling for the president – is that some of his strongest supporters also have serious reservations about the deal, even as it's not yet finalised. Maga influencers have described the move as a "bribe", grift, or an example of the high-level corruption that Trump himself has consistently promised root out. The Qatari royal family plans to give the luxury Boeing 747-8, estimated to be worth $400m (£300m), to the US Department of Defence to be used as part of a fleet of planes dubbed Air Force One – the president's official mode of air travel. The current fleet includes two 747-200 jets which have been in use since 1990, along with several smaller and somewhat secretive 757s. The White House says that the new plane – which could require years and millions of dollars to refit and upgrade – will be transferred to Trump's presidential library at the end of his term. After the news broke on Sunday, the backlash was fierce and immediate. "I think the technical term is 'skeezy'," deadpanned conservative Daily Wire commentator Ben Shapiro on his podcast. "Qatar is not allegedly giving President Trump a $400m jet out of the goodness of their sweet little hearts," he said. "They try to stuff money into pockets in totally bipartisan fashion." He and others pointed to allegations that Qatar has funnelled money into terrorist groups – allegations the country has denied – and called Qataris "the world's largest proponents of terrorism on an international scale." Laura Loomer, the conspiracy-spreading social media influencer who agitates for sackings of top White House officials deemed insufficiently loyal, interrupted her steady stream of pro-Trump messaging to criticise the move. Although she said she still supports the president, she called the plane deal "a stain" and posted a cartoon of the Trojan Horse, redrawn as a plane and filled with armed Islamist militants. Trump found little support for the plan in more mainstream outlets as well. The New York Post, which usually can be counted on to back much of the populist Maga agenda, ran a blunt editorial: "Qatar's 'Palace in the Sky' jet is NOT a 'free gift' - and Trump shouldn't accept it as one." And Mark Levin, a consistent cheerleader of the president on Fox News and his radio talk show, posted on X accusing Qatar of being a "terror state" and wrote: "Their jet and all the other things they are buying in our country does not provide them with the cover they seek". During his first term, Trump himself accused Qatar of funding terror groups. The BBC contacted the Qatari embassy in Washington for comment. In response to criticism of the deal, the White House has doubled down. Trump's press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement that the administration was "committed to full transparency". "Any gift given by a foreign government is always accepted in full compliance with all applicable laws," she said. Although there has been nothing offered in exchange for the plane, many commentators said it would be naïve to expect that that Qatari royal family would hand out such a large item with no strings attached. "They very obviously see that if you reward Donald Trump with gifts, that may pay off down the road," Doug Heye, a political strategist and former communications director for the Republican National Committee, told the BBC. "Flattery gets you somewhere with Donald Trump, and we've seen that time and time again." The US Constitution includes a clause preventing officials from accepting "any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State." But the White House has pointed out that, at least to begin with, the plane is being gifted to the US government. Attorney General Pam Bondi reportedly investigated the legality of the deal and determined that because there are no explicit conditions attached, it would not amount to a bribe. Conservatives and others were quick to point out that Bondi was registered as a lobbyist for Qatar prior to joining Trump's cabinet, at some points earning up to $115,0000 (£87,000) a month from her work for the Qatari government. The Trump Organisation also continues to maintain links to Qatar and last month announced a deal to build a luxury golf resort in the country. Is Trump allowed to accept a $400m luxury plane as a gift? During a news conference at the White House on Tuesday the president berated a reporter who raised questions about the ethics of the transaction. "What do you say to people who view that luxury jet as a personal gift to you?" asked ABC reporter Rachel Scott. "You should be embarrassed asking that question," Trump replied, after using his standard "fake news" jibe. "They're giving us a free jet," the president said. "I could say 'No, no, no, don't give us, I want to pay you a billion or 400 million'… or I could say 'thank you very much'." On Truth Social, the president later reposted several messages pointing out that the Statue of Liberty was a gift from France, and wrote late Tuesday: "The Boeing 747 is being given to the United States Air Force/Department of Defense, NOT TO ME!" "Only a FOOL would not accept this gift on behalf of our Country," he wrote. However even some within Trump's Republican Party were expressing concern. "I think it's not worth the appearance of impropriety, whether it's improper or not," Rand Paul, Republican senator from Kentucky, told Fox News. "I wonder if our ability to judge [Qatar's] human rights record will be clouded by the fact of this large gift," Paul said. Another Republican senator, Ted Cruz of Texas, said accepting the gift would pose "significant espionage and surveillance problems". Trump did find some support within his party. "Free is good. You know, we don't have a lot of money right now to buy things like that," Sen Tommy Tuberville told CNN. Doug Heye, the Republican strategist, suggested that the deal might not hurt Trump's popularity with his base in the long term. "Trump has been able for years now to turn scandals that would otherwise be debilitating for other politicians into things that we forget," he said. "He's very skilled at that." Is Trump allowed to accept $400m luxury plane as a gift? Trump defends plan to use Qatari luxury jet for Air Force One Trump touts 'record' Boeing-Qatar Airways deal
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Midnight Mania! UFC 315 ‘Embedded' Leaks JDM's Game Plan?
Photo by Matt Jelonek/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC Welcome to Midnight Mania! Let's start the night off by taking look back over the three biggest stories of Monday, May 5, 2025. Benoit Saint Denis turned down short-notice Mateusz Gamrot match up: I get that Saint Denis really needs a bounce back win, but damn if this isn't a much better match up than the one we're getting ... Belal Muhammad rejects Ian Garry's back up role: Ian Garry still doesn't have a Top 10 win and probably shouldn't be as high up in the immediate title talks as he wants to be. Shavkat, Brady, and even Buckley have better arguments at the moment. BJJ star Gabi Pessanha upset after massive win streak: This headline served as a reminder to me that I know very little about who the best gi grapplers in the world are right now. Insomnia Based on my experience with whiteboards and MMA gyms, this is more of a warm up sequence or training routine than true 'fight plan.' While it doesn't take a genius to know that Jack Della Maddalena is going to try to win the jab battle, use uppercuts against a wrestler, and work his way off the cage, it's still not cool that the UFC publicly broadcasted it. I'm sure the JDM coaching staff would've preferred it kept quiet! Advertisement More than one fan speculated that this is some sort of Trojan Horse/trap scenario, which would be quite an exemplary bit of 4D chess. Well, it feels like UFC 315 is guaranteed to produce at least one finish ... A big booking for the 125-pound class: Metallica vs. UFC in the ultimate clash of stinginess. I failed to finish this clip, and it's only 13 seconds long. Safe to see, I won't be tuning into future Raul Rosas Jr. podcasts ... After taking a break from fighting to reignite his competitive spark, Brad Riddell eyes a summer return. How about Bobby Green? Azamat Bekoev scored a major KO over the weekend and is on his way to being a popular X follow to boot! Advertisement So much of the boxing over the last few days was absolutely unwatchable. Slips, rips, and KO clips Wrestler in a karate stance is actually a super dangerous combo! Stiff as a board ... Shifted back to Southpaw to throw a check right hook, a Volkanovski classic. Random Land I know I'm aging because this unnecessary goofiness just makes me sad. Midnight Music: Hip-hop, 2001 Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way. More from
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hegseth's Anti-‘Woke' Crusade Kills an Initiative Trump Supported
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took to X on Tuesday to celebrate his destruction of the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) program within the Department of Defense. This 'woke divisive/social justice/Biden initiative,' as Hegseth described it, was a clear distraction from the military's core task under Trump: 'WAR-FIGHTING.' The feminist globalists who managed to infiltrate the Pentagon with their Marxists agendas would surely learn their lesson now. 'GOOD RIDDANCE WPS,' Hegseth wrote. There's just one minor detail Hegseth seems to be missing: WPS was not a Biden-administration, woke-DEI Trojan Horse, but a program co-created by congressional Republicans and signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2017. Oops? In October 2017, Trump signed the Women, Peace, and Security Act into law. The act stated that 'the meaningful participation of women in conflict prevention and conflict resolution processes helps to promote more inclusive and democratic societies and is critical to the long-term stability of countries and regions.' The act made it the 'policy' of the United States government to promote the 'participation of women in all aspects of overseas conflict prevention, management, and resolution, and post-conflict relief and recovery efforts, reinforced through diplomatic efforts and programs.' The act passed with broad bipartisan support in Congress, and was sponsored and endorsed by current members of Trump's Cabinet, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Perhaps Hegseth may be a little wary of consulting the cCabinet group chat before making major decisions these days, but he probably should have asked someone about this before pulling the metaphorical trigger. That or, this administration is so extreme that even the policies of the first Trump administration are fair game for the anti-'woke,' anti-women, anti-minority scrap yard. Hegseth wrote Tuesday morning that he had 'proudly' ended the law Trump signed, saying it 'overburdens our commanders and troops.' 'WPS is a UNITED NATIONS program pushed by feminists and left-wing activists,' he added. 'Politicians fawn over it; troops HATE it. DoD will hereby executive the minimum of WPS required by statute, and fight to end the program for our next budget. GOOD RIDDANCE WPS!' During his confirmation process, Hegseth was grilled about past statements indicating that he believed women should be barred from serving in combat roles within the military. Allegations of sexual assault and alcohol abuse also plagued the conformation process. Nevertheless, Hegseth is the current Secretary of Defense, and while he likes to tout 'WAR-FIGHTING' as his primary focus, his tenure so far has been defined by efforts to purge mentions of women and minorities from the DoD's websites, and accidentally texting sensitive attack plans to journalists. We're pretty sure that when Trump said on Monday that Hegseth would 'get it together' at some point, he probably didn't mean the loud and public repeal of a popular piece of legislation he signed. More from Rolling Stone 100 Actions That Define Trump's Horrifying First 100 Days in Office Republicans Move to Block Inquiries Into Trump Admin Amid Signal Scandal Trump Assures Nation That Pete Hegseth Will Eventually 'Get It Together' Best of Rolling Stone The Useful Idiots New Guide to the Most Stoned Moments of the 2020 Presidential Campaign Anatomy of a Fake News Scandal The Radical Crusade of Mike Pence
