Featured Stories:
Top Republican joins Trump reaming as powerful committee shut out of Maduro briefing
President Donald Trump came under fire on Monday from both parties' leadership in the Senate Judiciary Committee over his refusal to include them in the briefing about the operation to capture Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro.
In recent months, Democrats have complained that the administration is sidelining their elected officials from participating in Venezuela briefings while keeping Republicans in the loop. This time, however, Trump is simply not including the Judiciary Committee at all, prompting Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and ranking member Dick Durbin (D-IL) to release an outraged statement.
The Trump administration has repeatedly insisted that the operation was a law enforcement action, not a military one, partly because the former would not require congressional approval — but, Grassley and Durbin pointed out, if it's a law enforcement action, the Judiciary Committee should at least be briefed on things.
"President Trump and Secretary Rubio have stated that this was a law enforcement operation that was made at the Department of Justice's (DOJ) request, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)," they wrote. "The Senate Judiciary Committee has jurisdiction over DOJ, FBI and DEA, and all three agencies are led by individuals who our Committee vetted and processed. The Attorney General herself will be present at today's briefing."
"There is no legitimate basis for excluding the Senate Judiciary Committee from this briefing," they wrote. "The administration's refusal to acknowledge our Committee's indisputable jurisdiction in this matter is unacceptable and we are following up to ensure the Committee receives warranted information regarding Maduro's arrest."
The capture of Maduro, while it has been broadly met with support from the GOP, has caused divisions among key pro-Trump factions who backed the president as a noninterventionist, and the administration's approach to the transition of power has generated further controversy.
‘Disgusting’: Big-name conservative rips Trump’s ‘dorkiest’ bullying attempt
A prominent conservative analyst ripped President Donald Trump's administration on Monday for its "dorkiest" attempt to bully one of its political foes.
On Monday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the Department of Defense was reducing Sen. Mark Kelly's (D-AZ) retirement pay as punishment for participating in a video with five other Democrats in which they told military personnel to be suspicious of orders from the Trump administration. Trump described Kelly's comments as "seditious" in a Truth Social post.
Bill Kristol, the editor at large for The Bulwark, discussed the administration's move on a new episode of "The Bulwark Podcast" on Monday.
"Just how disgusting it is what they're doing," Kristol said. "Mark Kelly is a United States Senator serving with distinction, and he happened to make a correct argument that you don't have to obey unlawful orders, and you should be wary of some of the orders coming from this administration."
Kristol also warned that there could be unintended consequences of the move against Kelly.
"It's dorky, and it's stupid, and Mark Kelly doesn't care," Kristol said. "There are a lot of retired military and ... not all of them are famous like Mark Kelly, and some of them are living off their retirement and whatever, and don't want to be publicly humiliated and knocked down a rank."
"I worry always about the intimidation effects of these things even when they're done in the dorkiest bullying way," he continued.
Trump shocks when asked who is ‘top person’ in charge after Venezuelan strongman ousted
President Donald Trump made a stunning claim Monday evening about who's in charge in Venezuela after he ordered Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro to be captured in a pre‑dawn U.S. special operations raid on Caracas.
Maduro was taken into custody on Saturday and flown to New York to face narco‑terrorism and related drug charges. The mission used elite troops that leveled Venezuela’s air defenses and blacked out parts of the capital. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seized at a military complex after a brief firefight.
The surprise ouster left swirling questions about who would come to power in the country. Speaking to NBC News, Trump delivered a shocking response.
Kristen Welker asked Trump who will be "in charge" of Venezuela, if it was going to be Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, or White House advisor Stephen Miller.
"Are those the top three people would you say, sir?" she asked.
"Yeah, among the top people ... JD will be involved also," he added.
When asked who would be the "top person if there is one," Trump replied, "Me."
Also in the interview, Trump said he "get[s] the sense that Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela's vice president who was sworn in as interim president on Monday, is "cooperating" with U.S. officials.
"They need help. And I get the sense that you know she loves her country and she wants her country to survive," he said.
Mike Lindell vows feeble ‘foundation’ will ‘secure welfare’ checks if he wins governorship
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell vowed to use his feeble Lindell Foundation to secure the welfare system if he's elected governor of Minnesota.
During a Monday interview with Steve Bannon, Lindell reacted to reports that Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) could run for governor now that current Gov. Tim Walz (D) had dropped his re-election campaign.
"Yeah, and Keith Ellison has been attacking me for a year ago, September, that my Lindell Recovery Network, by the way, also my foundation, which is going to have a lot to do with securing these welfare platforms in Minnesota," Lindell said. "I've been all laid out, ready to go, and Keith Ellison knows that."
According to ProPublica, the Lindell Foundation gave about $1,000 for charitable causes out of the more than $18,000 it had received in 2021 donations.
Kristi Noem’s DHS throws tantrum as Hilton Hotels cancels ICE agents’ rooms
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials cried foul after Hilton Hotels refused service to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
The department expressed outrage in a Monday post on X.
"NO ROOM AT THE INN!" the post exclaimed. "@HiltonHotels has launched a coordinated campaign in Minneapolis to REFUSE service to DHS law enforcement."
"When officers attempted to book rooms using official government emails and rates, Hilton Hotels maliciously CANCELLED their reservations," the statement continued. "This is UNACCEPTABLE. Why is Hilton Hotels siding with murderers and rapists to deliberately undermine and impede DHS law enforcement from their mission to enforce our nation's immigration laws?"
Hotels generally have the right to refuse service to customers. Emails from DHS confirmed Hilton management's decision.
"After further investigation online, we have found information about immigration work connected with your name and we will be cancelling your upcoming reservation. You should see a proper cancellation email in your inbox shortly from Hilton," one email said.
"[W]e are not allowing any ICE or immigration agents to stay at our property," another email said. "If you are with DHS or immigration, let us know as we will have to cancel your reservation."
"Please pass on this info to your coworkers that we are not allowing any immigration agents to house on our property," the email added.
Trump admits he told oil companies — not Congress — before Venezuela attack
President Donald Trump is under renewed impeachment scrutiny after admitting he alerted oil companies — but not Congress — ahead of the U.S. attack on Venezuela, an extraordinary disclosure critics say exposes the true beneficiaries of the operation. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump openly touted oil executives’ eagerness to “go in” and secure Venezuela’s massive oil reserves, even as lawmakers confirmed they were left in the dark, including members of Congress traditionally briefed on such actions. The admission stunned critics, who warned U.S. service members were effectively deployed to advance donor interests, not national security, and drew sharp accusations that Trump is running an oligarch-driven, authoritarian-style government as oil stocks surged in the aftermath of the assault.
Watch the video below.
Trump admits he told oil companies, not Congress, before Venezuela attack Trump admits he told oil companies, not Congress, before Venezuela attack
Popular articles
Trump blindsides JD Vance by forcing him to learn about major Iran update from reporters
Vice President JD Vance had no idea President Donald Trump had escalated the war in Iran until reporters tipped him off during a press conference in Hungary on Tuesday, according to reports.
A Washington Post reporter recommended Vance check his phone as he was on a stage with Trump ally Hungarian President Viktor Orbán, just after Trump had sent a serious threat warning on his Truth Social platform and said "a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again," if Iran does not make a deal by his 8 p.m. ET deadline, The Daily Beast reported.
The Post reporter asked Vance if he had any new information that signaled a potential deal could be likely.
"I don’t—unless I have a text message from Steve Witkoff," Vance said in response, mentioning Trump's Middle East envoy.
He reached into his pocket and grabbed his phone, then realized the situation had changed.
"I do have a message from Steve Witkoff," Vance said awkwardly after receiving the message.
But the moment became noticeably more awkward, The Beast reported. A Reuters reporter followed up and said he might want to really check his phone.
"I do think you have to read that text because we have reporting that the United States is striking some targets in Kharg Island," the Reuters reporter said. "You did say that the military objectives of this war have been achieved. So could you help us understand why the president is still threatening to attack every bridge and every power plant in Iran?"
Vance, who served in the Marines and was briefly deployed in Iraq, has previously said he was against long-term wars in the Middle East and has had to balance his previous public statements with his current role in the Trump administration.
He tried to respond to the question.
"So you asked about Kharg Island," Vance said. "You know, my understanding, you know, having talked to Pete (Hegseth) and General Caine about this, is that we were going to strike some military targets on Kharg Island, and I believe we have done so."
"(The president)... has said very clearly, that we’re not going to strike energy and infrastructure targets until the Iranians either make a proposal that we can get behind or don’t make a proposal. But he’s given them until Tuesday, at 8 o’clock, so I don’t think the news on Kharg Island represents a change in strategy."
