Tag Archive for: Marco Rubio

Trump Admin May Have Eyes On New Regime Change War

/in , , , , , , , , , , , /by

The United States is reportedly planning to target drug traffickers in Venezuela, raising questions about the possibility of regime change in the country.

U.S. military officials are considering attacking drug traffickers in the coming weeks within the borders of Venezuela, four sources told NBC News.

“We’ll see what happens. Venezuela is sending us their gang members, their drug dealers and drugs. It’s not acceptable,” the White House told NBC, referencing a previous statement from Trump.

The report follows rising tensions over drugs and the mobilization of U.S. forces in the Caribbean.

Throughout September, President Donald Trump authorized striking several boats allegedly carrying drugs and drug traffickers.

“BE WARNED — IF YOU ARE TRANSPORTING DRUGS THAT CAN KILL AMERICANS, WE ARE HUNTING YOU!” Trump declared in a Truth post on September 15, attaching a video of the second boat strike. “The illicit activities by these cartels have wrought DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES ON AMERICAN COMMUNITIES FOR DECADES, killing millions of American citizens. NO LONGER.”

The attacks sparked the ire of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Maduro responded to the first strike on Sept. 2 by flying two F-16 fighter jets over a U.S. Navy destroyer two days later, according to Time magazine.

Maduro claimed the U.S. was seeking “to intimidate and seek regime change,” and that the U.S. was “looking for a military incident,” according to the Associated Press.

Trump has denied regime change in Venezuela is a goal of his administration, Time reported Sept. 6.

“We’re not talking about that,” he told reporters.

Maduro helped spearhead the Cartel of the Suns, a drug-trafficking group, and has a $50 million bounty for his arrest, according to the Department of State.

Republican representatives have warned that Maduro could face consequences.

In an interview published Sept. 13, Republican Florida Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart said Maduro has three options: leave now, end up in prison for the rest of his life or end up like Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani, which he describes as “basically being reduced to dust in a plastic bag.”

“Those are the three options that Maduro, the Maduro regime and those around them have,” Díaz-Balart added.

Florida Republican Rep. Carlos Gimenez posted in August that “Maduro’s days are numbered.”

The U.S. planned to deploy 10 F-35 fighter jets to the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, bolstering its already strong presence in the area, sources told Reuters in September.

“So we’re not going to have a cartel, operating or masquerading as a government, operating in our own hemisphere,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a mid-September interview with Fox News.

“The President of the United States made clear that he’s not going to allow cartels, that cartel or any other cartel, to operate with impunity in our hemisphere and send drugs towards the United States. And he’s going to use the U.S. military and all the elements of American power to target cartels who are targeting America.”

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth deemed Maduro “effectively a kingpin of a drug narco state” and added that he “should be worried” in an interview with Fox News.

“The Trump administration has carefully constructed a policy rationale that this is not ‘regime change’ for the sake of exporting democracy to the world’s benighted peoples,” former National Security Council and U.S. State Department official, José Cárdenas, told Newsweek.

“It is a national security initiative meant to eliminate a source of tons of cocaine from entering the United States. Main Street, USA, can identify with that,” he continued.

Trump recently detailed his plans to crack down on drug traffickers in his address to the United Nations (UN).

“We’ve recently begun using the supreme power of the United States military to destroy Venezuelan terrorists and trafficking networks led by Nicolás Maduro,” Trump said at the United Nations General Assembly. “To every terrorist thug smuggling poisonous drugs into the United States of America, please be warned that we will blow you out of existence.”

“Maduro is not the legitimate leader of Venezuela; he’s a fugitive of American justice who undermines regional security and poisons Americans and we want to see him brought to justice. The U.S. is engaged in a targeted counter-drug cartel operation,” State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott told The Daily Caller in a Statement.

AUTHOR

Derek VanBuskirk

Reporter

RELATED ARTICLES:

Hegseth Declares War On Fat Generals

Philadelphia Raises Chinese Communist Flag

Schumer’s Bid To Shut Down Government Exposes Democratic Fissures

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Both PA and PLO Members

/in , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

Better late than never:, the American government will now impose sanctions on both members of the Palestinian Authority and on the PLO as an organization. More on this welcome news can be found here: “US to sanction Palestinian Authority, PLO members, State Dept. confirms,” by Guy Alster, Reuters, July 31, 2025:

The United States will impose sanctions on several members of the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the State Department said on Thursday.

The State Department announced it had reported to Congress that neither the PLO nor the PA complied with their commitments under the PLO Commitments Compliance Act of 1989 and the Middle East Peace Commitments Act of 2002.

The offenses listed included “taking actions to internationalize its conflict with Israel” through the International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice, as well as supporting and glorifying violence, particularly in textbooks, and the pay-to-slay program.

The move prevents those targeted from receiving visas to travel to the United States, the statement said. “It is in our national security interests to impose consequences and hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments and undermining the prospects for peace.”

The State Department did not confirm which individuals would be sanctioned.

These sanctions on PA and PLO officials come after the State Department imposed sanctions on more than 115 Iran-linked individuals and entities. Their assets in the U.S. may be frozen and they be prohibited from entering the United States. This might extend to Iranian diplomats currently assigned to the U.N. It will certainly make the life of Iranian officials much more difficult. Foreigners who serve as apologists for, and agents of, Iran, while living in this country, such as the sinister Trita Parsi, a Swedish citizen, are likely to have their visas revoked.

The US has already imposed sanctions on Iranian-linked individuals and on the UN’s Special Rapporteur for Conditions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese. The UN now says that the American government has no power to deny the antisemitic Albanese from entering the US. The American State Department does not agree; it has no intention of allowing Albanese, who has been carrying on a campaign at the UN against both Israel and America, to visit, or live, or work in the US. We’ll see who wins that diplomatic tug of war.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is smiting the enemies of this country and of Israel hip and thigh as has never been done by any administration before. He’d be an excellent presidential candidate in 2028.

AUTHOR

RELATED ARTICLES:

SANCTIONING SAVAGES: Trump Slaps Sanctions on Palestinian Authority; Blocks Officials from Traveling to UN for ‘Palestinian State’

Jihad Marxist Zohran Mamdani Says ‘Israel Is Not a Place’ and ‘Not A Country’

Marco Rubio’s War on Lawfare

France: Man sentenced to one year in prison for burning a Qur’an in front of a mosque

Hamas publishes video of emaciated Israeli hostage

UN admits that 87% of its 2,010 food trucks in Gaza were ‘intercepted’ by crowds or armed gunmen

Imam at funeral of slain NYPD officer uses platform to slander Israel

UK: English Channel crossings so far in 2025 pass 25,000 – faster than any year ever

Asylum Seekers in London Have Extraordinary Benefits Lavished on Them

Croatia: Muslim migrants from UK gang-rape woman, Daily Mail calls attackers ‘three Brits’

EDITORS NOTE: This Jihad Watch column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

Tulsi Gabbard Declassifies Files On Martin Luther King Jr. Assassination

/in , , , , , , , , , /by

Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard has announced the release of long-classified files related to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The release includes over 230,000 pages of documents connected with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s (MLK) assassination in line with President Donald J. Trump’s executive order, according to an Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) press release.

This release was conducted alongside the Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and National Archives. Trump issued the executive order in January declassify records tied to the assassinations of Senator Robert F. Kennedy (RFK), former President John F. Kennedy (JFK) and MLK.

The MLK records released had never been digitized — unlike the JFK files— and sat untouched in government archives for decades, according to the ODNI.

“The American people have waited nearly sixty years to see the full scope of the federal government’s investigation into Dr. King’s assassination,” said Gabbard.

“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are ensuring that no stone is left unturned in our mission to deliver complete transparency on this pivotal and tragic event in our nation’s history. I extend my deepest appreciation to the King family for their support.”

The documents include FBI memos outlining the case’s progress, leads in the investigation and records connected to James Earl Ray’s former cellmate, who claimed Ray spoke of an alleged plan to assassinate Dr. King, according to the press release. Ray pleaded guilty to assassinating MLK in 1968 after being arrested in London and was sentenced to a 99-year prison term, according to Britannica. He soon recanted his confession, though he remained in prison.

Also included are Canadian police records tied to Ray’s escape after the assassination and CIA intelligence gathered during the global search to capture him, the agency said.

“In partnership with ODNI and FBI, today’s release represents a significant milestone in CIA’s efforts to deliver maximum transparency to the American people,” said CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

“CIA is proud to contribute to President Trump’s historic initiative to declassify and release intelligence information that serves the public’s interest.”

Although some of the documents had previously been released in response to FOIA requests, this release marks the first time they’ve been published together online in a single collection with minimized redaction, according to the ODNI. As more files are uncovered, they will be added to the centralized collection.

“Today’s record release marks a historic step in the Trump Administration’s ongoing commitment to transparency and accountability,” Secretary of State and Acting U.S. Archivist Marco Rubio said.

“Thanks to President Trump’s leadership and a coordinated interagency process, NARA was able to review and release the records at an unprecedented speed.”

Relatives of MLK Jr. were given early access to review the documents two weeks ahead of the public release.

Dr. Alveda King, niece of MLK, expressed her gratitude to Trump and Gabbard for fulfilling their promise to release the documents related to her uncle’s assassination.

“My uncle lived boldly in pursuit of truth and justice, and his enduring legacy of faith continues to inspire Americans to this day,” she said.

“While we continue to mourn his death, the declassification and release of these documents are a historic step towards the truth that the American people deserve.”

AUTHOR

Ashley Brasfield

Reporter

RELATED ARTICLES:

JFK Files Reveal New Depths Of CIA Incompetence

Trump Admin Releases RFK Assassination Files

‘Keep Dr. King’s Name Out Of Your Mouth!’: Dem Rep. Lateefah Simon Blows Her Top At GOP Witnesses For Quoting MLK

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

State Department Begins Sending Bureaucrats To The Unemployment Line

/in , , , , , , , , , /by

The State Department notified its staff Thursday that it is beginning its wide-spread layoffs, according to a notification obtained by the Daily Caller.

The Supreme Court allowed President Donald Trump to move forward with his executive order directing agencies to prepare “large-scale reductions” in the workforce in a ruling Tuesday. The State Department began prepping in April for a reorganization that would close 132 offices, representing a 17% reduction, a senior official shared with the Caller at the time. Deputy Secretary of Management and Resources Michael Rigas notified officials on Thursday that the “Reduction in Force” would soon be underway, according to a document obtained by the Caller.

“Once notifications have taken place, the Department will enter the final stage of its reorganization and focus its attention on delivering results-driven diplomacy,” Rigas wrote.

The mass firings were to be underway as soon as Friday, Semafor first reported

As a part of the reorganization, redundant offices within the State Department will be removed including those that did not “align with President Trump’s priorities and [the dept’s] national interests,” a senior State Department official previously told the Caller.

In the transition, 137 offices will be put in another location within the Department “to consolidate/increase efficiency,” the official told the Caller.

In the weeks to come, Under Secretaries will communicate with their “family organizations” and host “town halls,” the memo writes.

“On behalf of Department Leadership, we extend our gratitude for your hard work and commitment to executing this reorganization and for your ongoing dedication to advancing U.S. national interests across the world,” Rigas wrote.

“Secretary Rubio, at the direction of President Trump, has undertaken a historic reorganization of the State Department, which was thoughtfully and deliberately executed by department leadership. The America First State Department will better serve the American people,” a senior State department official told the Caller about Thursday’s announcement.

In a similar move, the State Department ended a program that for decades has given benefits and funds to low-performing diplomats rather than phasing them out of the department, according to a memo previously obtained by the Caller on July 2. Under the Annuity Exception, Foreign Service members were able to remain on the State Department payroll beyond their scheduled departure from the administration, the internal memo explained.

AUTHOR

Reagan Reese

White House Correspondent. Follow Reagan on Twitter.

RELATED ARTICLES:

Rubio Slaps Sanctions On UN Palestine Envoy After ICC ‘Lawfare’ Stunt

Deep State Steps Out of the Shadows, Using Their Regime Change Skills to Destroy Trump Presidency,“ CIA’s Simple Sabotage”

RELATED VIDEOS:

Radical leftist USAID shut down for good

‘ELIMINATIONIST RHETORIC’: Miller Blasts Dems for Putting ICE Agents in Danger

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. All rights reserved.

FBI’s New HQ Is A Total Slap In The Face To Democrats

/in , , , , , , , /by

The FBI will relocate its moth-eaten headquarters from the Hoover Building to the Ronald Reagan Building downtown after USAID vacated the complex, officials announced Tuesday.

The shuffle caps nearly 20 years of bureaucratic waffling over where to park the nation’s premier law enforcement agency. By opting for a ready-made federal property — freshly emptied when the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) officially shuttered operations Tuesday — the Trump administration says it will save taxpayers billions while giving agents a secure, modern workplace.

“We are ushering FBI Headquarters into a new era and providing our agents of justice a safer place to work,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a press release. “Moving to the Ronald Reagan Building is the most cost effective and resource efficient way to carry out our mission to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution.”

General Services Administration (GSA) Acting Administrator Stephen Ehikian, whose agency manages the federal real estate portfolio, said the Hoover Building “has accumulated years of deferred maintenance, suffering from an aging water system to concrete following off the structure.”

USAID’s exit made the move possible. The development agency had been headquartered in the Reagan complex since 1998 but was stripped of its lease in February, according to multiple reports. Rubio confirmed the broader shutdown Tuesday, writing that USAID “will officially cease to implement foreign assistance” as its functions fold into the State Department.

The era of government-sanctioned inefficiency is OVER.

The Reagan Building already houses U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) and several private tenants. GSA says it will “work with CBP and their agency partners to fulfill their mission while the transition of the FBI to the Reagan Building commences.”

Officials have not released a firm timetable for the relocation.

What happens to the hulking brutalist Hoover block remains unclear. GSA has yet to announce whether it will pursue demolition, redevelopment or sale. Neither the GSA nor the FBI immediately responded to requests for comment.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

AUTHOR

Thomas English

DCNF Technology Reporter.

RELATED ARTICLES:

CORRUPT USAID OFFICIALLY CLOSED, FBI To Move Into USAID Building

Kash Patel Announces FBI Is Leaving J. Edgar Hoover Building

Victor Davis Hanson Predicts Where FBI Will Relocate DC-Based Agents

RELATED VIDEO: Alligator Alcatraz Is Upon Us

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

EXCLUSIVE: Jordan Launches Investigation Into Mohammed Sabry Soliman And His Family

/in , , , , , , , , , , /by

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan is leading a Republican-led investigation into the suspected illegal immigrant linked to the recent terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado.

Jordan will send letters obtained by the Daily Caller to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday, expressing concern over federal immigration enforcement.

Specifically, the Ohio congressman sharply criticized the Biden-Harris administration’s handling of visa vetting, using the case of Mohammed Sabry Soliman as a key example.

Soliman, a 45-year-old Egyptian national, entered the U.S. during the Biden administration and remained in the country after overstaying his visa, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation (DCNF). He faces charges for allegedly attacking several people at a demonstration supporting the 58 hostages of Hamas with a makeshift flamethrower and Molotov cocktails. 

“The issuance of Soliman’s visa and his admission into the United States raise serious questions about the Biden-Harris Administration’s application of federal immigration law and the adequacy of visa vetting procedures more generally. The Trump-Vance Administration, by contrast, has applied increased scrutiny to aliens seeking to obtain a visa or other immigration benefit,” Jordan wrote in the letter. “Soliman’s antisemitic attack also comes in the wake of oftentimes violent anti-Israel protests and harassment across the United States, including on college campuses.”

FILE_9281 by Dylan Housman

FILE_9247 by Dylan Housman

“During his first month back in office,” he continued, “President Trump quickly acted to combat antisemitism and protect Jewish students from foreign nationals who weaponize the U.S. immigration system to attack American values.”

Citing the committee’s authority to oversee federal immigration policy, Jordan added, “Pursuant to the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to conduct oversight of federal immigration policy and procedures. To assist the Committee with its continued oversight of federal immigration policy and procedures, we ask that you please provide the following materials regarding Mohammed Sabry Soliman, his wife, and his five children.”

In his request, Jordan specifically asked for “case history information, including, but not limited to, the aliens’ immigration history, immigration benefits applications, the alien file (A-file) or consular file (including all consular notes), and immigration detention status and history.”

He also requested information regarding the time, date, and place of any and all entries the aliens have made into the United States by June 20.

“The Colorado Terrorist attack suspect, Mohamed Soliman, is illegally in our country,” a DHS spokesperson stated Monday to the DCNF. “He entered the country in August 2022 on a B2 visa that expired on February 2023. He filed for asylum in September 2022.”

The attack injured eight individuals — four men and four women, ranging in age from 52 to 88 — who were treated at hospitals for burns and various injuries in the Denver metropolitan area. One of the victims is a Holocaust survivor.

A federal judge in Colorado appointed by Biden blocked the Trump administration from deporting the family of Soliman.

The decision pauses removal proceedings for Soliman’s wife and five children.

AUTHOR

Ashley Brasfield

Reporter.

RELATED ARTICLES:

ICE Arrests Suspected Al-Qaida Operative In Philadelphia

African Terror Group Claims Responsibility For Kidnapping Catholic Priest

‘This Is Unbelievable’: Kristi Noem Turns Tables On Eric Swalwell As He Jumps To Abrego Garcia’s Defense

RELATED VIDEO: IU SPECIAL: HOW ISRAEL CAN WIN IN GAZA

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

Trump Nominates Mike Waltz For UN Ambassador, Confirms He’ll No Longer Serve As National Security Advisor

/in , , , , , , , /by

President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he is nominating National Security Advisor Mike Waltz to be his ambassador to the United Nations after reports that the top official would be departing his role this week.

Trump also wrote that in Waltz’s absence from his national security role, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as interim National Security Advisor. Ahead of Trump’s post, it was reported that Waltz would soon depart as National Security Advisor after the president and top aides had grown frustrated with his tenure.

“I am pleased to announce that I will be nominating Mike Waltz to be the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations. From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress and, as my National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our Nation’s Interests first. I know he will do the same in his new role,” Trump wrote.

“In the interim, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as National Security Advisor, while continuing his strong leadership at the State Department. Together, we will continue to fight tirelessly to Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” the social media post continues.

Waltz originally came under fire after The Atlantic published a story revealing that its editor-in-chief and longtime Trump rival had been accidentally added into a text group chat dedicated to discussing pending strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen. The president expressed support for Waltz at the time, but since then the former National Security Advisor has been on shaky ground with the president, sources told CNN.

Despite his best efforts to fight for his job this week, Waltz’s standing with the president and top aides never recovered, sources told CNN.

After “Signalgate,” several members of the National Security Council were ousted. Activist Laura Loomer had visited the Oval Office before the firings and presented Trump with research she had on staffers indicating they were not loyal to the president, Axios first reported.

Waltz also struggled to get along with other White House staff, Axios reported, and Vice President JD Vance had previously counseled him on “working more collaboratively.”

“He treated [Chief of Staff Susie Wiles] like staff and didn’t realize he’s the staff, she’s the embodiment of the president,” one official told Axios. “Susie is a deeply loyal person and the disrespect was made all the worse because it was disloyal.”

But trouble may have been brewing for Waltz even before “Signalgate,” as sources told Semafor that Waltz’s traditionally hawkish views on national security caused tension between officials with non-interventionist view points.

“President Trump lost confidence in him a while ago,” once source told CNN.

AUTHOR

Reagan Reese

White House Correspondent. Follow Reagan on Twitter.

RELATED ARTICLES:

Trump Admin Intel Officials Say No Classified Information Was Leaked In Signal Messages

China Erupts: Furious Workers Riot As Factories Collapse Under Trump’s Tariffs

ROOKE: If You’re Looking For Evidence Of The Media Screwing Over America, Look No Further

Rep. Ilhan Omar Makes R-Rated Comment When Asked About Dems Visiting El Salvador

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

ICE Arrests Another International Student As State Department Revokes 300 Foreign Student Visas

/in , , , , , , , , , , /by

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a University of Minnesota (UMN) graduate student Thursday as the Department of State moved to revoke about 300 foreign student visas.

UMN authorities announced the ICE arrest occurred at an off-campus residence, calling the situation “deeply disturbing.” The Minnesota Daily vaguely identified the graduate student as an international student in the university’s  Carlson School of Management.

“The University had no prior knowledge of this incident and did not share any information with federal authorities before it occurred,” university leadership said. They also offered mental health support to any member of the university distressed by the incident.

“Carlson School staff have been in close contact, monitoring the situation and helping connect the student with resources and support,” Dean Jamie Prenkert wrote, adding that “[i]n the current climate, detentions like these deeply affect our community.”

The arrest occurred as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, while meeting Thursday with Guyanese President Irfaan Ali, told reporters the State Department had revoked an estimated 300 international student visas.

“It might be more than 300 at this point. We do it every day. Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visa,” Rubio said.

Prospective international students who intend to join “movements that are involved in doing things like vandalizing universities, harassing students, taking over buildings, creating a ruckus” will not receive study visas, Rubio added. Should such students receive their visas under false pretenses and then join such movements while in the U.S., they would lose their visas, he said.

“Now, once you’ve lost your visa, you’re no longer legally in the United States, and we have a right, like every country in the world has a right, to remove you from our country. So it’s just that simple,” Rubio told reporters.

ICE arrested Columbia University student and prominent pro-Palestine protester Mahmoud Khalil on March 8. The State Department revoked his green card as prosecutors argued Khalil did not disclose his work with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) while applying to be a U.S. legal permanent resident.

Fellow Columbia student Ranjani Srinivasan fled the U.S. for Canada after her study visa was revoked. In a letter to a France-based group of pro-Palestine academics narrating her experience, she alleged the university cooperated with law enforcement to target her.

Yunseo Chung, another Columbia student and legal permanent resident, became the object of an ICE search and decided to sue the Trump administration, The New York Times reported. U.S. District Court Judge Naomi Buchwald reportedly ruled Tuesday that ICE must stop trying to arrest and deport Chung. 

“After the constant dread in the back of my mind over the past few weeks, [Buchwald’s] decision feels like a million pounds off of my chest. I feel like I could fly,” Chung told The Guardian.

Rumesya Ozturk, a 30-year-old Tufts University student, was also taken off the street Tuesday. U.S. District Court Judge Denise Casper issued a temporary restraining order Friday blocking her deportation, The Associated Press reported.

In addition, ICE asked twice-suspended Cornell University international student Momodou Taal to surrender after he preemptively sued the Trump administration.

AUTHOR

John Oyewale

Contributor.

RELATED ARTICLES:

Wanted Foreign Student Protesters Cook Up Preemptive Lawsuits To Ward Off ICE Deportation

Pennsylvania Democrat Governor Announces Largest Grant to a Muslim Organization

The State Department is Fully Shutting Down USAID Today

American Woman Freed From Taliban Detention In Afghanistan: Report

Judges ruling against Trump administration have numerous conflicts of interest

‘Huge Concern’: Top Youth Pollster Fears Dems Losing Grip On Key Generation Of Voters

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

Marco Rubio To Visit Panama On First Trip As Secretary Of State

/in , , , , , , , /by

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Panama on his first trip abroad as the top U.S. diplomat after President Donald Trump’s calls to seize the country’s canal, three unnamed officials told Politico on Wednesday.

The trip, which is scheduled from late January into early February, also includes stops in El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic, according to the outlet. The plans are reportedly tentative.

“We won’t continue to ignore the region as other administrations have,” Tammy Bruce, a spokeswoman for the State Department said on Wednesday, the outlet reported. “Engaging with our neighbors is a vital element in addressing migration, supply chains and economic growth, which are key to Secretary Rubio’s pursuit of foreign policy focused on making America strong, prosperous, and safe.”


Bruce added that Rubio chose to prioritize the Western Hemisphere first because “it’s where we live.”

Rubio is expected to visit the country in an attempt to advance two of the president’s key campaign promises: curtailing illegal migration through Central America to the U.S. southern border and reasserting American control over the Panama Canal, officials told the outlet.

“The Panama Canal belongs to Panama and will continue to belong to Panama,” Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino said at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday. “The Panama Canal is not a concession or a gift from the United States.”

“We gave it to Panama, and we’re taking it back,” Trump said during his inaugural address, characterizing former President Jimmy Carter’s treaty ceding the canal to Panama as a “foolish gift.” Trump also expressed concern over Chinese management of the certain ports along the canal.

China has expanded its footprint in the canal significantly over recent years, with the China-based Landbridge Group acquiring control over Margarita Island — home to Panama’s largest Atlantic port — in 2016. Additionally, the Panamanian government renewed in 2021 the lease of Hong Kong-based Hutchison Ports PPC, which operates the ports of Balboa and Cristobal, two major trade hubs in the canal’s Pacific and Atlantic outlets, respectively.

During his Senate confirmation hearing, Rubio warned that Chinese companies would have no choice but to “shut [a port] down and impede our transit,” should China order them to do so, noting that there are no “independent” Chinese companies.

U.S. critics say that China’s increasing presence in the area endangers the neutrality of the canal, one of the stipulations in Carter’s treaty.

Carter signed a treaty in 1977 to gradually cede the Panama Canal, which the U.S. constructed under President Theodore Roosevelt, to its host country. The treaty also mandated that all U.S. military bases in Panama be transferred to Panamanian control, drastically reducing the American presence along the strategically important waterway.

The president has also called for the U.S. to assert control over Canada and the Danish territory of Greenland.

The Senate unanimously confirmed Rubio as secretary of state Monday with a vote of 99-0.

The State Department did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

AUTHOR

Thomas English

Contributor

RELATED ARTICLES:

6 Major Changes Coming to Rubio’s State Department

‘All Of A Sudden You’re Concerned’: GOP Rep, CNN Host Tussle Over Potentially Using Military To Acquire Greenland

Senate Overwhelmingly Confirms John Ratcliffe To Lead CIA Despite Dem Holdouts

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

‘Speak Their Language’: Insiders Explain How Trump Can Use ‘NeoCon’ Cabinet Picks To Advance MAGA Agenda

/in , , , , , , , , , /by

Some supporters of President-elect Donald Trump have been disappointed by his picks to fill out his new national security team, even lobbing accusations of them being “neocons” — but individuals familiar with the transition and the president-elect’s foreign policy record said those picks can be put to use accomplishing an America First agenda.

For Secretary of State, Trump tapped Sen. Marco Rubio, along with Rep. Michael Waltz for National Security Advisor and Rep. Elise Stefanik for United Nations Ambassador. The picks turned heads because they are viewed as having more “hawkish” beliefs. But national security insiders told the Daily Caller that the picks fall in line with the president’s agenda more than many would initially expect.

“If you take a look at what Trump is doing across his cabinet picks, he’s building the MAGA movement to go well beyond his Republican base, which is why he’s plugged in Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F Kennedy. He’s making a bigger tent, and that is the stuff of legacy,” Morgan Murphy, former press secretary to the Secretary of Defense during the Trump administration and National Security Adviser to Sen. Tommy Tuberville, told the Caller.

Over the years, Rubio’s more hawkish positions have shifted to fall increasingly in line with the president-elect’s “America first” agenda. Rubio voted against a foreign aid package earlier this year that included Ukraine funding, but is hawkish on China and Latin America. Waltz, a special forces veteran, previously worked for Vice President Dick Cheney and has expressed aggressive stances on Iran.

Tapped for Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth is the most unexpected of the president’s national security picks. Hegseth described himself as a “recovering neocon” in an earlier interview with the “Shawn Ryan Show” podcast, explaining that he was once a major supporter of the Iraq war but has since recognized the errors of his views.

The picks, particularly Rubio and Walz, have been attacked by some in the president-elect’s coalition.

“Yesterday was a bad day for those who endorse “America First” in our foreign policy,” former Republican Congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul tweeted. “With reported Trump appointments of neocons Elise Stefanik (UN Ambassador), Mike Waltz (National Security Advisor), and…Marco Rubio (Secretary of State), many who hoped that Trump 2.0 would be different than Trump 1.0 are feeling dejected and betrayed.”

“The wrong people are happy about Walz [sic],” tweeted New York Post journalist Miranda Devine.

Meanwhile, the likes of John Bolton, former Trump National Security Adviser-turned-critic, praised the picks as having “the correct approach to China.”

However, insiders who spokes with the Caller say the picks show that Trump understands what he needs to govern successfully this time around.

“Trump is now savvy about how Washington works, and likely knows he needs the neocons. They’re more entrenched in D.C. than America first. And there are just more of them. The only kind of foreign policy people that are harping on America first and have been consistently, there’s less than a dozen,” one former Trump national security official told the Caller.

“I think he may be looking at someone who speaks their language, who can help blend the two agendas,” the source added.

Sources explained Rubio was likely picked to be tough on China, something important to the president-elect’s agenda, and that it could’ve been a consolation prize for not getting the VP nod.

“I imagine the Secretary of State position was a consolation to Rubio. Everybody’s trying to strategize what the importance of [the picks] and what policies [Trump’s] putting in place. But I think the pick was more political than it was policy,” the former official told the Caller.

One insider told the Caller that while political consultants and the media speculate about what these picks could mean for Trump’s foreign policy, the source believes the president’s pick comes down to two things.

“Hegseth, Rubio, Waltz, Stefanik, what do they all have in common? They’re all friends and close to President Trump,” a former GOP senate staffer who worked on national security issues told the Caller.

“They know the foreign policy and national security space. The president knows that national security is the one thing you can’t get wrong. Look at Biden,” the source added.

They added that ideology likely wasn’t a primary factor in the selections.

“I think that ideology doesn’t really mean that much, whether it’s neocon or isolationist or Jacksonian or Hamiltonian. At the end of the day, Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, are going to test President Trump in some way, shape or form, and it will be up to Trump and his national security team to decide how they want to respond to that test,” the former GOP senate staffer told the Caller.

When it comes to Rubio’s priorities, Cliff May, the president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told the Caller that he believes the Florida senator understands the threat being posed by China and Iran to the United States. He said he believes Hegseth was picked to be a “communicator.”

“He will need to sort of lead the effort in terms of messaging and communications and working with the President and with Congress to get the kind of military America needs in this century,” May told the Caller.

“I can see why he would not want somebody in charge who is a long time bureaucrat who says, ‘listen, this is all you can do. This is what you can do. I’m not fighting the bureaucracy. I’m going to speak for the bureaucracy.’ He doesn’t want another Lloyd Austin type,” May added.

Several sources predicted a “peace through strength” type of approach to national security, something Stefanik has promoted since being chosen as the U.N. Ambassador.

“Based on his nominees, I think Trump is building a FAFO foreign policy,” John Noonan, a senior adviser to POLARIS National Security, told the Caller. “We want peace. But if you F around with the United States, be ready to find out.”

AUTHOR

Reagan Reese

White House correspondent. Follow Reagan on Twitter

RELATED ARTICLE: Poll Shows Majority Of Voters Approve Trump’s Transition

RELATED VIDEOS:

BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN: ‘There is going to be a mass deportation…Don’t test us!’

Canada PM Justin Trudeau agrees to work with Trump on border security

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

‘No Comparison’: Rubio Shuts Down Comparisons Between Trump And Biden Over Chinese Balloon

/in , , , , , /by

Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that there is “no comparison” between the Trump administration and Biden administration over their respective handling of Chinese surveillance balloons.

The U.S. took down the spy balloon Saturday afternoon after the craft was spotted floating over several states over multiple days, including Idaho and Montana. The Pentagon was tracking the balloon as it headed eastward over the Carolinas before hovering above the Atlantic Ocean. U.S. military jets were seen flying near the balloon while there were several recovery vessels in the waters below.

Tapper first asked what type of information the spy balloon may have been able to gather, with Rubio stating that while he doesn’t have a definitive answer on what type of information was collected but said the larger takeaway is that the balloon sent a “clear message.”

“I think beyond just the ability to collect information, it is the ability to send a clear message, and that is that we have the ability to do this and America can’t do anything about it,” Rubio said. “If they’re not going to be able to stop a balloon from flying over U.S. airspace, how is America going to come to your aid if we invade Taiwan, take land from India, or Islands from the Philippines and Japan?”

“The Pentagon says they know of Chinese doing this four other times, previously once at the beginning of the Biden administration, three times during the Trump administration,” Tapper said. “You’re saying ‘no, that’s not true’?”

“No, what I’m saying – well the difference is this,” Rubio said. “Have we seen the Chinese fly these balloons in the past? Yes. I think there’s Twitter pictures of it flying at one point off the coast of the U.S. down south somewhere. The existence of the balloons is not a mystery to people in that field. What we’ve never seen, what is unprecedented and whoever the source is at the Department of Defense would have to acknowledge this, what is unprecedented is a balloon flight that entered over Idaho, over Montana, over all these sensitive military installations, Air Force bases, ICBM fields, right across the middle of the country, that has never happened before, that’s unprecedented.”

“That it flew briefly over some part of the continental U.S., that’s one thing,” Rubio continued. “But what we saw this week, this is unprecedented. This is no comparison anything that may have happened up to this point.”

The Department of Defense released a statement Thursday claiming that “instances of this kind of balloon activity have been observed previously over the past several years.”

Former Defense Sec. Mark Esper, who served in the Trump administration from July 2019 through November 2020 said he was “surprised” to hear comparisons being drawn, noting he does not recall any similar incident during his time in office.

“I don’t ever recall somebody coming into my office or reading anything that the Chinese had a surveillance balloon above the United States.”

“I would remember that for sure,” he added, while on CNN.

AUTHOR

BRIANNA LYMAN

News and commentary writer.

RELATED TWEET:

RELATED ARTICLES:

About that Chinese balloon that floated across the USA

The White House KNEW About the Chinese Spy Balloon and Covered It Up

‘Why Did The US Not Shoot It Down Then?’ Tapper Grills Buttigieg On Why Admin Waited So Long To Shoot Balloon Down

Here’s How The Chinese Responded When A US Spy Plane Neared Chinese Air Space

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

Marco Rubio Canvasser Brutally Assaulted And Hospitalized, Senator Says

/in , , , , , , , , /by

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida claimed that multiple assailants attacked and seriously injured a canvasser backing the senator Sunday night.

“Last night one of our canvassers wearing my T-shirt and a Desantis hat was brutally attacked by 4 animals who told him Republicans weren’t allowed in their neighborhood in #Hialeah #Florida,” Rubio posted on Twitter Monday. “He suffered internal bleeding, a broken jaw & will need facial reconstructive surgery.”

Hialeah police arrested one suspect Monday, according to the Miami Herald. Rubio posted photos of the canvasser wearing a T-shirt from the Rubio campaign on a gurney that loaded him onto an ambulance.

“Sadly, we get the news and we’re still waiting for details. It’s always important to have details,” Rubio said during a Monday rally, the Miami Herald reported. “We’re not like these other people that always jump to conclusions, but we know this: Someone wearing a Rubio T-Shirt and a DeSantis hat was walking in a neighborhood not far from here yesterday when four individuals assaulted him, broke his nose, broke his jaw.”

President Joe Biden, Democrats and the media have escalated attacks against Republicans since the Aug. 8 raid on Mar-a-Lago, the Florida estate owned by former President Donald Trump. Biden labeled Trump’s supporters “a threat to democracy” during a Sept. 1 speech in Philadelphia while Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan urged America to “kill and confront” a movement he described as “extremist” during a Sept. 13 MSNBC appearance.

An 83-year-old woman campaigning against Proposal 3 in Michigan was allegedly shot in the back Sept. 20 while passing out campaign literature. In North Dakota, a man who allegedly ran down 18-year-old Cayler Ellingson on Sept. 18, reportedly claimed the teen was a “Republican extremist.”

“On Sunday, October 23, 2022, at approximately 6:30 p.m., Officers responded to 140 E 60 Street in reference to a fight. At arrival, officers located the 27 year old victim with multiple bruises and a laceration,” a Hialeah Police Department spokesman told the Daily Caller News Foundation via email. “The Initial investigation revealed the victim, was walking on the sidewalk passing out fliers when he was confronted by Javier Lopez (Arrested). Mr. Lopez told the victim he was not allowed to walk on the sidewalk and pass out fliers in his neighborhood. The victim, in order to avoid the confrontation walked across the street where he was again confronted by Mr. Lopez. During the verbal dispute, Mr. Lopez then struck the victim multiple times in the face and head causing the injuries.”

“Officers on scene located Javier Lopez and took him into custody,” the spokesman concluded.

This story has been updated with comment from the Hialeah Police Department.

AUTHOR

HAROLD HUTCHISON

Reporter.

RELATED VIDEO: ‘We All Want The Same Things’: Jesse Watters Says ‘Normal People’ Reject Dems’ Agenda

RELATED ARTICES:

Biden Says He’s In Favor Of Minors Getting Transgender Surgery

‘The Deepest Level Of Corruption’: Tucker Blasts FBI Inaction Over Firebombed Pregnancy Center

Gay Group Launches Protest Against Sex Ed Curriculum Teaching Kindergarteners About Gender Identity

MSNBC Host Asks Dem Congressman If Foreign Countries Should ‘Monitor Our Elections’

POLL: Republicans Prefer Ron DeSantis Over Donald Trump To Influence GOP

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved. Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

Sen. Marco Rubio Calls Out Migrants’ Lawsuit Against Gov. DeSantis: ‘They’re Not Even Here Legally’

/in , , , , , , , , /by

The Florida senator criticized the class action lawsuit filed by three Venezuelan migrants Tuesday over the flight to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. Alianza Americas, a Chicago-based network of migrant-led organizations and the migrants — Yanet Doe, Pablo Doe, and Jesus Doe — argued they were used “for the sole purpose of advancing their own personal, financial, and political interests.”

“Think about this, okay? People came into this country illegally, violating our laws and the first thing they do is get lawyers and use our laws to sue an elected governor, to sue a state,” the senator said. “I mean, just think about that. They just got here, they’re not even here legally, they didn’t enter the country the proper way, and they’re immediately in court demanding rights and claims under our laws. This is outrageous. What other country in the world would that even be allowed? What other country in the world would even tolerate that?”

“This is not immigration, what we’re seeing,” he continued. “This is mass migration. That’s a very different thing. But to just think about the fact that somebody just came here illegally and within a week they’re in court and they have lawyers representing them in court suing the American government whose laws they just violated is unbelievable. It’s outrageous. It angers me and it should anger everybody.”

The migrants alleged that accomplices acting on behalf of DeSantis and his administration “manipulated” and “stripped” them of constitutional rights protected under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments. The accomplices allegedly pretended to be individuals offering the migrants humanitarian assistance.

“Defendants manipulated them, stripped them of their dignity, deprived them of their liberty, bodily autonomy, due process, and equal protection under law, and impermissibly interfered with the Federal Government’s exclusive control over immigration in furtherance of an unlawful goal and a personal political agenda,” the lawsuit stated.

Taryn Fenske, a spokesperson for DeSantis, said in a statement received by the Daily Caller Tuesday that the migrants voluntarily chose to board the two planes chartered to Massachusetts.

“The transportation of the immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard was done on a voluntary basis,” Fenske said. “The immigrants were homeless, hungry, and abandoned – and these activists didn’t care about them then. Florida’s program gave them a fresh start in a sanctuary state and these individuals opted to take advantage of chartered flights to Massachusetts. It was disappointing that Martha’s Vineyard called in the Massachusetts National Guard to bus them away from the island within 48 hours.”

Migrants received brochures informing them of their destination before boarding the flight to Martha’s Vineyard. The packets showed the location and offered a variety of resources on job opportunities and community services areas.

AUTHOR

NICOLE SILVERIO

Media reporter. Follow Nicole Silverio on Twitter @NicoleMSilverio

RELATED ARTICLES:

DeSantis Keeps White House, Delaware And Media Guessing On Migrant Flights

‘Not In My Vineyard!’ Liberals Scream As DeSantis Air Flies On The Wings Of Their Hypocrisy

Will DeSantis Be Convicted For Kidnapping Over Martha’s Vineyard Flights? Experts Say It’s Unlikely

Border Patrol Released Illegals Into The US And Didn’t Track Them, Watchdog Finds

‘Take The Politics Out Of This’: Dem El Paso Mayor Outlines Situation At Border

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

Social Justice Unionism Means Pro-Abortion Big Labor

/in , , , , , , , , , /by

Last week, Politico reported on a leaked draft of a Supreme Court opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade and return the question of abortion regulation to the states, ending the Court’s invention of a constitutional right to abortion. The draft opinion was greeted with predictable outrage from left-progressives, including those in organized labor.

Statements

Now, many people, especially those on the social-conservative right who are re-exploring aligning with organized labor, might not expect union bosses to be among the left-progressive leaders ready to jump on a leaked, not-finalized Supreme Court opinion, but they were. Examples include:

  • Liz Shuler, who ascended to the presidency of the AFL-CIO after the death of Richard Trumka, argued, “We must be able to control our own bodies—which has a direct impact on economic justice and the ability of working people to make a better life for themselves and their families.”
  • Mary Kay Henry, president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), denounced an “extremist, anti-woman majority of the Supreme Court” (that, it should be noted, is suspected to include Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a woman) for taking away “a woman’s fundamental right to an abortion.”
  • Jean Ross, president of National Nurses United, said the opinion “should be viewed as part of the broader far-right assault on gender-affirming health rights in this country, including the laws targeting trans youth and their families, attacks on LBGTQ individuals, and homophobic bans on the word ‘gay’ in education,” presumably a deceptive reference to Florida’s Parental Rights in Education legislation, frequently misnamed in “objective” press accounts.

I Told You So

These statements and other pro-abortion activities by organized labor, such as SEIU Healthcare Illinois/Indiana rallying with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) and Planned Parenthood or the new Amazon Labor Union calling for protests in New York City, demonstrate that American labor unions are inseparable from social left-progressivism through an ideological practice known as “social justice unionism.” Back in 2021, we published a serial outlining how organized labor provided financial support to Washington State measures introducing Planned Parenthood–aligned sex education material into public school curriculums.

And what of the expressed hope of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), that union organizations could provide a counterweight to “a requirement that the workers embrace management’s latest ‘woke’ human resources fad”? Well, I was skeptical, noting that “operatives who run the labor unions endorse woke H.R. fads. And to the extent they don’t, they support going even further.”

Now, I may enter into evidence the statement of Sara Nelson, head of the flight attendants’ union AFA-CWA and rumored candidate to challenge Shuler for the leadership of the House of Labor, last seen campaigning to extend the now-enjoined traveler mask mandate when it came up for renewal in March. Nelson explicitly called on her members’ bosses to engage in woke capitalism:

We call on airline management to stand with us and for equality, anti-discrimination, and mutual respect. It is not enough that corporations espouse these principles as core to their missions—now is the time to demonstrate this commitment to their employees and passengers. This is about our safety and our freedom. We cannot work if we are not safe.

Social justice unionism means that organized labor is an additional pressure point forcing capitalists to be woke, not a point of opposition. The reaction to the Supreme Court leak should prove that beyond doubt.

AUTHOR

Michael Watson

Michael is Research Director for Capital Research Center and serves as the managing editor for InfluenceWatch. A graduate of the College of William and Mary, he previously worked for a…+ MORE BY MICHAEL WATSON

Rex Tillerson is neither a yes man nor will he be boxed in on U.S. foreign policy

/in , , , /by

In a The Daily Signal article titled “9 Issues Discussed at Rex Tillerson’s Confirmation Hearing to Be Trump’s Secretary of State” Josh Siegel reported on the confirmation hearing of U.S. Secretary of State designate Rex Tillerson.

Reading Siegel’s article I came away with two impressions of Mr. Tillerson, first he will not be boxed in and second he is not a yes man. How refreshing.

First let’s look at Tillerson as a man who will not be boxed in when it comes to U.S. foreign policy. Siegel reported:

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who ran for president against Trump, pressed Tillerson on whether he backs the assessment of U.S. intelligence agencies about Russia’s election-year hacking.

“Do you believe during the 2016 presidential campaign that Russian intelligence services directed a campaign of measures involving the hacking of emails, the strategic leak of emails, the use of internet trolls, and dissemination of fake news to denigrate a presidential candidate and undermine faith in our election process?” Rubio asked.

Tillerson described the findings by the intelligence agencies as “clearly troubling,” and called cyber attacks from foreign actors such as Russia “the greatest and most complex threat” facing the country today. He labeled Russia’s annexation of Crimea to be “illegal” and proposed tougher measures to combat the Kremlin’s invasion of eastern Ukraine, vowing that he would advocate providing Ukrainian soldiers with weapons.

But Tillerson expressed hope that he could help improve relations with Russia, potentially seeking to ally with it in areas of common interest even if America “will not likely to be ever friends with the Kremlin.”

“Dialogue is critical so these [issues] don’t spin out of control,” Tillerson said. “We need to move Russia from adversary always to partner at times.”

Read more…

Tillerson clearly understands that Russia, and many other countries, act in their own self interests and against the interests of the United States. His reply was measured in that he understood that cyberwarfare is a national security threat, that invading another country is wrong and both must be punished. However, diplomacy is not just about jumping into a hot or cold war, as Senator’s Marco Rubio, John McCain and Lindsey Graham seem to want. Rather it is about pressuring those who would do us harm using all means available. The above interaction shows the sophistication of Tillerson, a man who thinks outside the box. Tillerson’s statement, “We need to move Russia from adversary always to partner at times” is that of a man who understands Russia more than some members of the U.S. Senate, Republicans and Democrats alike. Again, refreshing.

Tillerson is not a yes man for President-elect Trump either. Siegel noted:

In the presidential campaign, Trump questioned the NATO alliance, and said members need to do more to earn the U.S.’ support.

Tillerson expressed a stronger commitment to NATO, promising to follow Article 5 of the treaty that enshrines the principle that an attack against one member is an attack against all.

“The Article 5 commitment is invaluable and the U.S. will stand by the commitment,” Tillerson said.

He also expressed concern for Baltic states that worry about Russian incursion on their borders.

“Our NATO allies are right to be alarmed about a resurgent Russia,” Tillerson said.

[ … ]

In another contrast with Trump, Tillerson did not say he explicitly opposes the Obama administration’s Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.

“I do not oppose TPP, but I share some of Trump’s concerns that it doesn’t fully support American interests,” Tillerson said.

[ … ]

Echoing Exxon Mobil’s evolving calculus on climate change, Tillerson said he recognized the threat of a warming planet, and that the U.S. should “be at the table” in coming up with solutions to limit greenhouse gas emissions.

If confirmed, he said he and others in the Trump administration would review the 180-country Paris climate change agreement before deciding whether to remain party to it.

“It’s important that the United States maintain its seat at the table with the conversations around how to deal with the threats of climate change,” he said.

As chief of Exxon Mobil, Tillerson publicly backed a tax on carbon in 2009, and expressed support for the Paris Agreement in 2015.

Yet, late in the hearing, he seemed to downplay the threat of climate change.

“I don’t see [climate change] as the imminent national security threat as perhaps other do,” Tillerson said.

Read more…

Tillerson will, on some issues, present a President Trump with differing views. That is healthy. It shows that President-elect Trump is filling his cabinet with quality people who think differently than him and provide opposing views. Once again, refreshing.

Donald Trump’s selection says as much about the President-elect as it does about Mr. Tillerson. There is a new way of thinking about foreign policy and a fresh approach that is pro-U.S. interests.

After reading Mr. Tillerson’s testimony it is clear he will not be foreign a policy rubber stamp as were former Secretaries Hillary Clinton and John Kerry and that he will think outside the foreign policy box of the Obama administration.

Very refreshing indeed.

RELATED ARTICLE: Secretary of State Nominee Tillerson Criticizes U.S. Decision to Abstain from UN Israel Vote