"Governor Trudeau Of State Of Canada": Trump Jibe Follows Tariff Warning

12/10/24 1:31 PM

US President-elect Donald Trump has hit again after joking about making Canada the "51st state" of the US. This time, he has dubbed Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada, as "Governor", a post referring to the executive head of a US state.

'America will not be made great again': McConnell received ovation after 'swipe' at Trump

12/08/24 12:44 PM

In a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California on Saturday, outgoing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) served notice that he is not entirely pleased with the return on Donald Trump without mentioning his name.According to a report from Politico, one comment from the senior Republican seemed aimed at the president-elect as he discussed America's military future, telling the audience, "Within the party Ronald Reagan once led so capably, it is increasingly fashionable to suggest that the sort of global leadership he modeled is no longer America’s place."He then added, “But let’s be absolutely clear: America will not be made great again by those who are content to manage our decline," with Politico's Connor O’Brien and Joe Gould writing McConnell received an enthusiastic ovation when he concluded speaking.ALSO READ: The Medicare Advantage trap: What they don’t tell youAccording to the Politico report, "though he didn’t mention Trump, McConnell’s remarks underscore that he could be a foil to the incoming administration on national security issues next year when he leaves leadership."McConnell's speech on defense comes at a time when the president-elect is standing by and watching his nominee for secretary of defense, Fox News personality Pete Hegseth, struggling to convince Republican Party senators –– including McConnell –– to support him despite allegations of public drunkenness and accusations of sexual assault.You can read more here.

'I don't know where J.D. Vance is': Ex-Trump adviser says another ally is acting as V.P.

12/07/24 11:30 PM

Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), also the vice president-elect, is missing in action, according to Donald Trump's former National Security Adviser, John Bolton. Bolton, who has been critical of Trump, including the president-elect's election fraud conspiracy theories, appeared on CNN on Saturday to discuss Trump's recent actions on the world stage. The host asked Bolton about the presence of Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, at many of Trump's events with foreign world leaders. ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE: Senate Dems consider whether Biden should ‘clear the slate’ and pardon Trump "I just want to ask you about another person that's there with Trump in France, and that's Elon Musk, who we've seen, of course, by his side on the campaign trail and now in the transition, but also increasingly in the middle of a lot of these conversations with foreign leaders and in the conversations about foreign conflicts?" the host asked. "What do you make of that?" "Bolton replied, "Well, you know, it's almost like Musk has become vice president." "I don't know where J.D. Vance is on this trip, but Elon Musk, to this point, remains a private citizen and he has no governmental authority," he added. "He may have extraordinary influence over Donald Trump, but the rubber meets the road at noon on the 20th of January. Musk is going to have to decide which way to jump and and at that point, I think people will have to make a judgment whether there is undue influence or anything else. But right now, look, these people are private citizens. Let's keep that in mind." Watch below or click the link.

'Shadow president' Trump strides world stage

12/10/24 11:23 AM

Donald Trump does not take office until January 20, but on the world stage he is already acting as if he is US president.President-elect Trump has stamped his seal on U.S. diplomacy on crises in Syria and Ukraine as his second spell in the White House approaches.World leaders have jostled to talk to Trump and he was treated as the guest of honor at the grand reopening of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris on the weekend.Lame-duck, single-term President Joe Biden, 82, was conspicuous by his absence at the ceremony, as he increasingly fades into the background."It's not surprising at all that Trump would seek to already start playing shadow president," Colin Clarke, director of research at security consultancy The Soufan Group, told AFP."And I don't even think it's inappropriate at this point, because that's the game that's going to be in play."But while Trump himself was often a diplomatic disruptor in his first term in office, he now faces a more volatile international situation in his second presidency."It seems like the world is going a little crazy right now," Trump said as he met French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday on his first foreign trip since the November 5 election.- 'Unusual' -The non-interventionist Trump has frequently spoken of his wish to keep the United States out of any more Middle Eastern wars and has called for a cut in US aid to Kyiv.As Syria's President Bashar al-Assad teetered on Saturday, Trump said on his Truth Social network that the United States should "not get involved" -- despite the fact that it still has hundreds of troops in the north of the country.But Assad's sudden fall at the hands of Islamist-led rebels means Trump will find the inflamed region hard to ignore.The deal-maker in Trump even seemed to spy an opportunity.He said on Sunday that Russia had abandoned its ally Assad because it was focused on its war in Ukraine -- and that it was now Vladimir Putin's "time to act" and seek a ceasefire with Kyiv.Separately Trump, who has vowed staunch support for Israel, has warned there will be "hell to pay" if Gaza militants do not free hostages by the time he is inaugurated.The pronouncements followed a pattern for Trump, who shows every sign of surprising friend and foe alike by unveiling policies on social media.Earlier this month he used a series of nighttime Truth Social posts to announce plans to slap tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China if they did not stop what he called the flow of migrants and drugs into the United States."His recent statements and actions relating to US foreign policy may be unusual in terms of other incoming US presidents but completely in keeping with his own past conduct," said Brian Finucane, a senior advisor at the International Crisis Group.- 'Ready to move on' -Trump's shadow presidency is all the more potent because foreign leaders increasingly see the aging Biden as "basically nonexistent," said The Soufan Group's Clarke."Most other world leaders, they're ready to move on and start trying to figure out how to deal with an incoming Trump administration," he added.These include Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, who, despite his own fears that Trump could push Ukraine into a deal that sees it lose territory to Russia, met with the US president-elect in Paris under Macron's stewardship.It creates a delicate situation for Biden as he tries to shore up his own foreign policy legacy against the man he once called a threat to democracy.The outgoing Democrat has boosted military aid to Ukraine in his final months and partially claimed credit for both the fall of Assad and a ceasefire deal in Lebanon.But Trump will still inherit from Biden one of the thorniest sets of foreign policy challenges of any president for decades."That's part of being the president, right? He's not only the president in good times, but in challenging times," said Clarke.

'The clock is Tikking': Social media responds to potential for U.S. TikTok ban

12/06/24 4:55 PM

NBC News reported Friday that U.S. federal judges unanimously upheld the mandate that an American citizen own TikTok if it intends to operate in the United States. There have been ongoing concerns about the safety and security of the app, and the D.C. Circuit agreed, citing national security threats and taking data from users without consent.Justices said, "We recognize that this decision has significant implications for TikTok and its users." ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE: Senate Dems consider whether Biden should ‘clear the slate’ and pardon TrumpThe court said if they don't divest, it "will effectively be unavailable in the United States, at least for a time."When entering the White House, President-elect Donald Trump will be able to grant a 90-day extension "based upon progress." Former Department of Homeland Security Miles Taylor responded to the news by saying, "The clock is Tikking."Reuters reporter David Shepardson announced, "Get ready for a ban on Jan. 19."Talk radio host Bo Snerdley responded by saying, "Well - somebody hurry up and please buy this thing. Don't want to lose the entertainment value from so many liberals going nuts on everything."Pew Research Center associate director John Gramlich posted on BlueSky, "In the latest Pew Research Center survey on the topic (fielded this past summer), 32% of US adults favored a government ban on TikTok. That was down from 50% in March 2023."Meanwhile, the ACLU deputy director of the National Security Project, Patrick Toomey, said on BlueSky that it was "a flawed" ruling to uphold the ban and that it sets a "dangerous precedent—one that gives the government far too much power to silence Americans' speech online."Other social media platforms that also allow video posting will not be shut down, according to reports.In 1985, the FCC restricted foreigners from owning American TV networks. Fox founder Rupert Murdoch became an American citizen as a result, Barron's contributor and CEO Isaac Stone Fish posted in March. "Those rules never caught up to fast-evolving social media -- hence Congress today," said Fish.

'There are 900 U.S. troops stationed there': Experts outraged after Trump's latest comment

12/07/24 10:04 PM

Donald Trump on Saturday declared that the U.S. "should have nothing to do with" fighting in Syria, prompting outrage among some experts. "Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT," Trump said on Truth Social. The President-elect added, "THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!" ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE: Senate Dems consider whether Biden should ‘clear the slate’ and pardon Trump But Bloomberg LP anchor Joumanna Bercetche was quick to point out on social media: "Note there are 900 US troops stationed there." Independent journalist Guy Elster said, "US has about 900 troops in Syria, helping the Kurdish forces to prevent an ISIS resurgence." Elster added that Trump will likely remove those forces once he's in office again. Alexander Clarkson, a lecturer for German and European Studies at King's College London, said, "Events in Syria now provide a glimpse of what a post-American global security order might look like." He added that there will be an "era where the U.S. can no longer exert decisive influence in much of the world." Former war reporter Nicolas Henin said on over the weekend, "How do you say 'I don't give a f---' in many words?" Columnist Michael A. Cohen, said, "I’m pretty sure that the president-elect is unaware that the US is providing direct support to a Syrian rebel group that controls more than a third of the country’s territory."

'They are great friends': Speculation swirls over Gabbard as Syria's Assad is under threat

12/08/24 2:45 AM

Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump's pick to head U.S. intelligence departments, became the subject of jokes and speculation as violence in Syria escalated. Trump over the weekend declared that the U.S. "should have nothing to do with" fighting in Syria, prompting outrage among some experts who pointed out there are American troops there. Late on Saturday evening, reports suggested the rebels were close to toppling the regime of President Bashar Assad. Enter Gabbard, who has been accused of cozying up to foreign enemies, including the Syrian leader. ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE: Senate Dems consider whether Biden should ‘clear the slate’ and pardon Trump Political observers on social media made the connection between the two. Former Republican lawmaker and Trump critic Adam Kinzinger said, "Wonder if [Gabbard] will offer Assad safe harbor at her house?" "They are great friends," Kinzinger added. In a separate post, Kinzinger said, "Remember, Tulsi Gabbard claimed Assad didn't use chemical weapons, it was 'the rebels.' Her confirmation hearing will be brutal, if she even makes it to there." Pekka Kallioniemi, an expert on social media and disinformation, posted a video on X of a woman destroying a room in anger along with the caption, "Tulsi Gabbard after the Spirit of Aloha didn't save Assad's regime." Charlotte Clymer, an Army Veteran and a writer who works for the Human Rights Campaign, had this to say on social media: "Assad is going down. Tough day for Tulsi Gabbard." Author and scholar Steven Beschloss asked, "Any doubt Tulsi Gabbard is fearing if Assad falls?" Former Trump official John Bolton also implied that Syrian records could reveal that Gabbard is on their payroll, according to media reports.

11 Of The Best Things To Do In London This Mother's Day And Paddy's Day Weekend

03/17/23 5:02 PM

It's a Mother's Day *and* Paddy's Day double whammy, people.View Entire Post ›

17 Very British Tweets About The Very British Queue To See The Very British Queen's Coffin

09/24/22 1:25 AM

"If you’re British, this is the queue you’ve been training for all your life. The final boss of queues."View Entire Post ›

200 People Massacred In Haiti In An Attack Against Voodoo Practitioners

12/10/24 1:22 PM

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the "horrific" violence, which his spokesman said left at least 184 people, including 127 elderly men and women, dead.