Two reporters were physically removed from Secretary of State <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/antony-blinken" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anthony Blinken&#8217;s</a> final press conference on Thursday after they repeatedly shouted and interrupted the event.
Blinken was delivering remarks at the State Department on the ceasefire deal that was announced on Wednesday when the reporters began to interrupt.
Blinken was interrupted by far-Left blogger Max Blumenthal, who claimed that Blinken &#8220;kept the bombs flowing.&#8221;
&#8220;Why did you sacrifice the rules-based order on the mantle of your commitment to Zionism?” Blumenthal fumed. “Why did you allow my friends to be massacred? Why did you allow my friends’ homes in Gaza to be destroyed when we had a deal in May?”
Blinken repeatedly said that he was happy to answer questions once the event reached the question-and-answer portion, but the reporters continued to interrupt.
“You helped destroy our religion, Judaism, by associating it with fascism,” Blumenthal falsely claimed as he continued to shout. “You waved the white flag before Netanyahu. You waved the white flag before Israeli fascists. Your father-in-law was an Israeli lobbyist, your grandfather was an Israeli lobbyist — are you compromised by Israel? Why did you allow the holocaust of our time to happen? How does it feel to have your legacy be genocide? How does it feel to have your legacy be genocide?”
Another blogger Sam Husseini was physically carried out of the event by security after repeatedly shouting.
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“Get your hands off me! Get your hands off me! Get your hands off me! Answer a damn question!” Husseini raged. “I was sitting here quietly, and now I’m being manhandled by two or three people!”
“You pontificate about a free press,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;You pontificate about a free press. You’re hurting me! You are hurting me! You are hurting me! I am asking questions, after being told by Matt Miller that he will not answer my questions until I’m –”
Blinken calmly asked that Husseini &#8220;respect the process&#8221; as he was carried out of the room while he continued to shout.
“Oh, respect the process? Respect the process,” Husseini screamed. “While everybody, everybody from the — from Amnesty International, from Amnesty International to the ICJ saying that Israel is doing genocide and extermination, and you’re telling me to respect the process?”
“Criminal!” yelled Husseini. “Why aren’t you in The Hague? Why aren’t you in The Hague? Why aren’t you in the Hague?”
WATCH:
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Sec. Anthony Blinken

‘Get Your Hands Off Me!’: Reporters Thrown Out Of Blinken Press Conference

Antony Blinken

Biden Administration

Hamas

Israel

Media

U.S.

As we prepare to enter the new year, we&#8217;re taking you back to some of The Daily Wire&#8217;s best reporting from 2024. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/from-the-river-to-d-c-how-arab-countries-bought-up-washingtons-most-elite-neighborhood" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on July 18. 
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA—Arab Gulf states have quietly and sometimes secretly purchased at least $282 million worth of real estate in Washington’s most elite neighborhood.
Situated high atop the banks of the Potomac River and overlooking the nation’s capital, Virginia’s “Gold Coast” has long been the home of America’s ruling class. Today, it’s home to a number of high-profile Washingtonians, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, whose home on Arlington’s tony Chain Bridge Road has been swarmed by an encampment of anti-Israel protesters since Hamas’s October 7th invasion of Israel.
But since 2019, a mysterious entity called 600 CBR LLC has been buying up property in the area, building up a compound that sold for three times as much as Jeff Bezos’ $23 million D.C. mansion. Though the buyers behind 600 CBR are unknown, the real estate blog <a href="https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/the-dc-areas-70-million-homebuyer/19364" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UrbanTurf</a> reported in 2022 that “the buyer is from the United Arab Emirates and that settlement documents confirm this.”
The embassy of the United Arab Emirates owns extensive property just down the block from the 600 CBR compound, and the compound’s primary residence is directly across the street from Blinken’s $5 million home. Since October 7th, anti-Israel protesters have been living in the narrow strip between the road and the LLC’s property, with their tents, signs, and buckets of fake blood just inches from its fence.
If the UAE is behind 600 CBR, it’s not the only Gulf State with real estate holdings in the neighborhood. Saudi Arabia owns a compound on one side of the 600 compound, and Qatar owns land on the other.
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It is unclear whether the various Arab nations who own the properties are involved in the protests outside Blinken’s home, which The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/soros-prosecutor-wont-shut-down-pro-palestinian-encampment-outside-antony-blinkens-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> likely violate several state and local laws. The UAE embassy did not answer questions from The Daily Wire about whether UAE royals are behind the purchase, nor their stance on the protest outside Blinken’s home.
<div id="attachment_848639" style="width: 820px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-848639" class="wp-image-848639 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-23-at-12.44.11%E2%80%AFPM-810x576.png" alt="" width="810" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-23-at-12.44.11%E2%80%AFPM-810x576.png 810w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-23-at-12.44.11%E2%80%AFPM-300x213.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-23-at-12.44.11%E2%80%AFPM-768x546.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-23-at-12.44.11%E2%80%AFPM.png 1352w" sizes="(max-width: 810px) 100vw, 810px" />This map shows the site of the Potomac River&#8217;s &#8220;Gold Coast,&#8221; with foreign-owned properties highlighted at left, in relation to DC, at right. / Daily Wire</div>
The Gulf states are the latest foreign entities to buy up key real estate in the United States. In June, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said that China was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ted-cruz-china-is-buying-farmland-near-u-s-bases-to-set-up-drones-for-surveillance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">purchasing farm land</a> near U.S. military bases to serve as launch pads for drones. Beijing has a history of acquiring American land, with one Chinese Communist Party billionaire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ccp-billionaire-secretly-bought-200000-acres-of-u-s-farmland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">secretly purchasing</a> 200,000 acres of Oregon farm land in 2015.
Qatar’s efforts to expand its influence in the United States were on full display this week after Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-senator-bob-menendez-found-guilty-on-all-counts-in-federal-corruption-trial?topStoryPosition=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">convicted</a> of working to benefit Qatar while securing millions of dollars from a Qatari investment fund for his friend, who in turn paid him.
When a Daily Wire reporter attempted to knock on the door of the 600 CBR compound’s main building, he was intercepted by a Middle Eastern man in sunglasses who said in accented speech, “This is private villa…get out…please don’t ask questions.” Asked who owns the villa, he said “that is private, I cannot talk.” Shortly after, someone left the house driven in a black SUV.
Mortgage documents generally point to a property buyer’s identity. But 600 CBR’s purchase seems to have been made in cash, keeping all identifying information about the buyer out of public records. A transaction for just one of its parcels set the record for the largest residential transaction in the D.C. region’s history.
The articles of incorporation for 600 CBR LLC were signed in 2019 by Kathryn W. Hambrick, a lawyer who specializes in managing sovereign wealth funds, according to a Daily Wire review of state records. Hambrick did not return a request for comment on which country’s sovereign wealth fund may have been behind the purchase.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-848649 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-23-at-12.46.06%E2%80%AFPM-1024x256.png" alt="" width="1024" height="256" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-23-at-12.46.06%E2%80%AFPM-1024x256.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-23-at-12.46.06%E2%80%AFPM-300x75.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-23-at-12.46.06%E2%80%AFPM-768x192.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-23-at-12.46.06%E2%80%AFPM.png 1360w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Whoever funds 600 CBR has plenty of company.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Embassy owns a $130 million compound that includes the <a href="https://www.francisyork.com/blog/for-sale-jackie-kennedys-childhood-home-merrywood-listed-for-495m" target="_blank" rel="noopener">historic Merrywood estate</a>, the childhood home of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Merrywood was later purchased by AOL CEO Steve Case, and sold to the Saudis in 2018 for $43 million, the highest-ever home sale in the region at the time. It is next door to the home where Sen. Ted Kennedy lived until his death.
The Saudi properties’ combined assessed value is $130 million, according to Fairfax County real estate records. The ownership of some of the most expensive property in Fairfax County by embassies—even though the embassies themselves are in Washington—deals a blow to the tax base, as they are exempt from property taxes.
The Embassy of the State of Qatar’s nearby compound is assessed to be worth $20 million. The oil-rich nation has just 300,000 citizens—half the size of the District of Columbia—but recently counted 2 million residents. The vast majority of its residents are foreign laborers working in conditions sometimes described as “<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/12/02/1140260086/the-world-cup-has-taken-a-toll-on-the-migrant-workers-who-made-it-possible" target="_blank" rel="noopener">modern slavery</a>.”
Qatar has been in the international spotlight since Hamas’s invasion of Israel. The terrorist group’s leaders operate out of Qatar, and the nation’s representative to the Arab parliament said “There can be no peace or negotiations with the Zionist entity.” Qatar has also enmeshed itself into D.C.’s culture by becoming <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hamas-harboring-qatar-set-to-buy-dc-sports-franchises-parents-of-hostage-plead-with-leagues-for-help" target="_blank" rel="noopener">part-owner</a> of the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards.
The $62 million worth of properties owned by the United Arab Emirates, mostly purchased in 2022, are also exempt from property taxes. If the UAE is indeed behind the 600 CBR compound, it would bring the UAE-connected holdings to an assessed value of $132 million.
One of the properties on the 600 CBR compound is “The Falls,” which was purchased for about $45 million in 2020 from AOL co-founder Jim Kimsey, making for the largest purchase in the region’s history, the <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2020/01/27/kimsey-estate-in-mcleansells-for-45m-a-new-record.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Washington Business Journal</a> reported at the time. It features 42,000 square feet of living space and a guest house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
It also includes a property, purchased for $23 million in 2022, that was home to former Virginia Gov. Chuck Robb and his wife, the daughter of former president Lyndon B. Johnson.
Standing yards from this enclave of the Gulf nations’ mega-mansions, pro-Palestinian protestors <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/soros-prosecutor-wont-shut-down-pro-palestinian-encampment-outside-antony-blinkens-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scream day</a> and night at the United States’ top diplomat that the children of Gaza are starving.

The protest targeting Secretary of State Blinken is set up directly in front of 600 Chain Bridge Road, pictured here. Blinken’s home is across the street. / Daily Wire

From The River To D.C.: How Arab Countries Bought Up Washington’s Most Elite Neighborhood

Middle East

Washington D.C.

The Department of State, established in 1789, is the oldest executive agency in the United States. Founded to handle foreign affairs, promote peace, and represent America’s interests abroad, it played a pivotal role under the leadership of Thomas Jefferson, the first Secretary of State, in establishing the U.S. as a global leader for freedom and democracy during an era dominated by European monarchs and despots.
Today, the Department has dangerously drifted far from its founding mission. Thomas Jefferson would hardly recognize the institution — or the nation — it represents. Jefferson’s Department has succumbed to &#8220;woke culture,&#8221; undermining its effectiveness and jeopardizing America’s leadership on the world stage.
Senator Marco Rubio, President-elect Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State, stands poised to confront this destructive ideology and restore the Department’s focus on advancing national security and traditional American values. Senator Rubio has always been a staunch defender of American freedom, both at home and abroad, with a deep commitment to combating communist regimes, especially given his Cuban heritage. As the son of Cuban immigrants, Rubio understands firsthand the dangers of totalitarianism and the importance of standing against oppressive regimes. Rubio believes that America First means returning to the core principles of security, prosperity, and democratic values, rather than enforcing partisan <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/international/4976329-marco-rubio-foreign-policy/">ideologies</a>.
For years, the radical Left has sidelined traditional ideals like Senator Rubio’s in favor of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) initiatives. Instead of championing democracy and reinforcing America’s foundational principles, diplomats have spent resources promoting drag theater performances in Ecuador under the guise of national <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/state-dept-defends-20k-grant-drag-shows-ecuador">security</a>. Rather than addressing serious threats like communism, our Cultural Officers promoted a film festival featuring incest and pedophilia in <a href="https://freebeacon.com/biden-administration/the-state-department-used-your-tax-dollars-to-fund-a-film-festival-that-depicted-drag-queens-incest-and-pedophilia">Portugal</a>. The Biden-appointed U.S. ambassador to France has replaced portraits of American Founding Fathers with images of a transgender <a href="https://freebeacon.com/biden-administration/us-ambassador-to-france-hides-embassys-historic-portraits-in-the-name-of-diversity/">activist</a>, a violent protester, socialist icons, and communists.
The obsession with promoting progressive social values has dangerously eroded America’s standing abroad. Adversaries like Communist China — likely amused by an ambassador swapping portraits of American heroes for communists — exploit this ideological preoccupation, bolstering their influence while the U.S. falls behind.
My personal experience attending events in Washington, D.C., with State Department officials underscores the problem. At these gatherings, I often spoke passionately about the hope many oppressed people place in America — those yearning for freedom from authoritarian regimes and seeking the basic human rights we often take for granted. After all, I saw it firsthand growing up under an oppressive government.
Instead of tackling critical global challenges, State Department representatives often steered our discussions toward their woke agenda, emphasizing progressive and ideological initiatives that mean little to oppressed populations seeking America’s leadership and support. I shudder to imagine how a younger version of myself would have felt if this had been America’s message to my family in the Soviet Union.
Consider the alarming juxtaposition of priorities: in 2022, the State Department issued an interagency strategy to promote LGBTQ+ rights abroad well before publishing the U.S. national security <a href="https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Interagency-Report-on-the-Implementation-of-the-Presidential-Memorandum-on-Advancing-the-Human-Rights-of-Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender-Queer-and-Intersex-Persons-Around-the-World-2022.pdf">strategy</a>. Meanwhile, China has increased its trade with the Gulf Cooperation Council, expanded its financial dominance in Africa and South America, and solidified security pacts in the Pacific — all without facing significant U.S. <a href="https://www.hudson.org/economics/understanding-countering-chinas-global-south-strategy-indo-pacific-john-lee">resistance</a>.
At home, the situation is equally troubling. Instead of addressing urgent threats like China’s rising power, resources are diverted to diversity recruitment and DEIA mandates. The Department’s Equity <a href="https://www.state.gov/equity/">Council</a>, with unclear authority and no oversight, prioritizes loyalty to progressive values over traditional standards like competence and integrity. Today, becoming a front-line diplomat for our country requires passing a stringent ideological test, focused more on woke credentials than on diplomatic skills.
This ideological drift undermines the credibility of our diplomacy. Foreign counterparts do not view America as a reliable partner when moralistic lectures replace constructive dialogue. For instance, reprimanding <a href="https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/vietnam" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vietnam</a> for its cultural values while neglecting to address Beijing’s aggression in the South China Sea is not just counterproductive—it signals a dangerous abdication of leadership.
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Inclusivity is a core American value, and sexual orientation or moral shaming should not be the focus of our diplomacy. Richard Grenell made history as the highest-ranking openly gay ambassador in U.S. history when President Trump appointed him as Ambassador to Germany. Despite his groundbreaking position, Grenell never made his sexuality a focal point of his diplomatic work or public persona. He focused on his role, advancing the President’s mission of America First, prioritizing U.S. interests. His appointment was a testament to the President’s recognition of his qualifications and leadership, not his sexual orientation. Abilities matter most, not identity.
The 21st century will be defined by America’s competition with the Chinese Communist Party, and winning that contest requires a State Department that prioritizes strategic interests over social crusades. The American electorate agrees: Donald Trump and Marco Rubio are the right people for the job. Until then, the Department is a grave risk to our national security—and America’s position in the world.
* * *
Karina Lipsman is a national security expert and visiting fellow at Independent Women’s Forum (<a href="http://iwf.org/">iwf.org</a>). She was born and raised in Soviet Ukraine and spent 14 years in the U.S. DoD and intelligence community.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Republican Nominee Donald Trump Campaigns For President Across Pennsylvania

‘Social Crusades’: Ending The Woke Agenda At The State Department

'Social Crusades': Ending The Woke Agenda At The State Department

Foreign Policy

LGBTQ

Marco Rubio

Opinion

State Department

Woke Culture

The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it would provide Ukraine with another $275 million in military aid as it amps up support for the country before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. 
Secretary of State Antony Blinken <a href="https://www.state.gov/the-united-states-announces-significant-new-military-assistance-for-ukraine-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that the U.S. would give Ukraine ammunition for high mobility artillery rocket systems, TOW missiles, landmines, small arms and training equipment, and a variety of other ammunition and drones. 
“As part of the surge in security assistance that President Biden announced on September 26, the United States is providing another significant package of urgently needed weapons and equipment to our Ukrainian partners as they defend against Russia’s ongoing attacks,” Blinken said in a statement. “We will continue to provide Ukraine the support it needs to succeed on the battlefield and prevail in its defense against Russia’s aggression.”
On Thursday, Ukraine <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/21/world/europe/russia-ballistic-missile-ukraine-war.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that Russia had struck the city of Dnipro with an intercontinental ballistic missile, but U.S. officials said that claim was unlikely. 
Earlier this week, President Joe Biden <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/11/17/us-news/donald-trump-jr-claims-biden-administration-is-trying-to-start-world-war-3-ahead-of-trumps-presidency/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">authorized</a> Ukraine to launch long-range American-supplied missiles into Russia. Donald Trump Jr. accused the Biden administration of trying to start a world war before his father&#8217;s inauguration in January.
“The Military Industrial Complex seems to want to make sure they get World War 3 going before my father has a chance to create peace and save lives. Gotta lock in those $Trillions. Life be damned!!! Imbeciles!” he posted on X on Monday. 
The policy change was met with <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/4998825-us-ukraine-missile-policy-shift-biden-gop/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mixed reactions</a> from Republicans who asked why Biden was making the change now. 
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/?_gl=1*jtghwp*_gcl_au*ODQ1NjYzNTg2LjE3Mjg5MDk3OTE.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczMDEyMDgwOS40OS4xLjE3MzAxMjA4MzkuMzAuMC4w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+</a>
“Better late than never, but it was late,” said Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “I’ve been urging the administration to untie their hands for two years, and every weapons system they drag their feet and then they finally approve it.”
Florida Rep. Cory Mills said Biden was doing it to undermine Trump&#8217;s foreign policy agenda. 
“Biden is going to do what Biden’s done the last four years, which is destroy the country, destroy our position on the world stage, try and weaken us in every way when it comes to negotiations, to make it more difficult for President Trump to go ahead and focus on the ‘America First’ agenda,” he said.  
Trump <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-military-weapons-nuclear-42d5d374faf445b811c6abe422da05eb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has promised</a> to bring a quick end to the war, saying that he will negotiate peace. 
“We’re going to work very hard on Russia and Ukraine. It’s got to stop. Russia and Ukraine’s gotta stop,” he said earlier this month. 
Under Biden, the U.S. has committed $183 billion in aid to Ukraine.

Military activity of the Ukrainian army in the Donetsk region

Biden Admin Sending Another $275M In Military Aid To Ukraine Before Trump Takes Office

Donald Trump

Global Politics

Joe Biden

Politics

Russia

Ukraine

Ukraine-Russia War

Secretary of State <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/antony-blinken" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Antony Blinken</a> said that President Joe Biden and his administration are &#8220;committed&#8221; to sending as much funding as possible to Ukraine in the remaining weeks before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20, 2025.
Blinken, speaking at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, pointed to a recent &#8220;profound and incredibly dangerous development&#8221; — the movement of North Korean soldiers to aid in Russia&#8217;s war on Ukraine — and argued that it was of the utmost importance for the United States to continue supporting Ukraine&#8217;s efforts to repel the Russian troops.
Blinken noted that NATO as a whole needed to deliver a &#8220;firm response&#8221; before pivoting to tout the United States&#8217; role in that response.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BREAKING: Secretary of State Antony Blinken announces &quot;every dollar we have at our disposal will be pushed [to Ukraine] between now and January 20th&quot; when Trump takes office. <a href="https://t.co/7m6VLLfTlI">pic.twitter.com/7m6VLLfTlI</a>
&mdash; Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1857068353484910999?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;As we’re working to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs to effectively defend itself, the United States continues to step up. We’ve obligated just recently and pushed out the door another $8 billion in security assistance for Ukraine – that was in September, another almost half a billion dollars just a few weeks ago, and President Biden has committed to making sure that every dollar we have at our disposal will be pushed out the door between now and January 20th,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We’re making sure that Ukraine has the air defenses it needs, that has the artillery it needs, that has the armored vehicles it needs.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/?_gl=1*jtghwp*_gcl_au*ODQ1NjYzNTg2LjE3Mjg5MDk3OTE.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczMDEyMDgwOS40OS4xLjE3MzAxMjA4MzkuMzAuMC4w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+</a>
The urgency with regard to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/11/06/biden-trump-ukraine-assistance-00187897" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sending aid</a> to Ukraine has been ratcheted up not only with the appearance of North Korean fighters in Russia, but with President-elect Trump&#8217;s landslide victory on November 5th, as many currently in power are concerned that Trump would not continue to send aid — particularly in the amounts that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has requested.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-british-prime-minister-russia-would-not-have-invaded-ukraine-if-trump-was-president" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump has said</a> on a number of occasions that he could put an end to the war in as little as one day — and has also insisted that if he had been president at the time, Russian President Vladimir Putin would not have invaded Ukraine in the first place.

Blinken Says Biden Will Funnel As Much Money As Possible To Ukraine Before Trump Takes Over

2024 Election

Kamala Harris should be impeached.
There are a bunch of reasons she could theoretically be impeached. For example, the fact that she has not yet invoked the 25th Amendment to get rid of her boss after defenestrating him from his nomination would be a pretty good-sized abdication of her constitutional duty.
The Constitution suggests that the vice president is chiefly responsible for getting rid of the president if the president is no longer compos mentis — if his brain no longer functions. That has been the case for Joe Biden for a long while. So clearly has that been the case, that Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party pushed him off the back of a train to get him out of the nomination. But they left him in office, which means she has abdicated her duty.
But there&#8217;s something more specific that I want to look at today. I want to go all the way back in the time machine to 2019. You remember that Donald Trump was impeached twice. The first time he was actually not impeached over January 6, he was impeached over Ukraine. 
Trump held a phone call with Volodymyr Zelensky in which he allegedly threatened Zelensky with the withdrawal of American military aid if Zelensky did not cause prosecutors in Ukraine to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden&#8217;s relationship with Burisma, a natural gas company in Ukraine where Hunter Biden served on the board.
This was considered an impeachable offense. The basic idea for those who voted in favor of impeachment is that the president of the United States could not use foreign policy as a way of manufacturing election-related topics. You could not try to swivel an American election based on withholding aid from an American ally.
In fact, here is how the impeachment charges against Trump ran in 2019. As you may recall, he was, in fact, impeached in the House and then, of course, he was acquitted in the Senate. So, in 2019, here is how those Trump impeachment<a href="https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/hres755/BILLS-116hres755enr.pdf"> charges</a> ran:
<blockquote>Using the powers of his high office, President Trump solicited the interference of a foreign government, Ukraine, in the 2020 United States Presidential election. He did so through a scheme or course of conduct that included soliciting the Government of Ukraine to publicly announce investigations that would benefit his reelection, harm the election prospects of a political opponent, and influence the 2020 United States Presidential election to his advantage. President Trump also sought to pressure the Government of Ukraine to take these steps by conditioning official United States Government acts of significant value to Ukraine on its public announcement of the investigations.</blockquote>
Just to get it straight, the charge brought against Trump in 2019 was that Donald Trump had made the government of Ukraine do something beneficial to his reelection effort, and in order to do that he had threatened to withdraw their aid.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2068-member-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h3>
Now, fast forward to 2024. Israel is currently engaged in a war in the Gaza Strip. That war is with Hamas, a terror group that, as you will recall, a little more than a year ago, on October 7, 2023, invaded Israel, killed 1,200 people, and took 250 hostages back into the terror tunnels in the Gaza Strip. Ever since then, the Biden administration has been reticent to simply push for an Israeli victory.
The Biden administration’s foreign policy on its own terms makes no sense. Their foreign policy in Ukraine — where Ukraine is currently fighting a defensive war, where they are not going to achieve total victory, they&#8217;re not going to take back the Donbas region, and they&#8217;re not going to take back Crimea. Their foreign policy has been a total victory for Ukraine. Whatever Zelensky wants, he gets.
Then, when it comes to Israel — which does have dominant military power in the region — they demand Israel de-escalate the situation, and de-escalation needs to start right now.
Imagine for a second the Biden administration reversing those positions. What if, when it came to Ukraine, they said, “We are willing to provide the amount of aid necessary in order for you to protect our borders and we&#8217;re going to push for an off-ramp.” And when it came to Israel, they said, “You get what you need in order to destroy your enemies and we will stand back and watch with glee as you take out Hamas, Hezbollah, and all the Iranian proxy groups.”
That would make this a very different world right now. That foreign policy makes some sort of sense. In fact, that is something that the Biden administration should be doing right now.
I recently had a conversation with the father of Edan Alexander, an American hostage taken on October 7 and being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. He, quite rightly, suggested that if the Biden administration had a spine or any brains at all, they would be saying to Iran, “We will let Israel completely off the chain to destroy your nuclear facilities unless you get Hamas to release the hostages.” And tomorrow the hostages would be out. He&#8217;s totally right about that, by the way.
Instead, here is what is going on — and here&#8217;s where the impeachable offense comes in.
Right now, the Biden administration is putting open pressure on the State of Israel to let in aid to the Gaza Strip. Now, do I think this is really about aid for the Gaza Strip? I do not. Why? Because it is well known that Hamas is stealing about 50% of all aid now going into the Gaza Strip. 
According to the<a href="https://nypost.com/2024/10/10/world-news/hamas-steals-humanitarian-aid-trucks-from-gaza-strip/"> New York Post</a>: 
<blockquote>Hamas terrorists were captured on video taking control of 47 of 100 aid trucks entering the Gaza Strip on Tuesday. “It’s no secret that Hamas takes control of humanitarian aid. We’ve already published here tapes of Hamas, in which you hear them say themselves they have no more room in their warehouses,” Channel 12‘s Almog Boker reported on Wednesday evening. “But this evening we also bring special documentation of what it looks like from inside, with cameras that are tracking it in real time,” he said.</blockquote>
Where is the aid supposed to be dropped off? Well, it&#8217;s supposed to be dropped with members of the UNRWA, which is a Hamas front group.
So yesterday, the Biden administration warned Israel that they would withdraw military aid if Israel did not facilitate large-scale entry of humanitarian aid into the northern Gaza Strip.
According to The<a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/biden-administration-issues-warning-to-israel-on-gaza-aid-0d4b5eea"> Wall Street Journal</a>:
<blockquote>In a letter to senior Israeli officials, dated Oct. 13 and signed by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the U.S. blamed Israel for a drastic drop in humanitarian aid into Gaza that contributed to starvation and widespread suffering, particularly in the enclave’s north where Israel launched a renewed ground operation nearly two weeks ago. The top American officials gave Israel 30 days to “reverse the downward humanitarian trajectory” or else it “may have implications” for future weapons transfers and funding under U.S. law.
Blinken and Austin specifically cite a part of Foreign Assistance Act that bars the U.S. from providing security aid to any nation that “prohibits or otherwise restricts, directly or indirectly, the transport or delivery of United States humanitarian assistance.”
“We have seen Israel make changes before, and when they make changes, humanitarian assistance can increase,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Tuesday after the letter’s release.</blockquote>
Now, here is the reason I&#8217;m skeptical that the threat to withdraw aid is about the humanitarian assistance in the northern Gaza Strip.
Reason number one: Israel has been shipping enormous sums of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip for months. At this point, we are talking about basically 2,500 calories per person, per day in the Gaza Strip for months on end — into an area where the civilians are still largely aligned with Hamas and where Israeli hostages are still being held captive, including multiple Americans.
So, do I think this is about humanitarian assistance? No, I do not. I actually think they&#8217;re looking for a legal excuse to embargo Israel in order to threaten them not to do anything too big with Iran. 
Why?
Here&#8217;s where the other half of the story comes in.
<h3><a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MATT WALSH&#8217;S &#8216;AM I RACIST?&#8217; COMING TO DAILYWIRE+ OCT. 28</a></h3>
The Washington Post<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/10/14/israel-iran-strike-nuclear-oil-military/"> recently reported</a> that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Israel will strike Iranian military, not nuclear or oil targets.
Buried in this Washington Post article, however, is a bit of a revelation. According to The Washington Post:
<blockquote>The White House had no immediate comment. The Israeli prime minister’s office said in a statement that “we listen to the opinions of the United States, but we will make our final decisions based on our national interest.”</blockquote>
However, as the Post continues: 
<blockquote>The retaliatory action would be calibrated to avoid the perception of “political interference in the U.S. elections,” the official familiar with the matter said, signaling Netanyahu’s understanding that the scope of the Israeli strike has the potential to reshape the presidential race.</blockquote>
Let’s be very clear about what is happening right now. 
That admission, that this is about the U.S. presidential race, that there is pressure being put on the Israeli government not to retaliate against Iran — that pressure is being driven by electoral concerns along with the threat to withdraw military aid from Israel in order to get Israel to do less with Iran in advance of the election. Do you know what that looks like? That looks an awful lot like foreign political interference during an election year. That looks an awful lot like what Democrats impeached Donald Trump for in 2019.
When you put those two pieces of the puzzle together, that’s what it looks like. Number one, the United States openly threatening withdrawal of military aid to Israel, supposedly based on humanitarian assistance concerns, which is clearly not the case. Number two, the story that says Israel is going to hold back the full brunt of an attack on the Iranian nuclear facilities in order to facilitate the election efforts of Kamala Harris.
That is the 2019 impeachment case in a nutshell.
Remember, Kamala Harris has been on every phone call with Benjamin Netanyahu for weeks. She&#8217;s in the room. There are pictures of her in the room. So, she and her campaign are saying to Netanyahu, “Don&#8217;t go too hard on Iran.” Simultaneously, the secretary of state is saying, “And by the way, you should just know your military aid might get put on hold.”
That sounds an awful lot like the 2019 impeachment charge against Donald Trump.
But I guess it&#8217;s fine, so long as it&#8217;s a Democrat. Which is, of course, the case.
The media apparently have no interest in whether or not foreign aid provisions are being violated, so long as we&#8217;re not talking about Ukraine and Donald Trump.

Harris Gambles On GOP Defectors Like Cheney To Deliver Victory

Harris Should Be Impeached

Ben Shapiro

Benjamin Netanyahu

Impeachment

Kamala Harris

Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote a lengthy op-ed for Foreign Affairs describing the steps that President Joe Biden&#8217;s administration had taken to &#8220;constrain&#8221; adversaries like China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran — and it was published on Tuesday, just hours before Iran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at U.S. ally Israel.
<a href="https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/antony-blinken-americas-strategy-renewal-leadership-new-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blinken&#8217;s article</a>, in addition to suggesting that the U.S. had been at least moderately successful in its efforts to &#8220;constrain&#8221; the world&#8217;s leading exporter of terror, also claimed that Biden&#8217;s efforts &#8220;has put the United States in a much stronger geopolitical position today than it was four years ago.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
NEW: In an Op-Ed written by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken which was published today, Blinken writes:
“The Biden administration’s strategy has put the United States in a much stronger geopolitical position today than it was four years ago.”<a href="https://t.co/AlQt41qA0v">https://t.co/AlQt41qA0v</a>
&mdash; Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillMelugin_/status/1841194927105196111?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Blinken went into greater depth regarding the greatest adversaries the U.S. faces — China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran — arguing that Biden&#8217;s efforts to deter their aggression were working.
When Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris first took office, Blinken claimed, &#8220;These countries believed that the United States was in irreversible decline at home and divided from its friends abroad. They saw an American public that had lost its faith in government, an American democracy that was polarized and paralyzed, and an American foreign policy that was undermining the very alliances, international institutions, and norms that Washington had built and championed.&#8221;
Blinken went on to claim that the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022 — which Harris put over the line by casting the tie-breaking vote and which has been tied directly to ballooning inflation and stubbornly elevated prices — led directly to greater climate initiatives and more American jobs.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726313279401000&amp;usg=AOvVaw115_qPFFEePDP86-Fvo-Vd">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a>
He then argued that Biden had pushed back on China forcefully but without compromising trade relations and that the administration had kept pressure on Putin by extending the New START Treaty.
&#8220;We were similarly clear-eyed when it came to Iran and North Korea,&#8221; Blinken continued. &#8220;We increased diplomatic pressure and strengthened the U.S. military’s force posture to deter and constrain Tehran and Pyongyang. The Trump administration’s unilateral and misguided exit from the Iran nuclear deal freed Tehran’s nuclear program from its confinement, undermining the security of the United States and its partners. We demonstrated to Iran that there was a path back to a mutual return to compliance — if Iran was willing to take it—while maintaining a robust sanctions regime and our commitment that Iran will never be permitted to obtain a nuclear weapon.&#8221;
Hours after Blinken&#8217;s article was published, Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, bringing to mind comments made a year ago by Biden&#8217;s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. Sullivan claimed in late September of 2023 that the Middle East was &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-biden-adviser-bragged-of-quiet-middle-east-one-week-before-hamas-attacked-israel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">quieter than it had been in two decades</a>&#8221; — and eight days later, Iran-backed Hamas terrorists breached the border from Gaza into Israel. They slaughtered more than 1200 people and kidnapped hundreds more — some of whom are still being held hostage in Gaza.

Secretary Blinken Participates In Clean Energy Memorandum Signing With Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide

Blinken Op-Ed Touts Biden-Harris Admin’s Work To ‘Constrain’ Iran — Hours Before Attack On Israel

Blinken Op-Ed Touts Biden-Harris Admin's Work To 'Constrain' Iran — Hours Before Attack On Israel

Iran

House Republicans are moving to hold Secretary of State Antony Blinken in contempt of Congress over the chaotic 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee subpoenaed Blinken to testify in front of lawmakers on Tuesday over the exit. The committee recently released a lengthy report on its investigation into the withdrawal which resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members, dozens of Afghans, and the loss of billions of dollars worth of military hardware.
Committee chairman Michael McCaul of Texas expected Blinken to skip the hearing. Republicans prepared a contempt <a href="https://docs.house.gov/meetings/FA/FA00/20240924/117671/BILLS-118Reportih.pdf">resolution</a> in advance that said the committee had already delayed Blinken’s testimony once to accommodate the secretary’s schedule.
“Rather than take accountability for this, the secretary hides from the American people. He would prefer to hide rather than be before this committee today. The secretary’s willful indifference – willful indifference – has brought us to this moment,” McCaul <a href="https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing/an-assessment-of-the-state-departments-withdrawal-from-afghanistan-by-americas-top-diplomat/">said</a> in remarks during Tuesday&#8217;s hearing.
“I take no joy in moving forward to hold the secretary of state in contempt of Congress. It’s an extraordinary act,” he said. Blinken’s failure to testify “violates Article 1 of the Constitution, it violates our ability to perform oversight, and it violates our ability to legislate on a hugely important issue – perhaps the most important issue that occurred during this presidency,” he added.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726313279401000&amp;usg=AOvVaw115_qPFFEePDP86-Fvo-Vd">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a>
Blinken expressed over the weekend that he is “profoundly disappointed” in the efforts to hold him in contempt.
“As I have made clear, I am willing to testify and have offered several reasonable alternatives to the dates unilaterally demanded by the Committee during which I am carrying out the President’s important foreign policy objectives,” Blinken wrote in a five-page letter Sunday, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/24/politics/antony-blinken-afghanistan-withdrawal-house-republicans/index.html">CNN</a>.
Republicans on the committee <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-matter-the-cost-biden-harris-admin-pushed-afghanistan-withdrawal-despite-warnings-committee-finds">released</a> a report earlier this month faulting the Biden administration for pushing the withdrawal forward despite rising costs, risk, and chaos in Afghanistan.
“The Biden-Harris administration was determined to withdraw from Afghanistan, with or without the Doha Agreement and no matter the cost. Accordingly, they ignored the conditions in the Doha Agreement, pleas of the Afghan government, and the objections by our NATO allies, deciding to unilaterally withdraw from the country,” the <a href="https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/WILLFULL-BLINDNESS-An-Assessment-of-the-Biden-Harris%20Administrations-Withdrawal-from-Afghanistan-and-the-Chaos-that-Followed.pdf">report</a> says.
“The Biden-Harris administration prioritized the optics of the withdrawal over the security of U.S. personnel on the ground,” it continued.
&nbsp;

House Republicans Threaten Blinken With Contempt Over Skipped Afghanistan Hearing

Afghanistan

Congress

Michael McCaul

U.S. House of Representatives

A national security nonprofit is suing to obtain information about the State Department’s hiring of far-left activist Zakiya Carr Johnson as Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer.
The Center to Advance Security in America (CASA), “a nonpartisan organization dedicated to improving the safety and security of the American people,” <a href="https://advancing-america.org/">filed</a> the lawsuit after first submitting a Freedom of Information Act request to the State Department, requesting communications related to Johnson’s hiring.
&#8220;The hiring of Zakiya Carr Johnson as the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at the State Department deserves maximum transparency due to Ms. Johnson&#8217;s past extreme progressive advocacy and repugnant comments regarding America being a systemically racist country,” CASA Director James Fitzpatrick told The Daily Wire. &#8220;The Center to Advance Security in America filed a FOIA request for communications and records related to her hiring, and after waiting over 140 days, we were forced to file this lawsuit.&#8221;
The request, which was sent on April 23rd, sought communications between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other officials concerning Johnson’s hiring. Now, the suit from CASA seeks to compel the State Department to produce all non-exempt records in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act.
“To date, CASA has received neither a further response nor any other further communication from DOS,” the suit explains. “Through DOS’s failure to make a determination within the time period required by law, CASA has constructively exhausted its administrative remedies and seeks immediate judicial review.”
Johnson&#8217;s hiring sparked uproar as radical statements from her past began to resurface. Johnson embraced far-left Critical Race Theory and claimed that American society is “often riddled with racism, patriarchy and exclusion,” The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/state-depts-new-dei-official-said-americas-institutions-are-riddled-with-racism-based-on-a-failed-historical-model">reported</a> in April.
“These are chinks in the armor of traditional leadership that refuse to reconcile with a colonizing past, or recognize that time has run out for experimentation and tweaking of a failed historic model,” Johnson stated in a now-deleted article, also adding, “we cannot have equity without dismantling structural racism, patriarchy and heterosexism.”
Johnson is the <a href="https://fairsharewl.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/FairShare_Action_Paper_en.pdf">co-author of a guide</a> called “Feminist Leaders for Feminist Goals,&#8221; a how-to playbook for feminists to usurp “a culture of male and/or white dominance” in organizations.
Johnson&#8217;s hiring is part of a wide-reaching plan to embed the far-left diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) agenda throughout the State Department. The State Department has spent at least $77 million taxpayer dollars on DEI efforts in just two years, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-state-department-forced-to-disclose-multi-million-dollar-cost-of-bidens-diversity-agenda">exclusively reported</a> in March. The department has also pushed transgenderism across the globe, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-state-department-forced-to-disclose-multi-million-dollar-cost-of-bidens-diversity-agenda">employing former activist</a> Jessica Stern as its “Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Persons.” Stern has visited at least 22 countries across all six habitable continents, even attending a “transgender visibility” march in Brazil.
Former president Donald Trump has said he would gut the federal bureaucracy through executive orders if elected.
“We will pass critical reforms making every executive branch employee fireable by the President of the United States,” Trump said at a rally, <a href="https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2022/03/trump-threatening-return-and-expansion-schedule-f/363145/">touting</a> the plan. “The deep state must be brought to heel.”

EXCLUSIVE: State Department Sued After Failing To Produce Documents On Hiring Of DEI Chief

Secretary of State Antony Blinken drew a false equivalence in remarks that he made on Monday between Iranian-backed terrorism and Israel engaging in self-defense.
Blinken&#8217;s remarks come as intelligence officials believe that an attack on Israel from Iran and its terrorist proxy groups in the region is imminent after Israel killed two top terrorists last week who were responsible for carrying out attacks against Israel.
&#8220;We are engaged in intense diplomacy, pretty much round the clock, with a very simple message, all parties must refrain from escalation,&#8221; Blinken said. &#8220;All parties must take steps to ease tensions. Escalation is not in anyone&#8217;s interest. It will only lead to more conflict, more violence, more insecurity.&#8221;
Blinken said that it was &#8220;critical that we break this cycle by reaching a ceasefire in Gaza,&#8221; which is a demand that Israel cease military operations against Hamas — an Iranian-backed Islamic terrorist group that killed 1,200 people during the October 7 attack on Israel.
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&#8220;That in turn will unlock possibilities for more enduring calm, not only in Gaza itself, but in other areas where the conflict could spread,&#8221; he claimed. &#8220;So for the United States, for many other countries, both in the region and beyond, this is our focus, and what it comes down to, really, is all parties finding ways to come to an agreement, not look for reasons to delay or to say no. It is urgent that all parties make the right choices in the hours and days ahead.&#8221;
Blinken made the remarks after Iranian-backed terrorists <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/several-u-s-personnel-injured-in-iranian-backed-terror-attack-on-base-in-iraq-report?topStoryPosition=1">attacked</a> U.S. forces at Al-Asad airbase in Iraq on Monday, injuring at least five U.S. personnel who were stationed there.
Blinken told his counterparts from G7 countries that Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed terrorist group in Lebanon, could launch an attack against Israel at any time.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has <a href="https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2024/08/05/israel-braces-for-possible-iranian-proxy-attack-from-west-bank/">deployed</a> reinforcements to central towns in Israel in recent days adjacent to Judea and Samaria after receiving intelligence that Iran may direct Hamas terrorist attacks from Judea and Samaria against civilian communities.

BELGIUM-POLITICS-DIPLOMACY-NATO-MOU

Biden-Harris Admin Draws Equivalence Between Iranian Terrorism, Israel Defending Itself

Gaza

The United States government said in a statement on Thursday that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/venezuela" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Venezuelan</a> opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia beat socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro during the country&#8217;s recent presidential election.
The announcement comes after at least 17 protesters have been killed and hundreds more arrested so far in riots that have broken out over the country&#8217;s sham election.
More than 12 million Venezuelans voted during the election, which is run by the Maduro-controlled National Electoral Council (CNE).
&#8220;The CNE’s rapid declaration of Nicolás Maduro as the winner of the presidential election came with no supporting evidence,&#8221; the U.S. State Department said in a statement. &#8220;The CNE still has not published disaggregated data or any of the vote tally sheets, despite repeated calls from Venezuelans and the international community to do so.&#8221;
Independent watchdogs have said that the CNE&#8217;s refusal to provide precinct-level official results, in addition to other serious voting irregularities, have destroyed the CNE&#8217;s credibility.
&#8220;Meanwhile, the democratic opposition has published more than 80 percent of the tally sheets received directly from polling stations throughout Venezuela,&#8221; said Secretary of State Antony Blinken. &#8220;Those tally sheets indicate that Edmundo González Urrutia received the most votes in this election by an insurmountable margin.&#8221;
<a href="http://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.amiracist.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1722626094661000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0xeRV2yZnGyN0DMA1KI89w">WATCH THE TRAILER FOR ‘AM I RACIST?’ — MATT WALSH’S EXPOSÉ ON DEI</a>
&#8220;Independent observers have corroborated these facts, and this outcome was also supported by election day exit polls and quick counts,&#8221; he added. &#8220;In the days since the election, we have consulted widely with partners and allies around the world, and while countries have taken different approaches in responding, none have concluded that Nicolás Maduro received the most votes this election.&#8221;
Blinken said that there was &#8220;overwhelming evidence&#8221; that Maduro lost the election and urged Venezuelan parties &#8220;to begin discussions on a respectful, peaceful transition in accordance with Venezuelan electoral law and the wishes of the Venezuelan people.&#8221;
&#8220;We fully support the process of re-establishing democratic norms in Venezuela and stand ready to consider ways to bolster it jointly with our international partners,&#8221; he added.

After the presidential election in Venezuela

Venezuelan Opposition Leader Beat Dictator Nicolás Maduro ‘By An Insurmountable Margin,’ U.S. Gov Says

Nicolas Maduro

Venezuela

World

Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced concern over the authenticity of Venezuela’s presidential election after the country’s electoral commission declared President Nicolás Maduro the winner.
Speaking Monday in Tokyo at a meeting of Indo-Pacific nations, Blinken expressed skepticism about the reliability of the official results out of Venezuela shortly after the commission proclaimed Maduro had won.
“We’ve seen the announcement just a short while ago by the Venezuelan electoral commission. We have serious concerns that the result announced does not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people,” Blinken said.
“It’s critical that every vote be counted fairly and transparently, that election officials immediately share information with the opposition and electoral observers without delay, and that the electoral authorities publish detailed tabulation of votes,” he added. “The international community is watching this very closely and will respond accordingly.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Venezuela?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Venezuela</a>: Statements by Anthony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State, on the announcement of Nicolás Maduro&#39;s victory <a href="https://t.co/LWTRADkmVd">pic.twitter.com/LWTRADkmVd</a>
&mdash; VOZ (@Voz_US) <a href="https://twitter.com/Voz_US/status/1817793300121756134?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Venezuela’s National Electoral Council, controlled by the socialist Maduro regime, announced after hours of delay early Monday morning that Maduro had won the national election with 51.2 percent of the vote. Maduro’s chief opposition, Edmundo González, had lost with 44.2 percent.
The commission refused to release tallies from polling booths, and the announcement brought widespread skepticism from opposition parties in Venezuela and leaders around the world. The election was plagued with irregularities and widespread potential violations of law, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/28/world/americas/venezuela-election-results.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a>.
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who was blocked from running in the election, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/28/world/americas/venezuela-election-results.html">called</a> the official election results “impossible.” She <a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-venezuela-blinken-dd01f952543c1b6ba9d243393202682f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that voting tallies obtained from about 40 percent of polling places across the country showed an “overwhelming” amount of support for González, whose campaign was run by Machado.
Maduro celebrated the electoral commission&#8217;s announcement, declaring victory amid questions surrounding the election’s results.
“In this new term that you have given me, I pledge that I will put my life on the line to transform Venezuela and lead us toward a prosperous future of economic growth, peace and social happiness,” Maduro told reporters at the Miraflores presidential palace, according to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/07/29/nx-s1-5055582/maduro-declared-winner-venezuela-presidential-election" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NPR</a>.
The 61-year-old Maduro, whose presidency began in 2013, has served two terms in the high office and looks to serve another. He is facing mounting pushback from around the world, however, as Latin American leaders line up against him. The presidents of Argentina, Chile, and Brazil have called for him to step down in the wake of the election.

Nicolás Maduro

Blinken: U.S. Has ‘Serious Concerns’ That Venezuela Election Results Don’t Match ‘The Votes’

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