WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the “Seditious Six,” the Democrats who urged service members to disregard what they called illegal orders from the Trump administration, The Daily Wire has learned. The FBI is now scheduling interviews with the members of Congress involved.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), and Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) appeared in a video urging service members and intelligence officers to &#8220;refuse illegal orders.&#8221;
Both the DOJ and the FBI confirmed to The Daily Wire that they are scheduling interviews with these lawmakers. After this story was published, the six lawmakers put out a joint statement accusing the president of &#8220;using the FBI as a tool to intimidate and harass Members of Congress.&#8221;
In their Nov. 18 video, the lawmakers said: &#8220;We want to speak directly to members of the military and the intelligence community who take risks each day to keep Americans safe.&#8221;
<blockquote>
&#8220;We know you are under enormous stress and pressure right now. Americans trust their military, but that trust is at risk. This administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens. Like us, you all swore an oath to protect and defend this constitution. Right now, threats to our constitution aren&#8217;t just coming from abroad, but from right here at home.&#8221;
&#8220;Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders. You can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders. No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our constitution. We know this is hard, and that it&#8217;s a difficult time to be a public servant. But whether you are serving in the CIA, the army, or navy, the air force, your vigilance is critical. Know that we have your back, because now, more than ever, the American people need you.&#8221;
</blockquote>
President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that the lawmakers should be arrested and tried for &#8220;seditious behavior,&#8221; saying their actions were &#8220;punishable by death.&#8221; The president later clarified that he was &#8220;not threatening death&#8221; to the lawmakers, but rather pointing out the severity of their conduct.
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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has also denounced the video, calling it &#8220;despicable.&#8221; Hegseth, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/despicable-reckless-and-false-hegseth-coins-new-nickname-for-dems-pushing-military-insurrection?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=11&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=%E2%80%98Despicable%2C+Reckless%2C+And+False%E2%80%99%3A+Hegseth+Coins+New+Nickname+For+Dems+Pushing+Military+Insurrection">coined the term</a> &#8220;Seditious Six&#8221; to describe the Democratic lawmakers, argued that while the video may seem harmless to civilians, &#8220;it carries a different weight inside the military.&#8221; 
&#8220;This was a politically-motivated influence operation: It never named a specific &#8216;illegal order.&#8217; It created ambiguity rather than clarity,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It used carefully scripted, legal-sounding language. It subtly reframed military obedience around partisan distrust instead of established legal processes.&#8221;
&#8220;In the military, vague rhetoric and ambiguity undermines trust, creates hesitation in the chain of command, and erodes cohesion,&#8221; Hegseth warned. &#8220;The military already has clear procedures for handling unlawful orders. It does not need political actors injecting doubt into an already clear chain of command. As veterans of various sorts, the Seditious Six knew exactly what they were doing — sowing doubt through a politically-motivated influence operation. The [Department of War] won’t fall for it or stand for it.&#8221;
On Monday, the Department of War singled out Kelly, stating that it had &#8220;received serious allegations of misconduct against Captain Mark Kelly, USN (Ret.).&#8221; Kelly is still subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice because he is a retired Naval officer.
&#8220;In accordance with the Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. § 688, and other applicable regulations, a thorough review of these allegations has been initiated to determine further actions, which may include recall to active duty for court-martial proceedings or administrative measures,&#8221; the War Department said. &#8220;This matter will be handled in compliance with military law, ensuring due process and impartiality.&#8221;
Meanwhile, Kelly and his fellow Democrats argue that the president and the War Department seek to intimidate them from encouraging troops to disobey &#8220;illegal&#8221; orders — though on Monday, Sen. Slotkin <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2025/11/23/elissa-slotkin-video-troops-disobey-donald-trump-cannot-name-one-illegal-order-martha-raddatz-abc/">admitted on ABC News</a> that she could not cite any illegal order issued by Trump.
&#8220;If this is meant to intimidate me and other members of Congress from doing our jobs and holding this administration accountable, it won’t work,&#8221; Kelly said in a post that described his service in the United States Navy. &#8220;I’ve given too much to this country to be silenced by bullies who care more about their own power than protecting the Constitution.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Donald Trump can try to intimidate me, but it’s not going to work. My job is to defend the Constitution and hold any president accountable. <a href="https://t.co/FzfW8qQz5f">pic.twitter.com/FzfW8qQz5f</a>
— Senator Mark Kelly (@SenMarkKelly) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenMarkKelly/status/1993173763299721688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
The lawmakers released a joint statement on November 20, saying in response to Trump: &#8220;This isn’t about any one of us. This isn’t about politics. This is about who we are as Americans. Every American must unite and condemn the President’s calls for our murder and political violence. This is a time for moral clarity.&#8221;
“In these moments, fear is contagious, but so is courage. We will continue to lead and will not be intimidated,&#8221; they argued, adding, as they did in the closure of their video: “Don’t Give Up the Ship!”

Mark Kelly 10/28/25

DOJ, FBI Launch Investigation Into ‘Seditious Six’ Democrats, Interviews Set To Begin

Department of War

Donald Trump

Mark Kelly

Pentagon

Pete Hegseth

President Donald Trump wants to speak directly with Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro as the United States continues to strike drug boats off the Latin American country&#8217;s coast.
Trump, who has designated Maduro as a leader of the Cartel de Los Soles, told advisors that he hopes to speak with the Socialist leader, signaling that he could be taking a more diplomatic route rather than escalating military action, Axios <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/24/trump-maduro-talks-meeting-venezuela-boat-strikes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The president&#8217;s desire to speak with Maduro comes as the State Department designated the cartel a foreign terrorist organization, <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/24/2025-20750/foreign-terrorist-organization-designation-of-cartel-de-los-soles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to a notice published in the Federal Register on Monday.
&#8220;Nobody is planning to go in and shoot him or snatch him — at this point. I wouldn&#8217;t say never, but that&#8217;s not the plan right now,&#8221; one official familiar with the discussions told Axios.
&#8220;In the meantime, we&#8217;re going to blow up boats shipping drugs. We&#8217;re going to stop the drug trafficking,&#8221; the official said.
The 21 U.S. strikes on drug boats in the Caribbean have killed at least 83 people, according to Axios.
The U.S. military action in the region, dubbed &#8220;Operation Southern Spear,&#8221; is aimed at destroying drug trafficking routes, but is quietly aimed at pressuring regime change in Venezuela, the outlet reported.
&#8220;We have covert operations, but it&#8217;s not designed to kill Maduro. It&#8217;s designed to stop narcotrafficking,&#8221; a White House official told Axios, saying, &#8220;if Maduro leaves, we would not shed a tear.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Today, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out yet another lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO). Yet again, the now-deceased terrorists were engaged in narco-trafficking in the Eastern Pacific.
The… <a href="https://t.co/PEaKmakivD">pic.twitter.com/PEaKmakivD</a>
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar/status/1981167670989926902?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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For now, Trump&#8217;s call with Maduro is still &#8220;in the planning stages,&#8221; and potential topics of discussion have yet to be revealed, a U.S. official told Axios.
&#8220;Maduro is a narcoterrorist. Always lead with that word if you want to represent the president&#8217;s thinking,&#8221; the official said.
&#8220;The diplomats tell us that Maduro is going to say, &#8216;Trust me. I&#8217;ll have new elections in three years. You can come and have all the oil. I&#8217;ll stop sending it to Russia.&#8217; He has said many things like that over many years and he never keeps his promise. So the diplomats tell us we should be suspicious,&#8221; they added.
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Trump Plans To Speak Directly With Venezuelan Dictator As Drug Boat Strikes Continue

Trump Plans To Speak Directly With Maduro Amid Drug Boat Strikes: Report

Marco Rubio

Nicolas Maduro

Venezuela

The Department of War <a href="https://x.com/DeptofWar/status/1992999267967905905">initiated</a> a review of &#8220;serious allegations&#8221; against Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly on Monday after he joined five other Democrats in urging U.S. military members to disobey &#8220;illegal orders.&#8221;
The War Department said the review will determine whether Kelly, a U.S. Navy combat veteran and retired astronaut, should be recalled to active duty for &#8220;court-martial proceedings or administrative measures.&#8221; Kelly, along with Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), and Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) — all former military members — <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrats-urge-military-to-disobey-orders-from-trump-admin-trigger-accusations-of-insurrection">released a video</a> last week where they encouraged military members to ignore what they perceived as unlawful orders.
&#8220;The Department of War reminds all individuals that military retirees remain subject to the [Uniform Code of Military Justice] for applicable offenses, and federal laws such as 18 U.S.C. § 2387 prohibit actions intended to interfere with the loyalty, morale, or good order and discipline of the armed forces. Any violations will be addressed through appropriate legal channels,&#8221; the War Department said.
The <a href="https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title18-section2387&amp;num=0&amp;edition=prelim">U.S. code</a> cited by the department makes it a crime &#8220;to interfere with, impair, or influence the loyalty, morale, or discipline of the military or naval forces of the United States&#8221; and &#8220;to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty by any member of the military or naval forces of the United States.&#8221; Those who violate 18 U.S.C. 2387 face up to 10 years in prison.
In the video, the six Democrats argued that the Trump administration &#8220;is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens.&#8221;
&#8220;Like us, you all swore an oath to protect and defend this Constitution,&#8221; the Democratic leaders told U.S. service members. &#8220;Right now, the threats to our Constitution aren&#8217;t just coming from abroad, but from right here at home.&#8221;
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&#8220;Our laws are clear, you can refuse illegal orders,&#8221; the Democrats added. &#8220;You can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We want to speak directly to members of the Military and the Intelligence Community.
The American people need you to stand up for our laws and our Constitution.
Don’t give up the ship. <a href="https://t.co/N8lW0EpQ7r">pic.twitter.com/N8lW0EpQ7r</a>
— Sen. Elissa Slotkin (@SenatorSlotkin) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorSlotkin/status/1990774492356902948?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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President Donald Trump responded to the video last week, suggesting that it constituted &#8220;SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH.&#8221; He later clarified that he was not calling for the senators to receive the death penalty, but he has continued to share claims that the Democrats are guilty of sedition.
Kelly <a href="https://x.com/SenMarkKelly/status/1992710684984082803">said</a> on Sunday that Trump is &#8220;calling for the execution of members of Congress.&#8221;
&#8220;His words carry tremendous weight, more so than anybody else in the country, and he should be aware of that,&#8221; the senator added. &#8220;And because of what he says, there [are] now increased threats against us.&#8221;
In their video, the Democratic lawmakers did not give a single example of an illegal order the president has issued to the U.S. military. Senator Slotkin was asked on Sunday whether Trump has given any illegal orders, and she could not name any.
&#8220;I am not aware of things that are illegal, but certainly there are some legal gymnastics that are going on with these Caribbean strikes and everything related to Venezuela,&#8221; Slotkin said.

War Department Reviewing ‘Serious Allegations’ Against Sen. Mark Kelly After Dem Military Message

Democrats

Trump Administration

U.S.

U.S. Military

The U.S. military took out another drug smuggling boat in the Caribbean with a kinetic strike on Thursday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced. 
The strike was the 17th publicly reported action the Trump administration has taken against a suspected drug-running boat. Most strikes have occurred in international waters of the Caribbean Sea, but some have targeted boats in the Eastern Pacific. 
“Today, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization,” Hegseth said. “The vessel was trafficking narcotics in the Caribbean and was struck in international waters. No U.S. forces were harmed in the strike, and three male narco-terrorists — who were aboard the vessel — were killed.”
Hegseth posted a 20-second video of the strike, showing a boat sailing before it was blown up. He did not identify which Designated Terrorist Organization was targeted in the strike. 
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
As we’ve said before, vessel strikes on narco-terrorists will continue until their the poisoning of the American people stops.
Today, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist… <a href="https://t.co/gQF9LpSjqD">pic.twitter.com/gQF9LpSjqD</a>
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar/status/1986631797547921741?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Hegseth said the strikes will continue until &#8220;narco-terrorists&#8221; stop &#8220;poisoning&#8221; Americans.
“To all narco-terrorists who threaten our homeland: if you want to stay alive, stop trafficking drugs. If you keep trafficking deadly drugs—we will kill you,” Hegseth said. 
At least 69 suspected drug traffickers <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-drug-cartels-hegseth-boat-strikes-fb83b0f02efd32d595a12aa4f6dc1864#">have</a> been killed in the Trump-authorized strikes. Three people across two targeted boats have survived. Two were repatriated to their home countries, where the Trump administration asked them to be prosecuted for drug trafficking. 
Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/5592319-us-military-drug-trafficking-strikes/">briefed</a> top congressional leaders on Wednesday about the strikes. Democratic leaders criticized the action, arguing that President Trump lacks the legal authority to authorize such military operations.
“The notion of kinetic strikes without actually interdicting and demonstrating to the American public that these are carrying drugs and [are] full of bad guys, I think, is a huge mistake and undermines the confidence in the administration’s actions,” said Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA).
Republicans have generally supported the strikes.
“They’ve got good legal justification for what they’re doing,” said Idaho GOP Senator Jim Risch, the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “The president really ought to be congratulated for saving the lives of young American people. He should be thanked by the many parents who won’t even know that they won’t have to bury kids prematurely. They’re doing good work. They’re doing it lawfully, and I encourage them to keep it up.”
The Trump administration says it plans to keep up the strikes and has given at least 13 bipartisan briefings on the action.

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More ‘Narco-Terrorists’ Taken Out In Deadly Strike As Hegseth Threatens Drug Smugglers

drug trafficking

The Trump administration is reportedly floating plans to send U.S. troops to Mexico to strike cartel footholds with drones.
If the plans are approved, troops and intelligence officers would be deployed to conduct ground operations in Mexico while hitting drug labs, cartel members, and kingpins, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/trump-administration-planning-new-mission-mexico-cartels-current-forme-rcna241167" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, citing two current U.S. officials and two former U.S. officials.
“The Trump administration is committed to utilizing an all-of-government approach to address the threats cartels pose to American citizens,” a senior administration official told NBC.
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Many of the troops would come from the Joint Special Operations Command, serving under the authority of the intelligence community, according to the report. CIA officers would also play a role.
The mission, which has yet to receive final approval, would be carried out in secrecy, unlike recent strikes the Trump administration has carried out near the Venezuelan coast.
It could also be done with or without the support of the Mexican government, which previously expressed disapproval of similar plans that were reported in April. However, the Trump administration would prefer to work alongside Mexican authorities, according to NBC.
“We reject any form of intervention or interference. That’s been very clear, Mexico coordinates and collaborates, but does not subordinate itself,” Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum said at the time.
The Trump administration has carried out more than a dozen strikes in recent months on alleged drug boats in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-precision-strikes-on-venezuela-military-could-begin-within-hours">Caribbean</a> and the Eastern Pacific. President Donald Trump recently confirmed that he&#8217;s authorized secret CIA operations on Venezuelan soil.
The State Department designated six of Mexico&#8217;s cartels as foreign terrorist organizations in February, opening the door for a crackdown on violence and drug trafficking in the region.
The Department of War didn&#8217;t immediately respond to The Daily Wire&#8217;s request for comment.

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Trump Admin May Send U.S. Troops To Mexico To Target Cartels

Trump Admin Looking To Carry Out Drone Strikes On Cartels In Mexico: Report

Drug Cartels

Mexico

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Sunday that the U.S. military took out a drug-smuggling boat he said was connected to a Colombian terrorist group. 
According to Hegseth, the Department of War on Friday conducted a lethal kinetic strike targeting a vessel linked to the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN), a designated foreign terrorist organization. The ELN, also known as the National Liberation Army, is an insurgent group that clashes with the Colombian government. 
“The vessel was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was traveling along a known narco-trafficking route, and was transporting substantial amounts of narcotics,” Hegseth said. “There were three male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel during the strike—which was conducted in international waters. All three terrorists were killed and no U.S. forces were harmed in this strike.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
On October 17th, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel affiliated with Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN), a Designated Terrorist Organization, that was operating in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility.
The… <a href="https://t.co/1v7oR879LC">pic.twitter.com/1v7oR879LC</a>
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar/status/1979930208472912048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“These cartels are the Al Qaeda of the Western Hemisphere, using violence, murder and terrorism to impose their will, threaten our national security and poison our people. The United States military will treat these organizations like the terrorists they are—they will be hunted, and killed, just like Al Qaeda,” Hegseth added. 
Earlier this month, Hegseth set up a new counter-narcotics task force meant to target drug cartels operating in Latin America and the Caribbean.
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The ELN is one of the “one of the most powerful insurgent groups in Colombia,” <a href="https://www.dni.gov/nctc/terrorist_groups/eln.html">according</a> to the National Counterterrorism Center, which is staffed with personnel from various federal intelligence agencies. With around 2,500 fighters, the group aims to control portions of Colombia where drugs are produced through armed assaults, assassinations, extortion operations, and hostage-takings. 
The strike comes as President Donald Trump has been placing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-puts-colombian-president-on-notice-over-drug-production-close-up-these-killing-fields?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Trump+Puts+Colombian+President+On+Notice+Over+Drug+Production%3A+‘Close+Up+These+Killing+Fields’">increased pressure</a> on Colombian authorities to crack down on drug trafficking. Trump announced over the weekend that he would be cutting off foreign aid to the South American country. 
“They don&#8217;t have a fight against drugs. They make drugs. They refine drugs. They make cocaine. They have cocaine factories. They have no fight against drugs. And I&#8217;m stopping all payments to Colombia because they don&#8217;t have anything to do with their fight against drugs,” Trump said Sunday night. “They are a drug manufacturing machine, Colombia, and we&#8217;re not going to be part of it.”

President Trump Holds Cabinet Meeting At The White House

U.S. Takes Out Narco-Terror Boat As Trump Yanks Aid To Colombia

Colombia

Politics

Terrorism

Multiple people reportedly survived a U.S. strike on Thursday that targeted a boat carrying suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean.
An American official <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/us-military-drone-strike-caribbean-leaves-survivors-official-confirms">told</a> Fox News that there were two to three survivors after the U.S. carried out a strike targeting a “big” drug boat that was partially submerged under water. A search and rescue helicopter was sent out to the site of the strike in international waters, according to Fox News. Reuters first <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-carries-out-new-strike-caribbean-there-are-survivors-us-official-says-2025-10-16/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> news of the survivors.
No other details on the strike were immediately available.
The Trump administration has ordered at least five strikes targeting suspected drug traffickers, but the others have left no known survivors. At least 27 suspected drug traffickers have been killed in the previous strikes, according to U.S. officials. 
Thursday’s attack was the second this week, following another strike <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-the-united-states-took-out-another-narcoterrorist-boat?author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=13&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Says+The+United+States+Took+Out+Another+‘Narcoterrorist’+Boat">announced</a> by President Donald Trump on Tuesday.
“Under my Standing Authorities as Commander-in-Chief, this morning, the Secretary of War, ordered a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO) conducting narcotrafficking in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility — just off the Coast of Venezuela,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
“Intelligence confirmed the vessel was trafficking narcotics, was associated with illicit narcoterrorist networks, and was transiting along a known DTO route,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;The strike was conducted in International Waters, and six male narcoterrorists aboard the vessel were killed in the strike. No U.S. Forces were harmed. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!!!!”
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Last week, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth <a href="https://x.com/SecWar/status/1976746496830959965">announced</a> that he had established a new counter-narcotics task force that was directed to “crush the cartels, stop the poison, and keep America safe.” 
“The message is clear: if you traffic drugs toward our shores, we will stop you cold,” Hegseth warned. 
The strikes have been opposed by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who claims the Trump administration is targeting civilians. Trump has authorized the CIA to conduct lethal operations in Venezuela, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/us-strikes-cartel-boat-are-survivors-rcna238104">claiming</a> that President Nicolás Maduro has “emptied” his prisons into the United States and that “a lot of drugs are coming” from Venezuela.
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-to-congress-u-s-in-armed-conflict-with-terrorist-drug-cartels">has told</a> Congress that the United States is in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels that he has designated as terrorist organizations. That came after the State Department classified violent gangs like Tren de Aragua as foreign terrorist organizations.

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U.S. Strike Targeting Suspected Drug Traffickers Leaves Survivors: Report

Military

A &#8220;small group&#8221; of the 200 Texas National Guard troops deployed to Illinois was reportedly sent home after a photo of several heavyset guardsmen arriving in the state sparked viral criticism over fitness standards.
The Texas Military Department said that an unspecified number were not &#8220;in compliance&#8221; with its &#8220;validation process,&#8221; Task &amp; Purpose <a href="https://taskandpurpose.com/news/texas-national-guard-chicago-standards/">reported</a>. A photo taken by an Associated Press photographer and published by ABC News last week showed the larger-bodied National Guard members.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Members of the Texas National Guard have arrived in Illinois, according to sources familiar with their whereabouts and video taken of them at an Army Reserve training facility in a Chicago suburb.
Read more: <a href="https://t.co/AkmU3diD97">https://t.co/AkmU3diD97</a> <a href="https://t.co/chTjQ1TrFY">pic.twitter.com/chTjQ1TrFY</a>
— ABC News (@ABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1975648844693074010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“In less than 24 hours, Texas National Guardsmen mobilized for the Federal Protection Mission,” a spokesperson told Task &amp; Purpose by email this weekend. “The speed of the response necessitated a concurrent validation process, during which we identified a small group of service members who were not in compliance and have been replaced.”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth responded to the Task &amp; Purpose article on social media, writing, &#8220;Standards are back at The [Department of War].&#8221; Since taking over at what was previously known as the Defense Department, Hegseth has gone on a fitness blitz, urging military leaders and troops to uphold strict standards, telling military leaders last month that it&#8217;s &#8220;tiring&#8221; to &#8220;see fat troops&#8221; and &#8220;it’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals.&#8221;
The National Guard Bureau, which operates within the War Department, released a <a href="https://www.nationalguard.mil/News/Press-Releases/Article/4322684/ngb-statement-on-fitness-standards-for-mobilization/#:~:text=When%20mobilizing%20for%20active%20duty,standards%20will%20take%20their%20places.">statement</a> after the photo went viral, emphasizing that troops “are required to meet service-specific height, weight and physical fitness standards at all times.”
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&#8220;When mobilizing for active duty, members go through a validation process to ensure they meet those requirements,” the bureau added. “On the rare occasions when members are found not in compliance, they will not go on mission. They will be returned to their home station, and replacements who do meet standards will take their places.”
Social media users poked fun at the troops shown in the AP photo. One X user <a href="https://x.com/sportsdummie/status/1975653450810859930">wrote</a>, &#8220;Meal Team 6 reporting for duty,&#8221; while another person <a href="https://x.com/homemade_jorts/status/1975670929314529690">said</a>, &#8220;Guess they missed @PeteHegseth memo about weight.&#8221;
The <a href="https://nationalguard.com/basic-combat-training/army-combat-fitness-test">Army Fitness Test</a>, which National Guard troops are required to pass, &#8220;consists of six events that assess strength and endurance, improving readiness and preventing injuries.&#8221; Troops are required to take the test at least once a year.
The Trump administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-deploys-national-guard-to-chicago-as-pritzker-melts-down-over-invasion">deployed</a> around 300 National Guard troops to Illinois as the president seeks to crack down on illegal immigration and violent crime in the Chicago area. The Trump administration, however, has been <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/appeals-court-blocks-trump-deploy-national-guard-illinois-rcna237065">blocked</a> by an appeals court from deploying those troops to the streets.

US-NEWS-TEXAS-NATIONAL-GUARD-DEPLOYMENT-TB

Texas National Guard Trims The Fat – Literally – After Viral Photo Sparks Fitness Concerns

National Guard

Texas

A Texas Republican said that Democrats are holding the paychecks of millions of military service members “hostage” in order to advance their far-left agenda. 
Congressman Ronny Jackson told The Daily Wire that the Democrats’ opposition to a short-term spending plan backed by Republicans was causing real-world harm to those tasked with protecting America. As the shutdown continues, approximately two million military personnel are expected to continue working without pay — even as members of Congress continue to receive their paychecks. 
“Democrats are shutting down the government and holding our troops’ paychecks hostage, punishing the very men and women who put their lives on the line to protect America,” Jackson said. “It is both ridiculous and unsurprising that Democrats would once again put their radical agenda ahead of ensuring our servicemembers are properly taken care of.”
Jackson’s office highlighted how children in his own district, whose parents work at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita County, Texas, no longer have access to after-school programs. 
“For many families, these programs are essential support while parents serve,” Jackson’s office noted.
“Military personnel on active duty, including reserve component personnel on Federal active duty, will continue to report for duty and carry out assigned duties. This includes duty involving excepted and, to the extent they can be performed without incurring new obligations, non-excepted activities,” the Department of War’s shutdown contingency plan <a href="https://wjla.com/resources/pdf/79d6e679-134e-465a-ade4-dbb99d290dd9-CONTINGENCYPLANGUIDANCEFORCONTINUATIONOFOPERATIONSINTHEABSENCEOFAPPROPRIATIONS.pdf">reads</a>.
At the same time, nearly 400,000 civilian employees of the Department of War who perform “critical national security activities” are also expected to work without pay. Hundreds of thousands of other civilian employees for the department are currently furloughed. 
“The military cannot enter into new contracts or renew existing contracts, needlessly delaying the acquisition of critical capabilities for our warfighters,” Jackson’s office noted. 
Last month, the Republican-led House approved a bill that would have continued government funding for the next fiscal year at the same level as the previous fiscal year. That same bill stalled in the Senate after Democrats demanded around $1.5 trillion in new spending. 
The Trump administration has urged Republicans to take advantage of the shutdown to cut down on wasteful government spending and combat fraud. Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought has been tasked with reviewing the sprawling federal bureaucracy to see where cuts may be possible.

2024 Republican National Convention: Day 2

Democrats Holding Military Paychecks ‘Hostage’ To Push ‘Radical Agenda,’ Congressman Says

federal funding

Government Shutdown

Ronny Jackson

The Secretary of War and the President of the United States spoke before hundreds of top U.S. military leaders on Tuesday.
This event had been touted for a few days in advance. The idea was to have all the top U.S. military brass gather at the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia. 
There was a lot of speculation about the meeting. Was it going to be an announcement about Ukraine? Or China? Or was it going to be about Venezuela?
It turns out, it was going to be a speech from Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of War, and a speech from the President of the United States, about recalibrating our military approach, particularly internally.
Pete Hegseth has spoken about this a lot over the past few years. I recorded an episode of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhVMY0AxZd0">Sunday Special</a> with Pete Hegseth about a year ago. He had a new book out, “The War on Warriors,” in which he wrote about wokeness in the military, lowered standards in the military, and the fact that more militaries around the world were not fearing us as much because we had implemented all of these left-wing ideologies within the military. This has legitimately been a big bugaboo of Hegseth’s for years.
Well, now he has the opportunity to change all of that because, of course, he sits atop the Department of War.
The event, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/09/30/hegseth-military-meeting-trump-generals/">The Washington Post</a>, was organized by Hegseth&#8217;s team at the Pentagon. He summoned generals and admirals from command posts throughout the world to Virginia.
General Dan Caine, Trump&#8217;s hand-selected Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told attendees in his opening comments that the event was an unprecedented opportunity, and an honor for assembled senior officers and their top enlisted advisers to hear directly from the military civilian leadership. 
Hegseth was going after wokeness in the military again, and he railed against what he called “Fat dudes and men in dresses.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2290-warfighters-hegseth-trump-launch-assault-on-woke-military"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-974957 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-300x50.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-768x128.webp 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1536x256.webp 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-2048x341.webp 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
So, optically, yes, I understand the Left being very, very upset about it. But it happens to be something that the American people agree with, along with the people who enlist in our military. Journalists around the nation are very, very upset about what Pete Hegseth did yesterday because they believe the military should be a place for social engineering, as opposed to a place for warfighters.
Well, Secretary Hegseth was a grunt. He&#8217;s a person who served in the trenches, and on the front lines. And that means he is significantly more in touch with the feelings of people who actually serve in the military, than certainly the people in the world of journalism — and truthfully, more than many of these sorts of political generals who have spent the last 40 years rising in the ranks.
Which means that recalibrating along those lines is actually not a bad thing at all.
As Secretary Hegseth <a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/public-affairs-event/defense-secretary-hegseth-addresses-senior-military-leaders/666410">said yesterday</a>:
<blockquote>Frankly, it&#8217;s tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation, and see fat troops. Likewise, it&#8217;s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon and leading commands around the country and the world. It&#8217;s a bad look. It is bad. And it&#8217;s not who we are. So, whether you&#8217;re an Airborne Ranger or a “Chairborne Ranger,” a brand new private, or a four star general, you need to meet the height and weight standards and pass the PT test.</blockquote>
This, apparently, was very upsetting to folks. 
He also went after what he called “Dudes in dresses,” which was a specific reference to the fact that under the Biden administration, there were legitimate videos of troops doing drag as an attempt to drive people into the military. I can&#8217;t think of anything that would drive the types of young men who want to join the military away from the military more than men in drag.
Honestly, that does not seem like a recruiting pitch for the U.S. military. And you can see it in the numbers. The Biden administration was having a very, very difficult time fulfilling its recruiting quotas. From literally the minute Pete Hegseth was announced as Secretary of Defense, those numbers began to rise.
Hegseth then <a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/public-affairs-event/defense-secretary-hegseth-addresses-senior-military-leaders/666410">said</a>: 
<blockquote>This administration has done a great deal from day one to remove the social justice, politically correct, and toxic ideological garbage that had infected our department, to rip out the politics. No more identity months, DEI offices, dudes in dresses, no more climate change worship. No more division, distraction, or gender delusions. No more debris. As I&#8217;ve said before and will say again, we are done with that sh**.</blockquote>
People are apparently angry about this. And there&#8217;s also a fair bit of gaslighting going on here. 
So the way that this works is that when the Left takes over an institution, they skew that institution. And then, when somebody who is not on the Left takes over the institution and says, “We&#8217;re going to unskew it,” the Left then says, “How dare you do this? How dare you politicize?”
They do this with so many institutions in American life. For example, take higher education, a domain once designed to actually create better American citizens, people who are supposed to be in touch with their civilization. They took an institution that was supposed to be at least titularly nonpartisan and made it highly partisan in favor of the Left.
And then people get into power who are not on the Left. And they say, &#8220;Let&#8217;s shift it back. Let&#8217;s shift it back toward the center.&#8221; And the Left says, “How dare you touch our hallowed institutions? How dare you attempt to change the underlying politics of that institution?”
The same thing in the military. There is an attempt by the Left to hijack the military and use it for a wide variety of social engineering causes, ranging from climate change to DEI to gender identity.
And now, when the Right takes over and says, “Hey, we&#8217;re not going to do any of that stuff, we&#8217;re actually going to go back to the status quo where the military was about winning wars,” the Left responds, “How dare you? How dare you politicize? How dare you intervene? How dare you get involved in politics?” This is an exercise in gaslighting.
The Left is perfectly willing to gut these institutions and wear their faces around like a mask from “The Silence of the Lambs.” But the minute the Right says, “Let&#8217;s restore those institutions to what they were before,” the Left then claims politicization.
It’s nonsense.

President Trump And Pete Hegseth Address U.S. Senior Military Leaders At Quantico

Hegseth To Top Military Brass: No More Dudes In Dresses

American General

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Opinion

Transgender

Washington D.C.

Woke Culture

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has traveled to visit soldiers twice as often as his predecessor had at this point in her tenure, a signal of the Trump administration’s different approach to the military.
In the seven months since he was confirmed, Driscoll has visited 44 different locations, spending around 64 days out of the office. By comparison, Biden’s Army Secretary, Christine Wormuth, visited just 21 locations over 31 days [out of the office] at this point in her tenure.
“One of my top priorities as secretary is getting outside the building and meeting with soldiers,” Driscoll told The Daily Wire. “Transformation doesn’t happen from behind desks at the Pentagon; it’s happening out in the field.”
“Since becoming secretary, I’ve met with soldiers stationed across this nation and deployed around the globe,” Driscoll said. “I’ve asked these men and women to give me their unfiltered views on what the Army needs to do to improve quality of life, their thoughts on our newest weapon systems, and their ideas to make our Army more lethal.”
“Every soldier I’ve met is inquisitive, innovative, and resourceful – these men and women are the very best of our nation, and I want them to know that I have their backs,” he added.
An Army official told The Daily Wire that Driscoll has made taking care of soldiers his top priority, and that the secretary believes the most effective way to do so is to meet them in person. For this reason, he plans to spend a considerable amount of time on the road for the foreseeable future.
At his current rate, Driscoll is on track to outpace Wormuth, who traveled to 115 locations in total throughout her entire four-year tenure.
“Secretary Driscoll has shot our current and future weapon systems. He’s flown in Blackhawks, Chinooks, Apaches, fired tanks and Bradleys, rappelled from aircraft, done Physical Training (PT) with nearly every unit he’s visited, flown drones, driven in the ISV, visited soldiers on the southern border twice, and traveled to the Middle East, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific,” an Army official told The Daily Wire.
“He has prioritized learning directly from those who will fight and win our nation’s wars and carrying their message to America’s capital.”
Driscoll’s commitment to interacting with soldiers aligns with the Trump administration’s hands-on approach to the armed services. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth regularly joins soldiers for workouts while traveling around the world, notably <a href="https://www.war.gov/News/Feature-Stories/Story/Article/4210511/hegseth-commemorates-81st-anniversary-of-d-day-in-france/">jogging with troops</a> on Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, during a visit commemorating the 81st anniversary of D-Day.
Under Driscoll and Hegseth, the Army met its 2025 recruiting goals four months ahead of schedule, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/less-woke-more-lethal-military-hits-major-milestones-under-trump-and-hegseth">reported</a> in June.

U.S. President Donald Trump Holds Press Conference August 11, 2025

Trump’s Army Secretary Is Spending Twice As Much Time With Troops As His Predecessor

Trump's Army Secretary Is Spending Twice As Much Time With Troops As His Predecessor

U.S. Army

WASHINGTON — Secretary of War Pete Hegseth will address his senior military leaders next week, The Daily Wire has learned, amid buzz from legacy media outlets suggesting a &#8220;rare, urgent meeting of hundreds of generals&#8221; and admirals.
The news came after The Washington Post reported that Hegseth had ordered hundreds of United States military leaders to gather quickly and without explanation — claiming that the move is &#8220;sowing confusion and alarm after the Trump administration’s firing of numerous senior leaders this year.&#8221;
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell shared in a statement to The Daily Wire on Thursday that the Secretary of War will be &#8220;addressing his senior military leaders early next week.”
The Washington Post, which frequently reports critically on Hegseth&#8217;s Pentagon, claimed that Hegseth&#8217;s &#8220;overly political moves have deepened a sense of distress among his opponents,&#8221; critics who are reportedly alarmed that Hegseth is &#8220;erasing the Defense Department’s status as a nonpartisan institution.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_976971" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/secretary-of-war-pete-hegseth-to-convene-military-brass-at-virginia-summit/president-trump-attends-pentagon-ceremony-on-24th-anniversary-of-9-11-3" rel="attachment wp-att-976971"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-976971" class="wp-image-976971 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2234860930-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2234860930-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2234860930-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2234860930-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2234860930.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth during a September 11th observance event in the courtyard of the Pentagon September 11, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)</div>
On Thursday afternoon, asked about the Washington Post report, President Donald Trump told a reporter: &#8220;Why is that such a big deal? The fact that we are getting along with the generals and admirals?&#8221;
The president pushed back on the framing of the reporter&#8217;s question, suggesting that the meeting only portended good things.
&#8220;Remember, I&#8217;m the president of peace,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s good to get along. You act like this is a bad thing. Isn&#8217;t it nice that people are coming from all over the world to be with us?&#8221;
Vice President JD Vance chimed in: &#8220;It&#8217;s not particularly unusual that generals who report to the Secretary of War and then to the President of the United States, are coming to speak with the Secretary of War. It&#8217;s actually not unusual at all, and I think it&#8217;s odd that you guys have made it into such a big story.&#8221;
&#8220;Is it a big story?&#8221; asked the president, to laughs from his vice president and other officials in the room. &#8220;Isn&#8217;t it a good story?&#8221;

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth Hosts Canada’s Defense Minister David McGuinty At The Pentagon

Secretary Of War Pete Hegseth To Convene Military Brass At Virginia Summit

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Executive

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