President Donald Trump took a brief question from a French reporter on Monday, and immediately proceeded to jab at French President Emmanuel Macron as he answered.
The reporter asked Trump whether or not he&#8217;d been in contact with Macron about plans to force the Iranian regime back and reopen the Strait of Hormuz — in order to allow oil tankers and other ships to pass — and Trump said that Macron had rated an &#8220;eight&#8221; on a scale from zero to ten.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Reporter: Have you been speaking with President Macron about the coalition to reopen the Strait of Hormuz?<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &#8220;Yeah, I have spoken to him. He&#8217;s been, on a scale of 0-10, I&#8217;d say he&#8217;s been an 8. Not perfect — but it&#8217;s France.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/VqCGUHUFDa">pic.twitter.com/VqCGUHUFDa</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2033590292209860933?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Have you been speaking with President Macron about the coalition to reopen the Strait of Hormuz?&#8221; the reporter asked.
&#8220;Yeah, I have spoken to him. He&#8217;s been, on a scale of 0-10, I&#8217;d say he&#8217;s been an 8. Not perfect — but it&#8217;s France,&#8221; Trump said with a laugh. &#8220;We don&#8217;t expect perfect.&#8221;
The reporter, undeterred, forged ahead: &#8220;Are you confident that France will help with the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz?&#8221;
Trump nodded. &#8220;Yeah, I mean, sure. He&#8217;s going to — I think he&#8217;s going to help, I&#8217;ll let you know. I spoke to him yesterday.&#8221;
&#8220;I don&#8217;t do a hard sell on them, because my attitude is we don&#8217;t need anybody,&#8221; the president continued. &#8220;We&#8217;re the strongest nation in the world. We have the strongest military by far in the world; we don&#8217;t need them!&#8221;
Trump went on to say that, in some cases, he asked foreign leaders for their assistance not because he thought he needed the help, but because he wanted to see how they might react to the question: &#8220;I&#8217;ve been saying for years that if we ever did need them, they won&#8217;t be there. Not all of them, but they won&#8217;t be there.&#8221;
The president went on to say that he&#8217;d been shocked when the United Kingdom had seemed reluctant to send ships.
&#8220;You don&#8217;t want to do it, we&#8217;ve been with you, you&#8217;re our oldest ally,&#8221; Trump aimed his response at the United Kingdom. &#8220;And we spend a lot of money on NATO and all of these things to protect you.&#8221;

TOPSHOT-FRANCE-G7-SUMMIT

‘Not Perfect, But It’s France’: Trump Uses French Reporter’s Question To Jab At Macron

'Not Perfect, But It's France': Trump Uses French Reporter's Question To Jab At Macron

Donald Trump

Emmanuel Macron

Global Politics

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Politics

France&#8217;s National Assembly on Monday backed legislation to ban children under 15 years old from social media on Monday, amid growing concerns about online bullying and mental health risks.
The bill proposes banning under-15s from social networks and &#8220;social networking functionalities&#8221; embedded within broader platforms, and reflects rising public angst over the impact of social media on minors.
Lawmakers voted 116 to 23 in favor of the bill. It now passes to the Senate before a final vote in the lower house.
President Emmanuel Macron has pointed to social media as one factor to blame for violence among young people. He is urging France to follow Australia, whose world-first ban for under-16s on social media platforms including Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube came into force in December.
Macron wants the ban in place in time for the start of the next academic year in September.
&#8220;With this law, we are setting a clear boundary in society and saying social media is not harmless,&#8221; centrist lawmaker Laure Miller told the chamber as she presented the bill.
&#8220;Our children are reading less, sleeping less, and comparing themselves to one another more,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;This is a battle for free minds.&#8221;
Australia&#8217;s social media ban is being studied in countries including Britain, Denmark, Spain and Greece.
The European Parliament has called for the European Union to set minimum ages for children to access social media, although it is up to member states to impose age limits.
There is broad political and public support in France for curbing minors&#8217; access to social media.
Far-right lawmaker Thierry Perez said the bill responded to a &#8220;health emergency.&#8221;
&#8220;Social media has allowed everyone to express themselves, but at what cost to our children?” Perez said.
The French ban would require platforms to block access to young teenagers through age‑verification mechanisms compliant with European Union law.
Enforcing such bans can be difficult. Australia&#8217;s government acknowledged the rollout of its ban would be bumpy after children claiming to be under 16 flooded the country&#8217;s social media feeds with messages gloating about their continued ability to access networks.
The French legislation also extends an existing ban on smartphones in junior and middle schools to cover high schools.
A Harris Interactive survey in 2024 showed 73% of the public supported a ban on social media access for under-15s.
Teenagers on the streets of Paris were split in their views. Some said they acknowledged the dangers associated with social media. Others felt a ban was excessive.
(Reporting by Leigh Thomas and Elizabeth Pineau; Editing by Richard Lough, Alex Richardson and Diane Craft)

Social Media And Messaging Apps

France’s National Assembly Approves Ban On Social Media For Those Under 15 Years Old

Australia

Big Tech

France

Social Media

World

Greenland dominates discussions in Davos ahead of President Donald Trump’s speech, Erika Kirk files a motion to advance the trial of her husband’s alleged killer, and a look back at one year of Trump 2.0.
It’s Wednesday, January 21, 2026, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/greenland-dominates-wef-panels-robinson-trial-stalled/id1576594336?i=1000746019888" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Trump Vs. Europe</h2>
President Trump is set to join global leaders at the World Economic Forum on Tuesday, kicking off a series of high-stakes meetings on tariffs, Greenland, and more. Every year, the WEF holds its annual meeting in Davos, hosting thousands of Fortune 500 business leaders, diplomats, and heads of state. Leaders from across the European Union huddled on the sidelines of the conference to formulate a strategy that could spark an enormous economic war. French President Emmanuel Macron said the EU “should not hesitate” to use its “Anti-Coercion Instrument,” known unofficially as the Trade Bazooka. That mechanism, which has never been used before, would include widespread bans on American investments in Europe and restrictions on the import and export of American products. They could also take a more subdued approach and simply withdraw from the previously agreed-upon U.S./EU trade deal.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Erika Kirk Files To Speed Up Trial Of Her Husband’s Alleged Killer</h2>
Erika Kirk has filed a motion to speed up the trial of her late husband Charlie Kirk’s killer, accusing the defense team of delay tactics. Kirk’s attorneys are using Utah’s victims’ rights laws, which are designed to prevent unnecessary delays in serious criminal cases. They argue that the case has remained stuck in this pretrial phase while the defense files multiple motions, and that those delays are compounding the trauma for the victim’s family. The filing specifically noted Charlie Kirk’s love for the U.S. Constitution, saying that while the Constitution “guarantees criminal defendants many rights, it does not guarantee them the right to cause undue delay in the criminal justice process.” Meanwhile, the suspect, Tyler Robinson, has still not entered a plea.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">One Year Of Trump</h2>
One year into his second term, President Trump says his agenda is delivering results, bringing the country into what he calls a new “golden age.” Trump has drastically reduced illegal immigration, effectively securing the southern border. Federal officers have surged into major cities to arrest illegal aliens. The United States experienced annual negative immigration for the first time in decades in large part because of Trump’s approach. On economic policy, the president cut numerous trade deals around the world while receiving pledges of investment worth trillions. It remains to be seen whether those pledges bear fruit. Trump has also ignited a series of trade wars, the latest being with Europe over his desire to acquire Greenland from Denmark. The aggressive posture could have consequences later as countries seek to diversify their trading partners. On foreign policy, the president has severely set back Iran’s nuclear program and toppled the Maduro dictatorship in Venezuela. He has also settled a number of open and near-conflicts, while the war in Ukraine continues to rage. Domestically, Trump has waded into prominent culture war topics such as DEI and transgenderism. He has pardoned several people prosecuted and imprisoned under his predecessor, including pro-life activists. He has battled universities to root out woke policies or risk losing federal funding.

MW_260121

Morning Brief: Greenland Tensions, Erika Kirk Seeks Faster Trial, & Trump’s First Year Back

Charlie Kirk

European Union

Morning Wire

Utah

President Donald Trump said early Tuesday morning that he plans to meet with &#8220;various parties&#8221; to discuss the future of Greenland while attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, later this week.
Trump said he spoke with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte over the phone and stressed the importance of the United States acquiring Greenland. The president has not yet met in person with leaders from Greenland, Denmark, or other European allies to discuss his push to take over the Arctic territory.
&#8220;I had a very good telephone call with Mark Rutte, the Secretary General of NATO, concerning Greenland. I agreed to a meeting of the various parties in Davos, Switzerland. As I expressed to everyone, very plainly, Greenland is imperative for National and World Security,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115925766187001811">wrote</a> on Truth Social.
&#8220;There can be no going back — On that, everyone agrees!&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;The United States of America is the most powerful Country anywhere on the Globe, by far. Much of the reason for this is a rebuilding of our Military during my First Term, which rebuilding continues at even more expedited pace. We are the only POWER that can ensure PEACE throughout the World — And it is done, quite simply, through STRENGTH!&#8221;
Trump also <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115926107400617491">shared</a> a screenshot of a text message he received from Rutte, in which the NATO secretary general praised Trump for his work in securing a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/19/syria-declares-victory-ceasefire-kurdish-led-force">ceasefire</a> in Syria and promised to find &#8220;a way forward on Greenland.&#8221;
&#8220;Mr. President, dear Donald — what you accomplished in Syria today is incredible. I will use my media engagements in Davos to highlight your work there, in Gaza, and in Ukraine,&#8221; Rutte added in the message. &#8220;I am committed to finding a way forward on Greenland. Can&#8217;t wait to see you. Yours, Mark.&#8221;
Rutte&#8217;s friendly message to Trump comes as America&#8217;s European allies try to figure out how to respond to Trump&#8217;s push to control Greenland, a plan Europe has strongly denounced. Since Trump has ramped up his effort to acquire Greenland, NATO nations deployed troops to the territory last week for a military exercise.
Over the weekend, Trump announced that he would impose additional tariffs on eight European nations that have opposed his Greenland push. The additional tariffs are set to take effect on February 1 and will apply to imports from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland.
Trump also shared a screenshot of a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115925848634299232">message</a> from French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday. In the message, Macron tells Trump, &#8220;I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland. Let us try to build great things.&#8221; Macron then suggested holding a meeting in Paris between the Group of 7 countries on Thursday, adding that he could also invite leaders from Ukraine, Denmark, Syria, and Russia.
Trump was upset with Macron on Tuesday after the French president rejected an offer to sit on Trump&#8217;s &#8220;Board of Peace&#8221; overseeing Gaza. Macron argued that Trump&#8217;s board &#8220;goes beyond the framework of Gaza and raises serious questions, in particular with respect to the principles and structure of the United Nations, which cannot be called into question.”
In response, Trump <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/20/trump-threatens-200percent-tariff-on-french-wines-and-champagnes-.html">said</a> he might impose a 200% tariff on French wines.
“Well, nobody wants him because he’s going to be out of office very soon,” Trump said of Macron. “So you know, that’s all right. What I’ll do is, if they feel like [being] hostile, I’ll put a 200% tariff on his wines and champagnes, and he’ll join. But he doesn’t have to join.”

Mark Rutte, Donald Trump

Trump To Meet With NATO Chief On Greenland: ‘There Can Be No Going Back’

Europe

Greenland

NATO

Trump leans on both Ukraine and Russia as peace negotiations grind on, Daily Wire investigative reporter Luke Rosiak heads to Capitol Hill, and a new memo reveals Biden knew his immigration policies would have chaotic consequences—and chose to proceed anyway.
It’s Tuesday, December 9, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below, and the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-251209-member-exclusive">video version can be seen on The Daily Wir</a>e:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trump-presses-zelensky-bidens-immigration-ignorance/id1576594336?i=1000740381305" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Zelensky Rallies European Support Amid U.S. Peace Talks</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1011783" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Trump-Presses-Zelensky-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Trump-Presses-Zelensky-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Trump-Presses-Zelensky-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Trump-Presses-Zelensky-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Trump-Presses-Zelensky-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Trump-Presses-Zelensky.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: President Zelensky met with European leaders on Monday to rally support for the war.
State of play: Peace talks have made some progress over the past few weeks, but that progress has stalled. After President Trump <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1997812364931195249">appeared</a> frustrated on Sunday and suggested that Zelensky was ignoring the peace plan, the Ukrainian president addressed the current framework on Monday.
According to Zelensky, the disagreement is over the Donbas region in Ukraine’s east. The Trump administration reportedly wants Ukraine to hand over control of the rest of the Donbas to Russia, which controls most of it already. In return, Ukraine would get security guarantees and financing to help rebuild. But Zelensky says he can’t because the Ukrainian constitution forbids ceding territory that way.
Zelensky’s corner: Zelensky wants a freeze along the current lines of the conflict. And he doesn’t appear to be alone. European leaders seem frustrated, too.
Zelensky appeared in London on Monday and met with the E3, or the top leaders in Europe: U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
“The principles remain the principles that we&#8217;ve operated on for a very, very long time, which is that we stand with Ukraine. If there&#8217;s to be a ceasefire, it needs to be a just and lasting ceasefire,” <a href="https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1998077179251261884">said</a> Starmer.
Merz was the most vocal about disagreements with the United States:
“We are still and remain strongly behind Ukraine and giving support to your country because we all know that the destiny of [Ukraine] is the destiny of Europe,” <a href="https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1998077179251261884">said</a> Merz. “I&#8217;m skeptical about some of the details which we are seeing in the documents coming from the U.S. side, but we have to talk about that.”
<h2 style="text-align: center;">The Daily Wire To Testify Before Congress </h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1011785" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/DEI-On-Display-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/DEI-On-Display-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/DEI-On-Display-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/DEI-On-Display-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/DEI-On-Display-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/DEI-On-Display.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: Daily Wire investigative reporter Luke Rosiak will testify to the Senate on Wednesday as an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/daily-wires-luke-rosiak-will-testify-before-the-senate-on-massive-federal-dei-scheme">expert</a> on what he calls the government’s longest-running, largest, and most corrupt DEI program. Morning Wire spoke to Rosiak ahead of his appearance in the Senate. (The following interview has been lightly edited.)
Morning Wire: The Senate Small Business Committee oversees the Small Business Administration and its government-wide minority contracting program called 8(a) or “set-aside contracting.&#8221; Luke, you’re getting prepared to testify–that’s very exciting. First, how did this come about–it’s actually years in the making, right?
Rosiak: About 15 years ago, I was sitting in a cafe doing some computer programming when I got offered a job. A well-dressed black man was sitting next to me and said he noticed that I was programming in C++, and that he needed to hire some people quickly for the computer programming company he owned.
The problem is I was coding in a different language that looks nothing like C++. I tried to figure out how he owned a computer company and didn’t know that. He said it was an 8(a) contract from the government, and that he just gets contracts and then finds people to do the work.
It struck me that this is a pretty poor way to run the government. I’m not even a professional computer programmer; I just dabble in it. But for all I know, he was ready to hire me to build some sensitive government system.
Anyway, instead of taking the job, I dug into this 8(a) program, and what I found was that that’s more or less exactly how it works.
Morning Wire: Explain to us–what exactly is going on here?
Rosiak: If you’re a racial minority, the government can give you a contract without trying to find the best price or the best person.
More than five percent of all federal contracts are reserved for minorities and women, who are often really just men who put their company in their wife’s name. The program was created in 1978 to help black people, but now it’s gone really off the rails. Indians get preference for contracts even though they have a higher median income than whites, and they’re overrepresented in fields like IT, which didn’t even exist prior to the civil rights era. 
Morning Wire: So some of the people receiving these preferential U.S. government contracts are actually foreigners, people who are minorities because they’re immigrants.
Rosiak: Yes. But what I’m going to tell the Senate is that the scandal here is a little different than you might think. It’s really a loophole exploited by the government and big corporations, you heard Accenture mentioned in that video, to circumvent competitive bidding.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Early Warnings About Border Chaos</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1011787" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Willful-Border-Chaos-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Willful-Border-Chaos-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Willful-Border-Chaos-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Willful-Border-Chaos-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Willful-Border-Chaos-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Willful-Border-Chaos.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: A new report reveals that former President Biden was told he could’ve stopped illegal immigration, but chose not to during his tenure in the White House. 
A shocking <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/07/us/politics/biden-immigration-trump.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from The New York Times said that President Biden was warned while on the campaign trail, before he even assumed office, that some of his immigration policies would lead to political chaos. That&#8217;s exactly what happened as the consequences of Biden’s policies began to unfold at the border.
The record amounts of illegal immigration that swamped the border, then towns, then major cities, drove the immigration issue to become a priority for voters in the next election. The issue also likely played a major role in President Trump&#8217;s victory.
According to The New York Times, there were a number of memos and meetings where aides and experts brought up immigration and warned the Biden team that his policies needed to be stricter or the border would descend into what it became, which was millions of illegal immigrants coming across in a free-for-all.
In a 2020 memo from aides cautioned Biden’s “inner circle” “that his promises—coupled with pent-up demand from the Trump years and economic hardship from Covid—could provoke a spike in border crossings,” according to the Times.
The memo offered potential solutions to tighten permissions for illegal border crossers, “including making it easier to quickly reject asylum claims; holding people in ‘reception centers’ until their cases could be heard; transferring some migrants to other countries; and continuing to make some asylum seekers wait in Mexico, while ensuring they had access to shelter,” the Times reported.
Coulda, woulda, shoulda: After the fact, many former officials are saying there were many mistakes made on the Biden team and by Biden himself, who knowingly went against this advice. They scrapped rules such as asylum restrictions and remain in Mexico, which kept people in Mexico rather than releasing them into the United States after they crossed illegally.
After the changes, the number of illegal crossings ticked up–8 million illegal immigrants crossed into the country and many were released. Border authorities conducted poor vetting because Biden wanted a very quick, expeditious process. That let in terrorists, traffickers, and cartel members that led to chaos across the country, such as in Aurora, Colorado, where Tren de Aragua took over apartment complexes.

Luke Rosiak

Morning Brief: Get A Sneak Peak Of Daily Wire Investigative Reporter Luke Rosiak’s Senate Testimony

Immigration

Joe Biden

Keir Starmer

Russia

Small Business Administration

The Daily Wire

Volodymyr Zelensky

President Donald Trump lambasts Democrats as the shutdown grinds on, blue state governors form a “shadow” public health alliance, and one of the boldest heists of the century leaves the Louvre missing priceless jewels.
It’s Wednesday, October 22, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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If you would rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Brennan Referred And Shutdown Drags On</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-989357" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Rose-Garden-Pep-Rally-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Rose-Garden-Pep-Rally-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Rose-Garden-Pep-Rally-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Rose-Garden-Pep-Rally-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Rose-Garden-Pep-Rally-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Rose-Garden-Pep-Rally.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: President Trump is applying more pressure on Democrats as the government shutdown stretches on. Meanwhile, a major political opponent of Trump is referred for charges.
Former CIA Director John Brennan has been referred for charges from the Justice Department. Similar to former FBI Director James Comey, he is in hot water over statements he made during the probe into Trump-Russia collusion.
House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) announced that his committee was recommending the charges on Tuesday. Jordan said that Brennan “knowingly made false statements” during sworn testimony last year. The Judiciary Committee says Brennan lied when he denied using the discredited Steele Dossier in drafting an intelligence assessment in 2017 – specifically, the Intelligence Community Assessment on Russian interference.
Rose Garden lunch: Trump – in typical Trump fashion – surprised lawmakers on Tuesday with a Rose Garden lunch. No one really knew what the lunch was about, not even Republicans.
A reporter asked Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana what the purpose of the lunch was, and he said, “I have no idea.” But Chuck Schumer and the Democrats saw things through a more sinister lens, <a href="https://x.com/AmberJoCooper/status/1980656632246988850">calling</a> the event a “Rose Garden pep rally” for the shutdown.
Join us now during our exclusive Deal of the Decade. Get everything for $7 a month. Not as fans. As fighters. Go to <a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DailyWire.com/Subscribe</a> to join now.
There was a pep rally element to the lunch. The president had just redone the Rose Garden and spoke excitedly about how it looks. YMCA blared over the speaker system prior to the president’s remarks.
Despite the festive atmosphere, Trump and Senate Republicans were clear that they were there for business: the business of reopening the government.
“From the beginning, our message has been very simple: we will not be extorted on this crazy plot of theirs. They’ve never done this before. Nobody has!” <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/1980681699529752893">said</a> Trump. “Chuck Schumer and the Senate Democrats need to vote for the clean, bipartisan CR and reopen our government. It’s gotta be reopened, right now. We’re not doing that. They are the obstructionists. The reason they’re doing that is because we’re doing so well.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) spoke with the press after the lunch concluded. He stressed that Republicans are united on Trump&#8217;s team.
Senate Republicans are planning to hold a separate vote on paying troops and law enforcement agents for the remainder of the shutdown. It’s not clear if Democrats will join them. But there’s a chance that, if they manage to get those essential workers paid, it may empower both sides to dig in and keep the shutdown fight going even longer.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Democrats’ ‘Shadow Public-Health Alliance’</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-989359" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Health-Defiance-Alliance-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Health-Defiance-Alliance-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Health-Defiance-Alliance-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Health-Defiance-Alliance-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Health-Defiance-Alliance-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Health-Defiance-Alliance.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: More than a dozen Democrat governors have signed on to a new health alliance, in a direct challenge to the Trump administration&#8217;s federal health agencies. 
The Governors&#8217; Public Health Alliance is being pitched as “non-partisan” and “all about the science.” The claim is that the Trump administration, and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., in particular, is anti-science. Therefore, this organization is necessary to protect Americans. However, so far, the Governors’ Public Health Alliance is strictly partisan: only Democrat governors have signed on. 
The alliance will dole out medical guidance that will likely challenge federal agencies such as the CDC and FDA, or at least lobby the federal government on these matters. It will make public health guidelines or offer “best practices&#8221; on vaccines and other measures. The allied states will share medical statistics, data, and advice on preventive care, and buy vaccines and supplies in bulk. 
The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.hcinnovationgroup.com/policy-value-based-care/article/55323774/fifteen-governors-create-new-public-health-alliance?utm_source=chatgpt.com">called</a> the alliance a “shadow public-health alliance” and said it’s the “largest move” so far “to create an alternative public-health universe outside the federal government.”
Governor JB Pritzker of Illinois, a Democrat, signed on to this association and <a href="https://gov-pritzker-newsroom.prezly.com/gov-pritzker-joins-launch-of-governors-public-health-alliance-to-protect-illinoisians-from-trumps-attack-on-science?utm_source=chatgpt.com">claimed</a> that Trump and Kennedy have turned the CDC “into a misinformation machine.”
California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom also signed on. He said “extremists” in the Trump administration are trying to “weaponize the CDC and spread misinformation.”
Other states include Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and the territory of Guam. The residents in these states make up about one-third of the U.S. population.
The Democrat health effort has to do mostly with vaccines. The governors who have signed on have highlighted vaccine “access” and attacked Kennedy for challenging orthodoxy. There was also mention of abortion “access.”
The association is primarily funded by a nonprofit called Governors Action Alliance, known as GovAct. The nonprofit claims to be nonpartisan, but supports Democrat causes and generally teams up with Democrats to expand Medicaid and bolster abortion and voting rights.
GovAct is behind the “Reproductive Freedom Alliance,” a coalition of 23 Democrat governors working to expand abortion. GovAct is also behind the “Governors Safeguarding Democracy” alliance that is like a Resist Trump 2.0 effort launched just days after Trump won the 2024 election.
Trump admin’s response: HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon <a href="https://apnews.com/article/governors-public-health-alliance-kennedy-7d5f277178697bbdfc228567c6d9f616">called</a> out Democrat governors for “destroy[ing] public trust in public health.” He noted that Democrat-led states “imposed unscientific school closures, toddler mask mandates, and vaccine passports during the COVID era.” He said the Trump administration is rebuilding trust by “grounding every policy in rigorous evidence and Gold Standard Science – not the failed politics of the pandemic.” 
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Louvre Heist</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-989361" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Louvre-Heist-Whodunit-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Louvre-Heist-Whodunit-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Louvre-Heist-Whodunit-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Louvre-Heist-Whodunit-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Louvre-Heist-Whodunit-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Louvre-Heist-Whodunit.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: Investigators are still scrambling for clues after priceless jewels were stolen from the world’s most famous museum during a daring, broad-daylight heist.
On Sunday morning, a half-hour after the Louvre Museum in Paris had opened its doors, four thieves arrived in a construction truck with an electric ladder mounted on top. Two men, posing as construction workers, then ascended to a second-floor facade, where they used special disc cutters to slice holes through the windows.
The thieves entered through the windows to the famed Galerie d’Apollon, home to some of France’s most priceless Crown Jewels. With stunned patrons watching, they smashed two display cases. They removed nine objects, including a large brooch, a pair of emerald earrings, a necklace, and other jewelry belonging to Empress Marie-Louise, the second wife of Napoleon Bonaparte.
The thieves then joined their accomplices on the street, where they escaped on motorbikes, fleeing along the banks of the Seine River. The operation lasted no more than seven minutes.
As the heist went on, museum visitors were ordered to evacuate immediately. Many said they thought the building was on fire or had been struck by terrorists.
French President Emmanuel Macron called the heist an “attack on a heritage that we cherish.” The biggest concern now is that the jewels may never be recovered. Experts say the thieves certainly know they’d likely get caught if they tried to sell them on the black market, so it’s a real possibility they could remove the stones and melt down the precious metals to sell piece by piece. One of the tiaras alone had more than 1,000 diamonds and dozens of sapphires.
One official said the heist wasn’t an art crime, but a “commodity theft.” The jewels they took are of “inestimable worth,” according to the museum.
The haul could have been even larger. In their haste to get away, the thieves abandoned efforts to take the crown of Empress Eugénie, which contained nearly 2,500 diamonds and more than 50 emeralds, though it was damaged during the robbery.
The investigation: Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the robbery was “a major, highly organized operation” carried out by a team that had clearly done scouting. But at the moment, if they have any leads, they aren’t letting the public know.
Speculation has been rampant. Many people wonder if this could’ve been part of an inside job – they want to know if someone on staff at the Louvre could have offered aid. The country’s foreign minister said they weren’t ruling out an inside job.
Others have questioned why these specific jewels were targeted. In the same room they hit lies a display case housing the famous Regent Diamond, a $60 million stone. Even some French officials have expressed confusion over why the thieves, who clearly had done their research, seemingly ignored such a prime target just a few feet away.
Heist hysteria: Just last week, a group of thieves stole a number of collectible clocks from the President Jacques Chirac Museum in the French town of Corrèze. Then last month, a separate heist saw thieves lift $700,000 worth of gold from the French Museum of Natural History. Weeks before that, $11 million worth of porcelain was stolen from yet another museum in the city of Limoges.
This is only the latest heist to hit the Louvre. A diamond-studded sword was stolen back in 1976. Most famous of all, the Mona Lisa was lifted back in 1911. Ultimately, the world-famous portrait painting was located two years later.

MRN_251022_V1

Morning Brief: Govt Gridlock Persists, Dem ‘Shadow’ Health Alliance, & Louvre Heist Intrigue

Morning Brief: Govt Gridlock Persists, Dem ‘Shadow’ Health Agency, And Louvre Heist Intrigue

Department of Health and Human Services

Gavin Newsom

Government Shutdown

JB Pritzker

John Brennan

John Thune

Paris

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

White House

A band of thieves broke into the Louvre Museum in Paris on Sunday, making off with elegant and historically significant pieces of jewelry of “incalculable” value, France’s interior minister said.
In a heist that lasted seven minutes, a group of thieves used a motorized lift on a side of the museum that is under construction to rise above the ground floor. They entered the museum through a window using a glass cutter, according to the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg7nrlkg0zxo">BBC</a>.
Once inside, the thieves threatened security guards, who left the area, before breaking into display cases, grabbing the jewelry, and fleeing the scene on two scooters. Nobody was harmed in the heist, which French Culture Minister Rachida Dati described as “very professional.”
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The stolen items were from the museum’s Apollo Gallery, which houses the crown jewels of past royals of France. The thieves snatched tiaras, earrings, and other items that together contain thousands of diamonds and other jewels.
The stolen items include a tiara, decorative bow, and brooch from Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III. The tiara alone includes 212 pearls, 1,998 diamonds, and 992 rose-cut diamonds, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/world/europe/louvre-heist-items.html">The New York Times</a>.
A sapphire set consisting of a matching tiara, necklace, and earrings were also stolen. The set is of unknown origin, but was worn by royals such as Queen Hortense, the wife of Louis Bonaparte. Queen Marie-Amélie, the wife of Louis Philippe I, also wore the set. The pieces together include 24 Ceylon sapphires, which only <a href="https://deliqagems.com/pages/what-is-ceylon-sapphire?srsltid=AfmBOoqIX_AYcDceCAj4IG1B0VKKoQP7QOUlYcoqjuhWpfK4GPslwlhh">come</a> from Sri Lanka, and 1,083 diamonds.
The bandits also made off with an emerald and diamond necklace presented by Napoleon to his second wife, Marie Louise, as a wedding gift for their marriage in 1810. The necklace includes 32 emeralds and 1,138 diamonds. Included in the Louvre’s set was also a pair of matching earrings that the thieves also stole.
French President Emmanuel Macron pledged in a <a href="https://x.com/EmmanuelMacron/status/1979972585094807626">post</a> on social media that the jewelry would be recovered and the thieves brought to justice. He also said a new “renaissance” project to update the Louvre includes updates that have strengthened the museum’s security.

Louvre Museum

The Louvre Burgled In ‘Very Professional’ Hit, Jewelry Of French Royalty Stolen

Museum

Robbery

France plunged into political chaos on Monday as its National Assembly <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/08/europe/french-prime-minister-confidence-vote-latam-intl">voted to oust</a> Prime Minister François Bayrou, delivering a crushing 364–194 defeat that topples Macron’s third PM in under two years and leaves the country without a government amid mounting debt and economic unrest.
Bayrou’s fall comes after he attempted to push through a €44 billion austerity package — slashing public spending, freezing budgets, and scrapping national holidays. The backlash was swift and decisive: lawmakers pulled the plug, and now France faces yet another leadership vacuum.
President Emmanuel Macron is expected to appoint a new prime minister in the coming days — but insiders say he has no good options left. The opposition has already signaled that any centrist nominee will be dead on arrival.
And while the National Rally — currently the largest party in parliament — would likely dominate any fresh election, Macron knows that outcome would all but guarantee his own political irrelevance.
Marine Le Pen, the National Rally&#8217;s party’s longtime leader and a top contender for the presidency, was banned from running for public office back in April. A court convicted her of misusing European Union funds — a charge she has fiercely denied, calling the trial a politically motivated hit job.
The court handed down a four-year prison sentence (two suspended), and crucially, a five-year ban from holding office, a move that knocked Le Pen out of the 2027 race unless a rapid appeal overturns the decision.
Critics blasted the ruling as part of a broader pattern of “lawfare” — the weaponization of legal systems to eliminate populist challengers.
Former President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/using-lawfare-to-silence-free-speech-trump-slams-witch-hunt-against-marine-le-pen?utm_source=chatgpt.com">called the case</a> “a witch hunt,” comparing it to the legal barrage he’s faced in the U.S. “They got her on a bookkeeping error,” Trump said. “It’s the same corrupt playbook.”
Tech mogul Elon Musk echoed the sentiment: “Free Le Pen.”
With France’s political establishment collapsing from within and its most popular opposition leader barred from taking power, the country stands at a crossroads.
Leftist unions are already planning mass protests this week while investors are bailing. And talk of another snap election looms — one that could hand the Right even more seats, but leave Macron unable to govern.

European Leaders Join Ukrainian President Zelensky For White House Meeting With Trump

France In Freefall: Macron’s Government Collapses

Marine Le Pen

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday morning that he pushed back on a European leader&#8217;s suggestion to wait one or two months before setting up another meeting to discuss a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia.
In a phone interview with &#8220;Fox &amp; Friends,&#8221; Trump said one of the European leaders he met with at the White House on Monday told him they should set up more peace talks &#8220;in a month or two,&#8221; an idea that the president immediately shot down. Trump did not name the European ally in question, only saying he&#8217;s &#8220;a great gentleman&#8221; whom he did not want to offend.
&#8220;I said, &#8216;A month or two? You&#8217;re going to have another 40,000 people dead in a month or two. You have to do it tonight!&#8221; Trump said.
&#8220;And I did, actually,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;I called President Putin and we&#8217;re trying to work out a meeting with President Zelensky.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &#8220;One of the gentlemen&#8230; he said, &#8216;Well, let&#8217;s meet in another month or two&#8230;&#8217; I said, &#8216;A MONTH OR TWO? You&#8217;re going to have another 40,000 people dead in a month or two — you have to do it TONIGHT.&#8217; And I did actually, I called President Putin and we&#8217;re trying to work… <a href="https://t.co/418xxn9apH">pic.twitter.com/418xxn9apH</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1957779870865305750?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
Along with Zelensky, Trump met with European Union President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
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In the middle of the meeting, Trump called Russian President Vladimir Putin to set up a face-to-face meeting with the Ukrainian president. Trump told &#8220;Fox &amp; Friends&#8221; that he did not call Putin in front of the European leaders.
&#8220;I thought that would be disrespectful to President Putin. I wouldn&#8217;t do that because they have not had the warmest relations,&#8221; Trump continued. &#8220;And, actually, President Putin wouldn&#8217;t talk to the people from Europe. That was part of the problem. They had no communication.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on his call with President Putin: &#8220;I didn&#8217;t do it in front of them&#8230; because they have not had the warmest relations &#8230; It was years that he didn&#8217;t speak to anybody from the White House — and it was a long time that he didn&#8217;t speak to anybody from Europe.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/ss7LoSZn5F">pic.twitter.com/ss7LoSZn5F</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1957782144639545613?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
German Chancellor Merz said on Monday evening that Trump successfully <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/putin-zelensky-to-meet-face-to-face-within-two-weeks-german-chancellor?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Putin%2C+Zelensky+To+Meet+Face-To-Face+Within+Two+Weeks%3A+German+Chancellor">set up</a> a meeting between Putin and Zelensky that is set to take place within two weeks. After the Russian and Ukrainian leaders meet one-on-one, Trump said he would step in to take part in a trilateral discussion.
&#8220;We had a very good call, and I told [Putin] that we&#8217;re going to set up a meeting with President Zelensky, and you and he will meet, and then after that meeting, if everything works out okay, I&#8217;ll meet and we&#8217;ll wrap it up,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1957782313737056640">added</a>. &#8220;It takes, in this case, two to tango. They have to have somewhat of a relationship. Otherwise, we&#8217;re just wasting a lot of time. I don&#8217;t want to be doing that. I just want to end it.&#8221;
Both Trump and Zelensky described Monday&#8217;s discussions as constructive. The U.S. president vowed to provide Ukraine with security guarantees if a peace deal is reached with Russia, and Zelensky was open to meeting with Putin to hash out a deal.

Trump Rips European Leader Who Wants To Wait ‘A Month Or Two’ For Next Ukraine-Russia Meeting

Giorgia Meloni

Ukraine-Russia War

Vladimir Putin

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Tuesday, President Donald Trump, in his inimitable style, forcefully dismissed the idea of recognizing a Palestinian state, declaring that it would be rewarding the terrorist group Hamas if such a thing eventuated.
“Is there any use at all in pressuring Israel now to come to some sort of longer-term solution?” a reporter asked.
“Well, you could make the case that you’re rewarding people, that you’re rewarding Hamas if you do that,” Trump replied. “And I don’t think they should be rewarded. So I’m not in that camp, to be honest. We’ll let you know where we are, but I am not in that camp, because if you do that, you really are rewarding Hamas, and I’m not about to do that.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Trump on creating a Palestinian state:
“If you do that, you really are rewarding Hamxs, and I’m not about to do that.” <a href="https://t.co/knZpcgG1E4">pic.twitter.com/knZpcgG1E4</a>
&mdash; Open Source Intel (@Osint613) <a href="https://twitter.com/Osint613/status/1950508644665311254?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
A conference has been held this week by the United Nations, sponsored by Saudi Arabia and France, to discuss the eventual declaration of a Palestinian state, which French President Emanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer support.
Author David Harris pointed out, “In 1938, 2 countries tried to appease genocidal Nazi Germany by sacrificing Czechoslovakia. Britain &amp; France.  In 2025, 2 countries try to appease genocidal #Hamas by sacrificing #Israel. Britain &amp; France.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
In 1938, 2 countries tried to appease genocidal Nazi Germany by sacrificing Czechoslovakia.
Britain &amp; France.
In 2025, 2 countries try to appease genocidal <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hamas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Hamas</a> by sacrificing <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Israel?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Israel</a>.
Britain &amp; France.
&quot;The more things change, the more they stay the same.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/81OOS7pyqj">pic.twitter.com/81OOS7pyqj</a>
&mdash; David Harris (@DavidHarrisNY) <a href="https://twitter.com/DavidHarrisNY/status/1950507961408684152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Famed Israeli hostage Emily Damari, a dual British-Israeli citizen who was held by Hamas for 471 days and lost two fingers after she was seized in the October 7, 2023, massacre Hamas and Gazan citizens perpetrated, in which they killed more than 1200 Israelis, fired back at Starmer:
<blockquote>
As a Dual British-Israeli citizen who survived 471 days in Hamas captivity, I am deeply saddened by your decision @Keir_Starmer to recognise Palestinian statehood. This move does not advance peace — it risks rewarding terror. It sends a dangerous message: that violence earns legitimacy. By legitimising a state entity while Hamas still controls Gaza and continues its campaign of terror, you are not promoting a solution; you are prolonging the conflict. Recognition under these conditions emboldens extremists and undermines any hope for genuine peace. Shame on you.
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
As a Dual British-Israeli citizen who survived 471 days in Hamas captivity, I am deeply saddened by your decision <a href="https://twitter.com/Keir_Starmer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Keir_Starmer</a> to recognise Palestinian statehood. This move does not advance peace—it risks rewarding terror. It sends a dangerous message: that violence earns… <a href="https://t.co/G4DF5AWgjT">https://t.co/G4DF5AWgjT</a>
&mdash; Emily Damari (@EmilyDamari1) <a href="https://twitter.com/EmilyDamari1/status/1950503052282101987?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
After Macron declared he would recognize a Palestinian state, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told Christian broadcaster Tony Perkins:
<blockquote>
If Macron wants to have a secondary motion here for a state for “Palestine,” I suggested that what he should do is just give a part of the French Riviera, because he never said where this nation needs to be, this Palestinian state, or when it should be. So I suggest let’s make it French Riviera, and we can call it “Franc-en-stine.” That way everybody’s happy and Macron gets what he wants.  
And also, when one nation can just declare another place on the earth to be a state, then I think it would be fitting if the U.K. would declare France to be  British colony. Why not? This was outrageous for Macron to do this, and it came at a horrible time. It basically is a reward to Hamas and that’s one of the reasons they became unreasonable in talks to end the war in Gaza.
</blockquote>
Asked about a non-binding resolution, the Israeli Knesset discussed declaring sovereignty over the Biblical areas of Judea and Samaria as the U.N. discussed declaring a Palestinian state, Huckabee replied:
<blockquote>
When Europe and other areas of the world decide they’re going to start telling Israel that it’s got to let Hamas stay in Gaza, or that it’s going to declare unilaterally a Palestinian state, the reaction in Israel is not to surrender. The reaction in Israel is to say, “Okay, you want to do that? Then here’s what we’re gonna do. And what happened in the Knesset this week was a message that should be understood not only in the Palestinian Authority — who were pushing some of these European nations to take this position — but it ought to be a message to the Europeans that when you go out there and you start pushing Israel to surrender, their response is going to be the same any decent country would be: It’s to bow up and say, “Oh, no, we’re not. We’ll just get stronger, tougher, and we’ll dig in.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Zfy4G-Ze72c?si=gd_P4g_24lTmGDZ7" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></blockquote>

President Trump Returns To The White House From Scotland

Trump Warns Against ‘Rewarding Hamas’ With Palestinian Statehood, Bluntly Rejects Two-State Solution

Hamas

Israel

Mike Huckabee

Palestinians

United Nations

The Trump administration says it boycotted a United Nations conference promoting the two-state solution on Monday, calling the event a “publicity stunt” and an “insult.”
“This week, the U.N. will serve as host to an unproductive and ill-timed conference on the two-state solution in New York City,” State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement. “This is a publicity stunt that comes in the middle of delicate diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.”
Bruce said the conference will “prolong the war, embolden Hamas, and reward its obstruction and undermine real-world efforts to achieve peace.”
Instead of participating, Bruce said the United States will continue leading efforts to end the fighting and deliver a permanent peace.
“Our focus remains on serious diplomacy: not stage-managed conferences designed to manufacture the appearance of relevance,” she said.
The boycott comes after President Donald Trump drew attention to what he described as “real starvation” in Gaza.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@POTUS</a> on Gaza: &#8220;We&#8217;ll be helping with the food &#8230; We&#8217;re also going to make sure that they don&#8217;t have barriers stopping people &#8230; We can save a lot of people. That&#8217;s real starvation. I see it, and you can&#8217;t fake that.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/zcFiVYCxrE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/zcFiVYCxrE</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1949819811401273583?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">July 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
“We&#8217;ll be helping with the food,” Trump said. “We can save a lot of people. That&#8217;s real starvation. I see it, and you can&#8217;t fake that.&#8221;
Bruce also criticized French President Emmanuel Macron <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/macron-announces-plans-to-recognize-palestine-as-hamas-upends-ceasefire-talks?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Macron+Announces+Plans+To+Recognize+%E2%80%98Palestine%E2%80%99+As+Hamas+Upends+Ceasefire+Talks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">for announcing</a> that France will formally recognize a Palestinian state this September during the United Nations General Assembly, claiming the move was “welcomed by Hamas.” She added that such announcements obstruct ceasefire negotiations and undercut diplomatic efforts to end the war in Gaza.
“As Secretary Rubio has made clear, this effort is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th and a reward for terrorism,” she said. “It keeps hostages trapped in tunnels.”
Netanyahu <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-blames-hamas-for-ceasefire-collapse-says-terror-group-wants-to-die?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Blames+Hamas+for+Ceasefire+Collapse%2C+Says+Terror+Group+%E2%80%98Wants+To+Die%E2%80%99" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fired back</a> at Macron, claiming the announcement “rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became.”
“A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel — not to live in peace beside it,” Netanyahu added. “Let’s be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel.”
The conference, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, was rescheduled from June to July due to Israel’s war with Iran, according to <a href="https://www.jns.org/us-boycotts-un-conference-on-two-state-solution-calling-it-publicity-stunt/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jewish News Syndicate</a>.
During the opening remarks, United Nations Secretary-General <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-862170" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Antonio Guterres</a> said that participants “must ensure that it does not become another exercise in well-meaning rhetoric.”
“The path to peace starts with recognizing the state of Palestine and preserving it from destruction,” Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa said. “The rights of all peoples must be respected, the sovereignty of all states must be ensured. Palestine, and its people can no longer be the exception.”
There has never been a Palestinian state. Prior to Israeli occupation, Judea and Samaria were occupied by Jordan, and Gaza by Egypt.
Israeli Minister of Finance <a href="https://x.com/bezalelsm/status/1948477377576600027" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Betzalel Smotrich said</a> France’s announcement provides a “compelling reason” to apply Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria.
“I thank President Macron for providing yet another compelling reason to finally apply Israeli sovereignty over the historic regions of Judea and Samaria, and to definitively abandon the failed concept of establishing a Palestinian terrorist state in the heart of the Land of Israel,” he wrote. “This will be our fitting Zionist response to the one-sided pressure and coercive measures led by President Macron and his allies.”
Last week, Israel’s Knesset voted in favor of a declaratory resolution in support of applying Israeli sovereignty to Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley in a vote of 71-13.
“The Knesset affirms that the State of Israel has a natural, historical, and legal right to the entirety of the Land of Israel – the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people,” the resolution <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-862007" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reads</a>. “The Knesset calls upon the cabinet of Israel to act promptly to extend Israeli sovereignty, including law, jurisdiction, and administration, over all areas of Jewish communities, in all its forms, in <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-861776" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley</a>.”
More than 500,000 Israelis live in Judea and Samaria.

Trump Administration Boycotts UN ‘Publicity Stunt’ Conference On Palestinian Statehood

Palestine

French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday that France will formally recognize a Palestinian state this September during the United Nations General Assembly.
In <a href="https://x.com/EmmanuelMacron/status/1948462359468802252" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a post on X</a>, Macron framed the move as part of a broader effort to fulfill France’s commitment to “a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.”
The announcement comes just hours after talks for a ceasefire and hostage deal fell through due to Hamas not acting “in good faith,” <a href="https://x.com/SEPeaceMissions/status/1948427713687040473" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff.
“We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza,” Witkoff wrote. “It is a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way.”
Macron outlined five key priorities: ending the war in Gaza, securing the release of hostages, delivering humanitarian aid to Gazans, demilitarizing Hamas, and rebuilding the Gaza Strip.
Macron wrote that it is “essential to build the State of Palestine, ensure its viability, and enable it, by accepting its demilitarization and fully recognizing Israel, to contribute to the security of all in the Middle East.”
“There is no alternative,” he added.
Macron said his decision followed commitments made to him by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas is currently in his 20th year of what was originally a four-year term.
France is the most influential European country to recognize a Palestinian state, joining more than a dozen others — including Spain, Norway, Ireland, and Sweden. All told, over 140 countries have recognized a Palestinian state.
Israel has strongly opposed the establishment of a Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria, also known as the West Bank and Gaza, and says doing so now would reward the terrorists who murdered over 1,000 Israelis on October 7, 2023.
“Macron’s recognition of a Palestinian state after the October 7th massacre isn’t diplomacy; it’s moral collapse,” Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett <a href="https://x.com/naftalibennett/status/1948467824974070119?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1948467824974070119%7Ctwgr%5Edf79465ad3901908a5438dac8f5558f2b354374c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jpost.com%2Finternational%2Farticle-862175" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted to X</a> in response. “It rewards mass murder and tells Islamist terrorists: kill Jews, and the world will hand you a state. This shameful decision will be tossed into the dustbin of history.”
There has never been a Palestinian state. Prior to Israeli occupation, Judea and Samaria were occupied by Jordan, and Gaza by Egypt.
Israeli Minister of Finance <a href="https://x.com/bezalelsm/status/1948477377576600027" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Betzalel Smotrich said</a> France&#8217;s announcement provides a &#8220;compelling reason&#8221; to apply Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria.
&#8220;I thank President Macron for providing yet another compelling reason to finally apply Israeli sovereignty over the historic regions of Judea and Samaria, and to definitively abandon the failed concept of establishing a Palestinian terrorist state in the heart of the Land of Israel,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;This will be our fitting Zionist response to the one-sided pressure and coercive measures led by President Macron and his allies.&#8221;
On Wednesday, Israel’s Knesset voted in favor of a declaratory resolution in support of applying Israeli sovereignty to Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley in a vote of 71-13.
“The Knesset affirms that the State of Israel has a natural, historical, and legal right to the entirety of the Land of Israel – the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people,” the resolution <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-862007">reads</a>. “The Knesset calls upon the cabinet of Israel to act promptly to extend Israeli sovereignty, including law, jurisdiction, and administration, over all areas of Jewish communities, in all its forms, in <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-861776" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley</a>.
More than 500,000 Israelis live in Judea and Samaria.

European Union Leaders on Day Two of Summit

Macron Announces Plans To Recognize ‘Palestine’ As Hamas Upends Ceasefire Talks

Judea and Samaria

Steve Witkoff

West Bank

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