Imagine facing your nation’s Supreme Court for the “crime” of sharing a Bible verse. On October 30, that’s the reality for Päivi Räsänen, a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-finnish-court-to-hear-case-on-politician-charged-over-sharing-bible-verse?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Top+Finnish+Court+To+Hear+Case+On+Politician+Charged+Over+Sharing+Bible+Verse">Finnish grandmother</a>, medical doctor, and parliamentarian. Her soon-to-be seven-year ordeal began in 2019, when she questioned her church’s support for Helsinki Pride and posted a Bible verse on X. That single tweet triggered 13 hours of police interrogation, two full trials, and now a third prosecution under Finland’s “hate speech” law.
Räsänen’s case might sound like an exclusively European story — but it also serves as a warning about the growing threat of censorship coming from the EU. While someone living outside of Europe might assume they are exempt from the troubling wave of censorship spreading across the continent, that assumption is dangerously mistaken.
The EU has implemented an online censorship law that could turn stories like Päivi’s into a legalized norm. The law, known as <a href="https://adfinternational.org/es/article/digital-services-act-unpacked">The Digital Services Act</a> (DSA), poses one of the greatest threats to free speech online, not just in Europe, but worldwide.
Presented as a way to create a “safe online environment,” the DSA is in fact a sweeping censorship regime. It compels major online platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, X, and Google to take down “illegal content” or face crippling fines of up to 6% of their global revenue. For companies like Apple or Meta, that could mean billions. With penalties this steep, platforms have every incentive to preemptively over-censor content, not just in Europe, but everywhere.
And what counts as “illegal” content? That depends on the varying laws of 27 EU member states. One country’s vague definition of “hate speech” or “misinformation” can ripple outward, forcing platforms to delete content across the entire internet. What Brussels bureaucrats decide could silence speech in Boston or Boise — posts fully protected by the First Amendment, gone in an instant.
The enforcement system makes this worse. The DSA empowers “trusted flaggers,” which can include activist groups, regulators, or even private entities, to demand removals. The European Commission itself sits at the top, monitoring and punishing companies that don’t comply. In practice, this means platforms will act first and ask questions later, scrubbing lawful speech before it can cause “problems” in Europe.
<div id="attachment_652929" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-652929" class="size-large wp-image-652929" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Screen-Shot-2023-11-14-at-7.01.23-AM-1024x573.png" alt="Päivi Räsänen" width="1024" height="573" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Screen-Shot-2023-11-14-at-7.01.23-AM-1024x573.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Screen-Shot-2023-11-14-at-7.01.23-AM-300x168.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Screen-Shot-2023-11-14-at-7.01.23-AM-768x430.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Screen-Shot-2023-11-14-at-7.01.23-AM-1536x859.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/Screen-Shot-2023-11-14-at-7.01.23-AM.png 1573w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Credit: Alliance Defending Freedom International</div>
Päivi Räsänen’s case shows what happens when governments weaponize vague speech laws: peaceful expression treated as criminal conduct. The DSA threatens to make this dynamic global. By institutionalizing vague categories like “hate speech” and “disinformation,” it builds the <a href="https://constitutionaldiscourse.com/the-eu-digital-services-act-and-freedom-of-expression-friends-or-foes/">architecture for censorship</a> that knows no borders.
Americans should not be lulled into thinking this is someone else’s problem. The internet is global, and so are the platforms that host our speech. Already, U.S. lawmakers — from the House Judiciary Committee to Vice President JD Vance — have warned that the DSA could chill <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/jim-jordan-presses-european-commission-for-answers-over-eu-social-media-law-henna-virkkunen-digital-services-act/">constitutionally protected expression</a> here at home. The danger isn’t hypothetical: EU officials have already floated the possibility of censoring American <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/technology/4824438-eu-sends-warning-letter-to-musk-ahead-of-trump-interview/">political figures under the law.</a>
The stakes are enormous. If the EU succeeds in exporting its censorship regime, authoritarian governments worldwide are likely to use it as a blueprint. They will point to Brussels as justification for their own crackdowns. Already, we’ve seen Europe attempt to export the DSA model abroad. For example, at the EU-Canada Summit, Canada and the EU agreed to advance a Digital Trade Agreement that <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/price-testimony.pdf">expands the reach of DSA principles.</a>
Free speech does not stop at national borders. If America cares about freedom of expression, it must push back against the DSA and its creeping global reach. Päivi Räsänen’s trial is a human face on what’s at stake. Her courage reminds us that when governments claim the power to police speech, no voice is safe.
* * *
Lorcan Price is an Irish barrister and legal counsel for ADF International.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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Europe’s Digital Speech Police Won’t Stop At The Border

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The U.S. military destroys a drug boat from Venezuela as a federal judge tries to block President Trump from using the National Guard for law enforcement in Los Angeles. A massive populist backlash against mass migration is fueling a historic political shift to the Right across Europe. The FDA restricts access to COVID vaccines for healthy Americans as President Trump demands Big Pharma release its data and questions his own Operation Warp Speed.
It’s Wednesday, September 3, 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’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<h2>U.S. Military Sinks Drug Boat, Judge Blocks Trump in L.A.</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-968047" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH1-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH1.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: The U.S. military destroyed a boat allegedly carrying drugs from Venezuela on Tuesday, the most dramatic move yet in the Trump administration&#8217;s war on cartels, as a federal judge in California ruled against the president&#8217;s use of the National Guard for domestic law enforcement. 
As part of an &#8220;enhanced counter narcotics operation,&#8221; the U.S. military has deployed at least eight warships to the Caribbean. &#8220;We just, over the last few minutes, shot out a drug-carrying boat,&#8221; President Trump announced Tuesday. &#8220;These came out of Venezuela.&#8221; The action follows the president&#8217;s designation of several large drug cartels as terror organizations, allowing for a more aggressive military approach. 
Meanwhile, a district judge in San Francisco ruled Tuesday that Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles to protect federal property and aid immigration enforcement was illegal. The judge, Charles Breyer, barred guardsmen from engaging in law enforcement activities. The Trump administration will appeal the ruling, which has been put on hold for ten days. A federal appeals court previously reversed a similar ruling from Breyer in June. 
In other administration news, the Pentagon will send up to 600 of its lawyers to the Justice Department to serve as temporary immigration judges, a move intended to clear a 3-million-person backlog and speed up deportations. President Trump also announced that the U.S. Space Command Headquarters will be relocated to Huntsville, Alabama, a move the White House says will save nearly half a billion dollars.
&nbsp;
<h2>Europe Sees Historic Shift to the Right Amid Migrant Backlash</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-968045" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH2-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH2-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH2.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: For the first time in modern history, right-wing populist parties are leading the polls in Europe&#8217;s three largest economies — France, Germany, and the United Kingdom — driven by a massive public backlash against mass migration. 
&#8220;Immigration is the number one factor driving all of these movements,&#8221; Alvino-Mario Fantini, editor-in-chief of the European Conservative, told Morning Wire. Since 2015, an estimated 25 to 30 million immigrants, primarily from Muslim countries, have entered Europe, leading to a culture clash and widespread anger over the high costs of housing and welfare for migrants. 
As a result, nationalist parties like Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, France’s National Rally, and Germany’s Alternative for Germany are now topping the polls in their respective countries. 
The establishment parties have responded with what many conservative analysts call &#8220;lawfare,&#8221; similar to tactics used against the MAGA movement in the U.S. In France, National Rally leader Marine Le Pen was convicted of misusing E.U. funds and banned from running for office for five years. In Germany, the country’s intelligence agency has classified the Alternative for Germany party as an “extremist” group, which could be used to ban its members from public office.
&nbsp;
<h2>FDA Restricts COVID Vax as Trump Questions Warp Speed</h2>
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Topline: The FDA has removed the emergency use authorization for COVID vaccines, restricting their availability for healthy Americans, as President Trump is now publicly questioning his own Operation Warp Speed and demanding that pharmaceutical companies release their data on the shots. 
The FDA has removed the &#8220;emergency use authorization&#8221; that allowed widespread access to COVID vaccines during the pandemic. While high-risk individuals can still get the vaccine, healthy people will now need a recommendation from a physician. FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary said the agency doesn&#8217;t &#8220;have data [on] healthy Americans, so we’re not recommending it for healthy Americans,&#8221; adding that the change makes future vaccine mandates &#8220;legally impossible.&#8221; 
The move comes as President Trump has taken a more critical tone on the vaccines. In a post on Truth Social, he demanded that companies like Pfizer &#8220;justify&#8221; the success of the drugs and release their data to the public. In a notable shift, he also questioned his own signature program, writing, “I hope OPERATION WARP SPEED was as ‘BRILLIANT’ as many say it was. If not, we all want to know about it, and why???” 
The policy changes follow a major shakeup at the CDC, where HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently fired the director, prompting several other top officials to resign and nine former directors to write an op-ed condemning Kennedy. NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya responded by noting that the former directors criticizing Kennedy were the same ones who &#8220;embraced politicized school closures and covid vaccine mandates.”

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Morning Brief: US Military Strikes Drug Boat, Rise Of European Populism & COVID Vax Pullback

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George Carlin had his seven words you can’t say on TV, but today there is only one ineffable (un-sayable) word in American public life. You all know what it is. That one-word ban is due to the unique history and politics of the United States.
Are there any ineffable political beliefs?
In America, not yet. The Constitution’s First Amendment allows us to speak our minds. Other than calling for violent overthrow of the government or the immediate commission of a crime, we can say what we want. That includes bizarre, unpleasant, or even insane beliefs.
But in Australia, Canada, and Europe, free speech on asylum, migration, and national identity is increasingly being curtailed by law.
Western countries are undergoing massive, and often unpopular, demographic change. In democracies, the people have the right to discuss all political issues and decide what their own future should be. Yet increasingly, speech is prescribed, especially in the English-speaking world.
The news site Axios recently <a href="https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-am-0229ba50-fb70-47e4-924a-ed4b931d1c13.html?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter_axiosam&amp;stream=top">wrote</a> that &#8220;[i]n MAGA&#8217;s telling, America is the heir to ancient European civilizations, built on a Judeo-Christian foundation of white identity, meritocracy and traditional gender roles.&#8221; Axios is clearly trying to be critical here, but what’s their issue?
I’d substitute the race-baiting term “white” with the more accurate “European,” and add something about free markets and free speech, but Axios describes exactly why millions flee the Third World and what they&#8217;re coming to. But as Western countries absorb those millions, the rules on what speech and conduct is acceptable are changing to accommodate them, with government complicity.
As popular dissent grows, opposing the progressive establishment’s insistence that migration is an unalloyed good is increasingly risky. Being a nationalist, meaning putting your nation first. Calling to limit all — not just illegal — migration. Criticizing over-generous and easily-gamed asylum systems.
Advocating for indigenous rights for Europeans. Citing official <a href="https://www.azerbaycan24.com/en/german-politician-convicted-for-sharing-migrant-crime-stats/">statistics</a> that show nationals of some countries commit violent crime at rates many times that of natives. Citing <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/09/14/britain-pay-for-costs-low-skilled-migration-for-generations/">studies</a> that show low-skilled migrants actually take more in benefits from the fiscal pot over their lifetime than they put in. All these can land one in hot water in some supposedly free countries that are close U.S. allies.
The most toxic topic is the war in the Middle East, which has little connection to the lives of everyday Westerners but inspires demonstrations from <a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/01/13/1224641296/gaza-dc-march-ceasefire-israel-protest">Washington</a>, D.C. to <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/570172/watch-pro-palestinian-protests-across-country-call-on-government-to-sanction-israel">Wellington</a>, NZ.
A two-tier attitude to free speech is rapidly developing across the Anglophone world, where provocative behavior is tolerated from supporters of Palestinians that would have been unimaginable only a generation ago.
In Australia, thousands of <a href="https://apnews.com/video/thousands-rally-at-pro-palestinian-marches-across-australia-1409f7e23ca2493085aa77bc8d361eba">protesters</a> took to the streets recently “demanding that the Australian government take action against Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza,” according to AP News. They chanted “free, free Palestine,” as they waved a Palestinian flags.
In Canada, the group <a href="https://x.com/mtl4palestine/status/1953598884489674804">Montreal4 Palestine</a> has held public Muslim <a href="https://x.com/ThevoiceAlexa/status/1957223530539454540?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1957223530539454540%7Ctwgr%5E2b5d1b302916d487c1c2c13a5cb72e0e7e937e65%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rebelnews.com%2Fwatch_protesters_face_off_against_islamic_public_prayer_in_montreal">prayers</a> outside the Basilica of Notre Dame. Quebec is a French-speaking province and heavily Catholic. The symbolism of Muslim prayers in front of a prominent Catholic church, under flapping Palestinian flags, is powerful. Montreal4 Palestine protesters held a banner saying “we fight, we liberate, we return,” a slogan echoing the goals of Hamas. An opposing group of <a href="https://x.com/ThevoiceAlexa/status/1957205906225049709?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1957205906225049709%7Ctwgr%5E2b5d1b302916d487c1c2c13a5cb72e0e7e937e65%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rebelnews.com%2Fwatch_protesters_face_off_against_islamic_public_prayer_in_montreal">counter-protesters</a> carrying Quebec flags and playing patriotic songs was much smaller.
Meanwhile in England, indigenous people are <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/england-flag-displays-powerful-symbol-immigration-fight-trump-style-populism-sweeps-through-uk">flying</a> the English flag, a cross of St. George on a white background. Some are doing so spontaneously, and others as part of <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/england-flag-displays-powerful-symbol-immigration-fight-trump-style-populism-sweeps-through-uk">Operation Raise the Colours</a>. Critics try and tie it all to far-right extremism, but there is a groundswell to this movement that exceeds the tiny numbers of the radical right in Great Britain.
The London borough of Tower Hamlets and the City Council of Birmingham tore down English flags that had been hung in the streets. The symbolism is clear there too. In Tower Hamlets, Bangladeshis outnumber indigenous (white) British, and the non-English reportedly dominate government-subsidized housing.
Birmingham, a town in the middle of England, was 99.6% indigenous in 1951, but a decade ago, the Daily Mail <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2755654/The-changing-face-Britain-A-child-Birmingham-likely-Muslim-Christian.html">reported</a> that “a child in Birmingham is now more likely to be a Muslim than Christian.” Since then, the country has seen mass migration from countries including Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Somalia. Today, indigenous British in Birmingham are under 50%.
The U.K.’s left-wing national broadcaster, the BBC, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx271162ee3o">hints</a> that anyone raising the English or British flags must be a right-wing extremist. The left-wing newspaper the Guardian predictably <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/aug/20/row-grows-over-motives-behind-england-flag-campaign-far-right-racist">claims</a> that putting up English and British flags &#8220;may offer cover for far-right agendas.&#8221; By “far-right,” they include opposition to mass migration, concern about increased sexual violence against girls and women, and fear of cultural disintegration.
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Opposing mass migration is now an ineffable political position in the left-wing dominated academia, civil service, and media. But it is perfectly understandable and legitimate reaction to enormous demographic change across the Western world.
If current policies and trends continue, that change will make indigenous British a minority in their land within a few generations. Other countries like France and Germany are not far behind. This fate is not inevitable, it is a choice. It will only happen if the people accept it and elect governments accordingly. Putting out more flags perhaps signals that they won’t.
* * *
Simon Hankinson is a senior research fellow in The Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center and the author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ten-Woke-Commandments-Must-Obey/dp/1680533614">&#8220;The Ten Woke Commandments (You Must Not Obey)&#8221;</a> from Academica Books.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

More Than 50,000 Migrants Have Crossed The Channel To The UK Since Labour Came To Power

The Unspeakable Truth About Mass Migration

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As the media and Democrats fulminate over President Trump&#8217;s supposed capitulation to Vladimir Putin, precisely the opposite seems to be happening.
But leave it to the media and the Left to deliberately misinterpret what is going on.
On Monday, President Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/with-historic-zelensky-visit-donald-trump-moves-the-world-one-step-closer-to-peace?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=14&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=With+Historic+Zelensky+Visit%2C+Donald+Trump+Moves+The+World+One+Step+Closer+To+Peace">met with</a> Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, along with a bunch of European leaders.
Everything seems to be moving toward Ukrainian territorial concessions in return for serious security guarantees for Ukraine.
Those guarantees would presumably be some form of European trigger force in Ukraine that would implicate a mutual defense pact. It wouldn&#8217;t exactly be NATO, but it would be NATO-lite. The problem is that to be a credible deterrent, you need tens of thousands of troops.
The second possibility is a trip-wire force that would trigger the possibility of the mutual defense coming into effect if Russia were to walk across the border.
A third possibility would be a kind of observer force, perhaps a few hundred troops or so, to report on incoming military action, which could be accomplished with satellites and ground cameras.
Of course, all of this flies in the face of the fact that Russia wants to leave Ukraine utterly defenseless and prostrate before them.
But here’s the thing: The fact that President Trump is willing to hold Russia&#8217;s feet to the fire by even talking about these kinds of significant security guarantees is a major move from the president, and pretending that it&#8217;s a pro-Russia move is silly. If there were a significant security guarantee, a sort of NATO-lite and Article Five-lite approach to Ukraine in exchange for territorial concessions in Donbas, that would be a masterstroke from the president of the United States, because otherwise this war just keeps going.
All of Trump’s forward movement on this issue is to the great consternation of both the media and the Democrats, who claim that Donald Trump was a Putin catspaw. They thought that Trump was going to welcome Zelensky to the White House yesterday by berating him and telling him he needed to basically surrender in the war: No security guarantees, no economic health, no nothing.
None of that happened. In fact, it was pretty warm. You could see Trump and Zelensky getting along. This was not an antagonistic meeting.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2262-the-ben-shapiro-show?elementPosition=2&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h3>
One of the things that Zelensky also said is that as part of any of the security guarantees put forward by Europe and the United States, Ukraine would buy $90 billion in American weapons via Europe. The rest of the NATO nations and the United States military would benefit from it. The defense industries in the United States would end up benefiting from that. He expressed gratitude to both President Trump as well as the EU leaders for their hard work on the possibility of a peace deal.
There are still a lot of steps to go. We still have to see whether Vladimir Putin actually is interested in ending the war in any serious way.
As I’ve said before, a good thing about President Trump is that he&#8217;s heterodox in his views, which means he does very creative things. But if things don&#8217;t happen, he will respond. He&#8217;s responsive. He doesn&#8217;t just stick with an idea, no matter what.
The idea that endless diplomacy is something that President Trump is going to pursue here is not true. If Russia does not come to the table, if he feels that Putin is jacking him around again, he&#8217;ll walk away. He is not going to be bullied by Vladimir Putin here.
Trump remains optimistic, saying that he thinks that Putin wants to make a deal.
For the media and the Left to pretend that somehow Trump is doing Putin&#8217;s work here is to ignore everything that&#8217;s actually going on in favor of a pre-established narrative.
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Even Michael McFaul, who was President Obama&#8217;s Russian ambassador, <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5459351-mcfaul-praises-trump-peace-efforts/">admitted</a> that Trump is actually doing a pretty good job here. “I think this was a very positive meeting,” he said. “And whoever had the idea to bring all these European leaders together, in addition to President Zelensky, that was a brilliant, brilliant idea. And having it come so quickly after Alaska was also very important because now they&#8217;ve changed the talking points here. Just in this meeting alone, they&#8217;ve walked back some of the positions that the president was echoing, when he met with President Putin. So this is very positive progress.”
If you&#8217;re honest —even if you&#8217;re a Democrat — you should be acknowledging that President Trump not only is not doing anything wrong here, he&#8217;s actually moving the ball forward.
To pretend that this was somehow a gigantic Trump capitulation to Putin is to ignore the actual reality of the situation, and it demonstrates the wild disconnect between reality and what Democrats think of President Trump.
But then, Democrats and reality are like oil and water.

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Could Trump’s Masterstroke End The Russia-Ukraine War?

Could Trump's Masterstroke End The Russia-Ukraine War?

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Vladimir Putin

Volodymyr Zelensky

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.

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

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

Emmanuel Macron

Giorgia Meloni

Keir Starmer

Politics

President Trump hosts Ukrainian President Zelensky and European leaders at the White House to push for a peace deal that would require Ukraine to cede territory. An illegal immigrant with a California-issued commercial driver&#8217;s license kills three in a Florida crash, reigniting the battle over sanctuary state policies. Texas Democrats end their standoff and return to the state, paving the way for a new GOP-drawn congressional map as California plans its own gerrymandering in response.
It’s Tuesday, August 19, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
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<h2>Trump Pushes for Peace Deal at White House Summit</h2>
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Topline: President Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and a delegation of European leaders at the White House on Monday to discuss a framework for ending the war with Russia, emphasizing a peace deal over a ceasefire.
Following his meeting with Vladimir Putin last week, President Trump is now pushing for Ukraine to accept a peace deal that would end the war, but result in significant territorial concessions. The diplomatic balancing act puts Zelensky in a difficult position. If he agrees to the deal, he ends the war and secures a U.S.-backed security guarantee, but he breaks his promise to the Ukrainian people that he would never cede land to Putin. If he refuses, he risks alienating his most important ally.
Trump reiterated on Monday that he wants to move quickly toward a final peace deal, rather than a ceasefire, which he argued could create a &#8220;strategic disadvantage for one side or the other.” While no deal was reached, the meeting was a sign of improving relations between Trump and European leaders, many of whom praised the president for the progress made in recent weeks.
The diplomatic push comes as Ukrainian public opinion has dramatically shifted. A recent <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/693203/ukrainian-support-war-effort-collapses.aspx">Gallup</a> poll shows that 69% of Ukrainians now support an immediate peace, a complete reversal from 2022 when 73% wanted to fight until victory.
<h2>Illegal Immigrant With CA License Kills Three in Florida Crash</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-962109" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.19.25-SH2-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.19.25-SH2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.19.25-SH2-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.19.25-SH2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.19.25-SH2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.19.25-SH2.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: An illegal immigrant who obtained a commercial driver&#8217;s license in the sanctuary state of California has been charged with killing three people in a vehicular homicide in Florida, sparking new outrage over sanctuary policies.
Harjinder Singh, a 28-year-old illegal immigrant from India, was driving a semi-truck on the <a href="https://www.flhsmv.gov/2025/08/16/illegal-u-turn-truck-driver-arrested-for-vehicular-homicide/">Florida</a> turnpike last week when he allegedly attempted an illegal U-turn, causing a collision that killed all three occupants of a minivan. Singh entered the U.S. illegally in California in 2018 and was able to obtain a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) in the state.
The incident has reignited the national debate over sanctuary policies. A DHS spokesperson <a href="https://x.com/DHSgov/status/1957433429689020919">said</a> in a statement, &#8220;Three innocent people were killed in Florida because Gavin Newsom’s California DMV issued an illegal alien a Commercial Driver’s License—this state of governance is asinine.” Governor Newsom&#8217;s office has attempted to shift blame, claiming the Trump administration issued Singh a work permit, but DHS says the permit was rejected under Trump and later approved under the Biden administration.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R), who signed a ban on sanctuary city policies in his state, expressed shock that a man who he said doesn&#8217;t even speak English was issued a CDL in California. DHS issued a statement asking, &#8220;How many more innocent people have to die before Gavin Newsom stops playing games with the safety of the American public?”
<h2>Texas Redistricting Resumes as CA Plans Retaliation</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-962107" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.19.25-SH3-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.19.25-SH3-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.19.25-SH3-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.19.25-SH3-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.19.25-SH3-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.19.25-SH3.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: The Texas Democrats who fled the state to block a Republican-led redistricting effort have returned, paving the way for the GOP to pass a new map that could net them five House seats.
After fleeing the state for weeks to deny Republicans a quorum, the protesting Democrats have returned to the state capital. Their effort failed to stop the new congressional map, which is now on the agenda for a new special session called by Governor Greg Abbott (R). The returning lawmakers now face hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines, at a rate of $500 per day for their absence. Governor Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) are also seeking to have 13 of the lawmakers removed from office.
In response to the Texas GOP&#8217;s move, California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) is asking voters in his state to approve a measure in a special election to temporarily suspend California&#8217;s independent redistricting commission. This would allow the state&#8217;s Democrat-supermajority legislature to gerrymander its own map to gain five House seats and &#8220;neuter&#8221; the Republican gains in Texas. Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), who led the effort to create the independent commission, is leading the opposition to Newsom’s plan.

MRN 8.19.25 Thumbnail V1

Morning Brief: Trump Hosts European Leaders For Peace Talks, Sanctuary Outrage, Texas Redistricting

California

Illegal Immigration

India

Sanctuary Cities

Texas

U.S.

President Donald Trump is set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and seven other European leaders at the White House on Monday afternoon to discuss a possible end to the Ukraine-Russia war.
The meeting was set up by Trump following his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday. After talking with Putin for nearly two hours, Trump has provided few details on what was discussed, but said that a ceasefire agreement is now up to Zelensky and Ukraine.
Here&#8217;s what to expect during the high-stakes talks on Monday
<h3>Who?</h3>
Along with Zelensky, numerous European leaders will meet with Trump at the White House.
<ul>
<li>European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen</li>
<li>French President Emmanuel Macron</li>
<li>British Prime Minister Keir Starmer</li>
<li>German Chancellor Friedrich Merz</li>
<li>Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni</li>
<li>Finnish President Alexander Stubb</li>
<li>NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte</li>
</ul>
<h3>When?</h3>
European leaders are expected to arrive at the White House at noon ET. Trump and Zelensky will meet first at around 1:00 p.m., with Vice President JD Vance also expected to join the meeting, according to <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5457168-trump-putin-zelensky-european-leaders/">The Hill</a>. The last time Trump, Zelensky, and Vance met in the Oval Office on February 28, the Ukrainian leader was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-and-vance-clash-with-zelensky-in-fiery-white-house-meeting">blasted</a> by the president and vice president over his handling of the war and his continued requests for U.S. assistance.
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At 2:15 p.m., Trump will greet the other European leaders in the State Dining Room, and at 3:00 p.m., they will meet for discussions in the East Room, with Zelensky also joining them.
Before the meeting with Trump, the European leaders are expected to meet with Zelensky to prepare for discussions with the U.S. president, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/08/18/us/trump-zelensky-ukraine-putin/217ff917-4652-568f-9310-35175d8312a7?smid=url-share">reported</a>.
<h3>What&#8217;s At Stake?</h3>
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-zelensky-can-end-war-with-russia-almost-immediately?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Trump+Says+Zelensky+Can+End+War+With+Russia+%E2%80%98Almost+Immediately%E2%80%99">said</a> on Sunday night that an end to the more than three-year war between Ukraine and Russia is within reach, and a peace deal rests at the feet of Zelensky. The president wrote on Truth Social that Zelensky &#8220;can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight.&#8221;
Trump also suggested that Ukraine should not expect to get back Crimea or join NATO. Trump previously said that Ukraine and Russia could agree to a land swap.
&#8220;Remember how it started,” Trump added on Truth Social. “No getting back Obama given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!”
Hours before the major meeting at the White House, Russia launched more strikes on Ukraine, killing at least seven people, according to Ukrainian authorities.
&#8220;Russians are deliberately killing people, particularly children. As of now, seven people have been killed as a result of the drone strike in Kharkiv, the youngest being a girl who is only a year and a half old, and dozens have been injured, including children,&#8221; Zelensky said.
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Zelensky suggested on Sunday night that Ukraine would continue to fight for its eastern regions, where Russian forces are currently occupying much of the territory. The Ukrainian president said in a <a href="https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1957271398902039032">post</a> on X, &#8220;We all share a strong desire to end this war quickly and reliably. And peace must be lasting. Not like it was years ago, when Ukraine was forced to give up Crimea and part of our East—part of Donbas—and Putin simply used it as a springboard for a new attack.&#8221;
&#8220;Ukrainians are fighting for their land, for their independence,&#8221; Zelensky added. &#8220;Now, our soldiers have successes in Donetsk and Sumy regions. I am confident that we will defend Ukraine, effectively guarantee security, and that our people will always be grateful to President Trump, everyone in America, and every partner and ally for their support and invaluable assistance.&#8221;
While it remains unclear what exactly Trump and Putin discussed in Anchorage, the U.S. president said he agreed with Putin on &#8220;one or two significant items.&#8221; Trump <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1956523310927278343?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1956523310927278343%7Ctwgr%5Eb71cfff2b38dbd6dd22e3fdbbd5ab3ac5b699f95%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fgo.arena.im%2Fembed%3Fpublisher%3Ddaily-wireevent%3DTyx2fewv%3D2">added</a> on Friday night, &#8220;As far as I&#8217;m concerned, there&#8217;s no deal until there&#8217;s a deal, but we did make a lot of progress.&#8221;
Trump has been criticized for meeting with Putin by Democrats and the legacy media, who argue that the talks gave the Russian dictator legitimacy without much progress being made toward a peace deal. Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-slams-media-as-sunday-show-hosts-pan-putin-summit-these-people-are-sick?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Sunday+Show+Hosts+Pan+Putin+Summit%2C+And+Trump+Hits+Back%3A+%E2%80%98These+People+Are+Sick%21%E2%80%99">fired back</a> at his critics, calling them &#8220;sick.&#8221;
“The Fake News has been saying for 3 days that I suffered a ‘major defeat’ by allowing President Vladimir Putin of Russia to have a major Summit in the United States,” Trump wrote, adding, “Actually, he would have loved doing the meeting anywhere else but the U.S., and the Fake News knows this. It was a major point of contention! If we had the Summit elsewhere, the Democrat run and controlled media would have said what a terrible thing THAT was.&#8221;
“These people are sick!” he added.

Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky

What To Watch For During Trump’s High-Stakes Meeting With Zelensky And European Leaders

Ukraine

Following his summit with Vladimir Putin, President Trump will host Ukrainian President Zelensky and European leaders at the White House today to push for a peace deal. A leaked memo reveals Meta knowingly allowed its AI chatbots to engage in &#8220;romantic&#8221; conversations with children, prompting bipartisan calls for a congressional investigation. Republican-led states are sending National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., to support President Trump&#8217;s federal crime crackdown, which has already resulted in hundreds of arrests.
It’s Monday, August 18, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
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<h2>Trump Hosts Zelensky, European Leaders for Peace Talks</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-961759 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH1.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="1080" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH1.jpg 1920w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH1-1536x864.jpg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>
&nbsp;
Topline: After his high-stakes meeting with Vladimir Putin on Friday, President Trump is hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and key European leaders at the White House today in an effort to broker a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine. 
While Friday&#8217;s three-hour summit between Trump and Putin did not result in a final deal, both sides expressed optimism that progress was made. The most significant development came on Sunday, when White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff announced that Putin had agreed to allow Western-backed, Article 5-like security guarantees for Ukraine — a major concession. 
The focus now shifts to today’s meeting at the White House, where Zelensky will be joined by the leaders of the U.K., France, Germany, and others. The central issue is whether Ukraine is willing to cede territory — specifically the Donbas region — which Trump has indicated is a requirement for a peace deal. 
&#8220;You can&#8217;t have a deal between two warring factions unless both sides agree to give up something and both sides agree that the other side gets something,&#8221; Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. 
<h2>Leaked Memo Shows Meta Allowed ‘Romantic’ Chatbots for Kids</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-961761 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH2.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="1080" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH2.jpg 1920w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH2-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH2-1536x864.jpg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>
&nbsp;
Topline: A leaked internal memo has revealed that Meta knowingly allowed its artificial intelligence chatbots to engage in “sensual” and “romantic” conversations with children, sparking bipartisan outrage and calls for a congressional investigation. 
The memo, obtained by Reuters, outlined Meta’s internal standards for chatbot behavior on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. It revealed that while explicit dialogue was forbidden, &#8220;romantic sounding conversations&#8221; were permitted. Examples of acceptable language included a bot telling a child, &#8220;your youthful form is a work of art,&#8221; or telling a shirtless eight-year-old, &#8220;every inch of you is a masterpiece.&#8221; The investigation found that Meta&#8217;s legal, public policy, and engineering staff all signed off on the policies.
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Meta has confirmed the memo&#8217;s authenticity, but claimed the interactions were never supposed to be allowed. The revelations have prompted swift, bipartisan backlash, with Republican Senators Josh Hawley (MO) and Marsha Blackburn (TN), and Democratic Senator Ron Wyden (WA) all calling for an immediate investigation. The scandal has revived calls for stronger child protection laws, such as the Kids Online Safety Act, which stalled in the House last year. 
<h2>Republican States Send Troops to Support D.C. Crackdown</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-961765 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH3-1.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="1080" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH3-1.jpg 1920w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH3-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH3-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH3-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH3-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>
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Topline: Three Republican-led states are sending National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., to support President Trump&#8217;s federal crime crackdown, which has already resulted in hundreds of arrests and the clearing of dozens of homeless encampments. 
In response to a call for more manpower from President Trump, West Virginia, South Carolina, and Ohio have pledged to send a combined total of over 650 National Guard troops to the capital. The troops will join the 800 members of the D.C. National Guard already activated and will primarily be tasked with protecting federal assets like Union Station and the National Mall, not patrolling neighborhoods. 
The crackdown has yielded significant results. As of Saturday, law enforcement had made more than 240 arrests and seized 38 illegal firearms. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller also reported that over 70 homeless encampments have been dismantled and decades-old graffiti has been removed. Dozens of illegal immigrants were also reportedly arrested. &#8220;DC will not remain a sanctuary city,&#8221; Attorney General Pam Bondi declared.

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Morning Brief: Zelensky & Nato Leaders Attend WH Peace Talks, Meta AI Flirts With Kids, DC Crackdown

National Guard

Washington D.C.

President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he will oversee a historic peace summit on Friday between the warring nations of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Trump said he will meet with both Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the White House, as the two countries appear ready to bring an end to a decades-long conflict. Armenia, the oldest Christian nation in the world, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/azerbaijan-slams-u-s-for-siding-with-armenians-will-skip-meeting-with-armenia-in-d-c-as-tensions-rise">pushed</a> for peace talks with Muslim-majority Azerbaijan with little success when President Joe Biden was in office.
&#8220;These two Nations have been at War for many years, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people. Many Leaders have tried to end the War, with no success, until now, thanks to &#8216;TRUMP.&#8217; My Administration has been engaged with both sides for quite some time,&#8221; the president wrote on Truth Social on Thursday. &#8220;Tomorrow, President Aliyev AND Prime Minister Pashinyan will join me at the White House for an official Peace Signing Ceremony. The United States will also sign Bilateral Agreements with both Countries to pursue Economic opportunities together, so we can fully unlock the potential of the South Caucasus Region.&#8221;
&#8220;I am very proud of these courageous Leaders for doing the right thing for the Great People of Armenia and Azerbaijan,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;It will be a Historic Day for Armenia, Azerbaijan, the United States, and, THE WORLD. See you then!&#8221;
The peace deal will also include Armenia granting rights to the United States to develop a transit corridor through the South Caucasus that will be named after President Trump, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us-secures-strategic-transit-corridor-armenia-azerbaijan-peace-deal-2025-08-07/">reported</a>, citing a U.S. official. The South Caucasus is a strategic location for energy and trade routes between the Black and Caspian Seas, acting as the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/they-hate-us-so-much-worlds-oldest-christian-nation-faces-ethnic-cleansing-as-emboldened-azerbaijan-wages-a-silent-war">conflict</a> between Armenia and Azerbaijan has centered on a 1,700-square-mile mountainous region that has been inhabited by Armenians for thousands of years but is inside Azerbaijan&#8217;s borders. In recent years, the conflict escalated when Azerbaijan set up a military blockade around Nagorno-Karabakh, cutting off food, electricity, and water for the Armenians living in the region. Azerbaijan then launched a full-scale military offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023, effectively engaging in an ethnic cleansing campaign as Armenians fled the region to seek refuge outside of the area they used to call home.
In 2023, under President Biden, Azerbaijan blasted the United States for taking a &#8220;one-sided approach&#8221; to the conflict and skipped out on a meeting with Armenia that was set to take place in Washington, D.C. Azerbaijan felt slighted by America&#8217;s support for Armenia and accused Armenia of refusing to respond to peace talks. Azerbaijan also said that Armenia was “illegally stationing” more than 10,000 troops in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh began in the 1990s after the fall of the Soviet Union led to Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh petitioning to leave Azerbaijan and unify with Armenia. Azerbaijan refused the petition, and war ensued. Tens of thousands of people were killed in the early years of the conflict, and ethnic minorities in both countries were forced to leave their homes.
After the conflict resumed in 2020 due to border clashes, Russia stepped in to hold the peace and push for the nations to strike a deal. Russia, however, took a step back from its peacekeeping operation in the region when President Vladimir Putin&#8217;s forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022. With Russia mostly out of the picture, Azerbaijan moved in to take control of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Trump Teases Historic Peace Summit Between Warring Christian, Muslim Nations

Armenians

Executive

Middle East

On the heels of his June arrest in Belgium, Chris Elston — better known as “Billboard Chris” on social media — is launching a new nonprofit aimed at combatting what he calls the “medical malpractice of child transition” worldwide.
Known for his advocacy against transgenderism, calm street debates, and viral confrontations while wearing billboards, Elston is taking his campaign against radical gender ideology to a new level with the founding of We Speak Truth.
“I’ve spent the last five years having conversations on the street about this issue, often while being assaulted for it,” Elston told The Daily Wire in an exclusive interview. “Now, with We Speak Truth, we’re formalizing a grassroots movement to educate, activate, and equip people to protect children.”
A key priority for the organization is defending free speech — particularly in countries where restrictions already affect public discourse, such as in the United Kingdom. “Freedom of expression comes with an asterisk in many European countries,” Elston said. “We will always endeavor to follow the law, while at the same time challenge abuses of authority.”
“It is still possible to speak the truth, even in the United Kingdom,” Elston said. “But we do need to be smart about it. If the government would like to put me in jail for saying children cannot consent to puberty blockers, I don’t think they’ll have much luck — the High Court stated exactly that in December of 2020.”
Asked whether the mission could shift if the exploitation of children through gender ideology was outlawed, Elston said the organization’s core will remain focused. “Our organization is open to branching out into other areas, or collaborating with other organizations. But our core mission is stopping the medical malpractice of child transition, worldwide.”
<div id="attachment_957781" style="width: 940px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-957781" class="size-large wp-image-957781" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/07026b50-e372-48b9-9c18-da79450a84b9-930x576.jpg" alt="" width="930" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/07026b50-e372-48b9-9c18-da79450a84b9-930x576.jpg 930w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/07026b50-e372-48b9-9c18-da79450a84b9-300x186.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/07026b50-e372-48b9-9c18-da79450a84b9-768x476.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/07026b50-e372-48b9-9c18-da79450a84b9.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 930px) 100vw, 930px" />&#8220;Billboard Chris&#8221; / Courtesy of Chris Elston</div>
“Beyond that,” he said, “it will take many years of education across the world to expose the lies of gender ideology to such an extent that governments and NGOs stop pushing it.”
While international in scope, Elston expects the majority of the nonprofit’s focus will remain on the United States. “I anticipate at least half of our attention will stay focused on the United States,” he said.
Daily Wire asked Elston about states like Minnesota, where gender clinics continue to provide puberty blockers and surgeries to minors. Elston said his strategy is that true change begins at the local and grassroots levels. “Change happens one conversation at a time,” he said. “Collaborating with other organizations is key, along with harnessing the power of social media.”
Despite increased awareness, Elston continues to face violence.
“I still face assaults on a regular basis. Radicals on the far left use violence in an attempt to silence. They always have,” he said. “But I receive far more support than when I started this campaign five years ago. People had no idea what puberty blockers were back then. That has changed dramatically.”
But engagement with lawmakers and policymakers is a top priority. “Communicating with those who write the laws and policy are of paramount importance,” Elston said. “We are building a worldwide network of friendly politicians who want to stop this abuse. Through educating them, we will be able to make headway much more quickly than anyone estimates.”
Those looking to support the effort can donate directly or learn more at www.wespeaktruth.com. While not everyone may take to the unique street discourse he is known for, Elston said, his team will equip supporters to speak with clarity and confidence. “Street activism isn’t for everybody, but we will be producing a series of short videos covering all the basics,” he said. “It’s important to always stress the positive message: that children are beautiful just as they are — no drugs or scalpels needed.”
While international in scope, Elston expects the majority of the nonprofit’s focus will remain on the United States. “I anticipate at least half of our attention will stay focused on the United States,” he said.
To political leaders and medical professionals, Elston’s message is direct: “Politically, this is a winning issue. It always has been,” he said. “On the street, I receive more than 90% support — especially from demographics that traditionally vote Democrat, such as the Black community and immigrant communities.”
“Transgenderism is a denial of reality, and it is causing irreversible physical harm to our most vulnerable children,” he added. “The more that politicians and leaders in the medical field expose the truth about this, the more support they will get.”
“We all need to stop being afraid of what a few activists and the leftist media will say, and stand up for our kids. Child transition is child abuse.”

3bfe8d90-0ca1-4801-82fa-7a9224834eae

‘Billboard Chris’ Launches Global Nonprofit To Fight Child Gender Exploitation

gender ideology

Transgender

On Monday, President Trump reportedly asked Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky if Ukraine could strike Moscow and St. Petersburg if Trump offered the necessary weapons. He also revealed a plan in which European nations would buy American weapons and transfer them to Ukraine.
Reports in The Financial Times and The Washington Post cited anonymous sources saying that Trump had encouraged Zelensky to strike deeper into Russia, but White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt blasted those reports, telling <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/trump-zelensky-moscow-st-petersburg-putin-russia-strikes-2099034">Newsweek</a>, &#8220;The Financial Times is notorious for taking words wildly out of context to get clicks because their paper is dying. President Trump was merely asking a question, not encouraging further killing. He&#8217;s working tirelessly to stop the killing and end this war.&#8221;
In a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office, Trump set a deadline for Russia: If no peace deal is reached with Ukraine in 90 days, he will be “doing very severe tariffs &#8230; Tariffs at about 100%, you’d call them secondary tariffs. You know what that means.” A White House official told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/14/politics/us-ukraine-weapons-trump">CNN</a> that “secondary tariffs” meant secondary sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil.
“I am grateful to President Trump for his readiness to help protect our people’s lives,” Zelensky wrote on X. “This war continues solely because of Russia, because of Putin’s desire to drag it out. Russia is trying to make the war seem like the ‘new normal.’ We must never put up with this. Everything humanly possible must be done to force Russia to stop the killings, to achieve real peace, and to ensure security. Peace is only possible through strength. Russia’s war financing must be cut off. Its ties with Iran and North Korea must be cut off. Any supply of components and equipment for Russia’s military industry must be cut off.”
“I’m grateful to our team and to the United States, Germany, and Norway for preparing a new decision on Patriots for Ukraine,” he continued. “We are also working on major defense agreements with America.  Ukraine is absolutely ready for all honest and effective steps toward peace – lasting peace – and real security. It is Russia that isn’t ready. It is Russia that must be forced. And this is whatʼs happening.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I am grateful to President Trump for his readiness to help protect our people’s lives. This war continues solely because of Russia, because of Putin’s desire to drag it out. Russia is trying to make the war seem like the “new normal.” We must never put up with this. Everything… <a href="https://t.co/i16GSeTSqZ">pic.twitter.com/i16GSeTSqZ</a>
&mdash; Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1944833457622016479?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“I spoke with @POTUS,&#8221; Zelensky said. “It was a very good conversation. Thank you for the willingness to support Ukraine and to continue working together to stop the killings and establish a lasting and just peace.  President Trump shared details about his meeting with the @SecGenNATO. It’s important that we have such a good relationship, and that the Alliance countries are working to increase defense spending. We discussed the necessary means and solutions with the President to provide better protection for people from Russian attacks and to strengthen our positions. We are ready to work as productively as possible to achieve peace. We agreed to catch up more often by phone and coordinate our steps in the future as well. Thank you, Mr. President! Thank you, America!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I spoke with <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>. It was a very good conversation. Thank you for the willingness to support Ukraine and to continue working together to stop the killings and establish a lasting and just peace.
President Trump shared details about his meeting with the <a href="https://twitter.com/SecGenNATO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecGenNATO</a>. It’s…
&mdash; Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1944844682493653138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On Monday, President Trump also spoke of sending weapons to help Ukraine and placing sanctions on Russia.
“My conversations with him [Putin] are very pleasant, and then the missiles go off at night,” Trump said. “He fooled Clinton, Bush, Obama, Biden — he didn’t fool me.”
“Europe has a lot of spirit for this war,” Trump continued. “When I first got involved I really didn’t think they did, but they do. The level of esprit de corps they have is amazing,” CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/14/politics/us-ukraine-weapons-trump">reported</a>.
U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker spoke of Trump’s comments about sending a “full complement” of weapons to Ukraine, saying, “All weapons are both offensive and defensive. Obviously an air defense system is important and critical for the situation, but at the same time we’re not taking anything off the table.”

President Trump Returns To White House From New Jersey

Trump To Sell Weapons To Europe For Transfer To Ukraine

WASHINGTON/BRUSSELS (Reuters) — U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced a trade deal with Indonesia, the latest pact in a bid to cement better terms with trading partners and reduce a massive trade deficit, even as the European Union readied retaliatory measures should talks between Washington and its top trading partner fail.
&#8220;Great deal, for everybody, just made with Indonesia. I dealt directly with their highly respected President. DETAILS TO FOLLOW!!!&#8221; Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Indonesia&#8217;s total trade with the United States — totalling just under $40 billion in 2024 — does not rank in the top 15, but it has been growing. U.S. exports to Indonesia rose 3.7% last year, while imports from there were up 4.8%, leaving the U.S. with a goods trade deficit of nearly $18 billion.
The top U.S. import categories from Indonesia, according to U.S. Census Bureau data retrieved on the International Trade Centre&#8217;s TradeMap tool, last year were palm oil, electronics equipment including data routers and switches, footwear, car tires, natural rubber, and frozen shrimp.
Susiwijono Moegiarso, a senior official with Indonesia&#8217;s Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, told Reuters in a text message: &#8220;We are preparing a joint statement between U.S. and Indonesia that will explain the size of reciprocal tariff for Indonesia including the tariff deal, non-tariff and commercial arrangements. We will inform (the public) soon.&#8221;
Trump had threatened the southeast Asian country with a 32% tariff rate effective August 1 in a letter sent to its president last week.
Trump sent similar letters to roughly two dozen trading partners this month, including Canada, Japan, and Brazil, setting blanket tariff rates ranging from 20% up to 50%, as well as a 50% tariff on copper.
The August 1 deadline gives the targeted countries time to negotiate agreements that could lower the threatened tariffs. Some investors and economists have also noted Trump&#8217;s pattern of backing off his tariff threats.
Since launching his tariff policy, Trump has clinched only a few deals despite his team touting an effort to bring home &#8220;90 deals in 90 days.&#8221; So far, framework agreements have been reached with the United Kingdom and Vietnam, and an interim deal has been struck with China to forestall the steepest of Trump&#8217;s tariffs while negotiations continue between Washington and Beijing.
<h3>E.U. READIES RETALIATION</h3>
The breakthrough with Indonesia came as the European Commission, the E.U.&#8217;s governing body, gets set to target 72 billion euros ($84.1 billion) worth of U.S. goods — from Boeing aircraft and bourbon whiskey to cars — for possible tariffs if trade talks with Washington fail.
Trump is threatening a 30% tariff on imports from the E.U. from August 1, a level European officials say is unacceptable and would end normal trade between two of the world&#8217;s largest markets.
The list, sent to E.U. member states and seen by Reuters on Tuesday, pre-dates Trump&#8217;s move over the weekend to ramp up pressure on the 27-nation bloc and responds instead to U.S. duties on cars and car parts and a 10% baseline tariff.
The package also covers chemicals, medical devices, electrical and precision equipment as well as agriculture and food products — a range of fruits and vegetables, along with wine, beer, and spirits &#8211; valued at 6.35 billion euros.
Following a meeting of E.U. ministers in Brussels on Monday, officials said they were still seeking a deal to avoid Trump&#8217;s heavy tariff blow.
But E.U. trade chief Maros Sefcovic said those at the meeting expressed unprecedented resolve to protect E.U. businesses using European countermeasures if negotiations with Washington fail to produce a deal.
(Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop in Brussels and David Lawder in Washington; Additional reporting by Richard Lough in Paris; Amanda Teresia, Stefanno Sulaiman and Gayatri Suroyo in Jakarta; Editing by Daniel Wallis)

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