President Donald Trump defended his decision to move two nuclear submarines on Friday — in response to &#8220;highly provocative&#8221; comments made by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev — telling reporters, &#8220;We had to do that.&#8221;
Speaking to members of the press on the White House lawn, the president explained that Medvedev&#8217;s statements had raised enough concern that he felt the move necessary in order to preserve the &#8220;safety for our people.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on repositioning two U.S. nuclear subs: &#8220;We had to do that&#8230; A threat was made and we didn&#8217;t think it was appropriate, so I have to be very careful — I do that on the basis of safety for our people.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/UkMrEFHcph">https://t.co/UkMrEFHcph</a> <a href="https://t.co/IXluSTn294">pic.twitter.com/IXluSTn294</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1951391089174466687?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
When asked about the submarines, Trump replied, &#8220;Oh, yeah, well we had to do that. We just have to be careful. And a threat was made and we didn&#8217;t think it was appropriate, so I have to be very careful — I do that on the basis of safety for our people.&#8221;
&#8220;A threat was made by a former President of Russia,&#8221; Trump continued. &#8220;And we&#8217;re going to protect our people.&#8221;
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-dispatches-nuclear-submarines-after-highly-provacative-statements-from-russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced the move</a> earlier on Friday, sharing the news in a post to his Truth Social platform.
&#8220;Based on the highly provocative statements of the Former President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, who is now the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances. Thank you for your attention to this matter!&#8221;
As The Daily Wire reported, Medvedev, who is currently serving as Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, <a href="https://x.com/MedvedevRussiaE/status/1949870764938711343" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> earlier this week that Trump’s ultimatums to Russia — over the war with Ukraine — were “a step towards war.”

Donald Trump

‘We Had To Do That’: Trump Defends Decision To Move Nuclear Subs After Russian Comments

'We Had To Do That': Trump Defends Decision To Move Nuclear Subs After Russian Comments

Dmitry Medvedev

Global Politics

Politics

Russia

submarine

U.S. Navy

President Donald Trump said on Friday that he had been informed nearly 20,000 Russian troops were killed in combat over the past month, raising the total number of Russian military deaths during the &#8220;ridiculous war&#8221; with Ukraine to 112,500.
Trump added that Ukraine has lost around 8,000 soldiers since January 1, a number that does not include soldiers who are missing. The president did not specify the source of the statistics or who provided him with the updated casualty figures.
&#8220;That is a lot of unnecessary DEATH!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114954267210702518">wrote</a>.
&#8220;Ukraine has also lost civilians, but in smaller numbers, as Russian rockets crash into Kyiv, and other Ukrainian locales,&#8221; he added. &#8220;This is a War that should have never happened — This is Biden’s War, not &#8216;TRUMP’s.&#8217; I’m just here to see if I can stop it!&#8221;
Precise casualty numbers in the Ukraine-Russia war have been difficult to estimate given both countries&#8217; propaganda efforts to undercount the total number of deaths on their side. The most recent estimate said that Russia would see one million soldiers either dead or wounded by the summer of 2025, <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/russias-battlefield-woes-ukraine">according</a> to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The CSIS study put the number of Russian soldiers killed in the war at 250,000.
&#8220;To put these numbers into historical perspective, Russia has suffered roughly five times as many fatalities in Ukraine as in all Russian and Soviet wars combined between the end of World War II and the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022,&#8221; CSIS wrote in its June 3 report.
Trump has ramped up pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to reach a peace deal with Ukraine and end the bloodshed. He has also blasted Putin for continued attacks on Ukraine while the countries negotiate. Peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv have continued for months with little progress, and Trump has become increasingly frustrated with Putin after Russian forces launched multiple major airstrikes on Ukraine in recent weeks.
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-dispatches-nuclear-submarines-after-highly-provacative-statements-from-russia?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Trump+Dispatches+Nuclear+Submarines+After+%E2%80%98Highly+Provocative+Statements%E2%80%99+From+Russia">announced</a> on Friday that he was dispatching two U.S. nuclear submarines “to be positioned in the appropriate regions” in response to “highly provocative statements of the Former President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev.”
“Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances,&#8221; Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Medvedev, who operates as Russian President Vladimir Putin&#8217;s attack dog, has mocked Trump&#8217;s ultimatums for Russia to end the war in Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin

‘A Lot Of Unnecessary DEATH!’: Trump Drops New Figures On Russian Battlefield Losses

Executive

Poltiics

Ukraine

Ukraine-Russia War

The White House updated its tariff plan on Thursday evening hours before President Donald Trump’s deadline for new trade agreements was set to kick in.
The new <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/07/further-modifying-the-reciprocal-tariff-rates/">plan</a> pushes the implementation of tariffs back a week from August 1 to August 7 to give Customs and Border Patrol officials time to adjust to the new levies leveled at dozens of countries. The new plan also reveals a host of tariff rates that are set to kick in.
The 10% universal tariff will remain the floor for tariff rates for trade with the United States. Only countries that have a trade deficit with the United States – meaning they import more from the United States than they export – will receive the 10% tariff rates. For countries that have a trade surplus with the United States, their goods will be tariffed at least at 15%, according to the White House plan.
Other countries that have struck new trade agreements with the United States will have various tariff rates based on the terms of the agreement.
More than a dozen countries will face a higher tariff rate than 15%, ranging from 19% to 41%.
“President Trump is using tariffs as a necessary and powerful tool to put America First after many years of unsustainable trade deficits that threaten our economy and national security,” the White House said in a statement, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/business/live-news/trade-deadline-tariffs-trump-deals#cmds0clsz0000356toc8am68m">CNN</a>.
A senior administration official briefing reporters on the details of the plan on Thursday evening said that “the president has essentially reordered global trade,” according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/07/31/us/trump-news/8ca2d2ab-bb6b-5e71-b748-5ddfc556b984?smid=url-share">The New York Times</a>. The official added that Trump is accomplishing “the type of outcomes that the WTO and the multilateral trading system have failed to accomplish at scale over the last 25 years.”
Alongside its new tariff plan for international trade, the White House announced steeper tariffs on Canada. The Trump administration said in a statement that the United States would be “increasing the tariff on Canada from 25% to 35%, with the higher tariff set to go into effect on August 1, 2025.”
“Canada has failed to cooperate in curbing the ongoing flood of fentanyl and other illicit drugs, and it has retaliated against the United States for the President’s actions to address this unusual and extraordinary threat to the United States,” a White House fact sheet <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/07/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-amends-duties-to-address-the-flow-of-illicit-drugs-across-our-northern-border/">says</a>.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford hit back immediately at the White House announcement, urging Canada’s government to fight the tariff hike. “Canada shouldn’t settle for anything less than the right deal. Now is not the time to roll over. We need to stand our ground,” Ford said in a <a href="https://x.com/fordnation/status/1951059263943745566">post</a> on social media.

White House Drops New Tariff Plan On Eve Of Trump’s Trade Deadline

Economy

Tariffs

United States

The State Department on Thursday unveiled sanctions on the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization as major American allies announced plans to recognize a state of &#8220;Palestine&#8221; in the coming months.
&#8220;It is in our national security interests to impose consequences and hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments and undermining the prospects for peace,&#8221; the <a href="https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2025/07/sanctioning-officials-of-the-palestinian-authority-and-members-of-the-palestine-liberation-organization/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announcement</a> read.
The announcement cited the two groups&#8217; noncompliance with legislation aimed at developing a concrete plan towards peace and away from terrorism.
The State Department also said the groups violated agreements through attempts to &#8220;internationalize its conflict with Israel&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/international-criminal-court-did-not-rule-israel-committed-genocide-judge-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">by petitioning</a> the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice.
Most notably, the State Department found that the two groups continued to support terrorism by the &#8220;incitement and glorification of violence,&#8221; as well as providing money to terrorists and their families.
This move may complicate further votes in the UN General Assembly by restricting the ability of officials with the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian Liberation Organization from obtaining visas to travel to New York to attend the assembly, where many Western powers <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/united-kingdom-threatens-to-recognize-state-of-palestine-if-israel-doesnt-agree-to-ceasefire">announced</a> they plan on recognizing Palestinian sovereignty in September.
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=undefined&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">explained</a> his rationale behind recognizing a state of Palestine, saying it was &#8220;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.&#8221;
State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-administration-boycotts-un-publicity-stunt-conference-on-palestinian-statehood?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Administration+Boycotts+UN+%E2%80%98Publicity+Stunt%E2%80%99+Conference+On+Palestinian+Statehood" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responded</a> to Macron, saying, &#8220;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. It keeps hostages trapped in tunnels.&#8221;
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney put out a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-warns-canada-backing-palestinian-state-could-damage-u-s-trade-deal?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Warns+Canada%3A+Backing+Palestinian+State+Could+Damage+U.S.+Trade+Deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> Thursday concurring with the other countries that plan to recognize an independent Palestinian state in September. So far, a majority of the G20 countries have announced recognition or plan to come in September.
&#8220;We reiterate that Hamas must immediately release all hostages taken in the horrific terrorist attack of October 7,&#8221; Carney said in the statement. &#8220;That that Hamas must disarm; and that Hamas must play no role in the future governance of Palestine.&#8221;
&#8220;Canada will always steadfastly support Israel&#8217;s existence as an independent state in the Middle East living in peace and security,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Any path to lasting peace for Israel also requires a viable and stable Palestinian state, and one that recognizes Israel&#8217;s inalienable right to security and peace.&#8221;
President Donald Trump has continued to denounce calls for recognition of a Palestinian state, pointing out that doing so.
&#8220;Well, you could make the case that you&#8217;re rewarding people, that you&#8217;re rewarding Hamas if you do that,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;And I don&#8217;t think they should be rewarded. So I&#8217;m not in that camp, to be honest. We&#8217;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&#8217;m not about to do that.&#8221;
Special Envoy Steve Witkoff &#8220;will be traveling into Gaza to inspect the current distribution sites and secure a plan to deliver more food and meet with local Gazans to hear firsthand about this dire situation on the ground,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a Thursday media briefing.

Marco Rubio

State Department Sanctions Palestinian Authority As European Countries Push For ‘Palestinian’ State

Israel

Palestinian Authority

Sanctions

State Department

Speaking at his government’s weekly press conference, Kristen Michal, Prime Minister of Estonia, said his country has <a href="https://news.err.ee/1609759785/prime-minister-estonia-has-no-plans-to-recognize-palestine">no plans to recognize a Palestinian state</a> at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September.
On Wednesday, 15 countries signed a joint declaration calling for the recognition of a Palestinian state when the UNGA convenes its annual regular sessions. President Donald Trump has stated that he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-warns-against-rewarding-hamas-with-palestinian-statehood-bluntly-rejects-two-state-solution">would not support</a> such a move.
“Today there is no state to recognize,” Michal declared. “Of course, we are doing everything we can within the European Union to resolve the critical humanitarian situation as quickly as possible. But from our point of view, there is currently no state to additionally recognize.”
Israel was one of the first countries to recognize Estonia&#8217;s independence in 1991. Estonia joined the European Union in 2004 and was one of 38 countries that <a href="https://www.worldjewishcongress.org/en/news/38-countries-boycott-antisemitic-durban-iv-conference">boycotted</a> the vehemently anti-Israel World Conference Against Racism in Durban in 2021. Israeli and Estonian government officials have frequently visited each other’s countries for the last 24 years.
Last December, the Estonian Academy of Arts (EKA) <a href="https://news.err.ee/1609553287/estonian-art-academy-severs-cooperation-with-israeli-partner-college">canceled a workshop</a> with a visiting Israeli professor, adding that it would not cooperate with any Israeli higher education institutions. Outgoing EKA director Mart Kalm stated, “It has appeared to be wiser for us to refrain from this at the moment&#8230;. Israeli universities know the prevailing sentiments, so this was not a surprise to them.”
But Michal immediately <a href="https://news.err.ee/1609553581/prime-minister-university-will-have-to-revisit-its-decision-regarding-israel">criticized</a> the decision, saying, &#8220;I believe the academy should reconsider this decision.” Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna added, “As foreign minister, I see no reason why we should stop cooperation with Israel at this level. I can&#8217;t comment on what the atmosphere is like in this educational institution, but as foreign minister, I can only say that this is definitely a step in the wrong direction.”
Former Estonian Minister of Education Jaak Aaviksoo echoed, “I don&#8217;t know about the internal atmosphere, although I do know that there are these kinds of very radical left-wing activists there and giving in to their incomprehensible demands is the core of the problem for me.”

European Council Convenes In Brussels

Estonia Sides With Trump, Won’t Support Palestinian State Recognition

Estonia

Palestinian

United Nations

The U.S. State Department, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, issued a blunt statement rejecting the calls from some European countries for a “two-state solution,” vis-à-vis Israel and the Palestinian population.
The United Nations, whose vehement anti-Israel actions have been on display for decades, is currently holding a conference, hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, to discuss the possibility of declaring a Palestinian state in the wake of the October 7, 2023, massacre of more than 1,200 Israelis by the terrorist group Hamas, who invaded Israel and slaughtered civilians while taking hundreds as hostages.
French President Emmanuel Macron <a href="https://x.com/EmmanuelMacron/status/1948482142356603089">announced</a> last week that in September, France would recognize a Palestinian state.
“This week, the UN will serve as host to an unproductive and ill-timed conference on the two-state solution in New York City,” the State Department <a href="https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2025/07/united-states-rejects-a-two-state-solution-conference/?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=news_bar&amp;utm_campaign=two-state-solution-conference/">stated.</a> “This is a publicity stunt that comes in the middle of delicate diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. Far from promoting peace, the conference will prolong the war, embolden Hamas, and reward its obstruction and undermine real-world efforts to achieve peace.”
“As Secretary Rubio has made clear, this effort is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7 and a reward for terrorism. It keeps hostages trapped in tunnels. The United States will not participate in this insult but will continue to lead real-world 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,” the statement continued.
“President Macron’s announcement about recognizing a Palestinian state was welcomed by Hamas. This reflects a pattern of counterproductive gestures that only emboldens Hamas, encourages its obstruction of a ceasefire, and greatly undercuts our diplomatic efforts to end the suffering in Gaza, free the hostages, and move the whole Middle East towards a brighter and more prosperous future,” the statement concluded.
“A Palestinian state is an existential threat to the State of Israel,” former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman has <a href="https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-795108">stated</a>. “A two-state solution is a dead letter; Israel has no margin of error, and the Palestinian leadership has proven unreliable as a peace partner.”
“Muslim countries have 644 times the amount of land that are controlled by Israel,” U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has <a href="applewebdata://A3CD1B2D-56B9-4753-8C43-571CF91CB2F6/v">stated</a>. “So maybe, if there is such a desire for the Palestinian state, there would be someone who would say, we’d like to host it.”
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (R-GA) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1MhpqHYyKc">declared</a> in 2011, “Look, you have (Mahmoud) Abbas who says in the United Nations, ‘We do not necessarily concede Israel’s right to exist.’ You’ve had four PLA ambassadors around the world say flatly, ‘Israel does not have the right to exist.’ In late November, in India, the PLA ambassador said, ‘Anybody who thinks there’s a big gap between Hamas and Fatah is kidding themselves.’ You have to start with this question: ‘Who are you making peace with?’&#8230; If I’m even-handed between a civilian democracy that obeys the rule of law and a group of terrorists who are firing missiles every day, that’s not even-handed; that’s favoring the terrorists.”
He also <a href="https://world.time.com/2011/12/18/story-problem-gingrichs-dead-jews-textbook-example-doesnt-exist/">stated</a>, “Somebody ought to have the courage to tell the truth: These people are terrorists. They teach terrorism in their schools. They have textbooks that say, ‘If there are 13 Jews and nine Jews are killed, how many Jews are left?’&#8230; It’s fundamentally time for somebody to have the guts to stand up and say, ‘Enough lying about the Middle East.’”

President Trump Meets With Foreign Ministers Of Rwanda And DDRC

‘A Slap In The Face To The Victims Of Oct. 7’: Trump And Rubio Reject ‘Two-State Solution’

Two-state solution

President Donald Trump reiterated on Monday that he is &#8220;disappointed&#8221; with Russian President Vladimir Putin and that he will &#8220;reduce&#8221; the 50-day deadline he gave to Putin two weeks ago to reach a peace deal with Ukraine.
Speaking alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Scotland on Monday, Trump said that every time there appears to be some progress with Putin on ending the war, Russia launches another attack on Ukraine.
&#8220;We thought we had that settled numerous times, and then President Putin goes out and starts launching rockets into some city, like Kyiv, and kills a lot of people in a nursing home or whatever. You have bodies lying all over the street,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;And I said, &#8216;That&#8217;s not the way to do it.'&#8221;
Trump elaborated on the new timeline later on Monday.
&#8220;I&#8217;m going to make the new deadline of about 10 or 12 days from today. There&#8217;s no reason in waiting,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We just don&#8217;t see any progress being made.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Trump on Putin: &#8220;I&#8217;m gonna make a new deadline of about 10 or 12 days from today.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/VsUMbwb8pt">pic.twitter.com/VsUMbwb8pt</a>
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) <a href="https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1949818884573261843?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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During a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-strikes-deal-with-nato-to-send-weapons-to-ukraine-on-europes-dime?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Strikes+Deal+With+NATO+To+Send+Weapons+To+Ukraine+On+Europe%E2%80%99s+Dime">meeting</a> in the Oval Office with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on July 14, Trump said that he would hit Russia with 100% tariffs if Putin didn&#8217;t reach a peace deal with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky within the initial 50-day deadline.
The 100% tariffs on Russia would come in the form of &#8220;secondary tariffs,&#8221; which would penalize countries that do business with Putin, such as those purchasing Russian oil and gas. Reuters reported last week that sources close to the Kremlin said Putin was unfazed by Trump&#8217;s deadline.
In recent weeks, Russia has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/clear-escalation-of-terror-russia-hits-kyiv-with-another-major-missile-and-drone-attack?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98Clear+Escalation+Of+Terror%E2%80%99%3A+Russia+Hits+Kyiv+With+Another+Major+Missile+And+Drone+Attack">ramped up</a> its attacks on Ukraine, targeting Kyiv with massive drone and missile strikes. Multiple civilians have been killed and dozens more wounded in Russia&#8217;s latest attacks, which were carried out as Moscow and Kyiv continue to meet for peace talks.
Russian and Ukrainian negotiators met in Istanbul last week for another round of peace talks, but the discussions yielded no significant progress. In the multiple rounds of negotiations between the warring countries, they have only agreed to exchange prisoners. The Kremlin wants Ukraine to give up the land Russian forces have taken after invading Ukraine more than three years ago, a request that Zelensky has shut down. Putin, meanwhile, has denied Zelensky&#8217;s requests for an in-person meeting, arguing that Zelensky is an illegitimate leader after the country declared martial law and did not hold a presidential election last year.

Trump/Putin

Trump Shortens Initial 50-Day Deadline For Putin To Reach Peace Deal With Ukraine

Volodymyr Zelensky

World

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer laughed uncomfortably as President Donald Trump took a swing at London Mayor Sadiq Khan, interrupting to protest that Khan was a friend of his.
Trump sat down with Starmer during his weekend trip to Scotland — a trip that also helped bring about a ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand and secured a major trade deal between the United States and the European Union — and the two took questions from the press.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
REPORTER: Will you visit London during your state visit?<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &#8220;I will. I&#8217;m not a fan of your mayor&#8230; I think he&#8217;s done a terrible job, the Mayor of London. He&#8217;s a nasty person.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/9rKhWMthlV">pic.twitter.com/9rKhWMthlV</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1949826512703656411?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Will you visit London during your state visit?&#8221; one reporter could be heard asking President Trump.
&#8220;I will,&#8221; Trump responded before going on to jab at London Mayor Sadiq Khan. &#8220;I&#8217;m not a fan of your mayor &#8230; I think he&#8217;s done a terrible job, the Mayor of London. But, ah, a nasty person. But no, I think he&#8217;s done a terrible —&#8221;
Starmer raised a hand to interrupt, and then interjected with a slight laugh, &#8220;He&#8217;s a friend of mine, actually —&#8221;
The reporters in the room laughed as well, but Trump kept going.
&#8220;No, I think he&#8217;s done a terrible job,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;But I would certainly visit London.&#8221;
Trump also remarked during the same press availability that he had used a potential trade deal as leverage to bring about the ceasefire at the border between Cambodia and Thailand.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on the ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand: &#8220;We solved it through trade. I said, &#8216;I don&#8217;t want to trade with anybody that&#8217;s killing each other.'&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/cNNOh9qCoW">pic.twitter.com/cNNOh9qCoW</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1949818965179486215?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;We solved it through trade. I said, &#8216;I don&#8217;t want to trade with anybody that&#8217;s killing each other,'&#8221; he explained, thanking Starmer directly for supporting the United States in such negotiations.

U.S. President Donald Trump Visits Scotland For Rounds Of Golf And Trade Talks

‘He’s A Friend Of Mine’: Keir Starmer Laughs Uncomfortably While Trump Trashes London Mayor

'He's A Friend Of Mine': Keir Starmer Laughs Uncomfortably While Trump Trashes London Mayor

Keir Starmer

London

Sadiq Khan

The leaders of Thailand and Cambodia agreed to a ceasefire effective at midnight on Monday after President Donald Trump threatened not to enter into a trade deal with either country until the fighting ended. Dozens of people were killed and hundreds of thousands of civilians were forced to flee when fighting erupted last week near the border.
Thailand’s acting prime minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, and Cambodia’s prime minister, Hun Manet, shook hands just hours after President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/very-good-conversation-trump-says-peace-between-cambodia-and-thailand-imminent-after-phone-calls">spoke</a> to both leaders on Saturday and pushed them to stop the fighting. The peace talks between the two countries took place in Putrajaya, Malaysia, and were organized by Malaysian and American officials, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/28/world/asia/thailand-cambodia-ceasefire-talks.html">reported</a>.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said that Thailand and Cambodia agreed to &#8220;an immediate and unconditional ceasefire with effect from midnight tonight,&#8221; according to Reuters.
&#8220;This is final,&#8221; Ibrahim added.
Trump commented on the ceasefire agreement while speaking to reporters in Scotland on Monday, saying, &#8220;That was going to be a very bad war, and so we&#8217;re honored we got involved. It&#8217;s essentially settled.&#8221;
&#8220;That could&#8217;ve gone on for years. Millions of people could&#8217;ve been killed. We ended the war — and we&#8217;re very happy about it,&#8221; Trump added.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on the ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand: &#8220;It&#8217;s peace. That was going to be a very bad war &#8230; That could&#8217;ve gone on for years. Millions of people could&#8217;ve been killed. We ended the war — and we&#8217;re very happy about it.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/KuIqjoBRsb">pic.twitter.com/KuIqjoBRsb</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1949799407198638548?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
The fighting erupted last Thursday near a temple that both Thailand and Cambodia claim. The two Southeast Asian countries traded attacks, including airstrikes and rocket fire along the 508-mile-long border separating them. The recent fighting marks the deadliest conflict between Thailand and Cambodia in nearly 15 years, as 36 people have been killed. Between 2008 and 2011, the countries engaged in fighting over contested border land that resulted in 34 deaths.
The fighting drew the attention of the United States and China, as both countries have interests in the region. Thailand is a military and trading partner with the United States, while China is the largest trading partner of both Thailand and Cambodia. China also funds a large navy base in Cambodia. Chinese diplomats attended the peace talks in Putrajaya as Beijing pressured both countries to agree to a ceasefire.
&#8220;Today we have a very good meeting and very good results&#8230; that hope to stop immediately the fighting that has caused many lives lost, injuries, and also caused displacement of people,&#8221; said Cambodian Prime Minister Manet.
Acting Thai Prime Minister Wechayachai, who had previously expressed doubts about Cambodia sticking to the terms of a ceasefire, said that the deal would &#8220;be carried out successfully in good faith by both sides.&#8221;
On Sunday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that he had spoken with leaders in both Thailand and Cambodia, adding that he and President Trump were &#8220;monitoring the situation very closely.”
&#8220;We want this conflict to end as soon as possible,&#8221; Rubio stated.
In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, Trump said that he would not make a trade deal with either country if the fighting continued. The Trump administration is currently in talks with both Thailand and Cambodia as the president prepares to roll out his worldwide tariffs on August 1.
Thailand has been a major U.S. trading partner, exporting <a href="https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/southeast-asia-pacific/thailand">$63.3 billion</a> worth of goods to the United States in 2024. Thailand&#8217;s exports to the United States include vital items such as electronic equipment and nuclear reactors, <a href="https://tradingeconomics.com/thailand/exports/united-states">according</a> to Trading Economics.

‘This Is Final’: Thailand, Cambodia Reach Ceasefire Agreement After Call From Trump

China

Thailand

President Donald Trump shared two quick updates while traveling in Scotland over the weekend, saying on Saturday that he&#8217;d spoken to the leaders of both Thailand and Cambodia in an effort to bring about a peace agreement between the two warring nations.
Trump made back-to-back announcements — under thirty minutes apart — and said that he believed the two nations were at least on the road to a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict over their shared border. He spoke first with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet.
&#8220;Just spoke to the Prime Minister of Cambodia relative to stopping the War with Thailand,&#8221; Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. &#8220;I am calling the Acting Prime Minister of Thailand, right now, to likewise request a Ceasefire, and END to the War, which is currently raging. We happen to be, by coincidence, currently dealing on Trade with both Countries, but do not want to make any Deal, with either Country, if they are fighting — And I have told them so!&#8221;
&#8220;The call with Thailand is being made momentarily. The call with Cambodia has ended, but expect to call back regarding War stoppage and Ceasefire based on what Thailand has to say,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;I am trying to simplify a complex situation! Many people are being killed in this War, but it very much reminds me of the Conflict between Pakistan and India, which was brought to a successful halt.&#8221;
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<a href="https://t.co/50j2zNeJIB">pic.twitter.com/50j2zNeJIB</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1949131207200944267?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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He followed that a short time later with an update regarding his call with Thailand&#8217;s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai — serving since the previous Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended earlier this month. He also briefly served as acting prime minister in August of 2024.
&#8220;I have just spoken to the Acting Prime Minister of Thailand, and it was a very good conversation,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Thailand, like Cambodia, wants to have an immediate Ceasefire, and PEACE. I am now going to relay that message back to the Prime Minister of Cambodia. After speaking to both Parties, Ceasefire, Peace, and Prosperity seems to be a natural. We will soon see!&#8221;
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<a href="https://t.co/OcEV9V6hR9">https://t.co/OcEV9V6hR9</a> <a href="https://t.co/yle7Jlt1Rv">pic.twitter.com/yle7Jlt1Rv</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1949135223536456184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The President gave a third update a short time later, saying, “I just had a very good call with the Prime Minister of Cambodia, and informed him of my discussions with Thailand, and its Acting Prime Minister. Both Parties are looking for an immediate Ceasefire and Peace.”
”They are also looking to get back to the ‘Trading Table’ with the United States, which we think is inappropriate to do until such time as the fighting STOPS,” he continued. “They have agreed to immediately meet and quickly work out a Ceasefire and, ultimately, PEACE! It was an Honor to deal with both Countries. They have a long and storied History and Culture. They will hopefully get along for many years to come. When all is done, and Peace is at hand, I look forward to concluding our Trading Agreements with both!”
The conflict at the border between Cambodia and Thailand could have larger ramifications globally if it continues: Thailand has a strong diplomatic relationship with the United States and has a much larger and better-equipped military — and Cambodia, despite having a much smaller military, has deep ties to Communist China.

President Trump Hosts Phillipines President Marcos At The White House

‘Very Good Conversation’: Trump Says Peace Between Cambodia And Thailand Imminent After Phone Calls

India

Pakistan

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. bluntly called genocide charges against Israel a “blood libel” and extolled an <a href="https://x.com/SpencerGuard/status/1948010761957052628">essay</a> by a noted war expert that comprehensively refuted the accusation.
Kennedy, like his father before him, has always been a staunch supporter of Israel; his father Senator Robert F. Kennedy, who had served as John F. Kennedy’s Attorney General before his stint in the Senate and his 1968 campaign for president, in which he was battling Vice-President Hubert Humphrey in the primaries before Palestinian Sirhan Sirhan murdered him.
“The genocide charge is a blood libel. Thank you Major Spencer for this withering deconstruction,” Kennedy wrote.
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The genocide charge is a blood libel. Thank you Major Spencer for this withering deconstruction.
&mdash; Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobertKennedyJr/status/1948196370642608537?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The term “blood libel” vis-à-vis the Jewish people has <a href="https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/blood-libel">historically referred</a> to the false accusation that Jews murdered non-Jews in order to use their blood in the performance of religious ritual, a particularly ridiculous assertion since Jews are religiously forbidden to eat anything that has blood in it, even as small as a speck of blood in an egg. The charge has been used to foster numerous pogroms in Europe over the centuries, in which Jews were murdered en masse by the hundreds and thousands.
The essay Kennedy championed, by noted war expert John Spencer, who serves as chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute and host of the Urban Warfare Project Podcast, is titled “I’m a War Scholar. There Is No Genocide in Gaza.” Spencer was responding to a New York Times op-ed by <a href="https://www.jns.org/the-new-york-times-genocide-scholar-is-no-neutral-observer/">leftist Brown University professor Omer Bartov</a> that accused Israel of genocide.
 “Genocide is not defined by a few comments taken out of context, by estimates of casualties or destruction, or by how war looks in headlines or on social media. It is defined by specific intent to destroy a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group in whole or in part,” Spencer noted.
“That is a high legal bar. Bartov did not meet it. He did not even try,” Spencer wrote.  “Since October 7, I have been to Gaza four times embedded with the Israel Defense Forces. I have interviewed the Prime Minister of Israel, the Defense Minister, the IDF Chief of Staff, Southern Command leadership, and dozens of commanders and soldiers on the front lines. I have reviewed their orders, watched their targeting process, and seen soldiers take real risks to avoid harming civilians. Nothing I have seen or studied resembles genocide or genocidal intent.”
Spencer ripped Bartov for claiming Prime Minister Netanyahu’s comment on October 7 that Hamas would “pay a huge price” was a call for genocide, noting, “It is what any leader would say after the worst terrorist attack in the nation’s history.”
“He also cites Netanyahu’s statements that Hamas would be destroyed and that civilians should evacuate combat zones,” he continued, “That is not evidence of a desire to destroy a people. It is what professional militaries do when fighting an enemy that hides among civilians.”
“Bartov presents Netanyahu’s reference to ‘remember Amalek’ as a smoking gun,” he stated. “But this is a phrase from Jewish history and tradition. It is engraved at Israel’s Holocaust memorial, Yad Vashem, and also appears on the Holocaust memorial in The Hague. In both places, it serves as a warning to remain vigilant against threats, not as a call for mass killing.”
“I have studied the actual orders. They focus on destroying Hamas, rescuing hostages, and protecting civilians whenever possible,” he recalled, continuing:
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Israel has taken extraordinary steps to limit civilian harm. It warns before attacks using text messages, phone calls, leaflets, and broadcasts. It opens safe corridors and pauses operations so civilians can leave combat areas. It tracks civilian presence down to the building level. I have seen missions delayed or canceled because children were nearby. I have seen Israeli troops come under fire and still be ordered not to shoot back because civilians might be harmed. 
Israel has delivered more humanitarian aid to Gaza than any military in history has provided to an enemy population during wartime. More than 94,000 trucks carrying over 1.8 million tons of aid have entered the territory. Israel has supported hospitals, repaired water pipelines, increased access to clean water, and enabled over 36,000 patients to leave Gaza for treatment abroad. The IDF has coordinated millions of vaccine doses, supplied fuel for hospitals and infrastructure, and facilitated the flow of food and medicine through the UN, aid groups, and private partners.
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He derided Bartov’s claim that 58,000 people have been killed in Gaza, including 17,000 children. “But these numbers come from a terrorist organization,” Spencer pointed out. “They mix civilians and fighters and count anyone under 18 as a child, even though Hamas uses teenagers and younger children as combatants. The figures are not independently verified and have been shown to contain false details, including names, ages, and sex.”
“Civilian deaths are tragic, but in Gaza, they are also part of Hamas’s strategy,” he wrote. “No military operation is judged solely by body counts or destruction figures. If we used Bartov’s logic, every major war would be called genocide. Two million civilians died in the Korean War, an average of 54,000 per month. The Iraq and Afghanistan wars killed hundreds of thousands. The fight against ISIS leveled multiple cities and killed tens of thousands. None of those wars were considered genocidal.”
“War is hell,” he declared. “It is inhumane, destructive, and ugly. But it is not automatically a crime. Nations must not target civilians. They must follow the rules of distinction, proportionality, and take all possible care to avoid civilian harm. Israel is doing that. I have seen it.”
“I have seen restraint, humanitarian aid, and deliberate compliance with legal standards, often at tactical cost,” he wrote. “This is not a campaign of extermination. It is a war against Hamas, a terrorist army embedded in civilian areas by design. The law matters. So does precision. And above all, truth matters.”
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<a href="https://t.co/5qLpXD35UO">https://t.co/5qLpXD35UO</a>
— John Spencer (@SpencerGuard) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpencerGuard/status/1948010761957052628?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Testifies During House Hearing

RFK Jr. Blasts Genocide Accusations Against Israel: The ‘Charge Is A Blood Libel’

Gaza

genocide

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

While most media have seen fit to condemn Israel rather than Hamas for the food shortage in Gaza, the food in roughly 950 trucks inspected and approved by Israel was reportedly rotting on the Gaza side of the Kerem Shalom crossing because the United Nations will not distribute it.
“The Humanitarian Relief Fund (Gaza Humanitarian Foundation) today offered the UN to distribute the aid free of charge instead &#8211; and the UN refused. The UN, in collaboration with Hamas, is starving the population of the Gaza Strip while simultaneously pumping up the false campaign of ‘hunger in the Gaza Strip,’” Tamir Morag of Israel’s Channel 14 reported.
“The common goal of the UN and Hamas: to force the dissolution of the aid fund and obtain exclusivity for the UN on the entry of food, so that almost all of it will end up in the hands of Hamas instead of the Gaza population,” he added.
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תמונות בלתי נתפסות: תכולה של כ-950 משאיות מזון שנבדקו ואושרו על ידי ישראל נרקבת בצד העזתי של מעבר כרם שלום, כי האו&quot;ם מסרב לחלק אותה. 
קרן הסיוע ההומניטרי (GHF) הציעה היום לאו&quot;ם לחלק במקומו את הסיוע ללא תשלום &#8211; והאו&quot;ם סירב. האו&quot;ם, בשיתוף חמאס, מרעיב את אוכלוסיית רצועת עזה ובמקביל… <a href="https://t.co/2Dr23A0eWy">pic.twitter.com/2Dr23A0eWy</a>
&mdash; תמיר מורג Tamir Morag (@Tamir114) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tamir114/status/1948074134551863425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The report of the aid trucks sitting inside Gaza and waiting for the UN to distribute them was corroborated by <a href="https://x.com/TreyYingst/status/1948124844622856255">Trey Yingst</a>, Fox News&#8217; chief foreign correspondent.
On Monday, the Israeli Foreign Ministry released footage of Hamas terrorists gleefully gorging themselves in tunnels underground while Gaza residents above are going without food.
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🎥 Exclusive footage from Hamas tunnels
While Hamas leaders scream “starvation” to the world, this is what’s really happening underground.
📍Hamas terrorists are seen boasting about full meals in their tunnels, far from the suffering above and stocked with items not from… <a href="https://t.co/ED2GHxwvOB">pic.twitter.com/ED2GHxwvOB</a>
&mdash; Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) <a href="https://twitter.com/IsraelMFA/status/1947991429747216848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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As Andrew Fox of the Henry Jackson Society has pointed out:
<blockquote>
As early as late October 2023, Israel began permitting up to 100 aid trucks into Gaza each day, later increasing the quota to 200 trucks daily by late November. By mid-November 2023, Israeli officials announced they would no longer impose a daily limit on aid trucks. &#8230;
Crucially, the often-cited figure of “500 trucks per day” that supposedly entered Gaza before the war is a myth. That number originated from a careless statement by UN Secretary-General Guterres, and it spread uncritically through media and NGO reports. In reality, pre-war averages were around 300 trucks per day, of which only about 75 were food trucks. UN data from 2022 shows about 291 trucks per day entering Gaza (via Israel and Egypt), with roughly half carrying construction materials and only about 73 carrying food. &#8230;
A massive influx of aid took place during a negotiated pause in hostilities at the start of 2025. During the ceasefire from 18 January to 2 March, Gaza was inundated with approximately 25,200 aid trucks carrying 447,538 tonnes of supplies, nearly 78% of which was food. &#8230;
Since the start of the war, the militant group has made it clear that it will not take responsibility for civilians. Senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk said, “We are not responsible for Gaza’s civilians. Israel and the UN are responsible.”
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<a href="https://t.co/VMyB5QD0Nj">https://t.co/VMyB5QD0Nj</a>
&mdash; Andrew Fox (@Mr_Andrew_Fox) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mr_Andrew_Fox/status/1948368871317971237?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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GHF spokesman Chapin Fay, standing in Gaza at the Kerem Shalom crossing, saw “tons of aid from UN organizations sitting on the ground undelivered… desperately needed flour rotting on the side of the road; rice from Jordan baking for over 90 days; expired medical supplies.”

NGOs Allege ‘Mass Starvation’ In Gaza And Renew Calls For Ceasefire

Hundreds Of Aid Trucks Sit Idle In Gaza As The United Nations Stalls Food Distribution

Food

Gaza Humanitarian Foundation

Hamas

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