CNN Republican commentator Scott Jennings laid into the Democrats who are calling for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth&#8217;s ouster over the Signal-chat SNAFU that resulted in The Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg being added to a chat group discussing military strikes on Houthi terrorists.
In the wake of President Donald Trump&#8217;s assurance that he does not plan to fire anyone over the Signal incident, Jennings joined Sunday&#8217;s broadcast of &#8220;State of the Union&#8221; and pointed out the hypocrisy of Democrats who were calling for Hegseth&#8217;s head despite remaining silent when military leadership under President Joe Biden made decisions that resulted in the deaths of 13 American service-members. He also pointed out the fact that many had remained silent when then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin effectively went AWOL — leaving a subordinate in charge while he was hospitalized, but failing to apprise even the White House of the situation.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨Scott Jennings lays out the plain facts to Dems calling for firings over Signalgate —
JENNINGS: “The bar for firing people like this is really high from the last administration when after the Afghanistan withdrawal, which was a disaster, people died.&quot;
&quot;No accountability was… <a href="https://t.co/eE5n3liLIk">pic.twitter.com/eE5n3liLIk</a>
&mdash; Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/1906350055574966505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;If you&#8217;re trying to assess &#8216;what should we do about it,&#8217; I hear Democrats arguing, &#8216;Well, we should fire Pete Hegseth,&#8217; or, &#8216;We should fire the National Security Adviser,'&#8221; Jennings began. &#8220;The bar for firing people like this is really high from the last administration when after the Afghanistan withdrawal, which was a disaster, people died, no accountability was meted out. After the drone strike that vaporized those poor kids and that family, no accountability. After the secretary of defense went AWOL, no accountability.&#8221;
&#8220;So if you&#8217;re arguing today that we should get rid of Pete Hegseth over a small mistake regarding communications — even while he was expertly executing this military operation against the Houthi rebels, which also the Biden administration didn&#8217;t take up, I just ‚ I don&#8217;t have a lot of time for that argument,&#8221; Jennings continued.
Another panelist pushed back, arguing that by taking questions and calling for a review, Austin had provided &#8220;accountability.&#8221;
Jennings was not convinced: &#8220;Did a single Democrat ask for his resignation?&#8221;

25th Ukraine Defense Contact Group Meeting

‘No  Accountability’: Dems Calling For Hegseth’s Ouster Trip Over AWOL Lloyd Austin

Afghanistan

Lloyd Austin

Media

Pete Hegseth

Politics

Scott Jennings

Signal

Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) was grilled during an interview on Friday for calling on Trump defense officials to resign over their use of a Signal chat group given that he never called for Biden defense officials to resign when they had major screwups.
Coons made the remarks on CNBC&#8217;s &#8220;Squawk Box&#8221; when pressed by co-host Joe Kernen over his calls for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz to resign while he remained silent during the Biden years with regard to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
&#8220;Did you call for Lloyd Austin&#8217;s resignation?&#8221; Kernen asked. &#8220;Not only did we lose 13 service members, we left $70 billion worth of equipment that fell into the hands of the Taliban. Couple of years later, he was out of pocket for two weeks and didn&#8217;t tell the White House.&#8221;
&#8220;Did you ask for him to resign at this point?&#8221; he pressed. &#8220;Are you actually asking for Hegseth and Waltz to resign when you didn&#8217;t ask for Lloyd Austin?&#8221;
Coons claimed that Austin not do anything that put United States national security at risk by getting health care treatment despite not notifying anyone about his hospitalization and surgery for cancer.
&#8220;What about Afghanistan? What about Afghanistan?&#8221; Kernen pressed. &#8220;Did you guys forget that? Is the statute of limitations is over for 4 years?&#8221;
Coons ignored the question and instead continued to talk about Austin&#8217;s surgery for cancer.
Kernen continued to press Coons about Afghanistan, noting that in the past, he had referred to Biden&#8217;s disastrous withdraw as a success.
&#8220;Afghanistan was not a success,&#8221; Kernen said.
Coons continued to deflect by starting to talk about the Houthis.
&#8220;I am not saying that the attack on the Houthis was not a success,&#8221; Coons said. &#8220;I am saying that he demonstrably violated a directive that was just shared in the Pentagon about don&#8217;t use Signal for classified information, it is not reliably secure. And one of the folks on that group chat was in Russia at the time that that information being &#8212; look, all of us use apps like WhatsApp and Signal.&#8221;
Kernen called out Coons for deflecting: &#8220;You&#8217;re running out the clock on Afghanistan.&#8221;
Coons then proceeded to blame President Donald Trump for Biden&#8217;s disaster, even though he admitted that actions that were taken under Biden&#8217;s leadership were &#8220;badly handled.&#8221;
When asked if he should have called for Austin to resign over the debacle, Coons responded: &#8220;I don&#8217;t know whether Lloyd Austin is the person who should have been held accountable for it, but there should have been accountability.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Joe Kernen destroys Senator Chris Coons over the Signal hoax:
“Did you call for Lloyd Austin’s resignation? Not only did we lose 13 service members, we left $70B worth of equipment… He was [under anesthesia] and didn’t tell the White House. Did you ask for him to resign?” <a href="https://t.co/Gwb3NUh756">pic.twitter.com/Gwb3NUh756</a>
&mdash; johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) <a href="https://twitter.com/_johnnymaga/status/1905590858264571914?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Senate Lawmakers Return To Capitol Hill After Weekend

Chris Coons Grilled Over Hypocrisy In Calling For Resignations Of Trump Officials

Biden Administration

Chris Coons

Joe Biden

President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> is reportedly set to reinstate service members discharged from the military under the Biden administration’s COVID vaccine mandate. 
<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-reinstate-service-members-discharged-not-getting-covid-19-vaccine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a> reported Monday morning that Trump plans to sign an executive order allowing those pushed out the door to return to the military at their previous rank with back pay and benefits. Under President Joe Biden, more than 8,000 service members were booted because they chose not to get the COVID jab. 
&#8220;The Executive Order directs the Secretary of Defense to reinstate all members of the military (active and reserve) who were discharged for refusing the COVID vaccine and who request to be reinstated,” a White House fact sheet obtained by Fox News says. 
&#8220;From 2021 to 2023, the Biden Administration and former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin discharged over 8,000 troops solely due to their COVID-19 vaccination status,&#8221; it adds. &#8220;After the vaccine mandate was repealed in 2023, only 43 of the more than the 8,000 troops dismissed elected to return to service under the Biden Administration and Secretary Austin.&#8221;
During his inaugural address last week, Trump promised he would hire back the discharged service members and give them back pay. 
&#8220;This week, I will reinstate any service members who were unjustly expelled from our military for objecting to the COVID vaccine mandate with full back pay,&#8221; Trump said shortly after swearing in as president. 
The Biden administration’s military vaccine mandate ended in January 2023 after Republicans in Congress led an effort to repeal it as part of the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act. 
“The end of President Biden’s military COVID vaccine mandate is a victory for our military and for common sense,” then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republican-house-leader-kevin-mccarthy-the-covid-vax-mandate-on-our-military-is-ending" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> at the time. “Last week, I told the president directly: it’s time to end the COVID vaccine mandate and rehire our service members.”
An <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/senate-passes-defense-spending-bill-rescinding-covid-vaccine-mandate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">effort</a> led by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) to add an amendment to the repeal that would have rehired those discharged over the mandate failed. 
In addition to the military, the Biden administration issued a vaccine mandate for federal workers and all employers with at least 100 employees, who had the option to be tested weekly instead. The vaccine-or-test rule for large businesses was struck down in a 6-3 decision by the Supreme Court in January 2022.

Floridians Get COVID-19 Vaccine At FEMA Vaccination Site In Miami Area

Trump To Reinstate Service Members Kicked Out Over COVID Vax

Covid vaccine

Donald Trump

Executive

Executive Orders

Military

U.S. Military

Vaccine Mandate

Secretary of Defense <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lloyd-austin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lloyd Austin</a>’s decision not to disclose his medical issues last year &#8220;unnecessarily” increased risks to national security, the Defense Department’s Inspector General found. 
Inspector General Robert Storch released a <a href="https://media.defense.gov/2025/Jan/15/2003628254/-1/-1/1/DODIG-2025-058%20---%20REDACTED_PUBLIC%20RELEASE%20-%20UPDATED.PDF" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lengthy report</a> on Wednesday, finding that Austin left his staff in the dark when he underwent multiple medical procedures from December 2023 into January 2024. At one point, Storch wrote that when Austin was hospitalized in early January that Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks was the acting secretary of defense without knowing it. 
Storch said it was a “national security imperative” for the Defense Department to improve its procedures for future similar situations. 
“The ability for the DoD and the government to operate seamlessly and the continuity of leadership under any and all circumstances are fundamental to our national security,” he said. “Although we found no adverse consequences to DoD operations arising from how the hospitalizations we reviewed were handled, the risks to our national defense, including the command and control of the DoD’s critical national security operations, were increased unnecessarily.”
The secrecy surrounding Austin’s medical procedures began on December 22, 2023, when he had prostatectomy at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Days later, on January 1, an ambulance took him back to the hospital after he “experienced medical complications.” 
Storch wrote that Austin’s condition “worsened” on January 2, and his staff directed the transfer of authority to Hicks. 
“Secretary Austin’s strong desire for privacy about his medical condition is a thread that runs through all the events that we reviewed, including in his public statements about his hospitalization,” the report found. “His desire for privacy was well known by his staff and affected many of the events at issue in various ways.”
Austin did not tell Hicks, his chief of staff, General Charles Brown, Lieutenant General Ronald Clark, his senior military assistant, and “nearly all of his staff” about his December 22 procedure, according to the report. 
The only people at the DoD who knew he was going to the hospital were his Personal Security Officer (PSO) and Junior Military Assistant (JMA). Storch wrote that Austin should have informed Congress and the White House about the procedure. 
When Austin was later transported to the hospital on January 1, the report found that the “weight of the evidence” showed that the defense secretary told them not to use lights or sirens and told his security officer that “we’re not notifying anybody.”
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Austin told investigators he believed he was going to be released from the hospital within a “couple of hours” and again did not tell Hicks, his chief of staff, or Clark about his hospitalization, according to the report. 
Storch wrote that Austin only told his security officer to cancel his meetings for the next 48 hours, leaving everyone on his staff in the dark except his junior military assistant. 
“No one on Secretary Austin’s staff knew the seriousness of his condition, including when his condition became worse and he was transferred to the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) on January 2,” the report found. 
Once he was moved to the surgical unit, top DoD officials learned of the situation, and authority was transferred to Hicks, Storch said. 
As a result of the situation, Storch recommended 20 actions that the DoD should implement new policies that enhance communication and ensure that a similar situation doesn’t occur. The DoD has agreed to take the recommended steps, Storch said. 
Last year, after the situation was widely reported, Austin held a press conference where he apologized for the incident. 
“We did not handle this right, and I did not handle this right,” Austin <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/defense-secretary-lloyd-austin-out-again-with-medical-issues" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “I should’ve told the president about my cancer diagnosis. I should have also told my team and the American public. And I take full responsibility. I apologize to my teammates and to the American people.”

‘We’re Not Notifying Anybody’: Scathing IG Report Released On SecDef’s Medical Secrecy

Department of Defense

Inspector general

National Security

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has lost his bid to overturn the Biden administration’s plea deals with three men accused of planning the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S.
President Joe Biden’s administration reached the plea deals with the terrorists last summer, allowing Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin Attash, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi to avoid the death penalty while pleading guilty to all charges against them, including the murder of nearly 3,000 people on September 11, 2001, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sept-11-plea-deals-guantanamo-austin-279abd0342a84dc2694941c07f51c6bb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Shortly after the plea deals were announced, Austin issued an order saying he would nullify them, the AP <a href="https://apnews.com/article/911-guantanamo-plea-bargain-austin-d1ea80cf69649927d85b638f9913c76f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, citing the impact of the devastating attacks and claiming that he should be the one to decide whether the defendants should get plea deals.
But defense attorneys argued that Austin didn’t have the authority to reject the plea deals, which had been approved by Guantanamo Bay’s top court. That court said Austin’s attempt to scuttle the plea deals amounted to unlawful interference in the case, according to the AP.
If he chooses, Austin can continue to fight the plea deals by appealing to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Following Biden’s announcement about the plea deals in July of this year, multiple lawmakers criticized the decision, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) calling the move “a revolting abdication of the government’s responsibility to defend America and provide justice.”
“The Biden-Harris Administration’s weakness in the face of sworn enemies of the American people apparently knows no bounds,” McConnell said, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lawmakers-slam-biden-harris-administrations-plea-deal-with-terrorists-responsible-for-9-11-attacks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. “The only thing worse than negotiating with terrorists is negotiating with them after they are in custody. The families of their victims and the American people deserve real justice. In the same week that Israel eliminated some of Iran’s most trusted terrorist proxies, the Administration’s decision to spare these mass-murderers from the death penalty is an especially bitter pill.”
“Meanwhile, the Biden-Harris Administration still seeks to release other Guantanamo terrorists back into the world,” McConnell concluded. “The Administration’s cowardice in the face of terror is a national disgrace.”
McConnell was correct, as the Pentagon also announced this week it had returned Ridah bin Saleh al-Yazidi, a suspected Tunisian terrorist, back to his home country. There are now 14 men awaiting similar “repatriation” after being cleared as security risks, the AP reported. The Biden administration earlier this month also transferred three other men who had been held at Guantanamo without charge.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) also slammed the Biden administration’s decision to remove the death penalty from the men who carried out the 9/11 attacks.
“23 years ago, America watched in horror as thousands of innocent Americans died,” Johnson said in July. “America mourned for weeks afterwards as first responders sifted through the ashes at Ground Zero, at the Pentagon, and at the crash site in Shanksville. For more than two decades, the families of those murdered by these terrorists have waited for justice. This plea deal is a slap in the face of those families. They deserved better from the Biden-Harris Administration.”

9/11 Memorial

Defense Secretary Loses Bid To Overturn Biden Administration’s Plea Deals With 9/11 Terrorists

9/11

Terrorists

U.S.

The House Homeland Security Committee demanded this week that top <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden administration</a> officials provide information on how military assets were mobilized to respond to devastating Hurricane Helene damage done in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/north-carolina" target="_blank" rel="noopener">North Carolina</a> in September. 
The committee announced Friday that it had asked Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper (D) to provide details on how the Helene response was coordinated. The requests come as the Biden administration has faced intense scrutiny over its response to both Helene and Hurricane Milton. 
“The Committee on Homeland Security (Committee) is conducting oversight of the federal response to Hurricane Helene,” wrote Committee Chair Mark Green (R-TN) in a <a href="https://homeland.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2024-12-10-Green-et-al-to-Austin-DOD-re-Hurricane-Helene-DoD-Response.pdf">letter</a> sent to Austin on Tuesday. “Since Hurricane Helene’s landfall on September 26, 2024, the scale of mobilized resources, materiel, and personnel at the federal and state levels has been significant. The Committee seeks to better understand the use of military assets, the execution of Title 10 authorities, and how these efforts were coordinated in North Carolina, where the damage from Hurricane Helene is particularly acute.”
The letter was co-signed by Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) and Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY).
Helene, which made landfall in September, led to devastating flooding in portions of East Tennessee and western North Carolina after torrential rain. Many residents reported that it took weeks for federal responders to arrive, and thousands are still without homes. 
According to the letters, more than 6,000 federal personnel, including 1000 National Guard Bureau troops, were sent to North Carolina by October 5.
“The intense breadth of Hurricane Helene’s impact requires significant DoD assets and personnel to assist in North Carolina’s immediate and long-term recovery,” the lawmakers wrote. 
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The committee wants all communications and documents between the DoD, FEMA, DHS, and North Carolina about how the military was used to respond to the flooding. It also wants documents showing how many DoD service members were requested for the response. 
Earlier this month, the committee <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-homeland-security-to-interview-second-fema-employee-about-trump-guidance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interviewed</a> FEMA supervisor Marn’i Washington, who ordered relief workers in Lake Placid, Florida, to “avoid homes advertising Trump.” The committee is investigating Washington&#8217;s claims that FEMA had a widespread policy of avoiding politically hostile homes. 
Other whistleblowers have alleged that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republicans-ask-for-probe-into-allegations-fema-skipped-entire-neighborhoods-with-trump-signs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">entire neighborhoods</a> in North Carolina were skipped over if there were three or more Trump signs in the community.

Hurricane Helene North Carolina

Lawmakers Probe Military Response To Helene Destruction In North Carolina

Alejandro Mayorkas

Hurricane Helene

Mark Green

North Carolina

Roy Cooper

Republican senator Eric Schmitt is demanding that the Biden administration&#8217;s Pentagon cease the sale of the border wall materials being offloaded, saying the outgoing administration is &#8220;sabotaging&#8221; the effort to secure the border while recouping just .02% of the taxpayer money used to buy the material initially.
In a <a href="https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Senator-Eric-Schmitt-signed-Border-Wall-Materials-Final.pdf">letter obtained exclusively</a> by The Daily Wire, which <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-biden-races-to-sell-off-border-wall-parts-before-trump-takes-office">reported on Thursday</a> that Biden was racing to sell off border wall parts in his final weeks in office, Schmitt calls on Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to &#8220;immediately cease&#8221; the auctions.
“I am writing to demand that you immediately cease the auctioning off of border wall materials,” Schmitt opens in his letter to Austin. “Senate Republicans, including the incoming Chairman, as well as my colleagues on the Senate Armed Services have raised the absurdity of selling border wall materials through letters, nomination hearings, and through the National Defense Authorization Act legislative process.”
Schmitt&#8217;s analysis of the already completed sales this month found that the administration is offloading the wall materials for far less than the market value of the material alone.
“A representative sale on December 11, 2024 concluded with four sections of border wall, accounting for almost 16,000 pounds worth of steel, selling for $105. If purely sold for scrap metal at the average cost of $694 per metric ton, the value of this lot is worth $5,219,” he pointed out, going on to accuse the current administration of sabotaging Trump.
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According to his math, the government is recouping just 0.02% of the taxpayer money used to initially secure the material during Trump&#8217;s first term.
&#8220;While recouping less than 0.02% of taxpayer money used to secure these materials, the Biden Administration is sabotaging the incoming Trump Administration just weeks ahead of President Trump&#8217;s inauguration,” the Senator added. “These border wall materials will cost tens of thousands of U.S. taxpayer dollars to replace and will be critical to stem the record flow of millions of illegal immigrants who were welcomed across our border during the Biden Administration.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
EXCLUSIVE: Weeks before Trump takes office, Biden is racing to auction off unused border wall materials.
Video shows trucks hauling wall materials off the border to a government auction site, where a massive amount of wall is waiting to be sold. <a href="https://t.co/ogaQMBHw7R">pic.twitter.com/ogaQMBHw7R</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1867257767641174408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2024</a></blockquote>
A border patrol agent told investigative reporter James Lalino that the goal was to offload all the material at his segment of the border in Arizona by Christmas.
“They are taking it from three stations: Nogales, Tucson, and Three Points. The goal is to move all of it off the border before Christmas.” The agent also estimated that as much as &#8220;half a mile worth of unused border wall is being moved every day.&#8221;
The Daily Wire investigation has also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-lt-gov-vows-we-will-buy-every-piece-of-border-wall-bidens-selling-and-give-it-to-trump">prompted a response</a> from Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, who said he is prepared to buy the wall. “Message their White House right now: I will bid on all of that wall and we will buy it in Texas and we will give it to Donald Trump,” Patrick said. “I’ve got a billion dollars in my pocket to do it.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-biden-races-to-sell-off-border-wall-parts-before-trump-takes-office">READ MORE: Biden Races To Sell Off Border Wall Parts Before Trump Takes Office</a>
Further sales are set to take place later this month, with bidding starting at just $5 for an entire segment of the wall, according to the auction website.
<div id="attachment_843015" style="width: 448px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-843015" class="size-large wp-image-843015" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-11-at-10.07.02-PM-438x576.png" alt="" width="438" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-11-at-10.07.02-PM-438x576.png 438w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-11-at-10.07.02-PM-228x300.png 228w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-11-at-10.07.02-PM-768x1009.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-11-at-10.07.02-PM.png 1076w" sizes="(max-width: 438px) 100vw, 438px" />Screenshot of GovPlanet.com, a government surplus auction site</div>
The Biden-Harris administration’s decision to sell off parts of the border wall comes after it presided over a record-breaking surge in illegal immigration, all while ending policies like Remain in Mexico and Title 42, both of which were intended to stem the flow of mass illegal immigration.
<a href="https://homeland.house.gov/2024/10/22/chairman-green-on-september-border-encounter-numbers-we-simply-cannot-go-on-like-this-as-a-country/">One report</a> from Republican members of the House Committee on Homeland Security indicates that, as of October 2024, there have been nearly 11 million illegal alien encounters nationwide between fiscal years 2021 and 2024 under the Biden-Harris administration.
The surge in illegal immigration is so drastic that it propelled the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/foreign-born-population-hits-new-high-with-surge-under-biden-fueled-by-illegal-immigration">foreign-born population</a> living in the United States to a new all-time high of 51.6 million people. One estimate indicates that 58 percent of the surge in the foreign-born population was due to illegal immigration.
“For the sake of our safety, sovereignty, and economic well-being, I, once again, urge the Department of Defense to halt the sale of border wall material immediately,” Schmitt said at the conclusion of his letter.
Trump has signaled that one of his first actions as president next year will be to resume construction of the wall, which was halted during the Biden administration.

Texas Border Wall

Senator Calls On Pentagon To Halt Sale Of Border Wall, Says Gov Recouping Just .02% Of Taxpayer Cost

Biden

Border

Border Wall

Illegal Immigration

Trump

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/north-korea" target="_blank" rel="noopener">North Korean</a> troops have deployed to Russia and may join the fight against Ukraine, U.S. officials said Wednesday.
The confirmation from U.S. officials came after South Korea and Ukraine in recent days have expressed alarm at the North Korea troop movements. South Korean lawmakers have said that 3,000 North Korean troops have left to Russia so far, and another 7,000 are expected to go, according to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/north-korean-troops-sent-russia-us-confirms-war-ukraine-rcna176346" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC News</a>.
“We assess that between early- to mid-October, North Korea moved at least 3,000 soldiers into eastern Russia,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, according to <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/23/politics/lloyd-austin-north-korea-troops-russia/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a>. “We assess that these soldiers traveled by ship from the Wonsan area in North Korea to Vladivostok, Russia. … We do not yet know whether these soldiers will enter into combat alongside the Russian military, but this is certainly a highly concerning probability. After completing training, these soldiers could travel to western Russia and then engage in combat against the Ukrainian military.”
Kirby’s comments followed an initial confirmation of U.S. intelligence from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who spoke to reporters in Rome on Wednesday.
“We are seeing evidence that there are North Korean troops that have gone to Russia,” Austin said. “What, exactly, they’re doing is left to be seen.”
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If North Korea joins the war in Ukraine, the consequences could be severe and widespread, the Defense secretary said.
“If they’re a co-belligerent, their intention is to participate in this war on Russia’s behalf, that is a very, very serious issue, and it will have impacts not only on in Europe, it will also impact things in the Indo Pacific as well,” he said.
The troop movements have caused unease within NATO, which has begun discussions on how the alliance will respond should North Korea join the war, according to a spokeswoman.
“Allies have confirmed evidence of a DPRK troop deployment to Russia. If these troops are destined to fight in Ukraine, it would mark a significant escalation in North Korea’s support for Russia’s illegal war and yet another sign of Russia’s significant losses on the front lines,” NATO spokeswoman Farah Dakhlallah told <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/united-states-north-korean-troops-now-in-russia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Politico Europe</a> in a statement.
“We are actively consulting within the Alliance on this matter, and the North Atlantic Council will receive a briefing from the Republic of Korea and further discuss this matter soon,” she added.
North Korea and Russia have strengthened their ties in recent years. In June, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/russia-vladimir-putin-north-korea-kim-jong-un-new-strategic-partnership-agreement-against-western-countries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> an agreement to provide “mutual assistance in the event of aggression against one of the participants.”

Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un

North Korea Deploys Troops To Russia, Setting Off Alarms In The West

Global Politics

John Kirby

North Korea

Russia

Ukraine-Russia War

World

The U.S. is accelerating the deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East amid an imminent threat to Israel from the Islamic Republic of Iran and Hezbollah, Iran&#8217;s largest top terrorist proxy group.
The announcement came after Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant on Sunday about the situation.
The Pentagon said in a statement that the U.S. was taking &#8220;every possible step to defend Israel and noted the strengthening of U.S. military force posture and capabilities throughout the Middle East in light of escalating regional tensions.&#8221;
&#8220;Reinforcing this commitment, the Secretary Austin has ordered the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN Carrier Strike Group, equipped with F-35C fighters, to accelerate its transit to the Central Command area of responsibility, adding to the capabilities already provided by the USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT Carrier Strike Group,&#8221; the statement continued. &#8220;Additionally, the Secretary has ordered the USS Georgia (SSGN 729) guided missile submarine to the Central Command region.&#8221;
The expected attack comes after Israel <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/israel-kills-hezbollahs-most-senior-military-commander-after-terror-group-killed-12-children">killed</a> Fuad Shukr last month, Hezbollah&#8217;s “most senior military commander and the head of its Strategic Unit” and Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah’s “right-hand man”, according to the IDF.
Shukr was responsible for directing all of Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel since Hamas’ unprecedented October 7 terrorist attack in which thousands of terrorists stormed into Israel from Gaza and murdered 1,200 people, wounded more than 5,000, and took hundreds of people hostage.
The U.S. government had <a href="https://rewardsforjustice.net/rewards/fuad-shukr/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">placed</a> a $5 million bounty on Shukr for playing a “central role in the October 23, 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine Corps Barracks in Beirut which killed 241 U.S. military personnel and wounded 128 others,” according to the U.S. State Department.
Israel is also believed to be behind the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-top-hamas-leader-ismail-haniyeh-killed-inside-iran">killing</a> last month of Hamas terrorist leader Ismail Haniyeh in a bombing on a guest house he was staying at inside Iran.
Various intelligence assessments have concluded that the attack will be <a href="https://twitter.com/ELINTNews/status/1822750069336252587">coordinated</a> between Iran and Hezbollah and will likely occur early this week.

NOVEMBER 3, 2014  SAN DIEGO, CA.  An F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter jet makes its first-eve

U.S. Accelerates Deployment Of Aircraft Carrier Strike Group To Middle East Amid Imminent Threat From Iran, Hezbollah

Hezbollah

Iran

Middle East

A few U.S. Senators released statements over the weekend after Secretary of Defense <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lloyd-austin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lloyd Austin</a> canceled plea deals that were given to three of the terrorists who were behind the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States.
The administration faced severe backlash after news of the plea deal — which included sparing the terrorists the death penalty in exchange for them pleading guilty to the events of that day and the murder of 2,976 people — was made public. The administration later removed retired Brig. Gen. Susan K. Escallier, the person who offered the deal, from overseeing the case and canceled the offer.
Under the pretrial agreements, 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin ‘Attash, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi would have served, at most, life sentences in prison.
&#8220;We are glad that Secretary Austin came to his senses, heeded our warning, and decided to take the concerns of 9/11 victims and families seriously,&#8221; said a joint statement from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR).
&#8220;The Biden-Harris Administration’s consideration of a plea deal with terrorist mass murderers was disgraceful. America deserves a Commander-in-Chief committed to peace through strength, not chaos through weakness,&#8221; the statement continued. &#8220;The President must know that we continue to watch this situation closely. The Justice for 9/11 Act is introduced, and if the Administration ever changes course, we stand ready to overturn any future cowardly plea deals with the murderous mastermind of that tragic day.&#8221;
The senators added that the U.S. &#8220;must never flinch in holding terrorists accountable for their actions.&#8221;
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House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said that the administration was &#8220;correct to reverse course after receiving letters from @GOPoversight and @HASCRepublicans launching investigations into this terrible plea deal.&#8221;
&#8220;Now deliver long awaited justice for 9/11 families,&#8221; he added.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) also commented on the reversal, posting on X: &#8220;I firmly believe that Secretary Austin did the right thing and exercised good command judgement by revoking the plea deal for the 9/11 mastermind and his accomplices.&#8221;
&#8220;The previous plea deal would have sent absolutely the wrong signal to terrorists throughout the world,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;I know the families of the victims of the 9/11 attacks will appreciate this — as do I.&#8221;

US-POLITICS-DEFENSE-HEARING

Republican Lawmakers Release Statements After Lloyd Austin Cancels Plea Deals With 9/11 Terrorists

Congress

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed

Republican Party

The Biden-Harris Administration canceled a stunning plea deal that was signed this week with the terrorists who were responsible for the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States — and relieved the senior U.S. official who offered the deal.
Retired Brig. Gen. Susan K. Escallier, who was responsible for overseeing the war court case at Guantánamo Bay, was relieved from her position by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin after her team <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-harris-administration-reaches-plea-deals-with-9-11-mastermind-khalid-sheikh-mohammed-2-others">entered</a> into pretrial agreements with 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin ‘Attash, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi.
The deal allowed the terrorists to escape the death penalty in-exchange for them pleading guilty to the murder of 2,976 people and serving sentences of at most life in prison.
By removing Escallier, Austin assumed authority over the case and immediately canceled the agreement, meaning the death penalty is back on the table, following days of public backlash against the Biden-Harris Administraiton.
“Effective immediately, in the exercise of my authority, I hereby withdraw from the three pretrial agreements that you signed on July 31, 2024,” Austin said.
Top U.S. lawmakers slammed the Biden-Harris Administration for the plea deal, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA).
McConnell said the plea deal was “a revolting abdication of the government’s responsibility to defend America and provide justice.”
“The Biden-Harris Administration’s weakness in the face of sworn enemies of the American people apparently knows no bounds,” McConnell said. “The only thing worse than negotiating with terrorists is negotiating with them after they are in custody. The families of their victims and the American people deserve real justice. In the same week that Israel eliminated some of Iran’s most trusted terrorist proxies, the Administration’s decision to spare these mass-murderers from the death penalty is an especially bitter pill.”
“Meanwhile, the Biden-Harris Administration still seeks to release other Guantanamo terrorists back into the world,” he concluded. “The Administration’s cowardice in the face of terror is a national disgrace.”
“23 years ago, America watched in horror as thousands of innocent Americans died,” he continued. “America mourned for weeks afterwards as first responders sifted through the ashes at Ground Zero, at the Pentagon, and at the crash site in Shanksville. For more than two decades, the families of those murdered by these terrorists have waited for justice. This plea deal is a slap in the face of those families. They deserved better from the Biden-Harris Administration.”
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said that the plea deal made it &#8220;a very, very good week, if you happen to be a terrorist.&#8221;
&#8220;If you happen to be someone who wants to murder Americans, this has been a phenomenal week because Joe Biden and Kamala Harris just gave a gift to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, they agreed to take the death penalty off the table and spare his life,&#8221; Cruz said. &#8220;It&#8217;s an absolute outrage. It&#8217;s an insult to the families of all of those who were murdered on 9/11.&#8221;

Biden-Harris Admin Cancels 9/11 Plea Deal After Severe Backlash, Ousts Senior Official Who Offered It

terrorist attack

Secretary of Defense <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lloyd-austin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lloyd Austin</a> is transferring his role to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks today as he prepares to undergo elective surgery.
Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement that Austin will undergo a &#8220;minimally invasive follow-up non-surgical procedure&#8221; that is related to his previous bladder issue.
The procedure will take place this evening at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
&#8220;The Secretary has determined he will be temporarily unable to perform his functions and duties during the procedure, so Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks will assume the functions and duties of the Secretary of Defense and serve as the Acting Secretary of Defense,&#8221; Ryder said.
Austin was released from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in February after receiving treatment for a bladder issue that also prompted him to transfer his duties to his deputy.
Austin, 70, faced blowback after the revelation that the secretary had been hospitalized on January 1 for complications <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/walter-reed-medical-center-reveals-why-lloyd-austin-was-hospitalized" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stemming from a prostate cancer</a> procedure and delegated some of his duties to a deputy without informing top brass in the Biden administration and Congress.
Some critics, including GOP lawmakers and <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=trump+austin+daily+wire&amp;sca_esv=248f942d9b8c3839&amp;ei=rd23ZaniIeWxqtsP1MqKmAk&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjp7KWSjYOEAxXlmGoFHVSlApMQ4dUDCBA&amp;uact=5&amp;oq=trump+austin+daily+wire&amp;gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiF3RydW1wIGF1c3RpbiBkYWlseSB3aXJlSPYQUI4BWPEPcAN4AJABAJgBfqABsgmqAQQwLjExuAEDyAEA-AEB4gMEGAEgQYgGAQ&amp;sclient=gws-wiz-serp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">former President Donald Trump</a>, called for Austin’s ouster as more details emerged, including that Austin kept his cancer diagnosis under wraps until the story broke. Multiple <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pentagon-inspector-general-announces-review-of-austin-going-mia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inquiries</a> ensued, and the White House released <a href="https://apnews.com/article/president-joe-biden-white-house-lloyd-austin-cabinet-f3e03c04ff7d9a0ab062a57ac181bb8f#:~:text=From%20now%20on%2C%20Cabinet%20agencies,once%20that%20delegation%20has%20ended." target="_blank" rel="noopener">new guidelines</a> for Cabinet secretaries to enhance transparency rules when authority is delegated to a subordinate.
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The Department of Defense <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3658716/secretary-of-defense-lloyd-j-austin-iii-returns-to-work-at-the-pentagon/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Austin resumed his duties from home after being released from the hospital on January 15, and the secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/def-sec-austin-returns-to-pentagon-addresses-health-situation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">returned</a> to work at the Pentagon on January 29. Austin <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-republicans-grill-def-sec-austin-over-transparency-youve-held-yourself-to-a-different-standard">testified</a> before a House committee <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/def-sec-austin-agrees-to-testify-before-congress-about-secretive-hospitalization">about</a> “his failure to disclose his hospitalization” on February 29.
During a press conference, Austin <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/austin-denies-requesting-subtle-ride-to-hospital-blames-aide-should-come-out-in-the-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expressed remorse</a> for how his cancer diagnosis and hospitalization were handled.
“We did not handle this right, and I did not handle this right,” Austin said. “I should’ve told the president about my cancer diagnosis. I should have also told my team and the American public. And I take full responsibility. I apologize to my teammates and to the American people.”
Daniel Chaitin contributed to this report.

ISRAEL-US-POLITICS-DIPLOMACY-DEFENCE-PALESTINIAN-GAZA-CONFLICT

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin Out Again With Medical Issues

Medical

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