President Donald Trump moved to cut another $4.9 billion in foreign aid spending through an executive maneuver last used nearly 50 years ago. 
In a Thursday letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), which was posted on social media on Friday, Trump stated that he is clawing back funding from programs run by the State Department, the United States Agency for International Development, and International Assistance Programs. Much of the funding is related to programs pushing climate and gender activism. 
The cuts will be carried out through a pocket rescission—a process allowing the president to revoke previously approved spending just before the fiscal year ends, leaving Congress no time to reauthorize the funds under federal law. Any future funding would require separate congressional approval.
On a background call with The Daily Wire, a White House official said a pocket rescission was a tool that the Trump administration had “dusted off.”
“Last night, President Trump CANCELLED $4.9 billion in America Last foreign aid using a pocket rescission,” the Office of Management and Budget posted on X on Friday. “[President Trump] will always put AMERICA FIRST!”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 Last night, President Trump CANCELLED $4.9 billion in America Last foreign aid using a pocket rescission.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> will always put AMERICA FIRST! <a href="https://t.co/1DvXYGdy3B">pic.twitter.com/1DvXYGdy3B</a>
— Office of Management and Budget (@WHOMB) <a href="https://twitter.com/WHOMB/status/1961410044907458780?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio applauded the move from Trump. 
“Since assuming office, President Trump has been committed to rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse from the U.S. government, saving American workers billions of dollars,” Rubio said. “Now, for the first time in 50 years, the President is using his authority under the Impoundment Control Act to deploy a pocket rescission, cancelling $5 billion in foreign aid and international organization funding that violates the President’s America First priorities.”
Rubio said that some of the programs that were cancelled included $2.7 million for “inclusive democracy” in South Africa and $4 million for “global LGBTQI+ awareness” 
“None of these programs are in America’s interest, which is why the President is taking decisive action to put America and Americans first,” Rubio said. 
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A White House official added that the cuts also included hundreds of millions of dollars in climate projects, such as building a greenhouse gas calculator, promoting vegan food in Zambia, developing insect powder for children in Madagascar, and purchasing electric buses in Rwanda.
There is an ongoing legal battle over the use of “pocket recissions,” and some lawmakers have argued that the move is unconstitutional. 
“Given that this package was sent to Congress very close to the end of the fiscal year when the funds are scheduled to expire, this is an apparent attempt to rescind appropriated funds without congressional approval,” Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) said, joining Senate Democrats who spoke out against the move. &#8220;Any effort to rescind appropriated funds without congressional approval is a clear violation of the law.&#8221;
A White House official said Friday afternoon that they believed it had &#8220;a very firm legal footing&#8221; to make the cuts, and that “we will be making that case.”

President Trump Holds Cabinet Meeting

Trump Slashes $5 Billion In Foreign Spending Using Rare Executive Maneuver

Budget

Congress

Donald Trump

Executive

Marco Rubio

Politics

spending

State Department

USAID

The Trump administration is barring Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas and other PA officials from entering the United States ahead of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September, where several countries are preparing to recognize a Palestinian state.
According to documents obtained by The Daily Wire, the State Department will suspend visas for all members of the delegation for at least 180 days and revoke visas issued prior to July 31 due to violations of U.S. law and national security interests.
The move comes as Australia, Canada, France, and Malta plan to recognize Palestinian statehood during the UNGA, where <a href="https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-863756">Arab media report</a> that Abbas planned to issue a constitutional declaration outlining the state’s borders and foundations. 
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau approved the move after determining the PA and PLO were in violation of U.S. law, according to the documents, by “unilaterally declaring Palestinian statehood; glorifying violence; promoting antisemitism; and providing material support to terrorists” through its “pay for slay” program.
&#8220;In compliance with the laws and national security interests of the United States, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is denying and revoking visas from members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA) ahead of the upcoming UN General Assembly,&#8221; State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said. &#8220;Before they can be taken seriously as partners for peace, the PA and PLO must repudiate terrorism, lawfare campaigns at the ICC and ICJ, and the pursuit of unilateral recognition of statehood.  The PA Mission to the UN will receive waivers per the UN Headquarters agreement.  The United States remains open to re-engagement should the PA/PLO demonstrably take concrete steps to return to constructive engagement.&#8221;
“The Trump Administration does not reward terrorism,” Pigott added.
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The document specifically accuses the PA of being “out of compliance” with the Palestinian Liberation and Organization Commitments Compliance Act (PLOCCA) and the Middle East Peace Commitments Act (MEPCA).
The PA’s &#8220;pay to slay&#8221; program drew outrage in 2016 after a Palestinian terrorist killed Taylor Force, a U.S. Army veteran, during a stabbing spree in Tel Aviv. Though the terrorist was killed during the attack, his family still received monthly payments from the PA’s Martyrs’ Fund. While the PA claimed in early 2025 that it was ending the program, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies <a href="https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2025/02/10/pa-to-modify-pay-to-slay-policy-in-apparent-overture-to-trump/">reported</a> that it only slightly restructured it. 
Landau’s decision ensures that Abbas and his delegation are unable to use the platform to push for statehood at the UNGA, where the French-Saudi High-Level Conference on the Two-State Solution (2SS) is also scheduled to take place. 
The first 2SS conference, held in July, was described as a “publicity stunt” and an “insult” by State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce.
“This week, the U.N. will serve as host to an unproductive and ill-timed conference on the two-state solution in New York City,” Bruce said. “This is a publicity stunt that comes in the middle of delicate diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.”
The conference failed to get all conference participants to recognize a Palestinian state.
The documents state that the Two-State Solution conference is a “propaganda victory for Hamas” and that its “content is designed to present Palestinian statehood as the only possible outcome of the Gaza conflict,” undermining the United States’ ability to negotiate ceasefire talks.
Palestinian officials have been required to obtain waivers to travel to the UN Headquarters in New York City for official government business; however, the State Department has refused to issue waivers, thereby denying entry.
However, five permanent staff members and their dependents from the Palestinian UN Observer Mission will still be allowed to travel to the United States, as they are visiting the UN headquarters as part of their official duties and would be coming regardless of any recognition announcements. Allowing their presence also fulfills U.S. obligations under the UN Headquarters Agreement, according to the documents.
As precedent, the documents cite the U.S. denying travel for certain members of the Iranian delegation, but note that it has not denied visas to an entire delegation before. However, the document states that the “PA delegation’s presence in the United States would be prejudicial to national interests.”
In July, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/united-kingdom-threatens-to-recognize-state-of-palestine-if-israel-doesnt-agree-to-ceasefire?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=17&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=United+Kingdom+Threatens+To+Recognize+%E2%80%98State+of+Palestine%E2%80%99+If+Israel+Doesn%E2%80%99t+Agree+To+Ceasefire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued an ultimatum</a> saying that the United Kingdom would recognize a “state of Palestine” at the UNGA if Israel did not meet certain conditions, including agreeing to a ceasefire and ending the conflict in Gaza. New Zealand and Portugal also say that they are considering recognition.

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Rubio Bars Mahmoud Abbas From Entering U.S. Ahead Of Palestinian Statehood Push At UN

Global Politics

Palestinian Authority

Trump Administration

United Nations

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced late Thursday that the State Department was not going to issue any additional work visas for commercial truck drivers, at least for the time being.
&#8220;Effective immediately we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers,&#8221; he said in a post on X. &#8220;The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Effective immediately we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers.
The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers.
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio/status/1958644528253948015?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Rubio&#8217;s announcement comes after an accident involving an immigrant from India — who received a work permit under former President Joe Biden and a commercial driver&#8217;s license from the state of California — resulted in the deaths of three American citizens in Florida.
As The Daily Wire previously reported, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illegal-given-commercial-drivers-license-by-californias-newsom-charged-in-fatal-semi-truck-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Harjinder Singh</a>, who entered the United States illegally in 2018, was granted a commercial driver’s license in California. He made an illegal turn from the outside lane at a spot marked “Official Use Only,” and his truck crushed a minivan that had been driving in the inside lane. Singh has since been arrested for vehicular homicide and was slapped with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=summer&amp;utm_content=editorialsummersale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">End of Summer Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
The tragedy that unfolded in Florida also sparked a battle between Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin and the X account run by Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gavin-newsom-tangles-with-dhs-over-illegal-accused-of-killing-three-americans-with-semi-truck" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gavin Newsom&#8217;s</a> (D-CA) Press Office when McLaughlin argued that three American citizens would still be alive if not for the license granted to Singh in California.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
3 innocent people were killed in Florida because Gavin Newsom’s California DMV issued an illegal alien a Commercial Driver’s License—this state of governance is asinine.
How many more innocent people have to die before <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GavinNewsom</a> stops playing games with the safety of the… <a href="https://t.co/chT7ln1TTZ">pic.twitter.com/chT7ln1TTZ</a>
— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) <a href="https://twitter.com/TriciaOhio/status/1957433382230507868?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Newsom’s press office responded to McLaughlin with a graphic, saying that California does not issue commercial licenses to immigrants who do not have legal status and blaming Trump for that because Singh entered the country illegally in 2018.
“Hey, genius: the federal government (TRUMP ADMIN) already confirmed that this guy meets federal and state immigration requirements — YOU issued him a work permit (EAD). As usual, the Trump Administration is either lying or clueless. p.s. @grok, who was President in 2018?”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Hey, genius: the federal government (TRUMP ADMIN) already confirmed that this guy meets federal and state immigration requirements &#8212; YOU issued him a work permit (EAD).
As usual, the Trump Administration is either lying or clueless.
p.s. <a href="https://twitter.com/grok?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@grok</a>, who was President in 2018? <a href="https://t.co/OHVnC3zS20">https://t.co/OHVnC3zS20</a> <a href="https://t.co/raF7hFWGkb">pic.twitter.com/raF7hFWGkb</a>
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovPressOffice/status/1957460210110300656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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McLaughlin pushed back, however, noting that the Trump administration had denied Singh&#8217;s request for a work visa and that he was not able to get one until former President Joe Biden&#8217;s administration took over.
&#8220;False. Harjinder Singh is in the United States illegally and his work authorization was rejected under the Trump Administration on September 14, 2020. It was later approved under the Biden Administration June 9, 2021. The state of California issues Commercial Drivers Licenses. There is no national CDL,&#8221; McLaughlin wrote, concluding her post, &#8220;Sincerely, Genius.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
False. Harjinder Singh is in the United States illegally and his work authorization was rejected under the Trump Administration on September 14, 2020. It was later approved under the Biden Administration June 9, 2021.
The state of California issues Commercial Drivers Licenses.… <a href="https://t.co/4YSs3qIj2B">https://t.co/4YSs3qIj2B</a>
— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) <a href="https://twitter.com/TriciaOhio/status/1957503043710181746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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‘Effective Immediately’: State Department Halts Worker Visas For Commercial Truck Drivers

'Effective Immediately': State Department Halts Worker Visas For Commercial Truck Drivers

Florida

Traffic

President Donald Trump said Sunday night that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could end the war with Russia “almost immediately” if he wanted.
Trump’s comments came ahead of a meeting on Monday at the White House between Trump, Zelensky, and other European leaders. Trump, who met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday in Alaska, is pushing for an end to the years-long war that broke out in February 2022. 
“President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight. Remember how it started,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115047128460078066">wrote</a> on Truth Social. “No getting back Obama given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!”
After his meeting with Putin, Trump said that “it was determined by all” that the best way to end the war would be to go directly to a peace deal rather than a ceasefire agreement. 
Along those lines, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that both sides would have to make concessions to get to a peace deal. 
“There are things Russia wants that it cannot get and there are things Ukraine wants it&#8217;s not going to get,” he <a href="https://x.com/StateDept/status/1957116607454748836">said</a> on “Face the Nation&#8221; on Sunday. “Both sides are going to have to give up something in order to get to the table in order to make this happen. That&#8217;s just the way it is. The sooner we accept that, that&#8217;s the reality.”
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Zelensky, who arrived in the United States on Sunday, <a href="https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1957271398902039032">said</a> in a post on X that “we all share a strong desire to end this war quickly and reliably.”
“I am confident that we will defend Ukraine, effectively guarantee security, and that our people will always be grateful to President Trump, everyone in America, and every partner and ally for their support and invaluable assistance. Russia must end this war, which it itself started,” he said. 
The last meeting at the White House between Zelensky and Trump ended with the Ukrainian president being asked to leave after he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-and-vance-clash-with-zelensky-in-fiery-white-house-meeting">clashed</a> with both Trump and Vice President JD Vance during a meeting in the Oval Office. Trump said during that exchange that Zelensky was &#8220;gambling with World War III&#8221; and that he was being disrespectful to the United States for all the aid it had sent to his country. 
Other leaders scheduled to meet with Trump on Monday include French President Emmanuel Macron, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and European Union President Ursula von der Leyen.

President Trump Hosts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy At The White House

Trump Says Zelensky Can End War With Russia ‘Almost Immediately’

Trump Says Zelensky Can End War With Russia 'Almost Immediately'

Ukraine

Ukraine-Russia War

Vladimir Putin

Volodymyr Zelensky

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday the &#8220;only way&#8221; to achieve a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia is for both sides to make concessions.
Rubio made the comments to &#8220;Meet The Press&#8221; anchor Kristen Welker during an <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1957071926645391805" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> on NBC News a couple days after President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska to discuss ending the years-long conflict.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecRubio</a>: &#8220;The only way to reach a deal is for each side to get something and each side to give something — and that&#8217;s been very difficult. If it was easy, this wouldn&#8217;t have been going on for 3.5 years&#8230; That&#8217;s why Zelensky is coming tomorrow.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/Z5h2tv9wRz">pic.twitter.com/Z5h2tv9wRz</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1957071926645391805?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;As you can imagine, everybody goes into a negotiation wanting 100% of what they want. That includes Ukraine, but obviously the Russians. And the only way to reach a deal on anything, whether it&#8217;s in business or in politics or in geopolitics, the only way to reach a deal is for each side to get something, and each side to give something,&#8221; Rubio said.
He continued, &#8220;And that&#8217;s been very difficult. If it was easy, this wouldn&#8217;t have been going on for three and a half years. Understand the longer these wars go on, the harder they are to end unfortunately. Because one side is always looking for leverage on the other, in this particular case, the Russia side as well.&#8221;
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders are expected to huddle with Trump at the White House on Monday. Another meeting with Putin could follow if there is a viable path toward peace.
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Trump has <a href="https://x.com/BulwarkOnline/status/1956528613987107020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indicated</a> that land swaps and safety measures are part of the discussion, although it remains to be seen whether Russia and Ukraine will ultimately agree to such terms.
During another interview on Sunday, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff told CNN that Putin will not stand for Ukraine to join NATO, but is open to allowing some kind of arrangement that would allow the United States to effectively provide one of its major security tenets.
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Tapper: &#8220;You mentioned the Article 5 guarantee of NATO&#8230;Russia would allow that to happen?&#8221;
Witkoff: &#8220;That&#8217;s not what I said. What I said is we got to an agreement that the U.S. and other European nations could effectively offer Article 5-like language for security guarantees.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/gIiT59IdQJ">pic.twitter.com/gIiT59IdQJ</a>
— The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline) <a href="https://twitter.com/BulwarkOnline/status/1957071026434584868?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;We were able to win the following concession: that the United States could offer Article 5-like protection, which is one of the real reasons why Ukraine wants to be in NATO,&#8221; Witkoff <a href="https://x.com/BulwarkOnline/status/1957071026434584868" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> to &#8220;State of the Union&#8221; host Jake Tapper. &#8220;We sort of were able to bypass that and get an agreement that the United States could offer Article 5 protection, which was the first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that.&#8221;

Secretary of State Marco Rubio

Rubio Reveals The ‘Only Way’ To Achieve Ukraine-Russia Peace Deal

Russia

Steve Witkoff

U.S.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio unloaded on ABC News host Martha Raddatz over her claim that when President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at Friday&#8217;s summit in Alaska, he had effectively &#8220;elevated&#8221; the Russian leader on the world stage.
Raddatz brought up the summit, which Trump has touted as a success, and claimed that &#8220;people were saying&#8221; he had actually given Putin the upper hand by allowing him to walk the &#8220;red carpet&#8221; and be seen on the &#8220;world stage&#8221; meeting with the American President.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecRubio</a> nukes ABC for asking about the &#8220;red carpet&#8221; for Putin: &#8220;You&#8217;re not going to end a war between Russia and Ukraine without dealing with Putin&#8230; [<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>] is the only leader in the world that could get Putin to a meeting to talk about serious things.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/daqIzXA9H6">pic.twitter.com/daqIzXA9H6</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1957082014156296663?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Critics of President Trump will say the pomp and circumstance — pomp and circumstance, the red carpet, the warm handshake — that President Trump simply lost that, that Putin gained there just by being on the world stage and walking down a red carpet with the president,&#8221; Raddatz said. &#8220;Your reaction to that?&#8221;
Rubio chuckled before responding, &#8220;Well, critics of President Trump are always going to find something to criticize, we don&#8217;t even pay attention to it anymore, but I will tell you this: Putin is already on the world stage.&#8221;
The Secretary of State went on to point out that Putin, after waging a major war against Ukraine for over three years, could hardly be considered a non-entity when it came to global politics — especially since he also sits in control of the second largest strategic nuclear arsenal in the world.
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&#8220;When I hear people say that, &#8216;Oh, it elevates him,&#8217; all we do is talk about Putin all the time. All the media&#8217;s done is talk about Putin all the time for the last four or five years,&#8221; Rubio said. &#8220;That doesn&#8217;t mean he&#8217;s right about the war, that doesn&#8217;t mean he&#8217;s justified about the war. If you put all of that aside, it means you&#8217;re not going to have a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, you&#8217;re not going to end a war between Russia and Ukraine without dealing with Putin.&#8221;
&#8220;That&#8217;s just common sense, I shouldn&#8217;t even have to say it,&#8221; Rubio continued, reminding Raddatz that it wasn&#8217;t the United States at war with Russia and arguing that Trump did not have to intervene at all – but also noting that he was the only leader with the ability to do so.
Raddatz further pressed Rubio to reveal details from the negotiations, asking what &#8220;concessions&#8221; Putin may have agreed to, but Rubio refused: &#8220;I wouldn&#8217;t name them on your program.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecRubio</a>: &#8220;What utility would there be of me going on a program and telling you we wagged our finger at Putin and told him you must do this? &#8230; As much as everyone would love it to be a live PPV event, these discussions ONLY work best when they are conducted privately.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/8LFJj06Fgq">pic.twitter.com/8LFJj06Fgq</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1957076077693509860?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;What utility would there be of me going on a program and telling you we wagged our finger at Putin and told him you must do this?&#8221; Rubio asked. &#8220;As much as everyone would love it to be a live pay-per-view event, these discussions ONLY work best when they are conducted privately.&#8221;

Secretary of State Marco Rubio testifies on the 2026 Budget In House Hearing

‘I Shouldn’t Even Have To Say It’: Rubio Slaps Back ABC’s Raddatz For Saying Trump ‘Elevated’ Putin

'I Shouldn't Even Have To Say It': Rubio Slaps Back ABC's Raddatz For Saying Trump 'Elevated' Putin

ABC News

Martha Raddatz

Media

Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized the media on Thursday over its coverage of the war in Gaza, and explained how some of America&#8217;s allies are making peace &#8220;harder to achieve&#8221; by effectively ignoring the threat of <a href="https://www.dni.gov/nctc/groups/hamas.html">Hamas</a>.
&#8220;The World Over&#8221; host Raymond Arroyo asked Rubio during a lengthy interview about his thoughts on Israel President Benjamin Netanyahu likely wanting to &#8220;occupy Gaza&#8221; — a plan Netanyahu recently <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-says-israel-not-looking-to-occupy-gaza-but-to-free-it-from-hamas/">denied</a>.
&#8220;It looks like Benjamin Netanyahu wants to occupy Gaza,&#8221; Arroyo said. &#8220;Is occupation of Gaza the right way to go right now? And what about the humanitarian crisis?&#8221;
&#8220;Ultimately, what Israel needs to do for Israel&#8217;s security will be determined by Israel,&#8221; Rubio responded. &#8220;I can tell you the way to break this out is there are three problems there at the same time.&#8221;
&#8220;Number one is the one that&#8217;s getting almost all the media coverage,&#8221; the Secretary of State continued. &#8220;This is the humanitarian problem that we&#8217;re seeing — no one wants to see that. And the United States stands prepared to contribute towards any real effort that will actually get food and medicine and life-sustaining aid to people on the ground in Gaza.&#8221;
The second, Rubio said, is the remaining Israeli hostages, who are getting very little coverage from the press.
&#8220;The second is that there are 20 innocent people being held hostage and starved inside of tunnels,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Unfortunately, there aren&#8217;t daily cameras down there covering that. So, you don&#8217;t see the mainstream media covering it. But there are 20 people that have done nothing wrong that are being held as hostage — and we saw the conditions that they&#8217;re living in the other day.&#8221;
As for the third issue, Rubio underscored the threat of Hamas.
&#8220;As long as Hamas exists, particularly exists as an armed organization, there will never be peace in Gaza,&#8221; he told Arroyo. &#8220;Hamas is not going to suddenly change and go into another line of work, their line of work, their reason for existing, is they want to destroy Israel. They want to drive every Jew out of the Middle East. That&#8217;s their goal. And as long as a group like that has weapons and the ability to fight, they&#8217;re a threat to peace.&#8221;
&#8220;We have to deal with all three of those elements, not just the humanitarian,&#8221; Rubio said. &#8220;That&#8217;s important, but the other two have to be dealt with as well. Not enough time, not enough attention is being paid to those two, [so] Hamas thinks they&#8217;re winning the global PR war. They&#8217;re not willing to make any concessions.&#8221;
Arroyo seemed to agree with Rubio, noting that some of America&#8217;s allies are preparing to recognize a Palestinian state. Rubio said gestures like that, which effectively ignore Hamas, hurt the likelihood of peace.
&#8220;Well, have you noticed the talks with Hamas fell apart on the day [French President Emmanuel] Macron made the unilateral decision that he&#8217;s going to recognize a Palestinian state? And then you have other people come forward, other countries say, &#8216;Well, if there&#8217;s not a ceasefire by September, we&#8217;re going to recognize a Palestinian state.'&#8221;
&#8220;Well, if I&#8217;m Hamas, I basically conclude, let&#8217;s not do a ceasefire, right? We can be rewarded and we can claim it as a victory,&#8221; Rubio explained. &#8220;So those messages, while largely symbolic in their minds, actually have made it harder to get peace and harder to achieve a deal with Hamas. They feel emboldened.&#8221;
Arroyo noted the Arab League pushing for the removal of Hamas. &#8220;I mean, clearly the Arab League says you got to get Hamas out of there,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They need to drop arms and move on.&#8221;
Rubio further said that recognizing a Palestinian state would be a reward for Hamas.
&#8220;They can&#8217;t define the borders or who&#8217;s going to run it,&#8221; Rubio said. &#8220;I mean, you can&#8217;t have a state or even an autonomous region unless you can identify who&#8217;s going to run it. And if it&#8217;s going to be run by Hamas, you&#8217;re going to be right back into war.&#8221;
&#8220;I think what&#8217;s important to remember here is that they&#8217;ve had opportunities to do this,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;You know, Israel turned over Gaza, turned it over completely with greenhouses and all kinds of things. And they elected Hamas. Hamas destroyed it, destroyed it all, took it, built tunnels instead of hospitals. That&#8217;s what they do.&#8221;
&#8220;At the end of the day, my problem with it is that I believe that these unilateral steps that have been taken by these governments — I know, has emboldened Hamas and made it harder to achieve peace.&#8221;
The interview with Rubio can be <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXvpcKjjRmk&amp;t=802s">accessed here</a> (relevant comments begin around the nine-minute mark).

President Trump Hosts Philippines President Marcos At White House

Rubio Hits Media Over Gaza Narrative, Says Some Allies Making It Harder To Achieve Peace

Gaza

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that &#8220;not enough attention&#8221; is being focused on the hostages still being held by Hamas.
During an interview on Fox Business, host Larry Kudlow noted the Israeli government might engage in a complete military takeover of Gaza and pressed Rubio on whether he has spoken to the prime minister — and whether he thinks Israel is making a wise decision.
&#8220;Well, ultimately the president has said that it’s up to Israel to decide what they need to do for their own security. I’ve spoken often — almost daily — to somebody in the Israeli government, often to the prime minister but many times to many members of his team,&#8221; the top diplomat said.
Rubio then explained how there are three &#8220;interrelated&#8221; problems when it comes to the situation in Gaza.
&#8220;The first is there is a humanitarian problem that needs to be addressed. We’re working very hard to figure out ways to address it in ways that doesn’t benefit Hamas but that allows people to be fed and prevents a further humanitarian problem there that we’re seeing now,&#8221; Rubio said.
He added, &#8220;The second is that there are 20 innocent human beings that are being held hostage in horrifying conditions. And the third is that as long as Hamas exists, there will not be peace. There cannot be a permanent peace. It’ll restart again if Hamas remains.&#8221;
President Donald Trump recently <a href="https://www.facebook.com/reel/1828298958101812" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> there was &#8220;real starvation&#8221; going on in Gaza, in a rare break with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who contends Hamas is hoarding supplies and no famine is taking place.
Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said on Friday that he and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee met with Israeli officials to assess the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, where the fight against Hamas continues.
&#8220;The purpose of the visit was to give [President Trump] a clear understanding of the humanitarian situation and help craft a plan to deliver food and medical aid to the people of Gaza,&#8221; Witkoff <a href="https://x.com/SEPeaceMissions/status/1951281182286500025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on X.
Rubio said there is &#8220;a lot of attention&#8221; being placed on the humanitarian issue and noted &#8220;we want to do everything we can to be helpful on the humanitarian problem.&#8221;
The secretary went on to say, &#8220;But not enough attention is being paid to the fact that 20 people that had nothing to do with this are being held hostage in tunnels on the verge of death, and no real talk about how Hamas needs to be disarmed and disbanded. We have to focus more on those two things.&#8221;
He concluded: &#8220;You have to do all three, and all the talk is about humanitarian — which is important; we are willing to do a lot to be helpful there — but we have to focus on the other two. Those other two cannot be forgotten. And it’s all — the president has said he wants all the hostages out — not five, not seven, all of them, including the deceased hostages. And ultimately, Hamas cannot continue to exist. Even the Arab League says it. As long as Hamas exists as an armed group in Gaza, there will not be a &#8230; peaceful future, because it’s going to happen again. And that can’t — this can never happen again.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Trump official says admin has &#039;CONCRETE EXAMPLES&#039; of what Russia would ask for to end Ukraine war" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X8FIRt7mASM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

‘Not Enough Attention’ Given To Hostages Held By Hamas, Rubio Declares

Hamas

Israel

Among his many promises along the campaign trail, President Trump vowed to take down what he and others have described as the “censorship industrial complex,” a global network of ideologically aligned governmental, nonprofit, media, tech, finance, and academic institutions that are colluding to censor vast swaths of legally protected speech by weaponizing terms like “hate” and “disinformation.”
From early in his presidency, President Trump’s actions have consistently aligned with his campaign promises. From Day One — beginning with executive orders that led to the dismantling of the Global Engagement Center, to Vice President JD Vance’s public condemnation of widespread censorship across the U.K. and Europe — restoring free speech has clearly been a top priority for the administration.
As Trump has landed a massive trade deal with the E.U., he has also taken multiple steps to combat global censorship. That includes zeroing in on the censorship regime in Brazil via a 50% <a href="https://x.com/SecRubio/status/1946349695221043669">tariff</a> and an <a href="https://x.com/secrubio/status/1946349695221043669?s=46">order</a> to revoke visas for Brazilian Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes and other members of the nation’s high court. In 2024, Moraes <a href="https://adfinternational.org/campaign/open-letter-x-brazil">ordered</a> X to block accounts of journalists and political figures under the pretext of “misinformation.” As Trump highlighted in his letter announcing the tariff, X still faces millions of dollars in fines and a permanent ban from the country.
Brazil’s disregard for free speech is paralleled in the E.U. by the “Digital Services Act.” Threatening what it designates as “Very Large Online Platforms” such as X, Meta, Amazon, and Google with crippling fines for noncompliance, the DSA weaponizes vague terms like “hate speech” and “disinformation” to purge the digital landscape of views they deem offensive, inconvenient, or a threat to their power. The DSA also formalizes the kind of public-private collusion exemplified by the censorship industrial complex, empowering private organizations as “trusted flaggers” whose censorship demands platforms are required to prioritize — or face penalties. 
Like Brazil’s Supreme Court, the DSA’s censorship directly impacts American citizens, whose accounts are subject to cancellation right along with our European cousins. We’ve already seen Americans censored under the DSA, as well as under the vague censorship policies that comprise it. These are the same policies at the heart of discriminatory debanking and financial surveillance that have targeted U.S.-based <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/yourmoney/banking/article-12417653/Debanking-row-breaks-Bank-America-shuts-account-ultra-conservative-Christian-charity-serves-impoverished-Ugandans.html">overseas missions</a> and <a href="https://adflegal.org/press-release/revealed-fed-govt-flagged-adf-domestic-terrorist-threat-target-surveillance-major/">conservative groups</a> like Alliance Defending Freedom, where I work.
They’re also the same policies that ruled the digital public square during Covid, when — often at the behest of the Biden administration and third party “flaggers” — major platforms censored and canceled users over views on public health, lab leak “theories” (since proven true), immigration, the Hunter Biden laptop <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/07/02/blowing-the-lid-off-the-coverup-of-hunter-bidens-cushy-plea-deal/">story</a>, gender ideology, and more. The DSA simply imposes this censorship regime on a global scale.
To the E.U. commissioners behind the DSA, the more governments work in lockstep to intimidate dissenting citizens into quiet compliance, the better. Just over a year ago, Canadian citizen “Billboard Chris” Elston <a href="https://adfinternational.org/news/free-speech-victory-in-australia-for-billboard-chris-as-x-post-censorship-overturned">posted</a> his objections to a controversial WHO appointee on X, linking to a UK Daily Mail article. The Australian government then demanded that X censor the post under its DSA-style “Online Safety Act,” using the law to classify Elston’s speech as “cyber abuse.”
With ADF International’s help, Billboard Chris took on the Australian government at the nation’s high court and won. But even that victory is unlikely to faze a technocratic cabal so committed to global censorship that it would enlist Australia to censor a Canadian speaking on an American platform and citing a British newspaper article.
Again, this multinational crackdown is a feature — not a bug — to those behind the DSA.
And that’s no surprise when you consider the actions and stated positions of DSA architects like Thierry Breton and Henna Virkkunen. It was Breton who, last summer, famously <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/eus-breton-says-musk-must-comply-with-eu-law-ahead-trump-interview-2024-08-12/">demanded</a> that Elon Musk censor then-candidate Donald J. Trump prior to the duo’s X live interview.
That incident apparently left Breton with enough egg on his face to <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/09/16/business/eu-official-thierry-breton-who-clashed-with-elon-musk-resigns/">resign</a> from his post as an E.U. Commissioner, but it wasn’t enough to change Virkkunen’s mind. Virkkunen recently <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-tech-tariffs-us-brussels-trade-commissioner-maros-sefovic/">defended</a> the DSA as “based on our European values” — a claim that evidently refers to the Brussels elites rather than the everyday Europeans who face <a href="https://www.deseret.com/u-s-world/2025/04/27/why-has-there-been-a-crack-down-on-free-speech-in-the-uk/">steep fines</a>, years-long <a href="https://adfinternational.org/cases/paivi">court proceedings</a>, and even <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/europe-crackdown-free-speech-26d021b1">jail time</a> for their online speech.
Fittingly enough, Virkkunen made those comments when she was asked if the DSA was on the negotiating table in ongoing trade talks with the U.S. With the DSA off the table, Virkkunen’s comrades in Brussels may have been negotiating with one hand tied behind their backs.
If that’s the case, it was a high price to pay for censoring peaceable citizens across the world, including in the U.S.
* * *
Jeremy Tedesco (@Jeremy_Tedesco) is senior counsel, senior vice president of corporate engagement at <a href="http://www.adflegal.org/?utm_source=wallstreetjournal&amp;utm_medium=oped">Alliance Defending Freedom</a> (<a href="https://twitter.com/ADFLegal">@ADFLegal</a>).
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Supporters Mobilize Following Bolsonaro Case

How Trump’s Tariffs Can Strike A Major Blow To Global Censorship

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF)

Brazil

Censorship

European Union

Jair Bolsonaro

President Trump

Social Media Censorship

Twitter

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Vice President JD Vance is &#8220;most likely&#8221; going to be the Republican Party&#8217;s 2028 presidential nominee.
After <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-establishes-task-force-to-prepare-for-2028-olympics-in-los-angeles?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Trump+Establishes+Task+Force+To+Prepare+For+2028+Olympics+In+Los+Angeles">signing</a> more executive orders at the White House, Trump was asked by Fox News reporter Peter Doocy to give his thoughts on the 2028 race after the president said earlier on Tuesday that he would &#8220;probably not&#8221; seek a third term.
&#8220;This weekend, Secretary of State [Marco] Rubio said that he thought JD Vance would be a great nominee,&#8221; Doocy said. &#8220;You could clear the entire Republican field right now. Do you agree that the heir-apparent to MAGA is JD Vance?&#8221;
&#8220;Well, I think most likely, in all fairness,&#8221; Trump replied. &#8220;He&#8217;s the vice president. I think Marco is also somebody that maybe would get together with JD in some form.&#8221;
The president, however, wasn&#8217;t ready to give a full-throated endorsement to Vance as the 2028 Republican nominee.
&#8220;I also think we have incredible people, some of the people on the stage right here, so it&#8217;s too early obviously to talk about it,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But certainly, [Vance] is doing a great job, and he would be probably favored at this point.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
POTUS tells <a href="https://twitter.com/pdoocy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@pdoocy</a>: JD Vance is “most likely” the next Republican nominee. <a href="https://t.co/yymVv3daud">pic.twitter.com/yymVv3daud</a>
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/1952838033096470777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
Those on stage alongside Trump included Vance, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, and Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Last week, Rubio was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rubio-names-a-close-friend-when-pressed-about-potential-2028-presidential-run?author=Daniel+Chaitin&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Rubio+Names+A+%E2%80%98Close+Friend%E2%80%99+When+Pressed+About+Potential+2028+Presidential+Run">asked</a> by Fox News host and daughter-in-law of the president, Lara Trump, about the potential competitive field for the 2028 Republican presidential race.
“Well, I think JD Vance would be a great nominee,” Rubio said. “And if you know, I think if he decides he wants to do that. And so, you know, and I think he’s doing a great job as vice president. He’s a close friend. And I hope he intends to do it.”
Rubio added that he wants to stay in his role as Secretary of State &#8220;as long as the president allows me to do it &#8230; which would keep me here all the way through January of 2028.&#8221;
Multiple people in the current Trump administration are viewed as potential contenders in a 2028 Republican primary, which would be the first presidential election cycle without Trump in the race since 2012.

Trump Reveals Who Will ‘Most Likely’ Be The 2028 Republican Nominee

Election

JD Vance

Republican Party

A senior State Department official is firing back at a group of Senate Democrats who sent a letter earlier this week urging the Trump administration to halt its support for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
The group, led by Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen (MD), accuses GHF of being a “scheme” that endangers the lives of civilians and requested that support instead be given to United Nations-led aid efforts.
“We urge you to immediately cease all U.S. funding for GHF and resume support for the existing UN-led aid coordination mechanisms with enhanced oversight to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches civilians in need,” the senators wrote.
But the official told The Daily Wire that senators are failing to look at the successful track record of the foundation — which is on track to deliver its 100 millionth meal this week— and instead “offering nothing of value.”
“While these members waste time complaining in a letter offering nothing of value, President Trump and Secretary Rubio are actually putting in the work to help find innovative solutions to help get aid into Gaza,” the official said. “To date, GHF is the only pipeline that denies Hamas resources and control.”
The State Department pledged $30 million to fund Gaza Humanitarian Foundation operations last month.
The foundation is responsible for carrying out President Donald Trump’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-orders-humanitarian-aid-delivered-gaza?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=15&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Sends+Aid+To+Gaza.+Israel+Will+Not+Distribute+It." target="_blank" rel="noopener">aid initiative</a>, which aims to deliver humanitarian aid directly to Gazan civilians while preventing Hamas from intercepting supplies — a challenge that has persisted since the war began.
“The United States supports the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation because it offers a direct delivery model in a setting where alternatives frequently have abetted diversion to terrorist networks,” the official continued. “Hamas has systematically looted humanitarian aid, turning relief into a tool of control. Aid is part of their strategy to stay in power, leaving civilians to navigate chaos and lawlessness.”
As of July 30, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has delivered over 98.5 million meals directly to civilians since starting operations on May 26.
“No other aid channel has come close,” the official said. “Gaza is a collapsed operating environment.”
<a href="https://app.un2720.org/tracking/intercepted" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to United Nations</a> data, between May and July of this year, 1,753 trucks meant to distribute aid were &#8220;intercepted either peacefully by hungry civilians or forcefully by armed actors,” leaving a limited number of trucks to successfully arrive at UN warehouses.
A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-new-footage-shows-un-convoy-driving-into-mob-of-gazans-casualties-reported?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+New+Footage+Shows+UN+Convoy+Driving+Into+Mob+Of+Gazans%2C+Casualties+Reported" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video obtained</a> by The Daily Wire shows a chaotic scene in southern Gaza last Thursday, as more than a dozen UN aid trucks enter a dense crowd along the Morag route. As the convoy attempts to pass through, a mob swarms the vehicles, climbing aboard and looting the supplies.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
EXCLUSIVE: A new video obtained by The Daily Wire shows a chaotic scene in southern Gaza last Thursday, where Gazans swarm and loot a U.N. aid convoy.
The IDF says it received reports of casualties in the same area and on the same day involving aid trucks. <a href="https://t.co/TP0hhl0bms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/TP0hhl0bms</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1950605086058598840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">July 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
Due to the constant looting of UN trucks, GHF has repeatedly offered to help the UN distribute aid, but the offer has gone unanswered. Instead, the UN has continued <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/well-break-your-legs-un-accused-of-mafia-type-response-to-u-s-led-gaza-relief-efforts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to vilify</a> the group.
The GHF has pushed back on accusations that its distribution sites are dangerous, noting that aid supplies are emptied daily by Gazan civilians, many of whom express thanks for the free assistance.
“The media says our sites are a death trap, but our workers are interacting with these people every day,” Johnnie Moore, the GHF executive chairman, said. “We see at our distribution sites something people haven’t seen in a long time in the Gaza Strip: we see smiles every single day on the faces of women, on the faces of children.”
According to GHF, security issues at its sites have been limited and are typically instigated by individuals the GHF believes are affiliated with Hamas. Incidents include <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/american-veterans-injured-in-grenade-attack-while-distributing-aid-in-gaza" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a grenade attack</a> by terrorists that injured two American contractors, and a stampede earlier this month triggered by armed men inciting chaos in the crowd that resulted in the deaths of 20 Gazan civilians.
The <a href="https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/van_hollen_ghf_letter.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Democrats’ letter</a> also accuses GHF security contractors of “having no combat experience or proper training on offensive weapons.”
Moore pushed back hard on the accusation, claiming that GHF’s security contractors are among some of the most decorated and experienced special forces veterans.
“For over a dozen senators to make an accusation like that with information that is so readily available makes me wonder if it was a 17-year-old intern who wrote the letter,” Moore said.
He noted that the contractors showed incredible restraint, experience, and professionalism when the grenades were thrown at them as the perpetrators ran into the crowd to hide and blend in.
“Hamas’s intention was to get the contractors to fire into the crowd of civilians during the incident,” Moore said. “But the level of experience of the people on the ground helped them in that 0.0001 seconds to make the correct decision to lose the assailants in order to not injure any civilians.&#8221;

State Department Slams Senate Democrats Over Calls To Defund Gaza Humanitarian Foundation

Chris Van Hollen

Gaza Humanitarian Foundation

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

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