Even before taking office, President Donald Trump began one of the most aggressive foreign policy overhauls in modern history.
Facing two major wars, Trump immediately set out to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine, and Israel and Hamas. His administration wasted no time. Even prior to taking office, efforts were underway to bring American hostages and detainees home. So far, the administration has secured the release of 47 unjustly detained Americans.
But Trump’s most dramatic move came through his partnership with Secretary of State Marco Rubio — a sweeping reorganization of the State Department aimed at restoring diplomatic strength and economic leverage.
Here’s what the president has done so far to redefine America’s role on the world stage and counter its global adversaries.
<h3>State Department Restructuring</h3>
CUTTING BLOAT: Under Rubio’s leadership, the State Department initiated <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sweeping-changes-state-dept-shuttering-more-than-130-offices-slashing-staff?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98Sweeping+Changes%E2%80%99%3A+State+Dept+Shuttering+More+Than+130+Offices%2C+Slashing+Staff" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sweeping changes</a> to cut bureaucratic bloat, including plans to close 132 of its 734 offices and a directive giving undersecretaries 30 days to present plans to slash its personnel in individual departments by 15%.
USAID: After being intensely overhauled following an audit by DOGE, USAID was set to be <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/usaid-informs-congress-that-state-department-will-assume-its-responsibilities?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=USAID+To+Lay+Off+4%2C600+Employees%2C+Will+Merge+With+State+Department+By+Fall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">merged into</a> the State Department. Rubio was named acting deputy administrator and began the task of downsizing the $80 billion office. According to the State Department, Rubio oversaw an 85% cut to USAID programs.
CENSORSHIP AGENCY: In April, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/marco-rubio-tells-ben-shapiro-why-he-nuked-state-departments-censorship-agency?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Marco+Rubio+Tells+Ben+Shapiro+Why+He+Nuked+State+Department%E2%80%99s+Censorship+Agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rubio announced</a> that the State Department would be closing its Global Engagement Center (GEC), which he claimed “was labeling American speech by Americans as foreign interference.” Originally established in 2011 to counter terrorist propaganda, GEC shifted to focusing on combatting domestic “misinformation” after the 2016 election. According to Rubio, the GEC will also be investigated for being “used as a weapon against the American people.”
<h3>Returning Hostages And Wrongfully Detained Americans</h3>
ISRAELI HOSTAGES: Just days before taking office, Trump’s incoming administration — working alongside the outgoing Biden administration — successfully negotiated a ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. The ceasefire, along with a separate deal for Thai nationals, led to the release of 38 hostages before the agreement <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/israel-eliminates-dozens-of-top-hamas-leaders-following-ceasefire-collapse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">collapsed</a> in March. Released American hostage Keith Siegel <a href="https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/1897442370720841993" target="_blank" rel="noopener">visited Trump</a> at the White House in March and credited his administration’s efforts with saving him.
AFGHANISTAN RELEASE: Just hours after Trump was sworn into office, the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/overwhelming-gratitude-american-ryan-corbett-released-from-taliban-captivity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Taliban released</a> American hostage Ryan Corbett, who spent 894 days in captivity in Afghanistan. Corbett and William Wallace McKenty were exchanged in a prisoner swap for terrorist Khan Muhammad, who was serving a life sentence in California. Corbett’s family <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/her-husband-is-being-held-prisoner-by-the-taliban-an-interview-with-anna-corbett" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fought tirelessly</a> to secure the release of their loved one. 
VENEZUELA RELEASE: Trump’s envoy for special missions, Richard Grenell, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-envoy-richard-grenell-gets-6-american-hostages-released-from-venezuela" target="_blank" rel="noopener">secured the release</a> of six Americans from socialist-run Venezuela in February. In an interview with <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/18/world/americas/americans-hostages-venezuela-prison.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a>, three of the prisoners said they were confined to cement cells, beaten, psychologically tortured, and pepper-sprayed. All three were kidnapped as tourists visiting the country.
RUSSIA RELEASE: The Trump Administration secured the release of American <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/president-trump-is-a-hero-marc-fogel-welcomed-at-white-house-after-release-from-russian-prison" target="_blank" rel="noopener">schoolteacher Marc Fogel</a> in February and Russian-American amateur ballerina Ksenia Karelina in April. Fogel, sentenced to 14 years in 2021 for possessing medical marijuana, was welcomed at the White House upon his return and called Trump “a hero.” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-administration-secures-release-american-ballet-dancer-wrongfully-detained-russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Karelina was arrested</a> in 2024 while visiting her grandmother and sentenced to 12 years for treason after donating $51.80 to Razom, a U.S. charity providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
<h3>Peace Push</h3>
UKRAINE RUSSIA: Trump’s team has made significant efforts toward ending the war in Ukraine, successfully reestablishing diplomatic contact for the first time in three years. Trump has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-where-we-stand-after-trump-met-with-zelensky-at-the-vatican" target="_blank" rel="noopener">met twice</a> with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and dispatched Special Envoy to the Middle East <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/steve-witkoff-says-hes-optimistic-about-ending-russia-ukraine-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Witkoff</a> to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Rubio and other senior officials have also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ukraine-russia-ceasefire-rubio" target="_blank" rel="noopener">engaged directly</a> with their Russian counterparts. Though Trump has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-and-vance-clash-with-zelensky-in-fiery-white-house-meeting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expressed frustration</a> with both sides during the negotiations, talks remain active and ongoing.
ISRAEL-HAMAS: Despite the collapse of the previous ceasefire, the Trump administration continues to push for an end to the conflict and the release of the 59 remaining hostages in Hamas captivity. Trump has floated <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/united-states-will-take-over-gaza-strip-trump-says-during-netanyahu-press-conference" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unconventional plans</a> to bring long-term stability to the Gaza Strip — including relocating Gazans elsewhere in the region and placing the area under the control of the United States. With the area rid of terrorists, Trump says Gaza could transform into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”
IRANIAN NUCLEAR DEAL: President Trump’s team is preparing for a third round of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-saturdays-nuclear-talks-between-the-u-s-and-iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener">negotiations with Iran</a> in an effort to prevent the regime from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Trump, a loud opponent of  President Barack Obama’s 2015 Iranian nuclear deal, exited the deal in 2017, calling it one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into. Trump’s team is pushing a stricter deal that blocks Iran from enriching its own uranium for its civilian nuclear program. If negotiations fail, the president has repeatedly warned that military action remains on the table to disrupt Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
<h3>Taking On Adversaries And Enemies</h3>
PANAMA CANAL: The Trump administration has made it clear it will no longer tolerate growing Chinese influence over the Panama Canal. Trump has routinely escalated pressure on Panama over the Chinese companies operating at both ends of the canal and reportedly directed U.S. Southern Command to draft military options for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-orders-military-to-draw-up-plans-to-retake-panama-canal?author=Ryan+Saavedra&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Orders+Military+To+Draw+Up+Plans+To+Retake+Panama+Canal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taking the canal by force</a>. Some progress was made following Secretary Rubio&#8217;s February visit, when the Panamanian government announced it would allow U.S. Navy ships to pass through for free, though Trump has since demanded that all American ships — including commercial vessels — also pass toll-free.
CHINA: Trump isolated China by imposing a 145% tariff on Chinese imports while granting a 90-day delay on tariffs for other countries, aiming to establish freer trade relationships. China responded with a 125% tariff, though Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trumps-100th-day-chinese-communist-regime-declares-never-kneel-u-s-pressure-fiery-video" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pointed ou</a>t that it’s less impactful, as China exports five times the amount of goods to the United States. The Trump administration also sanctioned Beijing and Hong Kong authorities for undermining Hong Kong’s autonomy, and visa restrictions were placed on foreign officials involved in the return of Uyghurs to China and for restricting access to Tibet, according to the State Department.
IRAN: Despite ongoing negotiations, Trump has maintained his maximum pressure campaign on Iran, using sanctions to target Iranian petroleum and petrochemical entities that fund Tehran’s nuclear program, missile development, and terrorist proxies, according to the State Department. Last week, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-sanctions-iranian-petroleum-magnate-caught-trying-to-move-oil-from-texas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sanctions were imposed</a> on two Iranian petroleum magnates, one of whom was caught attempting to export cargo to China off the coast of Houston last year. In total, 72 entities, 14 individuals, and 74 vessels were sanctioned.
HOUTHIS: First, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-re-designates-the-houthis-as-a-terrorist-organization" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump re-designated</a> the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, reversing President Biden’s earlier decision to remove them. Second, he instructed the military to launch weeks of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-orders-troops-to-middle-east-to-counter-houthi-attacks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">intensive airstrike</a>s in response to the group&#8217;s more than 100 attacks on international cargo ships, tankers, and naval vessels following Hamas’ October 7 assault on Israel. Since March, over 800 Houthi targets have been hit, resulting in the elimination of hundreds of fighters and leaders, and Houthi ballistic missile launches and suicide drone attacks are down 69% and 55% respectively, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-strikes-kill-hundreds-houthi-fighters-hit-over-800-red-sea-targets-central-command" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported Fox News</a>.
<h3>Foreign Visitors</h3>
GOLD CARD VISA: In a bid to attract high-net-worth immigrants to the United States, Trump unveiled his plan for a “Gold Card” visa. For $5 million, visa holders would have Green Card privileges and a potential path to citizenship. According to Trump, visa holders would contribute to the U.S. economy by spending money, paying taxes, and creating businesses.
REVOKING VISAS: Trump has cracked down on foreign visa holders participating in activities aligned with terrorist organizations, including antisemitic protests on college campuses. Several students and recent graduates have had their visas revoked and have been detained by immigration officials. The most high-profile arrest so far has been Columbia University graduate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-arrest-of-pro-hamas-activist-first-of-many-to-come" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mahmoud Khalil</a>, who is accused of being a ringleader of the anti-Israel protests at his former university. DHS has alleged that Khalil “led activities aligned to Hamas.” Controversy over the arrests has erupted in the media, and several cases are being reviewed by courts around the country.
VETTING IMMIGRANTS FOR ANTISEMITISM: The Trump administration will now begin <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/homeland-security-to-screen-immigrants-and-foreign-students-social-media-for-anti-semitism?row=0&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;title=Homeland+Security+To+Screen+Immigrants+And+Foreign+Students%E2%80%99+Social+Media+For+Anti-Semitism&amp;category=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">screening immigrants’ social media</a> for antisemitic content and any history of physically harassing Jews. Any information found may be grounds for denying immigration benefit requests for immigrants applying for permanent residency, foreign students, and individuals affiliated with educational institutions linked to antisemitic activity.
WOKE GENDER IDEOLOGY: As part of its effort to counter woke gender ideology, the State Department announced it will protect girls and women in academic and professional-level sports by refusing to issue visas for biological men entering the U.S. to compete in women&#8217;s sports. The State Department will also not provide funding for or take part in cultural exchange programs that allow biological men to participate in women&#8217;s sports. The move comes in addition to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rubio-halts-x-gender-markers-on-passports-after-trump-order" target="_blank" rel="noopener">State Department announcing</a> it will stop issuing passports with “X” as a sex marker.

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How Trump And Rubio Put America First In 100 Days

Donald Trump

Hamas

Israel

Marco Rubio

Ukraine-Russia War

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday that the Trump administration secured the release of the 47th unjustly detained American citizen since taking office 100 days ago.
Youras Ziankovich was released without a prisoner swap this week and brought to neighboring Lithuania by a team of American officials, including Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Chris Smith, CNN reported. Ziankovich was detained in Moscow in 2021 and brought to Minsk, Belarus, where he was accused of being involved in a planned United States-backed coup against Belarus’s dictator, Alexander Lukashenko.
“Thanks to<a href="https://x.com/POTUS" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> @POTUS</a>&#8216;s leadership, Belarus has released another wrongfully detained U.S. citizen,” Rubio <a href="https://x.com/SecRubio/status/1917610906944499821">tweeted</a>. “No president has done so much, so quickly, to keep Americans safe abroad.”
The 47 unjustly detained Americans were released from countries including Afghanistan, Russia, and Venezuela through high-level diplomatic efforts, according to Rubio.
“I knew this day would come. It took 1,480 days, but he survived and is on his way home to me and to America,” Ziankovich’s wife, Alena Dzenisavets, said, reported CNN. “I want to thank President Trump, Secretary Rubio, and Special Envoy Boehler and the SPEHA staff. I also want to express my appreciation to Rep. Morgan Luttrell and the nonprofits Global Reach and the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation for their help advocating for Youras.”
The Trump administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-administration-secures-release-of-american-citizen-wrongfully-detained-in-belarus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously negotiated</a> the release of two other Americans from Belarus, one who wishes to remain anonymous, and Anastasia Nuhfer.
“We have one American citizen, which is a huge win and a response to President Trump’s peace through strength agenda,” Smith said when the unnamed American was released in February. “The Belarusians are responding to this and we are going to keep working until we get all Americans out.”
The release comes after the Trump administration secured the freedom of two Americans from Russia who caught national media attention, including American <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/president-trump-is-a-hero-marc-fogel-welcomed-at-white-house-after-release-from-russian-prison" target="_blank" rel="noopener">schoolteacher Marc Fogel</a> in February and Russian-American amateur ballerina Ksenia Karelina in April.
Fogel, sentenced to 14 years in 2021 for possessing medical marijuana, was welcomed at the White House upon his return and called Trump “a hero.” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-administration-secures-release-american-ballet-dancer-wrongfully-detained-russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Karelina was arrested</a> in 2024 while visiting her grandmother and sentenced to 12 years for treason after donating $51.80 to Razom, an American charity providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

Trump Admin Secures Release Of 47th Wrongfully Detained American Citizen Abroad

Hostages

Russia

Secretary of State Marco Rubio fired back Sunday over a &#8220;misleading headline&#8221; that claimed President Donald Trump&#8217;s immigration officials had &#8220;deported&#8221; three American citizens, all of whom are minor children.
Rubio took issue with the claim itself, telling &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; anchor Kristen Welker that the three children were citizens and had not been deported at all, explaining that they were welcome to return to the United States at any time and had only left because their mothers — who were in the country illegally — chose to take them along when they were deported.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecRubio</a> nukes <a href="https://twitter.com/kwelkernbc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kwelkernbc</a> on the latest misleading Fake News hoax: &#8220;Three U.S. citizens ages 4, 7, and 2 were not deported — their mothers, who were illegally in this country, were deported. The children went with their mothers! &#8230; The parents make that choice.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/IJt1Lz1xWN">pic.twitter.com/IJt1Lz1xWN</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1916486345360343395?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;On the headline, that&#8217;s a misleading headline,&#8221; Rubio protested. &#8220;Three U.S. citizens ages four, seven, and two, were not deported — their mothers, who were illegally in this country, were deported. The children went with their mothers!&#8221;
&#8220;If those children are U.S. citizens, they can come back into the United States if their father or someone here wants to assume them, but ultimately who was deported was their mothers, who were here illegally,&#8221; Rubio continued. &#8220;The children just went with their mothers. But it wasn&#8217;t like — you guys make it sound like ICE agents kicked down the door and grabbed the two-year-old and threw him on an airplane, that&#8217;s misleading! That&#8217;s just not true!&#8221;
Welker pushed back, asking whether it was the Trump administration&#8217;s official policy to &#8220;deport&#8221; American citizens if they were children whose parents were in the country illegally and thus subject to deportation.
&#8220;Is it the U.S. policy to deport children, even U.S. citizens, with their families — and I hear what you&#8217;re saying — without due process, just to be very clear?&#8221; Welker asked.
&#8220;No, no, no,&#8221; Rubio objected. &#8220;No, no, again: if someone&#8217;s in the country unlawfully, illegally, that person gets deported. If that person is with a two-year-old child, or has a two-year-old child, and says, &#8216;I want to take my child with me,&#8217; well then what —? You have two choices. You can say, &#8216;Yes, of course you can take your child, whether they&#8217;re a citizen or not, because it&#8217;s your child.&#8217; Or you can say, &#8216;Yes, you can go, but your child must stay behind.'&#8221;
Rubio noted that would create a whole new problem, saying, &#8220;And then your headlines would read, &#8216;U.S. holding hostage two-year-old, four-year-old, seven-year-old, while mother deported.&#8217; The parents make that choice.&#8221;

US-DIPLOMACY-RUBIO-CARICOM

‘That’s Just Not True!’: Rubio Spars With NBC Host Over Claim American Kids Were Deported

'That's Just Not True!': Rubio Spars With NBC Host Over Claim American Kids Were Deported

Deportations

Illegal Immigration

Kristen Welker

Media

NBC News

Politics

A &#8220;really important week&#8221; in peace talks is coming up after President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-meets-with-zelensky-at-vatican-ahead-of-popes-funeral-very-productive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">met</a> with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Vatican over the weekend amid the funeral for Pope Francis, according to the Trump administration&#8217;s top diplomat.
Russia and Ukraine are &#8220;closer in general than they&#8217;ve been any time in the last three years&#8221; to reaching an end to their war, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday on NBC&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/marco-rubio-says-russia-and-ukraine-both-have-to-give-something-up-for-peace-full-interview-238424645879" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Meet The Press,</a>&#8221; although he conceded the two sides have not yet reached a resolution.
This past week, Rubio told moderator Kristen Welker, &#8220;has really been about figuring out how close are these sides really, and are they close enough that this merits a continued investment of our time as a mediator in this regard.&#8221;
Rubio said he thinks it would be &#8220;silly&#8221; to set a specific date for a peace agreement. &#8220;I can just tell you that almost 100 days into this presidency, the president has dedicated a tremendous amount of time and energy to this, and we think we brought the sides closer than they&#8217;ve been in a very long time,&#8221; he added.
&#8220;But we&#8217;re not there yet, and it needs to start happening,&#8221; Rubio continued. &#8220;We need to start — I think this is going to be a very critical week. This week is going to be a really important week in which we have to make a determination about whether this is an endeavor that we want to continue to be involved in, or if it&#8217;s time to sort of focus on some other issues that are equally, if not more, important in some cases, but we want to see it happen. There are reasons to be optimistic, but there are reasons to be realistic, of course, as well. We&#8217;re close, but we&#8217;re not close enough.&#8221;
The White House said the meeting at the Vatican was &#8220;very productive,&#8221; a sign of progress after an explosive <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-explodes-on-zelensky-for-making-the-worst-statement-on-the-ukraine-russia-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confrontation</a> between Trump and Zelensky at the White House earlier this year. Trump also criticized Russia for continuing to attack Ukraine. He <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-putin-might-have-to-be-dealt-with-differently" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggested</a> that Russian President Vladimir Putin needs to be “dealt with differently” moving forward. All that happened after Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/apr/25/steve-witkoff-moscow-vladimir-putin-volodymyr-zelenskyy-russia-ukraine-peace-plan-talks-europe-latest-updates-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener">traveled</a> to Moscow on Friday to meet with Putin and discuss ending the war.
One major point of contention has been territory. While Zelensky <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/22/world/europe/ukraine-cease-fire-talks.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">insisted</a> that Ukraine will not &#8220;legally recognize&#8221; Russia&#8217;s occupation of Crimea, Trump <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-crimea-stay-with-russia-ukraine-war/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that Crimea will &#8220;stay with Russia.&#8221;
In an <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6371995251112" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> on &#8220;Sunday Morning Futures,&#8221; National Security Advisor Mike Waltz emphasized both Russia and Ukraine need a desire to end the war for the years-long conflict to come to a close when anchor Maria Bartiromo asked him if Zelensky understands that he&#8217;s likely not going to get more land back.
&#8220;There&#8217;s been a number of discussions of territory, of what they need to make sure that this war never continues, that it is permanent,&#8221; Waltz said. &#8220;We have talked to our European partners, who you saw the images of both Starmer from the United Kingdom and Macron from France, that Europe has to step up. I know that you have ambassador Whitaker, our new NATO ambassador, who&#8217;s fantastic coming on, on talking about how the Europeans need to take the lead in the future.&#8221;
He added: &#8220;All of those things are key parts of the discussion with both Zelensky and with Putin. And next is to drive both sides to the table, but they both have to want it. And the president has expressed his frustrations in whether both sides genuinely want to end this war. But he is determined to have the United States of America and him — I will just say this: the current leader of NATO, who was here this week, said only President Trump could break the deadlock that we saw 100 days ago under the Biden administration. And he&#8217;s done just that, starting with his call with both Putin and Zelensky just a few months ago.&#8221;
Uncertainty also rests with a rare earth minerals deal between the United States and Ukraine that has been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stop-the-bloodshed-trump-says-russia-and-ukraine-are-very-close-to-peace-deal">discussed</a> for months but has yet to be finalized.
The agreement is &#8220;going to get done,&#8221; Waltz said. &#8220;The negotiators were working hard over the weekend. That is first and foremost on both [Treasury] Secretary Bessent and the president&#8217;s mind. It&#8217;s going to get done, Maria. The president is determined to make it so.&#8221;

Secretary Of State Marco Rubio

Here’s Where We Stand After Trump Met With Zelensky At The Vatican

Mike Waltz

National Security

Tim Walz

U.S.

Ukraine

Vladimir Putin

Volodymyr Zelensky

President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that they are still hopeful that they can guide Ukraine and Russia to a peace deal and end the years-long war.
Trump and some of his top administration officials, including Rubio, were in the Oval Office for a meeting with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store to discuss the ongoing conflict in Europe. The White House has struggled to push Ukraine and Russia toward a peace deal, and Russia launched a massive missile and drone attack on Kyiv early Thursday morning, killing at least eight people and wounding around 70 more.
Despite multiple setbacks, Secretary of State Rubio said on Thursday that the administration still believes the war &#8220;is endable.&#8221;
&#8220;This war is endable. Both sides just have to agree to it. We&#8217;ve shown them a pathway forward. We&#8217;ve discussed those ideas,&#8221; Rubio added. &#8220;It was a good meeting yesterday. There will be good meetings over the weekend. We&#8217;ve shown them the finish line. We need both of them to say yes.&#8221;
&#8220;What happened last night with those missile strikes should remind everybody of why this war needs to end,&#8221; the Secretary of State continued. &#8220;It&#8217;s horrible that those missiles landed. It&#8217;s even worse &#8230; that people were alive yesterday that are not alive today because this war continues.&#8221;
Trump added that his administration is &#8220;using a lot of pressure&#8221; on both Ukraine and Russia to get them to agree to end the war.
&#8220;If you think we&#8217;re just in there because we&#8217;re nice people — and we are nice people — but we are using a lot of pressure,&#8221; the president said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecRubio</a>: &quot;This war is endable. Both sides just have to agree to it. We&#39;ve shown them a pathway forward. We&#39;ve discussed those ideas&#8230; We&#39;ve shown them the finish line. We need both of them to say yes.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/iyEYmtVzwI">pic.twitter.com/iyEYmtVzwI</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1915468254446838041?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
U.S. officials met with representatives from Ukraine and the United Kingdom in London on Wednesday, but those talks only <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/officials-ukraine-us-uk-meet-london-latest-push-121073666" target="_blank" rel="noopener">involved</a> lower-ranking officials after Rubio could not make it due to scheduling issues. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, and Trump said that he will meet with the Russian leader in the near future.
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admonishes-putin-over-airstrikes-on-kyiv-vladimir-stop?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Trump+Admonishes+Putin+Over+Airstrikes+On+Kyiv%3A+%E2%80%98Vladimir%2C+STOP%21%E2%80%99" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> he was &#8220;not happy with the Russian strikes&#8221; on Ukraine&#8217;s capital city, and urged Putin to &#8220;STOP!&#8221; Trump added on Thursday, &#8220;I didn&#8217;t like last night. I wasn&#8217;t happy with it. We&#8217;re in the midst of talking peace and missiles were fired. And I was not happy with it.&#8221;
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;I didn&#39;t like last night. I wasn&#39;t happy with it. We&#39;re in the midst of talking peace and missiles were fired. And I was not happy with it.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/aSdPhsaOP0">pic.twitter.com/aSdPhsaOP0</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1915467155094544694?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The president has blasted both Putin and Zelensky for their failure to agree to end the bloodshed. Earlier this week, Trump blasted Zelensky for making “inflammatory statements” that make it “difficult to settle this War.” Zelensky angered Trump after he said that Ukraine would never recognize Russia’s occupation of Crimea.
“He can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country,” Trump said. “I have nothing to do with Russia, but have much to do with wanting to save, on average, five thousand Russian and Ukrainian soldiers a week, who are dying for no reason whatsoever.”
Earlier this week, The Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro traveled to war-torn Kyiv for an exclusive 60-minute, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/bss-ep-2185?elementPosition=0&amp;location=Home%20Tab&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Home%20Featured%20Carousel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">face-to-face interview</a> with Zelensky.
Speaking in front of the Saint Sophia Cathedral, Shapiro questioned Zelensky on several topics, including his tense March meeting with President Trump, the substantial amount of American taxpayer money Ukraine is receiving, and prospects for peace with Russia.

President Trump Hosts Prime Minister Of Norway Jonas Gahr Store To The White House

‘We’ve Shown Them The Finish Line’: White House Remains Hopeful That Ukraine-Russia War Is ‘Endable’

Executive

World

The White House is making early progress on trade deals with India &#8212; hoping to ease economic tensions stemming from Trump’s tariffs. Marco Rubio announces a major overhaul of the State Department. And, tech stocks rebound as egg prices drop &#8212; what’s the latest on the U.S. economy?
It’s Wednesday, April 23, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/us-india-trade-deal-rubio-revamps-state-dept-4-23-25/id1576594336?i=1000704573915" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h2>India And The U.S. Move Toward Trade Deal</h2>
<div id="attachment_910991" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-910991" class="size-large wp-image-910991" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Liberty-Market-Graphic-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Liberty-Market-Graphic-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Liberty-Market-Graphic-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Liberty-Market-Graphic-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Liberty-Market-Graphic-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Liberty-Market-Graphic-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Liberty-Market-Graphic-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Liberty-Market-Graphic-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />(Photo by Anton Petrus via Getty Images)</div>
Topline: The United States and India are reportedly nearing a trade deal. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump met with top CEOs to address their concerns about the trade war.
Shortly after unveiling his “Liberation Day” tariffs, Trump offered a 90-day pause on his proposed tariff hikes to most of America’s trading partners, with the notable exception of China. A baseline rate of 10% is currently being applied to most imports in the meantime. According to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, the administration is set to meet with nearly three dozen countries this week to negotiate more favorable terms.
Vice President JD Vance visited India for four days and met with top government officials, including Prime Minister Modi. Last year, trade between the two countries was nearly $130 billion. U.S. imports from India exceeded exports by about $45 billion last year, which is significant since Trump has made it clear that reducing the trade deficit is a key goal of his tariff policy. Negotiations appear to be going well, but if Trump and Modi don’t make a deal, the tariff rate on Indian goods could jump to 26%.
“President Trump and Prime Minister Modi announced in February that our countries aim to more than double our bilateral trade to $500 billion by the end of the decade,” Vance <a href="https://x.com/VP/status/1914664240763257219">said</a> on Tuesday. “Both of our governments are hard at work on a trade agreement built on shared priorities like creating new jobs, building durable supply chains, and achieving prosperity for our workers. In our meeting yesterday, Prime Minister Modi and I made very good progress on all of those points, and we were especially excited to formally announce that America and India have officially finalized the terms of reference for the trade negotiation.”
In general, the Trump administration appears to be dialing back its earlier, maximalist stance on tariffs. On Monday, the CEOs of Walmart, Target, and Home Depot met with the president to air concerns about trade and tariffs. CNBC also reported that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met with top investors on Tuesday about trade with China. Bessent <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/22/bessent-trump-tariffs-china-deescalate.html">reportedly</a> said that he expects “there will be a de-escalation” in the “very near future.” He added that “no one thinks the current status quo is sustainable.”
<h2>Rubio Proposes Sweeping Cuts To State Department</h2>
<div id="attachment_910985" style="width: 737px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-910985" class="size-large wp-image-910985" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/State-Department-Facade-727x576.jpg" alt="" width="727" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/State-Department-Facade-727x576.jpg 727w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/State-Department-Facade-300x238.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/State-Department-Facade-768x608.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/State-Department-Facade-1536x1217.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/State-Department-Facade-2048x1622.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 727px) 100vw, 727px" />(Photo by Nathan Posner/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)</div>
Topline: Secretary of State Marco Rubio just announced a sweeping overhaul of the U.S. State Department, aiming to streamline operations and align diplomacy with the Trump administration’s “America First” agenda. The plan includes significant staff cuts and the closure of numerous offices.
Rubio is not being shy in billing this as an aggressive reform plan. In a department-wide email, he called the State Department “bloated” and “beholden to radical political ideology.” Because of this, he aims to reduce the agency’s U.S.-based staff by 15% and reduce the number of offices from 734 to 602.
“Secretary Rubio is announcing a comprehensive reorganization plan that will bring the department into the 21st century,” State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told the press on Tuesday. “Redundant offices will be removed, and nonstatutory programs that are misaligned with America&#8217;s core national interests will cease to exist.”
There’s also one addition in this plan — Rubio proposes a new Bureau of Emerging Threats that will focus on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.
None of these proposed cuts have gone into effect just yet &#8212; Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau said an internal working group will develop “thoughtful plans” by July 1. But some of these changes may require congressional approval.  A preliminary budget proposal from the White House Office of Management and Budget that bolsters Rubio’s plan by cutting the State Department’s funding by 50% isn’t likely to pass Congress.
The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, which Rubio has criticized for promoting “left-wing agendas” in countries like Poland and Hungary, is currently on the chopping block, as is the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, which allegedly funneled taxpayer dollars to NGOs that facilitated mass migration, including at the U.S. southern border. Rubio said in a new State Department Substack that these bureaus have been misused to push policies that are misaligned with national priorities. He says that for the sake of efficiency, the goal is to refocus diplomacy on “great power competition” and consolidate region-specific functions into regional bureaus.
Some analysts are saying this is going to alienate career diplomats, and Democrats are saying these moves will diminish U.S. influence abroad. But apparently, some are breathing sighs of relief because they were expecting even deeper cuts after a draft executive order circulated last weekend. That document proposed slashing entire bureaus like African Affairs and closing embassies across sub-Saharan Africa. But Rubio says that was “fake news.”
<h2>Economic Update – Eggcellent News</h2>
<div id="attachment_910977" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-910977" class="size-large wp-image-910977" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Eggs-in-hand-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Eggs-in-hand-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Eggs-in-hand-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Eggs-in-hand-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Eggs-in-hand-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Eggs-in-hand-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Eggs-in-hand-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Eggs-in-hand-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />(Photo by Grace Carry via Getty Images)</div>
Topline: Consumers could soon see relief on egg prices while markets attempt to calibrate for Trump’s trade policies.
Markets have been remarkably volatile amid uncertainty over ongoing trade negotiations — the DOW plummeted on Monday, but spiked again on Tuesday. The International Monetary Fund warned on Tuesday that the global economy could be hit hard by tariffs and slashed its forecast for U.S. growth to 1.8% this year, down from the 2.8% it had predicted in January, but it acknowledged the tariff situation is unpredictable due to the Trump administration using them as a negotiating tactic.
Meanwhile, Americans can expect some relief on everyday expenses. Daily Wire White House correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan spoke to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins about the Trump administration’s ongoing effort to lower the price of eggs.
“A couple months ago, we rolled out our big five point egg plan,” Rollins said. “At the time the eggs were, I think, the highest they&#8217;ve been, perhaps since President Trump left office. I know under Joe Biden, they increased 237%. While the cost of groceries has skyrocketed, nothing has skyrocketed more than eggs … since [Trump took office], the cost of wholesale eggs has gone down 58%.”
Rollins also told us that part of Trump’s plan with tariffs is to correct the agricultural trade deficit that widened under Biden. “There&#8217;s now a $50 billion agriculture trade deficit &#8230; that was zero four years ago. So that means that all of that product &#8212; sorghum, wheat, corn, beef that we were moving out and Trump won, somehow that market disappeared and we&#8217;ve got to get it back.”

FRANCE-US-INDIA-DIPLOMACY-TECHNOLOGY-AI-SUMMIT

Morning Brief: Vance Negotiates India Trade Deal, Rubio Cuts State Dept & Easter Egg Prices

Food

Global Politics

India

Morning Wire

State Department

Tariffs

Trade War

Trump Administration

The Trump administration is planning to close 132 State Department offices and cut U.S. personnel, The Free Press <a href="https://www.thefp.com/p/trump-state-shake-up-rubio" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Tuesday.
The closures will affect offices that focus on instituting democracy overseas, countering extremism, and protecting human rights, according to The Free Press. The administration seeks to reduce the number of State Department offices by 17%, from 734 to 602. Undersecretaries were also reportedly given 30 days to present plans to slash personnel in individual departments by 15%.
&#8220;Today is the day. Under @POTUS’ leadership and at my direction, we are reversing decades of bloat and bureaucracy at the State Department,&#8221; Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on social media. &#8220;These sweeping changes will empower our talented diplomats to put America and Americans first.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Today is the day. Under <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>’ leadership and at my direction, we are reversing decades of bloat and bureaucracy at the State Department. 
These sweeping changes will empower our talented diplomats to put America and Americans first. <a href="https://t.co/CGWz3JrYwu">pic.twitter.com/CGWz3JrYwu</a>
&mdash; Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio/status/1914680613275161078?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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In a statement, Rubio confirmed that massive changes are coming to the State Department, adding that it is currently &#8220;bloated, bureaucratic, and unable to perform its essential diplomatic mission in this new era of great power competition.&#8221;
&#8220;Over the past 15 years, the Department&#8217;s footprint has had unprecedented growth and costs have soared. But far from seeing a return on investment, taxpayers have seen less effective and efficient diplomacy,&#8221; the statement added. &#8220;The sprawling bureaucracy created a system more beholden to radical political ideology than advancing America&#8217;s core national interests.&#8221;
A report by The New York Times published on Sunday claimed that the State Department&#8217;s restructuring would also &#8220;shut down embassies and consulates across&#8221; Africa. Rubio <a href="https://x.com/marcorubio/status/1913928218450579630" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responded</a> to the Times report, calling it &#8220;fake news.&#8221;
According to The Free Press, internal documents show that the Trump administration plans to eliminate State Department offices &#8220;that focus on a variety of foreign policy issues and are viewed by the Trump administration as no longer necessary.&#8221; Around 700 positions for civil service and foreign service employees in those offices are expected to be cut.
“This approach will empower the Department from the ground up, from the bureaus to the embassies,” Rubio added. “Region-specific functions will be consolidated to increase functionality, redundant offices will be removed, and non-statutory programs that are misaligned with America’s core national interests will cease to exist.”
On Tuesday morning, around a dozen top State Department officials were informed by leadership of the overhaul, a senior official told The Free Press. The State Department is the latest in the Trump administration to be the center of significant cuts.
Trump&#8217;s Department of Government Efficiency project, which is influenced by senior adviser Elon Musk, has targeted numerous government agencies, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Department of Energy, the Department of Education, and the Department of Defense, among others.

‘Sweeping Changes’: State Dept Shuttering More Than 130 Offices, Slashing Staff

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)

General

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that the Ukraine-Russia peace talks need to make progress &#8220;within a matter of days&#8221; or President Donald Trump will be &#8220;done&#8221; with the negotiations.
Seeking peace between the two countries has been a top priority of the Trump administration after the president vowed on the campaign trail to end the war within the first day of taking the oath of office. The peace negotiations, however, have appeared to come to a standstill, and the Trump administration&#8217;s patience is wearing thin.
&#8220;So we came here yesterday to sort of begin to talk about more specific outlines of what it might take to end the war, to try to figure out very soon,&#8221; Rubio <a href="https://www.state.gov/secretary-of-state-marco-rubio-remarks-to-press-3/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> reporters in Paris. &#8220;And I’m talking about a matter of days, not a matter of weeks – whether or not this is a war that can be ended. If it can, we’re prepared to do whatever we can to facilitate that and make sure that it happens, that it ends in a durable and just way.&#8221;
&#8220;If it’s not possible – if we’re so far apart that this is not going to happen – then I think the president’s probably at a point where he’s going to say, well, we’re done,&#8221; he added. &#8220;We’ll do what we can on the margins. We’ll be ready to help whenever you’re ready to have peace. But we’re not going to continue with this endeavor for weeks and months on end.&#8221;
Rubio&#8217;s comments come just a few days after Trump&#8217;s Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/steve-witkoff-says-hes-optimistic-about-ending-russia-ukraine-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener">met with Russian President Vladimir Putin</a> and said that the countries &#8220;might be on the verge of something that would be very, very, important for the world at large.&#8221; Trump has grown frustrated with Putin in recent weeks, saying last Friday that Russia &#8220;has to get moving&#8221; on seeking a peace deal with Ukraine.
&#8220;Too many people are DYING, thousands a week, in a terrible and senseless war – A war that should have never happened, and wouldn’t have happened, if I were President!!!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114319592702753512" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on Truth Social.
Rubio added that the United States has many pressing issues around the globe to address and cannot waste time if peace in Ukraine is not &#8220;doable in the short term.&#8221;
&#8220;We need to figure out here now, within a matter of days, whether this is doable in the short term. Because if it’s not, then I think we’re just going to move on, from our perspective,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The President feels very strongly about that. He has dedicated a lot of time and energy to this, and there are a lot of things going on in the world right now that we need to be focused on.&#8221;
As the future of the Ukraine-Russia peace talks remains uncertain, the United States is close to finalizing a deal for rare earth minerals with Kyiv. Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on Thursday, &#8220;We are happy to announce the signing, with our American partners, of a Memorandum of Intent, which paves the way for an Economic Partnership Agreement and the establishment of the Investment Fund for the Reconstruction of Ukraine.&#8221;
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We are happy to announce the signing, with our American partners, of a Memorandum of Intent, which paves the way for an Economic Partnership Agreement and the establishment of the Investment Fund for the Reconstruction of Ukraine. <a href="https://t.co/AQsHPkWh5X">pic.twitter.com/AQsHPkWh5X</a>
&mdash; Yulia Svyrydenko (@Svyrydenko_Y) <a href="https://twitter.com/Svyrydenko_Y/status/1912969519326241043?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The minerals deal came to a standstill in February after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was asked to leave the White House following a contentious meeting with Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Zelensky left the White House before he was expected to sign the minerals deal with Trump.
While Trump has directed much of his criticism toward Zelensky and Ukraine, he has also expressed annoyance with Putin. Earlier this month, Trump said he was &#8220;very angry, pissed off, when Putin started getting into Zelensky’s credibility and started talking about new leadership in Ukraine.”
“He considers Zelensky not credible, he’s supposed to be making a deal with him whether you like him, you don’t like him,” Trump later told reporters. “So I wasn’t happy with that. But I think he’s going to be good.”

Donald Trump/Marco Rubio

Rubio Says Trump Will Likely Be ‘Done’ With Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks If No Progress Is Made Soon

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Ben Shapiro that the closure of the Global Engagement Center (GEC) put an end to a State Department agency that “was labeling American speech by Americans as foreign interference.”
“It metastasized and metamorphosed into a government-run entity that was targeting political speech in America, labeling it disinformation and silencing it, all paid for by the American taxpayers directly and indirectly,” Rubio said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Biden’s regime used YOUR tax dollars to censor you. <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecRubio</a> is nuking their propaganda machine—firing the censors, ending the abuse, restoring free speech.
Full breakdown on The Ben Shapiro Show tomorrow. Don’t miss it. <a href="https://t.co/5V0KptOZyg">pic.twitter.com/5V0KptOZyg</a>
— The Ben Shapiro Show (@BenShapiroShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenShapiroShow/status/1912552542719902129?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
President Donald Trump closed the agency, which was created to counter terrorists, but eventually shifted its focus to combating domestic “misinformation,” via executive order.
“What we are announcing today is that we are taking the whole thing down,” Rubio said. “We’re going to be in the business of promoting free speech in America and around the world.”
Rubio added that the organization’s record will be investigated for being “used as a weapon against the American people.”
The GEC was created in 2011 under President Barack Obama as the Center for Strategic Counter Terrorism Communications. It was renamed the GEC in 2016. The organization was tasked with coordinating government communications “aimed at countering foreign terrorist propaganda, particularly from groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda.” Its mission later expanded to countering misinformation from adversaries, including Russia, China, and Iran.
But after the 2016 election, the agency turned its focus from terrorists to countering &#8220;misinformation&#8221; on American social media platforms, which was deemed a national security threat. GEC established an office in Silicon Valley to ramp up pressure on social media companies. The agency is accused of funding projects that created blacklists of media companies, especially right-wing media.
“They started it by saying Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and all of these terrible groups are radicalizing people online, we should do something about it,” Rubio said. “Then it metastasized, and they [said], ‘There is foreign interference in our elections, we need to start going after that. Well then, by 2020, it became a big movement to go after voices inside of American politics and begin to label people.”
Although GEC was forbidden from operating on Americans as a State Department program, it is believed that the organization may have circumvented the ban by funding private companies to classify news as “misinformation.” It reportedly paid groups like Global Disinformation Index and NewsGuard.
The former labeled outlets, including The Daily Wire, as “risky” and put them on its “Dynamic Exclusion List” that was distributed to advertisers. In response, The Daily Wire, The Federalist, and the State of Texas <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/daily-wire-texas-ag-ask-court-to-block-state-departments-domestic-misinformation-efforts">sued</a> the GEC for working to “render unprofitable, disfavored press outlets by funding the infrastructure, development, and marketing and promotion of censorship technology and private censorship enterprises to covertly suppress speech of a segment of the American press.”
“The issue here is they put labels on people and then that was used to go to social media companies and used to go to outlets to say you have to deplatform these people, you have to cut back on how much views they’re getting,” Rubio said.
The organization fought to censor “conspiracy theories,” including the belief that the coronavirus came from a Chinese lab, which has since been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cia-assesses-chinese-lab-leak-responsible-for-coronavirus-pandemic">echoed by the CIA</a>.
When the GEC hit its eight-year sunset, Republicans refused to refund it, leading to the Biden Administration rebranding it under a new name but with similar staff.

Senate Holds Confirmation Hearing For Secretary Of State Nominee Marco Rubio

Marco Rubio Tells Ben Shapiro Why He Nuked State Department’s Censorship Agency

Ben Shapiro

Misinformation

The State Department said on Wednesday it had shuttered the propaganda office that funded efforts to deem media outlets “misinformation” and pressured social media companies to censor content, a major victory for conservative critics who have long pinpointed the agency as key cog of the censorship industry.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that though the Global Engagement Center (GEC) was defunded by Congress last year following scandal, the Biden administration had moved its staff to a similar unit. 
The 2016 authorization of the office had an eight-year sunset, and the Republican-controlled House refused to re-fund the agency in 2024. But before it gave up power, the Biden administration appeared to essentially rebrand the entity, keeping the same staff under a new name: &#8220;the Counter-Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference hub,” or R/FIMI. The State Department said in a court filing that it planned to “realign the Center’s staff and funding to other Department offices.” 
Rubio said all remnants of the operation will be eradicated. All 30 full-time staff that were working for R/FIMI were put on leave, and Congress was notified on Wednesday morning that all full-time staff positions under R/FIMI had been eliminated.
“Under the previous administration, this office, which cost taxpayers more than $50 million per year, spent millions of dollars to actively silence and censor the voices of Americans they were supposed to be serving,&#8221; Rubio said in a statement. &#8220;This is antithetical to the very principals we should be upholding and inconceivable it was taking place in America. That ends today.&#8221; 
“Individuals in America have been slandered, fired, charged, and even jailed for simply voicing their opinions. That is not an America our Founding Fathers would recognize. It is the responsibility of every government official to continuously work to preserve and protect the freedom for Americans to exercise their free speech,” he added
GEC was created in 2011 as the Center for Strategic Counter Terrorism Communications. In 2016 it was renamed and tasked to “coordinate U.S. government communications aimed at countering foreign terrorist propaganda, particularly from groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda.” 
But after the 2016 election, when Democrats began painting “misinformation” as a national security threat, the GEC turned its attention to American social media platforms, even setting up an office in Silicon Valley to pressure them to remove content, such as “conspiracy theories” like the idea that coronavirus came from a Chinese lab.
Like other State Department programs, GEC was forbidden from operating on Americans.
But it may have circumvented that ban by funding third-party groups to do it for them. GEC ran contests encouraging private companies to get into the business of classifying news as “misinformation,” and paid groups like the Global Disinformation Index and NewsGuard. 
The Global Disinformation Index put American media outlets on a “Dynamic Exclusion List” that was distributed to advertisers and named mainstream publications like the New York Post, Reason Magazine, The Daily Wire, and the Federalist as “risky.”
NewsGuard’s business model is similar. In March 2023, its co-CEO, Gordon Crovitz, praised his company for “empowering governments… to support quality journalism and systemically defund sources of harmful misinformation.” NewsGuard has a deal with the teachers union promoting its media-rating browser extension in schools, and public libraries also use the software. The browser extension causes a “Proceed with Maximum Caution” flag to appear next to search results from flagged outlets.
GEC hosted a website called Disinfo Cloud that boosted products aimed at bankrupt conservative news outlets by convincing advertisers to boycott them on the basis that they are dangerous misinformation that should not be economically supported.
The State Department said the contests “were aimed at countering disinformation and propaganda overseas.” But “Defendants admit that Disinfo Cloud users included some members of academia, the private sector, and tech vendors, including some located within the United States,” it <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txed.226532/gov.uscourts.txed.226532.75.0.pdf">conceded</a> in lawsuit filings.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/five-takeaways-from-twitter-fbi-agents-deposition-in-censorship-lawsuit-brought-by-conservative-states">Elvis Chan</a>, an FBI agent involved in asking Twitter to take down posts including those related to the Hunter Biden laptop, told Congress that he worked regularly with GEC, and that GEC did not seem to be concerned with the First Amendment since it was used to operating in foreign countries.
In December 2023, The Daily Wire and The Federalist <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/daily-wire-texas-ag-ask-court-to-block-state-departments-domestic-misinformation-efforts">sued</a> GEC, arguing that it was working to “render unprofitable, disfavored press outlets by funding the infrastructure, development, and marketing and promotion of censorship technology and private censorship enterprises to covertly suppress speech of a segment of the American press.”
“State Department disinformation tools were developed…as tools of warfare…in the context of national security” and “foreign relations,” then “misdirected to be used at home against domestic political opponents,” the suit said.
GEC “researched, assessed, funded, investigated, evaluated, tested, marketed, and/or promoted over 365 so-called Countering Propaganda and Disinformation or ‘CPD’ tools and technologies, including tools and technologies that target American speech and the American  press. These tools and technologies include so-called fact-checking technologies, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-the-biden-administration-used-a-counter-terrorism-grant-to-fund-anti-conservative-propaganda">media literacy</a> tools, media intelligence platforms, social network mapping, and machine learning/artificial intelligence technology,” a legal filing alleged. 
The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Texas. The State Department sought to have it moved to a Washington, D.C., judge, but the Texas judge refused. 
GEC operated with a secrecy that suggested a guilty conscience. The State Department admitted in the lawsuit to funding the Global Disinformation Index and NewsGuard through a middleman, Park Capital Investment Group. It <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/state-department-subpoenaed-over-use-of-foreign-propaganda-weapon-against-domestic-media">refused</a> to provide information about the activities even to Congress, forcing the House Small Business Committee to subpoena it.

State Department Shutters ‘Misinformation’ Censorship Agency, Salts The Earth

Censorship

The Daily Wire

An immigration judge ruled on Friday that Mahmoud Khalil – who was detained over his actions leading anti-Israel protests at Columbia University — can be deported, giving him until April 23 to appeal the decision.
Judge Jamee Comans <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/columbia-anti-israel-protester-mahmoud-khalil-can-deported-judge-rules" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gave the ruling</a> in a Louisiana court, declaring that the federal government had met the necessary burden of proof to justify removing Khalil from the country.
Judge Comans had requested such proof from the United States government by Wednesday as he was considering the case, and had received a letter from Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Rubio wrote that Khalil had led &#8220;antisemitic protests and disruptive activities, which fosters a hostile environment for Jewish students in the United States.&#8221;
&#8220;Condoning antisemitic conduct and disruptive protests in the United States would severely undermine that significant foreign policy objective,&#8221; he added, citing the 1952 Immigration and Naturalization Act, which gives the U.S. Secretary of State authorization to deport anyone whose continued presence in the country &#8220;would have serious adverse foreign policy consequences.&#8221;
Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum gave the breaking news update during &#8220;The Story&#8221; on Friday afternoon, getting the live report from National Correspondent Brooke Taylor.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BREAKING: A judge rules that the Trump administration can move forward with deportation efforts for Mahmoud Khalil. | <a href="https://twitter.com/Brooketaylortv?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@brooketaylortv</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/marthamaccallum?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@marthamaccallum</a> <a href="https://t.co/JmAGnd3RPu">pic.twitter.com/JmAGnd3RPu</a>
&mdash; Fox News (@FoxNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/1910787248255025369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
Khalil spoke after the ruling, complaining that President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration had specifically sent him to another jurisdiction to ensure that the ruling would not be fair.
&#8220;I would like to quote what you said last time that there&#8217;s nothing that&#8217;s more important to this court than due process rights and fundamental fairness. Clearly, what we witnessed today, neither of these principles were present today or in this whole process,&#8221; he claimed.
&#8220;This is exactly why the Trump administration has sent me to this court, 1,000 miles away from my family. I just hope that the urgency that you deemed fit for me are afforded to the hundreds of others who have been here without hearing for months,&#8221; he added.

Pro-Palestinian rally in New York City

Judge Rules Columbia’s Pro-Hamas Agitator Mahmoud Khalil Can Be Deported

anti-Israel

Columbia University

Courts

Pro-Hamas

A man suspected of planning the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks that killed 166 people, including six Americans, was extradited to India to stand trial, the Justice Department announced. 
The DOJ <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/us-extradites-alleged-co-conspirator-2008-mumbai-terrorist-attacks-face-charges-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Thursday that it had extradited 64-year-old &#8220;convicted terrorist&#8221; Tahawwur Hussain Ran, a Canadian citizen and native of Pakistan, to go on trial for 10 criminal charges stemming from the 2008 attack. Rana is accused of aiding Laskhar-e-Tayyiba, a Pakistani Islamic terror group, during the coordinated bombing and shooting attacks it carried out from November 26-29, 2008, in Mumbai. 
“​​We extradited Tahawwur Hussain Rana to India to face charges for his role in planning the horrific 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. Together, with India, we&#8217;ve long sought justice for the 166 people, including 6 Americans, who lost their lives in these attacks. I&#8217;m glad that day has come,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
We extradited Tahawwur Hussain Rana to India to face charges for his role in planning the horrific 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. Together, with India, we&#39;ve long sought justice for the 166 people, including 6 Americans, who lost their lives in these attacks. I&#39;m glad that day…
&mdash; Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio/status/1910658998438695253?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The charges against Rana include conspiracy, murder, commission of a terrorist act, and forgery. 
The attacks took place at a variety of locations, including restaurants, a Jewish community center, and the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. Rana is accused of helping David Coleman Headley, an American citizen who was sentenced in 2013 to 35 years in prison over his role in the attack, plan, and scope of the bombings. 
<div id="attachment_906559" style="width: 1122px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-906559" class="size-full wp-image-906559" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-11-at-10.45.50-AM.png" alt="" width="1112" height="686" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-11-at-10.45.50-AM.png 1112w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-11-at-10.45.50-AM-300x185.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-11-at-10.45.50-AM-934x576.png 934w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-11-at-10.45.50-AM-768x474.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1112px) 100vw, 1112px" />Rana being extradited: DOJ.</div>
According to the Justice Department, Rana appointed Headley to a position at the Mumbai office of his immigration business to assess the city&#8217;s vulnerable areas to attack. Rana allegedly helped get Headley into India by submitting fraudulent visa paperwork and documentation. 
The two then met multiple times over two years in Chicago, where Headley discussed plans for the attack with Rana, according to the Justice Department.
In 2013, Rana was <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/tahawwur-rana-sentenced-14-years-prison-supporting-pakistani-terror-group-and-terror-plot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sentenced</a> to 14 years in federal prison in the United States for providing material support to Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and for plotting to behead several workers at a Danish newspaper. The Denmark attack, which was to be carried out in part by Headley, was thwarted by authorities. 
India first requested to extradite Rana in 2020, but the action has been delayed for years as the case has made its way through the federal courts. On Monday, the Supreme Court denied Rana’s last-ditch appeal to block the extradition.

(FILES) This photograph taken on Novembe

U.S. Extradites ‘Convicted Terrorist’ Accused Of Plotting Attacks That Killed 6 Americans

Department of Justice

Radical Islamic Terror

Terrorism

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