A heavily-redacted Epstein document dump revives questions about his associates, including former President Bill Clinton; the United States wallops ISIS targets in Syria while the Venezuelan oil blockade continues; and Turning Point USA&#8217;s AmericaFest wraps up with fireworks.
It’s Monday, December 22, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below, and the video version can be seen on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-251222-member-exclusive?elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+Show+Episodes+Carousel">The Daily Wire</a>:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/epstein-files-firestorm-u-s-retaliation-strikes-isis/id1576594336?i=1000742295192" 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 style="text-align: center;">Epstein Files Released</h2>
The Justice Department has begun publishing thousands of pages of material tied to its investigations of Jeffrey Epstein. But the rollout has sparked immediate controversy with claims of heavy redactions and missing files. Because of the Epstein Files Transparency Act passed last month, the DOJ released an initial batch of over 13,000 files. These include investigative materials, grand jury transcripts from cases adjudicated in the early 2000s, police reports, flight logs, handwritten phone messages, and dozens of photographs. Though some of the material is new, none of it is blockbuster news. There are still hundreds of thousands of records under review that will be released on a rolling basis in the coming weeks, however.
<a class="c-link" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">U.S. Hits ISIS</h2>
President Trump has followed through on his promise to avenge three Americans killed in Syria last week, carrying out dozens of strikes against ISIS in Syria. On Friday, the U.S. military, with some help from Jordan, hit 70+ ISIS targets across Syria. An early report from a Syria monitoring group said that at least five ISIS terrorists were killed. Most of the destruction was of ISIS infrastructure, including munitions, supplies, and hideouts. War Secretary Pete Hegseth tamped down fears that this could lead to a wider conflict. Hegseth <a href="https://x.com/SecWar/status/2002140737060692098">said</a>, “This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance. The United States of America, under President Trump’s leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people.”
<h2 style="text-align: center;">TPUSA’s AmFest Wraps Up</h2>
Turning Point USA’s big annual conference, AmericaFest, had more eyes than ever on it this year as organizers set out to honor its founder Charlie Kirk and give the stage to the most influential voices in the conservative movement. The event wrapped with some surprises–the major one coming on Sunday when Ericka Kirk walked rapper Nicki Minaj out on the main stage to talk about her respect for President Trump. The event was also full of fiery speeches that generated many headlines across the media. But while the media and the internet were full of controversy, the feeling on the floor of the conference felt communal and high-energy, according to Daily Wire reporters at the event.

MRN_251222_V2 (1)

Morning Brief: Epstein Files Released, U.S. Hits ISIS In Syria, And AmFest Comes To A Close

AMFEST

Department of Defense

Department of Justice

Jeffrey Epstein

Morning Wire

Pete Hegseth

Syria

Turning Point USA

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Thursday that the United States had conducted strikes against ISIS targets in Syria in response to an attack last weekend that left two American troops dead. 
Hegseth said that the strikes were not about starting a new war, but enacting “vengeance” for an ISIS attack targeting American forces last Saturday. 
“Earlier today, U.S. forces commenced OPERATION HAWKEYE STRIKE in Syria to eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites in direct response to the attack on U.S. forces that occurred on December 13th in Palmyra, Syria,” Hegseth posted on X. “This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance. The United States of America, under President Trump’s leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people.”
“As we said directly following the savage attack, if you target Americans — anywhere in the world — you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you,” he added. “Today, we hunted and we killed our enemies. Lots of them. And we will continue.”
Citing an American official, the New York Times said that the strikes targeted dozens of ISIS sites throughout central Syria. The operation is set to be a “a massive attack,” the official said. 
A later post from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) showed video of multiple strikes carried out in Syria.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Tonight, U.S. and Jordanian forces struck 70+ ISIS targets in Syria with 100+ precision munitions. Peace through strength. <a href="https://t.co/XWWvfqBBFT">pic.twitter.com/XWWvfqBBFT</a>
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) <a href="https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/2002197399935103333?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The attacks last week killed two troops identified as 29-year-old Nate Howard and 25-year-old Edgar Torres. An American interpreter named Ayad Mansoor Sakat was also killed in the attack. Both Howard and Torres were members of the Iowa National Guard. 
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump and Hegseth attended a dignified transfer of the soldier’s remains at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
After the attacks last weekend, Trump said that the United States would retaliate. 
“I can tell you in Syria there will be a lot of damage done to the people that did it, that they got the person, the individual person, but there’ll be big damage done,” Trump said on Sunday.

US-POLITICS-TRUMP

Hegseth Launches Strikes Of ‘Vengeance’ In Syria After American Troops Killed By ISIS

ISIS

Whoopi Goldberg claimed on Thursday that President Donald Trump&#8217;s plan to give monetary bonuses to members of the military was effectively a bribe to ensure that they&#8217;d obey the president&#8217;s orders even if they were not necessarily lawful.
Goldberg, during Thursday&#8217;s broadcast of ABC&#8217;s &#8220;The View,&#8221; first questioned whether or not troops would actually ever see that money — and then immediately insinuated that if they did see it, it would be solely because Trump was using it to buy their loyalty.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Whoopi doubts Trump is going to pay the troops his announced $1,776 bonus, but then claims it&#8217;s a bribe for them to back his plots: 
&#8220;What he&#8217;s doing is, he&#8217;s thinking, &#8216;if I make sure that the soldiers have what they need they&#8217;ll back me and what I want, see?&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/DBmKx6IfEN">pic.twitter.com/DBmKx6IfEN</a>
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/2001698071189614604?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Cohost Alyssa Farah Griffin began by saying she&#8217;d actually like to give Trump credit for offering bonuses — &#8220;warrior dividends&#8221; — to troops, but Goldberg quickly interrupted.
&#8220;Let&#8217;s see if they get the — I want to see them get it first,&#8221; Goldberg said.
Griffin went on to say that she&#8217;d prefer to see &#8220;smart policies&#8221; rather than &#8220;handouts,&#8221; and argued that it was unfair for money to only go to members of the military — particularly if the money was, as Trump said, coming from tariff revenue — that all Americans were hurting and in need of assistance.
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible c-link--underline" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
Goldberg then pivoted to suggest that the reason Trump was singling out members of the armed forces had nothing to do with the notion that they&#8217;d earned it in service to the country, but rather because she believed they&#8217;d be more likely to do anything Trump wanted if he greased the wheels with a Christmas bonus.
&#8220;What he&#8217;s doing is, he&#8217;s thinking, &#8216;If I make sure that the soldiers have what they need, they&#8217;ll back me in what I want, see?'&#8221; she said.

SNL50: The Homecoming Concert

Whoopi Says Trump Will Use Military Bonus To Buy Loyalty From Service Members

Donald Trump

Media

Military

Politics

The View

Whoopi Goldberg

WASHINGTON—The War Department is rewarding its highest performers with monetary awards worth 15 to 25% of base pay, The Daily Wire can first report, rewards intended to reflect the &#8220;historic successes&#8221; of the past 10 months.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth directed all War Department department heads and principal staff assistants to &#8220;take immediate action to recognize and reward [the] very best&#8221; of the department&#8217;s civilian workforce with &#8220;meaningful monetary awards consistent with the relevant existing civilian awards authorities for each pay system,&#8221; according to a memorandum for senior Pentagon leadership first obtained by The Daily Wire.
The move comes amid Hegseth&#8217;s efforts to reinvigorate the War Department. Throughout the past year, Hegseth has repeatedly emphasized his focus on restoring the warrior ethos, promoting discipline and lethality, readiness, accountability, and standards. He has also repeatedly discussed his commitment to promoting President Donald Trump&#8217;s America First agenda and prioritizing American freedom and prosperity.
&#8220;Make no mistake about it,&#8221; he said earlier this month, &#8220;President Trump is hellbent on maintaining and accelerating the most powerful military the world has ever seen; the most powerful, the most lethal and American-made … the arsenal of freedom.&#8221;
The distribution of bonuses — which could reach up to $25,000 — is also in line with the Trump administration&#8217;s broader efforts to make the federal government function more like a private-sector business.
All civilian government employees are eligible for the bonuses, though political SES (Senior Executive Service) and Schedule C (general schedule) employees are excluded. War Department leaders are instructed to effectuate the awards no later than January 30, 2026. While the Department of War has given out bonuses in the past, this is the first time in recent memory that the department has taken this type of coordinated approach, specifically led by Hegseth and his Deputy Secretary Steve Feinberg.
The memo, titled &#8220;Recognition of Outstanding Department of War Civilian Employees,&#8221; emphasizes that civilian employees have played an essential and foundational role in driving American military successes since &#8220;the dawn of the Republic.&#8221; It also focuses on the successes and hardships of the past year, specifically mentioning the government shutdown.
&#8220;Over the past 10 months, Department of War (DoW) civilians upheld that proud tradition through their steadfast support of the worldwide mission of the Department,&#8221; the memo states, &#8220;including historic successes in defending the homeland and securing peace in the Middle East &#8211; and their dedication to executing the transformational changes necessary to revive the warrior ethos, rebuild our military, and reestablish deterrence.&#8221;
&#8220;These achievements have not been easy,&#8221; the secretary&#8217;s memo continues. &#8220;The uncertainty and adversity inherent in all periods of change can test even the most elite workforce. Further, the longest Government shutdown in American history imposed severe strain on our civilian workforce. The resilience our civilian teammates have demonstrated throughout this challenging time is an inspiration and deserves to be recognized.&#8221;
&#8220;I am enormously grateful for the incredible contributions of our entire civilian workforce, and I am proud to work with everyone in the Department, military and civilian, in defending our Nation,&#8221; Hegseth concludes.

President Trumps Holds Mexican Border Defense Medal Presentation

Hegseth Orders Christmas Bonuses For War Department Top Performers

Department of War

Pentagon

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday that the Trump administration would not release the &#8220;top-secret&#8221; video of the September 2 drug boat strikes to the public as the administration&#8217;s approval of a second strike continues to face scrutiny.
Hegseth spoke to reporters after he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio gave senators a classified, closed-door briefing and said that the &#8220;full unedited&#8221; video would only be shown to lawmakers on the House and Senate Armed Services Committees on Wednesday.
&#8220;In keeping with longstanding Department of War policy, Department of Defense policy, of course we&#8217;re not going to release a top-secret full unedited video of that to the general public,&#8221; Hegseth said.
Multiple lawmakers have called on Hegseth to release the full video showing the second strike on a suspected drug boat that was taken out by U.S. forces on September 2. Some Democrats have claimed that the U.S. military&#8217;s decision to order a second strike after survivors were spotted in the water constitutes a &#8220;war crime.&#8221;
The strikes on the suspected drug boat in September killed 11 &#8220;narcoterrorists&#8221; who were transporting drugs that the Trump administration believed would have ultimately landed on American shores. The second strike was ordered by Admiral Frank Bradley, the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command. Bradley is also set to brief lawmakers on the House and Senate Armed Services Committees on Wednesday.
Hegseth praised Bradley on Tuesday, saying he has &#8220;done a fantastic job, has made all the right calls.&#8221;
<a class="c-link" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-changes-tune-on-releasing-video-of-second-strike-on-suspected-drug-boat">said</a> earlier this month that he had &#8220;no problem&#8221; with the War Department releasing &#8220;whatever&#8221; it had, but last week, Trump walked back that comment and said, “Whatever Pete Hegseth wants to do is okay with me.”
Shortly after the strike, the Trump administration released a 29-second clip of the operation targeting a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean, but the clip made public by the War Department does not show the second strike, raising questions of why a second strike was necessary.
Some lawmakers, both Democrats and Republicans, have already seen video of the second strike. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) said he would not have “any problem” with releasing the footage to the public, but added that the War Department could want to keep it classified since the information could reveal too much to drug cartels about how the U.S. military is conducting the strikes.
“It’s not gruesome. I didn’t find it distressing or disturbing,&#8221; Cotton said. &#8220;It looks like any number of dozens of strikes we’ve seen on Jeeps and pickup trucks in the Middle East over the years.&#8221;
House Democrat Adam Smith, who also saw the video of the second strike, called it “deeply disturbing.”
Nearly 100 suspected drug-runners have been killed in at least 25 strikes ordered by the Trump administration in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean since September. The most recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-strikes-3-more-suspected-drug-boats-takes-out-8-narco-terrorists?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=U.S.+Strikes+3+More+Suspected+Drug+Boats%2C+Takes+Out+8+%E2%80%98Narco-Terrorists%E2%80%99">strike</a> on Monday killed eight men and took out three boats that the U.S. officials said were “engaged in narco-trafficking.”

War Department Will Not Release Full ‘Top-Secret’ Video Of September Drug Boat Strike, Hegseth Says

Crime

drug trafficking

U.S. Military

The United States Military on Monday took out three more boats in the Eastern Pacific determined to be “engaged in narco-trafficking,” officials said. 
The strikes killed eight men that authorities said were members of Designated Terrorist Organizations. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who is expected to brief lawmakers on Tuesday about the Trump administration’s drug boat strikes, authorized the attack. 
“On Dec. 15, at the direction of [Secretary of War] Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted lethal kinetic strikes on three vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters,” U.S. Southern Command posted on X, alongside a video of the strikes. “Intelligence confirmed that the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and were engaged in narco-trafficking. A total of eight male narco-terrorists were killed during these actions—three in the first vessel, two in the second and three in the third.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
On Dec. 15, at the direction of <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecWar</a> Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted lethal kinetic strikes on three vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters. Intelligence confirmed that the vessels were transiting along known… <a href="https://t.co/IQfCVvUpau">pic.twitter.com/IQfCVvUpau</a>
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/Southcom/status/2000756230252314901?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Since September, the military has <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-administration-hits-3-more-alleged-drug-boats-in-pacific-killing-8-military-says/">carried</a> out strikes on 25 boats, killing around 95 suspected drug traffickers. In a memo to Congress in October, President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-to-congress-u-s-in-armed-conflict-with-terrorist-drug-cartels">wrote</a> that he “determined” that the United States is in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels that he has designated as terrorist organizations. Violent gangs like Tren de Aragua and MS-13 have been <a href="https://www.state.gov/designation-of-international-cartels">designated</a> as foreign terrorist organizations by the State Department. 
Democrat lawmakers have criticized the strikes, arguing that the Trump administration has not provided enough evidence to justify the attacks. Last week, Admiral Frank Bradley was questioned by the Senate Intelligence Committee about a second strike carried out on survivors of an earlier strike that had already destroyed a vessel operated by alleged members of Tren de Aragua.
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible c-link--underline" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
Senator Tom Cotton (R-AK) said after the briefing that the strikes were “entirely lawful and needful.”
&#8220;These are narco-terrorists, Foreign Designated Terrorist Organizations, who are bringing drugs to our shores that have killed millions of Americans and thousands of Arkansans,&#8221; Cotton told reporters. “It&#8217;s my expectation and my deep hope that these strikes will continue.&#8221;
Last week, the House passed the annual National Defense Authorization Act with a provision that would force Hegseth to turn over footage of strikes on suspected drug boats or face cuts to his travel budget. Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are scheduled to meet with lawmakers on Tuesday to discuss the strikes and the American strategy with Venezuela.

MixCollage-16-Dec-2025-07-14-AM-7646

U.S. Strikes 3 More Suspected Drug Boats, Takes Out 8 ‘Narco-Terrorists’

drug boat

Pacific Ocean

The Department of War has escalated a review of Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly to an “official Command Investigation.”
“The Office of the Secretary of War, in conjunction with the Department of War&#8217;s Office of the General Counsel, is escalating the preliminary review of Captain Mark Kelly, USN (Ret.), to an official Command Investigation. Retired Captain Kelly is currently under investigation for serious allegations of misconduct. Further official comments will be limited to preserve the integrity of the proceedings,” a department official told The Daily Wire.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW: <a href="https://twitter.com/DeptofWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DeptofWar</a> official tells <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDailyWire</a> that DOW is escalating its preliminary review of Senator Mark Kelly to an “official Command Investigation.”
“Retired Captain Kelly is currently under investigation for serious allegations of misconduct,” official says. “Further…
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/2000709725726347348?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
Last week, the U.S. Navy sent a report to War Secretary Pete Hegseth on a review of Kelly’s actions warning military members against following “illegal orders.” The Office of General Counsel for the War Department is providing advice and legal review of the investigation into Kelly.
The department <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/war-department-reviewing-serious-allegations-against-sen-mark-kelly-after-dem-military-message">initiated</a> a review of Kelly, a U.S. Navy combat veteran and retired astronaut, in November after the senator joined five other Democratic lawmakers in a video urging military members to disobey “illegal orders.” The Arizona Democrat is under consideration to be recalled to active duty to undergo “court-martial proceedings or administrative measures.”
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible c-link--underline" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
“The Department of War reminds all individuals that military retirees remain subject to the [Uniform Code of Military Justice] for applicable offenses, and federal laws such as 18 U.S.C. § 2387 prohibit actions intended to interfere with the loyalty, morale, or good order and discipline of the armed forces. Any violations will be addressed through appropriate legal channels,” the department said in a statement at the time.
At the time of the video, Hegseth denounced it in a <a href="https://x.com/PeteHegseth/status/1993008532187148582">post</a> on X, saying that message put out by the “seditious six” lawmakers is “despicable, reckless, and false.”
“Encouraging our warriors to ignore the orders of their Commanders undermines every aspect of ‘good order and discipline.’ Their foolish screed sows doubt and confusion — which only puts our warriors in danger,” said Hegseth.

Mark Kelly

Hegseth’s War Department Escalates Review Of Mark Kelly Over ‘Seditious Six’ Video

Congress

U.S.

The Department of War has selected Google’s Gemini to serve as the department’s first enterprise AI deployed across its internal platform.
Google and the Department of War confirmed that Gemini will be used for streamlining “complex administrative tasks” designated as “unclassified work,” according to a <a href="https://www.googlecloudpresscorner.com/2025-12-09-Chief-Digital-and-Artificial-Intelligence-Office-Selects-Google-Clouds-AI-to-Power-GenAI-mil">press release</a>. Google cited “summarizing policy handbooks, generating project-specific compliance checklists, extracting key terms from statements of work, and creating detailed risk assessments for operational planning” as examples.
“Gemini for government is the embodiment of American AI excellence, placing unmatched analytical and creative power directly into the hands of the world’s most dominating fighting force,” the Department of War said in a <a href="https://www.war.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/4354916/the-war-department-unleashes-ai-on-new-genaimil-platform/">statement</a>.
As for safeguarding data, Google stated that Gemini for Government will give the Department of War full control over its information, ensuring that no information is shared with Google’s public models.
The Department of War calls Gemini for Government the “first of several frontier AI capabilities” for its new AI platform, GenAI.mil, though other third-party models have yet to be revealed.
The Department of War’s Gemini selection comes days after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman called for immediate action to improve the quality of its large language model, ChatGPT. Altman has ordered a halt to side projects such as OpenAI’s Sora video generator to increase focus on the day-to-day operations of its chatbot.
The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/openais-altman-declares-code-red-to-improve-chatgpt-as-google-threatens-ai-lead-7faf5ea6?mod=article_inline">reported</a> that Altman’s internal memo is “the most decisive indication yet of the pressure OpenAI is facing from competitors that have narrowed the startup’s lead in the AI race. Of particular concern to Altman is Google, which released a new version of its Gemini AI model last month that surpassed OpenAI’s models on industry benchmark tests.”
The Department of War emphasized that deploying Gemini is a part of the <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Americas-AI-Action-Plan.pdf">White House’s AI Action Plan</a> announced in July, which mandates that all federal agencies ensure that their employees benefit from access to frontier language models and are provided with access and appropriate training for the tools. The Department of War is providing training for GenAI.mil to all employees to “build confidence in using AI and give personnel the education needed to realize its full potential.”
Just nine days after the White House released its action plan, Google was <a href="https://cloud.google.com/blog/topics/public-sector/google-public-sector-awarded-200-million-contract-to-accelerate-ai-and-cloud-capabilities-across-department-of-defenses-chief-digital-and-artificial-intelligence-office-cdao">awarded</a> a $200-million ceiling contract to support the U.S. Department of War’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO). The Department of War did not immediately respond to a request for comment when asked if the rollout of Gemini in GenAI.mil is part of the July contract.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the Department is going all-in on AI. “We are pushing all of our chips in on artificial intelligence as a fighting force. The Department is tapping into America’s commercial genius, and we’re embedding generative AI into our daily battle rhythm.”
He added, “AI tools present boundless opportunities to increase efficiency, and we are thrilled to witness AI&#8217;s future positive impact across the War Department.”

Google Gemini

The Department of War Picks AI Platform As A ‘Fighting Force’

The Department of War May Have Just Picked An AI Winner

Artificial Intelligence

Executive

Google

Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) defended a recent video — during which she encouraged members of the military to question orders in real time — by tossing those same service members under the bus.
Slotkin, a former CIA analyst, had joined five military veterans in making the video that circulated a few weeks earlier. In it, they called on service members to remember that they had the right and the responsibility to refuse to act on unlawful orders — all while heavily implying that such orders either would be or had already been given by President Donald Trump or War Secretary Pete Hegseth.
During a recent interview, Slotkin claimed that she&#8217;d only made the video because an overwhelming number of military members had reached out to ask about it.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Elissa Slotkin claims Democrats made the ‘illegal orders’ video because a slew of military personnel were coming to them with concerns for months:
“I don&#8217;t know if this is legal. I don&#8217;t know if I&#8217;d be held accountable later after this administration. I can&#8217;t get a straight… <a href="https://t.co/Fe2AMPvMRg">pic.twitter.com/Fe2AMPvMRg</a>
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/1998136904961937700?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I mean, we made that video three weeks ago or whatever it was, certainly not thinking that the president would go high and right as we say at the Pentagon on it like that,&#8221; Slotkin said, suggesting that Trump&#8217;s response — to a video telling service members to potentially ignore his orders — had been the one thing that was out of line.
&#8220;There was so many people coming to us who were on active duty, recent veterans, family members of service members, who were coming to us individually and saying two things,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;One, &#8216;I&#8217;m concerned I&#8217;m going to be sent in uniform to an American city — you know, like L.A., Chicago, Memphis — and I&#8217;m going to be asked to do things I either don&#8217;t think are legal, or I&#8217;m not trained for, and what do I do?'&#8221;
&#8220;And then this fall, it really turned, and it became a lot of people who were involved in the operations around the Caribbean asking those same things,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;&#8216;I don&#8217;t know if this is legal? I don&#8217;t know if I&#8217;d be held accountable later after this administration. I can&#8217;t get a straight answer about whether this is legal or not. What do you think we should do?'&#8221;
“We were hearing that for months,&#8221; she added, &#8220;So that’s why we made the video.&#8221;
Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), who also participated in making the video, is facing additional scrutiny for his role since he is the only one who is a retired service member and therefore still subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).

Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) Gives The Democratic Response To President Donald Trump’s Address To Congress

Slotkin Throws Military Under The Bus In Defense Of Video Calling Them To Question Orders

Slotkin Tosses Military Under The Bus In Defense Of Video Calling Them To Question Orders

Democrats

narcoterrorists

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBsTw9By0X4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Speaking</a> at a town hall in Tucson, Arizona, Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly mocked President Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, saying Trump was “asleep at the wheel” while calling Hegseth a “joke.”
“It feels to me that at every turn, this president is working against the American people,” Kelly told the crowd. “What I have seen from the Secretary of Defense and the president is not normal.”
“He sticks a full force of the DOD, the Uniform Code of Military Justice, on me for saying something that&#8217;s in the Uniform Code of Military Justice,” Kelly protested, referring to the video he and five other Democrats released urging troops to disobey orders they deemed to be unlawful. “You cannot make this stuff up. This is how ridiculous these people are, how unprofessional, how unqualified.”
“If he thinks I&#8217;m going to back down, he&#8217;s lost his mind,” Kelly boasted, adding, “He&#8217;s got a couple options. One of them is just go take a hike. That&#8217;s what I ultimately expect him to do. Or he could try to prosecute me, but I&#8217;m not going away because I&#8217;m standing up for everybody, not only myself.”
“They&#8217;re doing a lot of bad stuff,” he declared. “I mean, I&#8217;d put this on a list. It&#8217;ll be somewhere on a list of maybe 50 things. I&#8217;m not going to go through them. But let me tell you what he&#8217;s not doing. That&#8217;s even more important. What the president is not doing. This guy is literally asleep at the wheel &#8230; He has turned the United States government into a crappy reality TV show with bad ratings. And it&#8217;s time to turn it off,” Kelly stated.
Turning to Hegseth, he stated, “You&#8217;ll appreciate this. When Pete Hegseth tweeted that he was going to prosecute me under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. I see this tweet. I take out my phone and I read it verbatim to Gabby. And by the second sentence, she starts laughing. She laughed and laughed. She laughed through the whole thing. Because she realizes two things. One: That guy&#8217;s a joke. And number two. I&#8217;m not backing down.”
“When we win back the House and maybe even the Senate, we get the subpoena power. We can have hearings to hold this administration accountable for the awful stuff that they&#8217;re doing,” he threatened.
“The president doesn&#8217;t care about the law,” he declared. “When you give this guy this kind of power, and we knew what he was going to do with it. I mean, he was going to abuse every lever of power that he has. He&#8217;s trying to do it against me personally right now.”

Sen. Kelly Speaks On President Trump and Defense Secretary Hegseth At US Capitol

Sen. Mark Kelly Attacks Trump And Hegseth In Heated Rant, Says He ‘Won’t Back Down’

President Donald Trump denied on Monday that he ever supported releasing video of the second strike on a suspected drug boat as controversy continues to swirl around the U.S. military&#8217;s actions in the Caribbean in early September.
Trump said last Wednesday that &#8220;whatever&#8221; Secretary Pete Hegseth&#8217;s War Department had, &#8220;we&#8217;d certainly release, no problem.&#8221; On Monday, however, the president told reporters at the White House that he never agreed to make the full video of the second strike public.
&#8220;Mr. President, you said you would have &#8216;no problem&#8217; with releasing the full video of that strike on September 2 off the coast of Venezuela,&#8221; one reporter stated.
&#8220;I didn&#8217;t say that,&#8221; the president <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-boat-strike-video-walks-back-hegseth/">replied</a>. &#8220;You said that, I didn&#8217;t say that.&#8221;
Trump added, &#8220;Whatever Pete Hegseth wants to do is okay with me.&#8221;
Hegseth has come under fire from Democrats and some Republicans after the &#8220;double-tap&#8221; strike on a boat that the Trump administration said was trafficking illicit drugs to the United States. The administration released a 29-second unclassified video showing the first strike on September 2, but the full video of the follow-up strike has been shown to only a select few lawmakers.
Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are scheduled to meet with top intelligence committee lawmakers on Tuesday behind closed doors. The Trump officials will likely be asked more questions about the &#8220;double-tap&#8221; strike during the meeting.
Trump <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/09/donald-trump-full-interview-transcript-00681693">told</a> POLITICO in a wide-ranging interview released on Tuesday that he watched the footage of the second strike and continues to give Hegseth his full confidence.
&#8220;He&#8217;s doing a great job,&#8221; Trump said, adding that he doesn&#8217;t care if Hegseth testifies under oath about the strike.
The president said that the footage was &#8220;not pretty,&#8221; but added, &#8220;It looked like they were trying to turn back over the boat, but I don’t get involved in that.&#8221;
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tom-cotton-has-no-problem-with-releasing-video-of-drug-boat-double-tap">said</a> on Sunday that he watched the footage of the second strike, adding that he would not have &#8220;any problem&#8221; with releasing the footage to the public.
&#8220;It’s not gruesome. I didn’t find it distressing or disturbing. It looks like any number of dozens of strikes we’ve seen on Jeeps and pickup trucks in the Middle East over the years,&#8221; Cotton said. He added that he would understand if the War Department had concerns about releasing the footage, since it could reveal too much to drug cartels about how the U.S. military is conducting the strikes.
Democrats who saw the footage are calling on the administration to release the video. Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, said the footage of the second strike was &#8220;deeply disturbing.&#8221;
“There were two survivors on an overturned boat. When they were finally taken out, they weren’t trying to flip the boat over. The boat was clearly incapacitated,&#8221; Smith <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/07/second-strike-democratic-lawmakers-demand-transparency-00679899?_bhlid=01d8baf7452cb3bc38c5bae3f2719ade9b962fbd">said</a>. &#8220;A tiny portion of it remained capsized, the bow of the boat. They had no communications device. Certainly they were unarmed.”
“Any claim that the drugs had somehow survived that attack is hard to really square with what we saw,&#8221; he added. &#8220;So it was deeply disturbing. It did not appear that these two survivors were in any position to continue the fight.”
When asked if the War Department would release the additional footage, Hegseth <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hegseth-wont-commit-to-releasing-video-second-strike-alleged-drug-boat/">said</a> over the weekend that the administration is currently &#8220;reviewing the process,&#8221; and did not commit to releasing the full video.
&#8220;Whatever we were to decide to release, we&#8217;d have to be very responsible about reviewing that right now,&#8221; Hegseth added.
After Trump ramped up border security upon returning to office, he moved his attention to preventing drugs from reaching American shores. The strikes on the suspected &#8220;narcoterrorists,&#8221; which began in September, have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-takes-out-more-suspected-narco-terrorists-as-hegseth-defends-against-war-crime-accusations?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=8&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=U.S.+Takes+Out+More+Suspected+%E2%80%98Narco-Terrorists%E2%80%99+As+Hegseth+Defends+Against+%E2%80%98War+Crime%E2%80%99+Accusations">taken out</a> 23 boats and 87 suspected drug runners.

Trump Changes Tune On Releasing Video Of Second Strike On Suspected Drug Boat

Trump Administration

Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) ran defense on Sunday morning for the narcoterrorists targeted in a recent military strike, describing them to &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; host Kristen Welker as &#8220;shipwreck survivors.&#8221;
Schiff joined a wide array of elected Democrats and media talking heads who have continued to push the narrative that President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration — War Secretary Pete Hegseth in particular — had taken illegal actions either in targeting narcoterrorists in the first place or in the recent &#8220;double tap&#8221; (second strike) on a boat that was disabled, but not destroyed by the first hit.
Schiff shared video of the exchange, along with his own caption: &#8220;The killing of shipwrecked survivors at sea is a textbook violation of the laws of war. If Hegseth is so proud of the killing of these survivors, the Pentagon should release the full video, just like they have with other boat strikes. The American people deserve full transparency and accountability.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The killing of shipwrecked survivors at sea is a textbook violation of the laws of war.
If Hegseth is so proud of the killing of these survivors, the Pentagon should release the full video, just like they have with other boat strikes.
The American people deserve full… <a href="https://t.co/ABerq9vNPc">pic.twitter.com/ABerq9vNPc</a>
— Adam Schiff (@SenAdamSchiff) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenAdamSchiff/status/1997769557461856471?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Welker began with a simple question about whether or not the boat strikes were legal in the first place — and Schiff said he believed they were not.
&#8220;They&#8217;re unlawful, they&#8217;re unconstitutional, and killing two people who are shipwrecked at sea is also morally repugnant,&#8221; Schiff said, adding that he believed the United States should explore legal avenues to stop the flow of drugs into the country — but he did not believe the current path was legal.
50% off DailyWire+ annual memberships will not return for another year, so don’t miss this deal! Join now at <a class="c-link" href="http://dailywire.com/cyberweek" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://DailyWire.com/cyberweek" data-sk="tooltip_parent">DailyWire.com/cyberweek</a>.
He called on War Secretary Hegseth to release video of the strike in question, arguing that the people should be able to see what had transpired. &#8220;I can&#8217;t imagine people would be proud of that,&#8221; he added.
Throughout the less-than-two-minute clip, Schiff referred to narcoterrorists as &#8220;shipwrecked survivors&#8221; at least three times, making no move to explain how they had come to be &#8220;shipwrecked&#8221; in the first place — or what they had been doing on a boat that was being used to traffic illegal narcotics.

House Judiciary Committee Examines The Situation At The Southern Border

Adam Schiff Defends Narcoterrorists, Claims They Were ‘Shipwrecked Survivors’

Adam Schiff

narco-terrorism

Menu