Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) reverted to the talking points favored by Iranian terrorists during a recent interview, referring to the United States first as the &#8220;world&#8217;s number one bully&#8221; and then &#8220;the Great Satan.&#8221;
Johnson, who first became a household name when he suggested that the Pacific island of Guam might &#8220;tip over&#8221; if too much American military equipment was placed there, made the comments while speaking with far left host Dean Obeidallah.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Democrat Hank Johnson directly echoes propaganda from the terrorist Iranian regime.
JOHNSON: &#8220;We are the world&#8217;s number one bully&#8230;America is indeed&#8230;the great hand of Satan&#8230;the great Satan.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/3JxrccCqLY">pic.twitter.com/3JxrccCqLY</a>
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1998121577833972222?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Johnson told Obeidallah that the United States was the quintessential playground bully, lording it over other countries that had less power simply because it was possible to do so.
“We are the world&#8217;s number one bully, and we are using our immense unrivaled power to rule over those who have less power,” he claimed, adding, “This sends a shocking message to the world that America is indeed the — what did they used to call it — the great hand of Satan, or something like that.”
“I mean, America under the Trump regime is demonstrating that that moniker is entirely accurate. That’s what we’ve become in this country, the great Satan,” he continued.
Johnson, during a congressional hearing about a military buildup on Guam, raised eyebrows when he suggested the added weight of the military equipment could cause the island to capsize.
“My fear is that the whole island will become so overly populated that it will tip over and capsize,&#8221; Johnson said.
Admiral Robert Willard, who was serving as head of the U.S. Pacific Fleet at the time, paused and managed to give his reply with a straight face: &#8220;We don&#8217;t anticipate that.&#8221;

Hank Johnson

Georgia Democrat Refers To United States As ‘World’s Number One Bully,’ ‘The Great Satan’

Congress

Donald Trump

Iran

Politics

United States

Americans and Europeans are overwhelmingly concerned about China’s vision for a new global order and support investment to stay ahead of Beijing in technology, according to polling exclusively reviewed by The Daily Wire.
The American Edge Project in partnership with Mercury Analytics, surveyed thousands of people across the United States and Europe concerning their views on China, artificial intelligence, and other issues. The poll, reviewed by The Daily Wire, was conducted from October 7-25.
Pollsters asked 4,000 adults spread equally among the U.S., U.K., France, and Germany, and another 500 in Belgium. The margin of error is 3.1% for each country’s sample. The margin of error on sub-samples is greater.
The poll on Westerners&#8217; thoughts on China, its orientation toward the West, and the battle to innovate and develop technology comes as the Trump administration has prioritized winning the race for artificial intelligence. The Trump administration has pushed Europe, as well, to embrace technological growth and avoid burdensome regulations that could unduly hamper AI development.
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At an AI summit in France in February, Vice President JD Vance touted the Trump administration’s ambition to make the United States the world leader in AI, but “just because we&#8217;re the leader doesn&#8217;t mean we want to or need to go it alone,” Vance <a href="https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/remarks-the-vice-president-the-artificial-intelligence-action-summit-paris-france">said</a> in an invitation to Europe.
Americans and Europeans are overwhelmingly concerned about the threat China poses to the United States and Europe. The poll results demonstrate repeated concerns on both sides of the Atlantic that respondents are “deeply worried about China’s plans to create a new global order and its technological threat to Western nations,” according to a polling memo reviewed by The Daily Wire.
According to the poll, 79% of Americans believe that China threatens their economic well-being, and 80% say they are concerned about a national security threat. Europeans responded in similar numbers with 78% saying China threatens their economic well-being and 70% concerned about threats to their national security.
Even more Americans, 87%, responded that they are concerned about China building alliances with non-Western countries to build a bloc that could challenge the West. For Europeans, the number who agreed with the American majority ranged from 80% in Belgium to 89% in France.
And 91% of Americans said they are concerned that China is conducting cyberattacks on critical infrastructure. Almost the same percentage of Europeans, 90%, said the same.

China military parade

Poll Shows Americans And Europeans Agree: China’s Plan For A ‘New Global Order’ Is A Big Problem

Poll Shows Americans And Europeans Agree: China's Plan For A ‘New Global Order’ Is A Big Problem

Artificial Intelligence

Communist China

Europe

Global Politics

World

Top officials from the United States and Ukraine met in Florida on Sunday to discuss the framework of a possible peace plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and former adviser, met in Miami with Ukraine’s delegation led by Rustem Umerov, the head of head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council.
“The end goal, obviously, is not just the end of the war, obviously–that’s central and fundamental. We want to see an end of the killing and the death and the suffering, and I’m sure the Ukrainian side, I know they do, as well,” said Rubio in <a href="https://x.com/ralakbar/status/1995151907892154452">remarks</a> before the meeting. “But it’s also about securing an end to the war that leaves Ukraine sovereign and independent and with an opportunity at real prosperity.”
Umerov thanked Trump’s negotiation team for their support in brief remarks after Rubio’s.
“We are discussing about the future of Ukraine, about the security of Ukraine, about no repetition of aggression of Ukraine, about prosperity of Ukraine, about how to rebuild Ukraine. And we are thankful for the efforts of United States and its team to helping us. U.S. is hearing us, U.S. is supporting us, U.S. is beside us,” said Umerov.
The delegations met as the two sides and Russia continue to hammer out revisions to Trump’s original 28-point framework for peace in Ukraine. The starting offer proposed by the United States reportedly received stiff objections from Ukrainian officials over a cap to Ukraine’s military, ceding territory not under Russia’s direct control, and other issues.
“The American side is demonstrating a constructive approach, and in the coming days it is feasible to flesh out the steps to determine how to bring the war to a dignified end,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky <a href="https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1994823440860078412">said</a>. “The Ukrainian delegation has the necessary directives, and I expect the guys to work in accordance with clear Ukrainian priorities.”
Substantial revisions have since been made to initial peace plan, though the specifics have been guarded from the public. Ukraine has sought security guarantees and rejected suggestions of ceding additional land to Russia. Russia has insisted that Ukraine abandon “occupied territories.&#8221;
Last week, Yuri Ushakov, a top aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, said that the Kremlin had received the latest version of the peace framework but declined to offer an opinion on it.
“This isn’t an official one, but we do have the document. We haven’t discussed it with anyone yet because the points in it require truly serious analysis and discussion,” said Ushakov, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/30/europe/ukraine-russia-peace-talks-miami-florida-intl">CNN</a>.

Miami meeting

Marco Rubio, Top Ukraine Officials Hammer out ‘Framework’ For Peace In Miami Meeting

Marco Rubio, Top Ukraine Officials Hammer out 'Framework' For Peace In Miami Meeting

Jared Kushner

Marco Rubio

Steve Witkoff

Ukraine

Ukraine-Russia War

President Donald Trump defended U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on Tuesday after a leaked phone call showed the diplomat advising a top Russian aide on how to approach Trump.
Witkoff’s phone call with Yuri Ushakov, top foreign policy aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, took place last month. Bloomberg published a transcript of the call on Tuesday, igniting backlash and calls for Witkoff&#8217;s removal for allegedly favoring Russia over Ukraine.
Trump dismissed complaints over the phone call, saying that what took place was “standard” negotiation.
“That’s a standard thing, you know, because he’s gotta sell this to Ukraine, he’s gotta sell Ukraine to Russia. That’s what a deal maker does. You gotta say, look, they want this, you’ve gotta convince him with this, and you know, that’s a very standard form of negotiation,” Trump <a href="https://x.com/CBSNews/status/1993722285883068521">said</a> when asked about the phone call aboard Air Force One on Tuesday evening.
“I haven’t heard it, but I heard it was standard negotiation. And I would imagine he’s saying the same thing to Ukraine, because each party has to give and take,” the president added.
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Trump also dismissed concerns that Witkoff is pro-Russian.
“No, I think, look, this war could go on for years, and Russia’s got a lot more people and a lot more soldiers, you know? So I think if Ukraine can make a deal, it’s a good thing. I think it’s great for both,” said Trump.
The phone call sparked backlash from some Republicans, such as Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska.
“For those who oppose the Russian invasion and want to see Ukraine prevail as a sovereign &amp; democratic country, it is clear that Witkoff fully favors the Russians. He cannot be trusted to lead these negotiations. Would a Russian paid agent do less than he? He should be fired,” <a href="https://x.com/RepDonBacon/status/1993446393076498714">said</a> Bacon.
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania <a href="https://x.com/RepBrianFitz/status/1993428150492316095">called</a> the phone call “a major problem. And one of the many reasons why these ridiculous side shows and secret meetings need to stop.”
In the October 14 phone call, Witkoff advised Ushakov on how Putin should approach Trump to have the most favorable meeting, including flattering Trump with compliments over the recently struck ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The U.S. envoy said a similar plan to the 20-point Israel-Hamas plan could be struck between Russia and Ukraine.
Witkoff also advised Ushakov that Putin should schedule a phone call with Trump before Trump was set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“Maybe he (Putin) says to President Trump: you know, Steve and Yuri discussed a very similar 20-point plan to peace and that could be something that we think might move the needle a little bit, we’re open to those sorts of things — to explore what it’s going to take to get a peace deal done,” Witkoff said, according to the transcript published by <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-11-25/witkoff-discusses-ukraine-plans-with-key-putin-aide-transcript">Bloomberg</a>.
“Now, me to you, I know what it’s going to take to get a peace deal done: Donetsk and maybe a land swap somewhere. But I’m saying instead of talking like that, let’s talk more hopefully because I think we’re going to get to a deal here. And I think Yuri, the president will give me a lot of space and discretion to get to the deal,” Witkoff said.

Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump

Trump Dismisses Backlash Against Witkoff Over Leaked Phone Call With Top Russian Diplomat

Russia

Vladimir Putin

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday launching a “national effort” to integrate artificial intelligence into research and accelerate innovation and scientific discovery.
The Trump administration has made AI research and innovation a top priority as it seeks to win the AI “race” against China. The White House said the new national effort, named the Genesis Mission, will be one of the largest research and development projects in the history of the United States.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright <a href="https://x.com/ENERGY/status/1993102758812303725">compared</a> the effort that the Trump administration is coordinating for AI advancement to the Manhattan Project that developed the nuclear bomb and the Apollo Program that landed the first humans on the moon.
“In this pivotal moment, the challenges we face require a historic national effort, comparable in urgency and ambition to the Manhattan Project that was instrumental to our victory in World War II and was a critical basis for the foundation of the Department of Energy (DOE) and its national laboratories,” the <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/11/launching-the-genesis-mission/">order</a> states.
The aim of the Genesis Mission is to build an AI model that will learn from and incorporate federal datasets “to train scientific foundation models and create AI agents to test new hypotheses, automate research workflows, and accelerate scientific breakthroughs.”
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The project will partner researchers at each of the United States’ 17 national laboratories with businesses and academic research centers to work on AI development and models.
“The Genesis Mission will dramatically accelerate scientific discovery, strengthen national security, secure energy dominance, enhance workforce productivity, and multiply the return on taxpayer investment into research and development, thereby furthering America’s technological dominance and global strategic leadership,” the order states.
The project will largely be run through the Department of Energy and its network of national laboratories that conduct some of the most sensitive research in the United States.
“The Order directs the Department of Energy to create a closed-loop AI experimentation platform that integrates our Nation’s world-class supercomputers and unique data assets to generate scientific foundation models and power robotic laboratories,” a White House <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/11/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-unveils-the-genesis-missionto-accelerate-ai-for-scientific-discovery/">fact sheet</a> on the order says.

President Trump Signs Executive Order On Energy Production

Trump Signs Order Launching ‘Manhattan Project’ For Artificial Intelligence

Chris Wright

Technology

U.S.

President Donald Trump intends to classify the Muslim Brotherhood as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
“It will be done in the strongest and most powerful terms,” Trump told <a href="https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/all-things-trump/trump-says-he-will-designate-muslim-brotherhood-terrorist">Just The News</a> on Sunday. “Final documents are being drawn.”
The president’s move against the Muslim Brotherhood comes less than a week after a similar move by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. On Tuesday, the Republican governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/not-welcome-in-our-state-texas-governor-designates-radical-muslim-groups-as-foreign-terrorists">designated</a> the group and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as “foreign terrorist organizations and transnational criminal organizations.”
“The Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR have long made their goals clear: to forcibly impose Sharia law and establish Islam’s ‘mastership of the world,’” said Abbott. “The actions taken by the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR to support terrorism across the globe and subvert our laws through violence, intimidation, and harassment are unacceptable.”
The council has contested and sued Texas over the designation.
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The Muslim Brotherhood, founded in Egypt in 1928 by Hassan al-Banna, has long been connected to violent extremist groups such as Hamas. In its 1988 charter, Hamas identifies itself as “one of the wings of the Muslim Brotherhood in Palestine.”
While Muslim Brotherhood groups in the West, including in the United States, have condemned the use of violence, according to the <a href="https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2025/10/27/patient-extremism-the-many-faces-of-the-muslim-brotherhood/">Foundation for Defense of Democracies</a>, “it is almost always born of prudence, not principle.”
“The Brotherhood tends to be far more conservative than al-Qaeda or the Islamic State when calculating the probable cost of a turn toward violence. Its branches hesitate to risk the wrath of national governments. The Brotherhood also places a premium on remaining able to gradually promote its brand of Islam, especially within Muslim majority countries,” says a foundation brief on the Muslim Brotherhood written last month.
On Wednesday, the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy released a 265-page <a href="https://isgap.org/post/2025/11/at-the-halfway-point-of-its-100-year-plan-isgap-unveils-landmark-report-on-the-muslim-brotherhoods-strategic-entryism-into-north-america/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">report</a> “mapping [the Muslim Brotherhood’s] ideological, institutional, and financial penetration into North America.” The report is an analysis of the brotherhood’s 100-year plan to infiltrate and subvert western governments and institutions to further the imperialistic goals of Islamism.
“This is not simply a political movement but a transnational ideological project that adapts itself to Western systems while working to undermine them. The Brotherhood has learned to use the very freedoms of democracy as tools to erode it from within, exploiting the tolerance and openness of liberal societies as strategic vulnerabilities,” said Dr. Charles Asher Small, founding director of the institute.

‘It Will Be Done’: Trump To Classify Muslim Brotherhood As Foreign Terrorist Organization

Muslim Brotherhood

Terrorism

The United States has reportedly crafted a 28-point plan to bring an end to the war in Ukraine.
Both Russia and Ukraine have signaled that they believe the plan can serve as a starting point for further negotiations. U.S. officials have referred to the plan as a “living document” that will be ironed out in mediation with both sides, according to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/20/trump-ukraine-peace-plan-28-points-russia">Axios</a>.
As it stands in the version published by Axios, Russia would receive recognized control over the regions of Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk, and parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Ukraine must limit its standing military and establish in its constitution that it will never join NATO. In exchange, Ukraine would receive security guarantees from the United States without regard to Europe.
Ukraine would receive hundreds of billions of dollars-worth of investment to aid in its rebuilding efforts, including $100 billion-worth of frozen Russian assets. Russia would receive reentry into the G8 and sanctions would be lifted. Frozen assets will be returned except for those spent on Ukraine’s rebuilding.
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All parties will receive amnesty for their actions during the war. Prisoners will be exchanged on an “all for all” basis, and all civilian detainees will be returned, including children. Russia is <a href="https://globalchildren.georgetown.edu/posts/russia-is-turning-abducted-ukrainian-children-into-soldiers">accused</a> of kidnapping Ukrainian children – one estimate runs into the hundreds of thousands – and reeducating them before enlisting them in its own military.
Both countries will commit to instituting educational programs aimed at promoting understanding and tolerance. Nazi ideology and activities must be outlawed.
The plan includes a number of other aspects as well, such as Ukraine&#8217;s eventual admittance into the European Union. If either country fires upon the other unprovoked or otherwise breaks the terms of the peace, the concessions given to the aggressor will be voided.
A ceasefire will take place immediately after terms have been finalized and agreed to and forces have withdrawn to their respective lines. The ceasefire and eventual peace will be monitored by the Peace Council headed by President Donald Trump, like the eventual ceasefire and peace plan agreed to between Hamas and Israel.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky was presented the plan on Thursday. After reviewing it, he agreed to enter into talks with Trump’s team. Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who reportedly had a hand in crafting the proposal alongside U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, referred to negotiations earlier this week in positive terms.
“We feel the Russian position is really being heard,” said Dmitriev.
The peace plan was published by Axios after senior U.S. military officials <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgdgrqwnq9o">traveled</a> to Ukraine to meet with Zelensky. While the plan has not been rejected, it does include some aspects that Ukraine has previously rebuffed as red lines, such as additional territorial concessions to Russia that include land that Russia currently does not control.
The plan also does not take into account additional actions that may be taken by the Europeans, such as additional security guarantees for Ukraine made by other countries in Europe.

Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky

Trump Admin Crafts 28-Point Plan To End War In Ukraine

The Trump administration is designating Saudi Arabia a major non-NATO ally, strengthening economic and military ties between Washington and Riyadh, the president announced on Tuesday.
President Donald Trump announced the designation while Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited the White House this week. Salman’s visit was received with many of the trappings of a state visit, though the event lacked the official status as Salman’s father is the actual head of the Saudi state.
“We&#8217;re taking our military cooperation to even greater heights by formally designating Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally, which is something that is very important to them,” <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1990948885271842899">said</a> Trump, before adding that Washington and Riyadh will enter into “a historic strategic defense agreement, which we just signed a little while ago.”
The announcement comes a day after the president said that he intends to allow Saudi Arabia to purchase F-35 stealth fighter planes from the United States.
“I am planning on doing that,” the president said. “They want to buy them. They’ve been a great ally.”
Salman offered promises to Trump, as well. Earlier on Tuesday, the crown prince said that Saudi Arabia <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1990838255311356094">intends</a> to increase its pledge to invest in the United States from $600 billion to “almost $1 trillion.” The investment would be nearly equal to the entirety of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/11/18/world/trump-saudi-crown-prince-visit/trump-saudi-crown-prince?smid=url-share">The New York Times</a>.
Trump has moved to strengthen ties between Washington and Riyadh after the Biden administration’s effort to distance itself from the Saudis over the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and other controversies. The Trump administration has prioritized the relationship with Riyadh, seeking its cooperation on issues such as gas <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gas-prices-plummet-after-trump-rebuilds-ties-with-saudis-biden-snubbed">production</a> and the Abraham Accords.
The Saudis have signaled interest in joining the landmark foreign policy achievement of Trump’s tenure in office, the Abraham Accords, and normalizing relations with Israel. Riyadh has made it firmly understood, though, that it cannot normalize relations with Jerusalem until a pathway to a two-state solution with the Palestinian people is secure.
Saudi Arabia was one of a coalition of Arab states that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/arab-states-line-up-behind-trumps-middle-east-peace-plan">backed</a> the Trump-brokered peace and ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The ceasefire agreement, if it holds, provides a pathway to end the war in Gaza and sets goals and parameters for a Palestinian state to eventually be built. Some experts have expressed concern over Washington’s growing ties with Riyadh, especially over the Trump administration’s decision to share highly-prized military assets such as the F-35 with the Saudis. Saudi Arabia has a defense agreement with China, and some experts have said that the Saudi government may share the technology with Beijing, according to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/17/trump-f-35-saudi-arabia-00654771">Politico</a>.

Mohammed bin Salman, Donald Trump

Trump Officially Designates Saudi Arabia A ‘Major’ Ally Of United States

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

Saudi Arabia

The U.S. military announced another strike against suspected drug traffickers in the Pacific Ocean on Sunday as President Donald Trump suggested diplomatic talks could soon take place with Venezuela.
The strike, delivered on Saturday, marks at least 21 times the U.S. military has blown up a boat or submarine in international waters around South America in the administration’s effort to curb the flow of illicit drugs into the United States.
“On Nov. 15, at the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization. Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics,” U.S. Southern Command announced in a post on X that was shared by Hegseth.
“Three male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel were killed. The vessel was trafficking narcotics in the Eastern Pacific and was struck in international waters,” it added.
The latest strike comes as tensions between the United States and Venezuela have soared over U.S. military buildup in the region and tough talk from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who the U.S. views as illegitimate and a significant factor in drug smuggling to the United States. Trump <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1990207803374395800">said</a> Sunday evening that the United States and Maduro’s regime may be opening discussions soon.
In the middle of a rally in Caracas on Thursday, Maduro told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/13/americas/venezuela-maduro-us-peace-message-intl-latam">CNN</a> that he would like the American people to reject war with Venezuela. His message to Americans was “to unite for the peace of (the Americas). No more endless wars. No more unjust wars. No more Libya. No more Afghanistan.”
Asked what his message is to Trump, Maduro said, “Yes peace, yes peace.”
Maduro has warned against potential U.S. military action, mobilizing Venezuela’s military and volunteer forces. He has also appeared to deploy additional air-defense systems, including Russian-made units.
On Sunday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the Cartel de los Soles, a cartel headed by Maduro, would be designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
“Headed by the illegitimate Nicolás Maduro, the group has corrupted the institutions of government in Venezuela and is responsible for terrorist violence conducted by and with other designated FTOs as well as for trafficking drugs into the United States and Europe,” Rubio said in a <a href="https://x.com/SecRubio/status/1990187781151445245">post</a> on X.

U.S. Strikes Another Drug Vessel Targeting ‘Narco-Terrorists’ As Trump Floats Talks With Venezuela

U.S. Explodes Another Boat Of ‘Narco-Terrorists’ As Trump Signals Possible Talks With Venezuela

drug trafficking

Nicolas Maduro

Venezuela

A looming House vote on the Epstein files launches a political knife fight on the Right, a bipartisan cohort of Congressmen call out Chinese tech on American military bases, and the Trump administration brings its immigration blitz to North Carolina.
It’s Monday, November 17, 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 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-251117-member-exclusive">video version can be seen on 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-fallout-chinas-intel-tentacles-11-17-25/id1576594336?i=1000737065752" 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;">Trump Rips Greene</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1001441" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Trump-Greene-and-Epstein-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Trump-Greene-and-Epstein-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Trump-Greene-and-Epstein-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Trump-Greene-and-Epstein-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Trump-Greene-and-Epstein-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Trump-Greene-and-Epstein.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: President Donald Trump dramatically withdrew his backing of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) over the weekend amid a national debate over the Epstein files.
A few years ago, Greene was considered one of the president&#8217;s closest allies in Congress, including during the Biden era. Over the past few weeks, Greene has broken prominently with the president on some policies, including how best to handle healthcare and foreign policy. 
Last week appeared to be the final straw for the president, when he referred to the Georgia congresswoman as Marjorie “Traitor” Greene. Trump essentially said Greene was acting out of line because of her desire to run for the U.S. Senate or Georgia governor.
“I understand that wonderful, Conservative people are thinking about primarying Marjorie in her District of Georgia, that they too are fed up with her and her antics and, if the right person runs, they will have my Complete and Unyielding Support,” Trump said in a social media <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115551127714537339">post</a>. “She has gone Far Left, even doing The View, with their Low IQ Republican hating Anchors. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Greene media blitz: Greene has appeared on the Left-leaning talk show The View and has given interviews to CNN and other outlets, where she has criticized the administration and other Republicans.
In a Sunday morning appearance on CNN, Greene <a href="https://x.com/CNNSOTU/status/1990068687055851867">apologized</a> for “taking part in toxic politics” when asked why she never spoke out against Trump’s rhetorical style for attacking people until those attacks were directed at her.
Epstein files: Greene has pointed to the administration’s handling of the Epstein files as one of the main reasons that she and the president seem to have had a falling out. Notably, the president has disagreed with this assessment, citing policy differences.
The Epstein files are under debate in Congress right now, as a petition signed by Greene, a few other Republicans, and House Democrats seeks to force a vote on Tuesday to release more evidence. The bill is expected to pass, potentially with more GOP votes than signed on to the petition to get the vote.
For some time, Trump has called the Epstein files a “hoax” and said the supposed files have been weaponized by the Democrats to distract from his agenda. But on Sunday night, Trump reversed course and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/16/us/politics/trump-epstein-files-release-vote.html">called on</a> House Republicans to back the bill that would compel the DOJ to release the files. 
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Chinese Espionage</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1001443" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/The-Enemy-Within-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/The-Enemy-Within-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/The-Enemy-Within-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/The-Enemy-Within-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/The-Enemy-Within-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/The-Enemy-Within.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: U.S. lawmakers in both parties are ramping up warnings of Chinese spying efforts on U.S. military bases and personnel. 
In recent years, Chinese companies were found to have gobbled up farmland near roughly 20 military installations nationwide, prompting warnings from the Pentagon that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could use that land to film weapons and troop movements, intercept communications, and hack into software.
Congress recently passed new laws requiring federal approval for foreign land purchases within 100 miles of most military sites. But it appears Beijing is circumventing those laws and continuing to purchase land.
Whiteman under watch? In the last few days, the Daily Caller <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2025/11/10/exclusive-us-nuclear-bomber-fleet-shares-fence-trailer-park-linked-chinese-intel-miles-guo/">reported</a> on a trailer park in Missouri that’s owned by a married couple living in Canada with ties to a Chinese business tycoon. That trailer park directly borders Whiteman Air Force Base, home to the U.S. military’s only nuclear-capable stealth bomber fleet. The land shares a fence with the base and sits just a mile from the runway, offering unobscured views of stealth bombers taking off and landing.
The Canadian couple are Chinese immigrants with direct business ties to Miles Guo, a “disgraced Chinese tycoon and self-described former CCP intelligence affiliate.”
As one former CIA operations officer said, “This trailer park would hypothetically give Xi Jinping a range of options to wreak havoc.” According to Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO), the commander of this base had <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2025/11/11/former-military-base-commander-allegedly-knew-nothing-of-nearby-trailer-park-linked-to-ccp/">no idea</a> his next-door neighbors were potential Chinese spies. 
Chinese spy tech: Last week, 23 lawmakers from both parties, led by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), sent a letter to the White House urging an investigation into TP-Link, a major online retailer that sells Wi-Fi routers, home security cameras, baby monitors, etc.
Ernst says those devices are easily accessed by the CCP and, most concerning, “are sold through the Army, Air Force, and Navy Exchanges, placing these devices in proximity to U.S. military installations and providing a vehicle for Beijing to spy on America.”
TP-Link strongly denies any wrongdoing, saying its data for American users is housed on the Amazon cloud in Virginia, and that “TP-Link does not enable foreign surveillance of U.S. networks or users.”
Lawmakers say even if Chinese businesses aren’t intentionally taking part in espionage against the United States, they can often be used for those purposes by the CCP. Beijing passed new laws in recent years that require “any organization or citizen [to] support, assist and cooperate with state intelligence work.”
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Operation Charlotte’s Web</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1001445" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Operation-Charlottes-Web-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Operation-Charlottes-Web-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Operation-Charlottes-Web-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Operation-Charlottes-Web-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Operation-Charlottes-Web-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Operation-Charlottes-Web.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: Federal immigration agents flooded Charlotte, North Carolina, over the weekend in the next major operation under President Trump’s immigration enforcement surge.
Charlotte’s Web: Immigration officials from ICE and the Border Patrol launched Operation Charlotte’s Web over the weekend, continuing Trump&#8217;s immigration crackdown across major American cities. According to administration officials, immigration operations continue to focus on dangerous illegal aliens. Quite a few non-violent aliens tend to be swept up in immigration raids, as well. 
Democrat backlash: This operation has caused predictable backlash among local Democratic politicians and activists.
“We have a little man sitting in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, who really believes that Hitler was the greatest man ever on earth,” <a href="https://grabien.com/story?id=556130">said</a> Corine Mack, the president of the Charlotte chapter of the NAACP. “He&#8217;s trying to create a 1940 Germany right here in the United States. And like then, many people said, &#8216;Well, it’s them, not me.&#8217; Until it eventually was them. We can no longer be silent.”
Catholic bishops join resistance: The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops waded into the immigration debate, slamming President Trump’s enforcement policies. 
“We are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement,” the bishops <a href="https://x.com/ArchbishpSample/status/1989041086808133664">said</a> in a video statement. “We are saddened by the state of contemporary debate and the vilification of immigrants. We are concerned about the conditions in detention centers and the lack of access to pastoral care.”
The bishops’ message drew pushback from border czar Tom Homan.
“Secure border saves lives and, you know, one of the reasons no one talks about why we have the most secure border in the history of this nation. [It’s] because of exactly what ICE is doing,” <a href="https://x.com/cspan/status/1989387853697265891">said</a> Homan on Friday. “I&#8217;ll say it as a Catholic, I think they need to spend time fixing the Catholic Church, in my opinion.”

MRN_251117_V1

Morning Brief: Trump Dumps Former Ally, China’s Intel Tentacles, & Operation Charlotte’s Web

Morning Brief: Trump Rips MTG, Chinese Spying In America, And Operation Charlotte’s Web

Border Patrol

China

Immigration

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Joni Ernst

Marjorie Taylor Greene

Media

Mike Johnson

Morning Wire

North Carolina

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced “Operation Southern Spear” on Thursday as tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela, and the U.S. and its European allies, mount over the Trump administration’s lethal strikes on drug traffickers.
Hegseth announced the new mission in a post on X. It was not immediately clear whether the operation is a new label on the ongoing operations against drug cartels in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, or whether it represents some expanded operation in the administration’s efforts against the cartels.
“Led by Joint Task Force Southern Spear and [U.S. Southern Command], this mission defends our Homeland, removes narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere, and secures our Homeland from the drugs that are killing our people. The Western Hemisphere is America’s neighborhood – and we will protect it,” Hegseth <a href="https://x.com/SecWar/status/1989094923497316430">said</a>.
The War secretary said that the operation was ordered by President Donald Trump.
The operations announcement comes as tensions have flared this week between Washington and Caracas. Earlier this week, Venezuela <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maduro-orders-massive-military-mobilization-as-u-s-carrier-group-nears-venezuela">announced</a> a “massive mobilization” of its military and held drills on Wednesday that involved an estimated 200,000 soldiers. Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López said the military exercises were in response to the “imperialist threat” from the United States.
Venezuela’s show of force came as the USS Gerald R Ford and other vessels arrived in the region after the aircraft carrier was repositioned to the Caribbean Sea. The Ford is the United States&#8217; largest and most technologically advanced warship.
The Trump administration has positioned U.S. military assets in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean to cut off water routes used by drug cartels to ship deadly chemicals into the United States. The U.S. military has destroyed around 20 boats and submarines that it said were trafficking drugs such as fentanyl and cocaine.
In response, some officials in Europe have been critical of the U.S. strikes, accusing the United States of violating “international law.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/marco-rubio-rips-eu-critics-who-claim-drug-boat-strikes-violate-international-law">responded</a> to those complaints on Wednesday.
“I do find it interesting that all these countries want us to send and supply, for example, nuclear-capable Tomahawk missiles to defend Europe, but when the United States positions aircraft carriers in our hemisphere, where we live, somehow that’s a problem?” said Rubio. “I would say that the United States and this president has made very clear his job is to protect the United States from threats against the United States, and that is what he is doing in this operation.”

Pete Hegseth

Hegseth Announces New Operation Against Drug Cartels As Tensions Flare With Venezuela

Executive

The government shutdown is over, the Justice Department investigates riots surrounding a Turning Point USA event, and a standoff brews in the Caribbean between Venezuela and the United States.
It’s Thursday, November 13, 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 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-251113">the video version can be seen on The Daily Wire</a>:
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Shutdown Comes To A Close</h2>
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Topline: The government shutdown finally came to a close on Wednesday, with President Donald Trump signing legislation to reopen the government.
The House voted on legislation to fund the government through the end of January. The vote came after eight Senate Democrats sided with Republicans earlier this week to break the filibuster and push through a continuing resolution to fund the federal government.
After more than 40 days, the shutdown’s impacts hit all across the country. From air travel to food stamps, Americans felt it.
What comes next:  The debate will quickly shift to healthcare and Obamacare subsidies, which the Democrats used as a rhetorical tool to prevent funding the government for the past 40 days. When they voted to reopen the government over the weekend, part of the deal was to bring that debate back to the Senate in December.
On the House side, Democrats such as Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have proposed extending those subsidies for three years. But with Republicans in the majority, the calculus is different, and there is a lot unknown about the continuation of those subsidies.
The argument from many Republicans and opponents of the renewed subsidies for the Affordable Care Act is that the program was never sustainable to begin with.
Shutdown drama continued:  Republicans are very pleased with the outcome, but many Democrats, aside from those few who voted to reopen the government, are not. 
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Berkeley Riot</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1000153" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/DOJ-Probes-TPUSA-Riot-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/DOJ-Probes-TPUSA-Riot-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/DOJ-Probes-TPUSA-Riot-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/DOJ-Probes-TPUSA-Riot-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/DOJ-Probes-TPUSA-Riot-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/DOJ-Probes-TPUSA-Riot.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: The DOJ is investigating a protest outside of a Turning Point USA event at UC Berkeley this week.
TPUSA has gotten more attention than ever over the last two months since Charlie Kirk, the group’s founder, was assassinated. In the wake of that tragedy, rather than pull back, the conservative activist group has gone all in.
While a number of its events have faced significant protest, thanks to increased security, most have been peaceful. But during the final stop of the Turning Point tour this week at Cal Berkeley, a protest turned violent. In the hours leading up to the event, hundreds of black-clad protesters <a href="https://x.com/MrAndyNgo/status/1988056273716474048?s=20">descended</a> on the venue, hurling insults and threats at conservative students attending the event, and mocking Kirk’s murder.
Other chants included, “When fascists come and cause a wreck, they get a bullet in the neck.” At one point, a group of protesters attempted to rob a man of his necklace and proceeded to beat him when he attempted to stop them. As the victim, who was briefly detained by police himself, stands up, dripping blood from his face, some in the crowd begin to taunt him, <a href="https://x.com/FrontlinesTPUSA/status/1988051012050186316?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying,</a> “white boy, you’re bleeding.”
Turning Point staffers say rioters set off smoke bombs and tear gas outside the venue, and hurled fireworks and glass bottles at those trying to get in, including parents carrying small children. And then, as the event ended, large groups of rioters blocked exits and hurled threats at those leaving. 
DOJ steps in: Attorney General Pam Bondi said Tuesday that the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force will &#8220;spare no expense unmasking all who commit and orchestrate acts of political violence” and seeking out the identities of specific agitators. Bondi <a href="https://x.com/AGPamBondi/status/1988339354754769099">added</a>, &#8220;Antifa is an existential threat to our nation.&#8221; The Justice Department also sent a letter to the University of California Board of Regents, notifying them that an investigation had been opened into their handling of the riot, ordering them to preserve all internal records regarding security preparations. 
“ There was a sold out crowd of over 2,000 tickets for this event with Rob Schneider, the comedian, and in fact, only a thousand people were allowed to enter,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/AAGDhillon/status/1988582068776026127?s=20">said</a> the Justice Department’s assistant attorney general for civil rights, Harmeet Dhillon. &#8220;There were shenanigans with the ticketing, but a lot of people didn&#8217;t come because of what we call the ‘heckler&#8217;s veto,’ the violent mob allowed to fester outside.” 
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Fracas In Caracas</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1000145" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Will-Venezuela-Blink-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Will-Venezuela-Blink-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Will-Venezuela-Blink-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Will-Venezuela-Blink-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Will-Venezuela-Blink-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Will-Venezuela-Blink.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: Venezuela says it’s launched a “massive mobilization” of its armed forces – as the United States’ largest aircraft carrier arrives in the region.
Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro’s defense minister, Vladimir Padrino López, on Tuesday <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maduro-orders-massive-military-mobilization-as-u-s-carrier-group-nears-venezuela">announced</a> a military buildup to counter what he called the “imperialist threat” from the United States. That buildup included military exercises on Wednesday that reportedly <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/venezuela-military-mobilization-us-navy-flotilla-nears-caribbean-uss-ford/">involved</a> around 200,000 troops. Reports say that the military has prepped anti-aircraft systems across Venezuela in case Trump decides to order land strikes, as he has hinted at a few times.
State of play: The United States’ largest and most advanced warship, the USS Gerald R. Ford, has finally arrived in the region, military officials said on Tuesday.
But diplomatic relations between Caracas and Washington have broken down, and it is unclear whether they have since rebounded.
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/world/americas/maduro-venezuela-us-oil.html">reported</a> last month that diplomacy between the two sides is basically broken. It broke over Maduro’s refusal to vacate leadership.
Caracas had offered the United States a majority stake in its oil and other mineral wealth. Part of the agreement would have been that Caracas would distance itself from powers hostile to the United States – namely, China, Iran, and Russia. But the United States walked away.
Invasion?: Many have made comparisons between the military buildup in the Caribbean Sea and the lead-up to the U.S. invasion of Panama in 1989. There remain some stark differences, however. Venezuela is much larger than Panama, has a larger military, and Maduro is protected by special forces from Cuba, and Moscow has promised to help Venezuela in the event of an invasion.
Also, in 1989, the United States went into Panama to oust dictator Gen. Manuel Noriega with <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/11/us/politics/panama-noriega-maduro.html">roughly</a> 27,000 troops. With the addition of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the United States still has only <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/11/americas/venezuela-military-mobilization-us-buildup-intl-latam#:~:text=Maduro%20has%20also%20claimed%20that,CNN's%20Haley%20Britzky%20contributed.">around</a> 15,000 troops in the Caribbean Sea.

MRN_251113_V1

Morning Brief: The Swamp Reopens, Berkeley Riot On FBI’s Terror Radar, & The Fracas In Caracas

Morning Brief: Govt Shutdown Ends, DOJ Probes Berkeley, And Venezuela Calls Up Troops

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