Ukrainian officials have been using the war with Russia as a smokescreen by which to enrich themselves by “extorting, plundering and weakening commercial rivals” to create a new political elite, reportsPOLITICO.
Julia Kiryanova, CEO of Smart Holding – one of Ukraine’s largest investment conglomerates – told POLITICO the company had up to $96 million in assets, the deeds to 40 companies, and 30 natural gas wells seized by Ukraine’s security services. The raids were conducted on hazy security concerns, they claim.
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And Smart Holding was not alone. Parimatch, an international sports betting company, was sanctioned in March this year without any “formal communication [or] explanation,” despite emphasizing its Ukrainian ownership and donating over $40 million in humanitarian aid related to the war.
The Ukrainian government’s aim, according to Kiryanova, is to strip the wealth of the “old elite” to give to a new one. “New oligarchs will appear soon,” she added, “nobody’s safe.”
“When the country and people need unity the most, some of the very powerful are using the cloud of war to rape businesses,” said another corporate executive to POLITICO.
Ukrainian corruption concerns go beyond the seizure of private company assets. Seymour Hersch recently reported a grand scheme that saw Ukraine embezzling more than $400 million of U.S. taxpayers’ funds. Last year, Germany even delayed the distribution of financial aid due to corruption concerns.
By Popular Demand.
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❓What Happened: President Donald J. Trump criticized Senator Chris Van Hollen for his visit to El Salvador, where the senator met with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an illegal immigrant allegedly deported without due process.
👥 Who’s Involved: President Trump, Senator Chris Van Hollen, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
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📍 Where & When: El Salvador, Truth Social, Friday morning.
💬 Key Quote: “Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland looked like a fool yesterday standing in El Salvador begging for attention from the Fake News Media, or anyone. GRANDSTANDER!!!” – President Trump.
⚠️ Impact: The Democrat senator is under fire for showing an inordinate amount of care for an illegal alien gang member, while having remained largely silent on the victims of migrant crime, such as Laken Riley and Rachel Morin.
IN FULL:
President Donald J. Trump has publicly criticized Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen following the Democrat’s visit to El Salvador. Van Hollen was there to take up the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia—an illegal immigrant, accused MS-13 gang member, and domestic abuser—deported to his native country under the Alien Enemies Act. Trump expressed his disapproval through a post on Truth Social on Friday morning, dismissing Van Hollen’s actions as attention-seeking.
“Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland looked like a fool yesterday standing in El Salvador begging for attention from the Fake News Media, or anyone. GRANDSTANDER!!!” the America First leader wrote. Initially, Van Hollen was not able to meet with Garcia or even speak to him over the phone, but an in-person meeting was eventually arranged.
Photos of the meeting between Van Hollen and Abrego Garcia show them sharing a drink, speculated by some to be a margarita, sparking varied reactions. Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele remarked, “Kilmar Abrego Garcia, miraculously risen from the ‘death camps’ & ‘torture’, now sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!”
He later added, “Now that he’s been confirmed healthy, he gets the honor of staying in El Salvador’s custody.”
The relaxed atmosphere in the photos of Van Hollen’s meeting contrasts sharply with the stern images of the CECOT mega-prison, where some gangsters deported to El Salvador are held. Van Hollen said he had passed on a “message of love” from Garcia to his wife, who previously filed a protective order against him, complaining she was “afraid to be close to him” after receiving several beatings.
Photographs of Garcia’s meeting with Van Hollen show him sporting many tattoos, with social media users arguing that ink visible on his knuckles indicates he is a member of MS-13, as police informants attested in the U.S.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, miraculously risen from the “death camps” & “torture”, now sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!🍹 pic.twitter.com/r6VWc6Fjtn
❓What Happened: A 20-year-old German-American woman has been convicted in Germany after she stabbed a 64-year-old Eritrean asylum seeker who groped her at a railway station in 2024.
👥 Who’s Involved: A 20-year-old German woman with U.S. citizenship, a 64-year-old Eritrean asylum seeker, Alem Tekeste, and German prosecutors.
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📍 Where & When: A 2024 stabbing incident at a Kaiserslautern, Germany, railway station; the trial began earlier this month.
💬 Key Quote: “If you are no longer in an emergency situation, you become the attacker yourself,” the German judge insisted, despite evidence that the migrant man had continued to assault the woman before she stabbed him.
⚠️ Impact: The 20-year-old German-American woman, identified only as Fallyn B, received a two-year suspended sentence after being convicted of manslaughter.
IN FULL:
A 20-year-old German-American dual national, identified in court documents only as Fallyn B, has been convicted of manslaughter in a German court, stemming from a 2024 incident where she fatally stabbed a 64-year-old Eritrean asylum seeker after he groped her buttocks in a Kaiserslautern, Germany, railway station. While attorneys representing the woman maintained that she merely wished to keep the Eritrean man—identified as Alem Tekeste—at a distance, German prosecutors insisted that she could have avoided killing the migrant during the incident last summer. Notably, defendants do not have a right to a trial by a jury of their peers in Germany, with judges determining guilt.
The conviction marks a concerning turn for criminal justice in the European country, which has seen a spike in violent crime perpetrated by migrants and asylum seekers. Notably, her defense was predicated on the fact that not only did Tekeste grope her on an escalator in the station—an act the court and prosecutors acknowledged was criminal—but that he proceeded to follow her and attempted to grab her buttocks again, leading to the fatal stabbing. This recollection of events was confirmed by security camera footage and eyewitness testimony that demonstrated Tekeste did indeed follow the woman and attempted to grope her again as she walked through an underpass. It was during this second groping attempt that the woman produced a pocket knife that she used to defend herself, stabbing the African migrant fatally in the chest.
Despite the concrete evidence confirming her actions were in self-defense, German prosecutors insisted that Tekeste had retreated after the knife was produced and that the woman proceeded to pursue him, escalating the confrontation before Tekeste reached for the woman’s knife, resulting in her stabbing him. Notably, the woman fled the station immediately after the stabbing, texting a friend: “I think I just killed someone.” She proceeded to promptly turn herself in, indicating that she had no intention of killing the man.
The judge presiding over the trial bizarrely excoriated the German-American woman, telling her at the sentencing: “If you are no longer in an emergency situation, you become the attacker yourself.” However, even this claim was called into question during the trial by the defense, producing an eyewitness who testified that the woman screamed “Don’t touch me!” during the attack. Even more concerning, the court ignored Tekeste’s past criminal history. The migrant was fined at least four times in 2024 for sexual harassment and was a known criminal figure to local authorities.
The manslaughter conviction comes with a two-year suspended sentence, meaning she will serve no jail time if she completes 500 hours of community service and attends a mandatory drug counseling program.
❓What Happened: Wikipedia editors extensively revised Vice President J.D. Vance’s page during the 2024 presidential campaign and its aftermath, significantly increasing negative content.
👥 Who’s Involved: Vice President J.D. Vance, Wikipedia editors, President Donald J. Trump, MRC Free Speech America, and various media outlets.
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📍 Where & When: United States, particularly Ohio; focus periods include Vance’s campaign announcements in 2021 and 2024.
💬 Key Quote: “Wikipedia editors flooded Vance’s page with 883 edits during the GOP vice presidential sweepstakes in the lead-up to Vance’s debut at the Republican National Convention—far more activity than the mere 500 edits made in a five-year span from March 2017 through May 2022,” the MRC report notes.
⚠️ Impact: During critical political phases, Vance’s public image was reshaped with heightened negativity.
IN FULL:
A recent examination of edits made to the Wikipedia page for Vice President J.D. Vance reveals that the online, open-source encyclopedia’s editors made substantial edits amplifying negative content during and after his selection as President Donald J. Trump‘s running mate. The research, published by MRC Free Speech America, found that in the months leading up to Vance being tapped as Trump’s vice presidential nominee at the 2024 Republican National Convention (RNC), his Wikipedia page saw nearly double the number of edits made compared to the cumulative total over the five years prior.
“Wikipedia editors flooded Vance’s page with 883 edits during the GOP vice presidential sweepstakes in the lead-up to Vance’s debut at the Republican National Convention—far more activity than the mere 500 edits made in a five-year span from March 2017 through May 2022—signaling a clear attempt to negatively reshape his public image,” MRC states, noting: “This mass editing began soon after legacy media floated Vance as a possible Trump running mate.”
The edits made to Vance’s entry on the free online encyclopedia almost uniformly use partisan-style talking points to highlight allegedly negative aspects of the Vice President’s background. Instead of a viewpoint-neutral source of information on Vance, his Wikipedia page essentially became a dumping point for Democratic Party talking points and opposition research. This effectively allowed the corporate media to use Wikipedia’s perceived ‘legitimacy’ as a fig leaf to cover their laundering of a partisan Democrat narrative.
Despite Vance having on multiple occasions stated his opinion of President Trump had changed significantly after 2016, Wikipedia editors altered the Vice President’s page to amplify his nearly decade-old criticisms of the America First leader while downplaying his subsequent support for Trump’s policies and leadership. The edits, mostly occurring before Vance was formally announced as the vice presidential nominee, appear to have been intended to undermine his chances of being named as Trump’s running mate.
Additionally, the editors are accused of presenting Vance’s nonprofit work regarding the opioid crisis in a negative light, suggesting ties to Big Pharma. This was further compounded by contentious portrayals of his acclaimed book Hillbilly Elegy, which Wikipedia did not emphasize prior to his entry into national politics.
The findings published by MRC mirror a pattern found with other Trump administration officials. Previously, the media watchdog group found that Wikipedia editors made similar partisan interventions with the page entries for Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, and Kash Patel. The National Pulse previously reported that Wikipedia’s cofounder, Larry Sanger, warned that the massive open-source online encyclopedia is likely ideologically corrupted due to the efforts of its former chief executive, Katherine Maher. Maher led the Wikimedia Foundation, which oversees the online resource, before she was hired as the CEO of NPR.
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By Popular Demand.
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❓What Happened: Indiana Senator Jim Banks introduced the Family First Act, proposing increased tax credits for families with children and pregnant women.
👥 Who’s Involved: Republican Sen. Jim Banks, with supportive comments from Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT).
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📍 Where & When: Introduced in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday.
💬 Key Quote: “Congress needs to do everything we can to help parents give their kids a shot at the American Dream,” Banks said.
⚠️ Impact: The bill aims to provide financial relief to parents and expectant mothers, adjusting tax policies and credits to support family formation.
IN FULL:
Senator Jim Banks (R-IN) has introduced new legislation aiming to provide tax relief for American families and pregnant women. The proposal, named the Family First Act, seeks to increase the child tax credit to $4,200 for families with children aged zero to five and $3,000 for those with children aged six to 17. The Act also proposes a novel $2,800 tax credit for expectant mothers.
Banks emphasized that Congress has a vital role in assisting parents to help their children achieve the American Dream, highlighting measures within the bill such as tax reductions, eradication of marriage penalties, and streamlined benefits for hardworking families. The proposed changes would require families to have an income of at least $20,000 to receive full child tax credit benefits or $10,000 during pregnancies, favoring those in gainful employment. Each recipient of the child tax credit would also need a Social Security Number for the parent and child.
The proposal would do away with the Head of Household tax filing status and also streamline the existing Earned Income Tax Credit. Current provisions for the child tax credit, initially expanded during 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, reportedly lifted approximately 2.9 million children out of poverty, based on U.S. Census Bureau data.
In addition, the Family First Act aims to eliminate the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction that some taxpayers use when filing federal taxes. The Earned Income Tax Credit would be overhauled to ensure the family portion doesn’t vary based on the number of dependents, aiming to maintain or enhance tax cuts for families.
Representative Blake Moore (R-UT) has expressed support for the legislation, saying, “This fiscally responsible approach affirms the dignity of work and promotes marriage, supporting families as they build stronger and more prosperous communities for the next generation.”
Birthrates are currently below replacement in the United States and the West generally, creating pressure for them to accept mass migration from non-Western countries to address demographic challenges. Pro-family policies like Banks’s could provide an alternative to this economically questionable approach, without the social issues accompanying a large influx of people from less compatible cultures.
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By Popular Demand.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Trump White House relaunched COVID.gov to outline how Fauci and U.S. agencies allegedly buried the COVID lab leak theory to protect China.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Dr. Fauci, EcoHealth’s Peter Daszak, NIH staff, and Biden’s HHS are accused of funding, obstructing, and covering up dangerous research.
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🧾KEY QUOTES: Fauci admitted the 6-foot rule “sort of just appeared”; Daszak accused of giving “false statements to Congress.”
⚠️FALLOUT: HHS suspended EcoHealth’s funding; DOJ and Congress are investigating. NIH officials could face legal consequences.
📌SIGNIFICANCE: The government’s COVID narrative is finally being corrected by the U.S. government.
IN FULL:
The Trump White House has drastically repurposed the COVID.gov website into a public-facing indictment of the pandemic establishment, accusing Anthony Fauci, federal agencies, and international bodies of suppressing the truth about COVID-19’s origins. The news comes as Trump tightens the screws on the Chinese Communist Party. The National Pulse understands the COVID.gov website does massive amounts of organic web traffic.
The revamped site now leads with the claim that the virus likely leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology and that Fauci helped orchestrate the now-infamous “Proximal Origin” paper to shut down the lab leak theory, both stories that were first broken here on The National Pulse.
Supporting the charge: evidence of gain-of-function research funded by U.S. taxpayers through EcoHealth Alliance–another entity first exposed by The National Pulse–as well as the early illness of Wuhan lab workers, and internal NIH communications that suggest efforts to avoid transparency laws. Dr. David Morens, Fauci’s top advisor, is accused of deleting federal records, lying to Congress, and sharing nonpublic info with EcoHealth’s Peter Daszak.
EcoHealth is under federal investigation, NIH’s oversight process is labeled a “national security threat,” and HHS is accused of dragging its feet to protect high-ranking officials. Even the World Health Organization is slammed for pushing China’s interests, with the site warning that the WHO’s “Pandemic Treaty” could further compromise U.S. sovereignty.
The site also torches domestic policies: calling lockdowns medically reckless, mask mandates unscientific, and social distancing arbitrary. In closed-door testimony, Fauci reportedly admitted the six-foot rule “sort of just appeared.” Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s nursing home order is branded “medical malpractice,” with claims his administration redacted and withheld damning documents to dodge accountability.
The message on the new site is blunt: the American public wasn’t just misled—it was manipulated, censored, and endangered by a bureaucracy desperate to protect itself and its partners in Beijing. The website is available here.
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By Popular Demand.
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❓What Happened: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Ratcliffe has emphasized China’s position as the top focus for the agency, highlighting the challenges posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
👥 Who’s Involved: John Ratcliffe, CIA staff, and the Chinese Communist Party.
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📍 Where & When: CIA headquarters, internal memo released, highlighted by a senior official on Thursday.
💬 Key Quote: “No adversary in the history of our Nation has presented a more formidable challenge or a more capable strategic competitor than the Chinese Communist Party.” — John Ratcliffe
⚠️ Impact: The CIA will intensify efforts to counter China’s global influence and technological advancements, while also addressing threats from other nations like Russia and Iran.
IN FULL:
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Ratcliffe has declared China the agency’s foremost priority in an internal memo sent to staff. The memo, shared by a senior official, outlines Ratcliffe’s concerns about the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), describing it as an unprecedented adversary seeking to challenge the United States on economic, military, and technological fronts.
Ratcliffe’s communication underscores a strategic shift within the CIA to respond proactively to China’s growing global influence. He emphasized the need for the agency to act with “urgency, creativity, and grit” in mitigating these threats. The CIA is expected to seek innovative and long-term solutions to maintain a strategic edge over China.
In addressing the memo, Ratcliffe also pointed to the importance of technology, highlighting areas like artificial intelligence and quantum computing as crucial to future national security. “No adversary in the history of our Nation has presented a more formidable challenge or a more capable strategic competitor than the Chinese Communist Party,” Ratcliffe said in the memo.
❓What Happened: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky accused U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff of spreading Russian narratives related to a peace deal focusing on five Ukrainian regions.
👥 Who’s Involved: Volodymyr Zelensky, Steve Witkoff, Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and President Donald J. Trump.
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📍 Where & When: The allegations were made after Zelensky’s press conference in Kiev on Thursday following diplomatic meetings in Paris.
💬 Key Quote: Zelensky stated, “I think that Mr Witkoff has taken the strategy of the Russian side.”
⚠️ Impact: Zelensky’s critique underscores tensions in peace negotiation efforts and complicates U.S.-Russia diplomatic relations.
IN FULL:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has criticized U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff for alleged remarks suggesting that a peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine may rely on the status of five contested Ukrainian regions. In a Kiev press conference on Thursday, Zelensky warned that Witkoff’s comments were propagating Russian narratives, posing dangers whether intentional or not.
The controversy arose following Witkoff’s statements in a Fox News interview. In his remarks, Witkoff appeared to reference the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, which came under Russian partial military occupation after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014. Witkoff indicated that the peace deal involved these “so-called five territories” and hinted at broader diplomatic shifts.
Responding to these comments, Zelensky asserted the territories in question are inherently Ukrainian. He remarked, “The territories are ours, they belong to our people and… the future Ukrainian people… So I don’t understand what he’s talking about.”
This confrontation between Zelensky and Witkoff is not unprecedented; in March, Zelensky questioned Witkoff’s credentials, with the former comedian suggesting that the American’s expertise lay in real estate rather than diplomacy.
Zelensky also revealed intelligence suggesting China’s involvement in supplying weapons to Russia. Beijing has yet to respond officially.
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By Popular Demand.
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❓What Happened: Unarmed soldiers will be sent to Ukraine by Denmark for drone warfare training, aiming to learn from Ukraine’s combat experience. Russia has cautioned that these personnel could be considered legitimate military targets.
👥 Who’s Involved: The primary figures include Maj. Gen. Peter Boysen, Denmark’s commander in chief, Troels Lund Poulsen, Denmark’s defense minister, and Vladimir Barbin, Russia’s ambassador to Denmark. Ukrainian and Danish military forces are involved in the training initiative.
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📍 Where & When: The training will occur in Western Ukraine, expected to start potentially this summer.
💬 Key Quote: Maj. Gen. Peter Boysen claims, “They are not going there to actively participate in the war.”
⚠️ Impact: The initiative could escalate tensions, as Russia views the presence of NATO troops as a provocation and a sign of deeper involvement in the conflict.
IN FULL:
A member of the NATO military alliance is set to send troops to Ukraine, claiming that they are there to observe drone warfare. Russia, however, has stated that the soldiers could become legitimate targets of their armed forces. Denmark announced plans to dispatch military personnel to Ukraine this week.
Maj Gen. Peter Boysen stated that these unarmed troops will conduct their training in Western Ukraine. Although not on the front lines, the area is within reach of Russia’s missile capabilities. “They are not going there to actively participate in the war,” Boysen claimed.
Russia has reacted by branding the Danish move provocative. Russian Ambassador to Denmark Vladimir Barbin reiterated that all military personnel and equipment locations could be viewed as legitimate targets, intensifying security concerns for the Danish troops involved.
The training initiative followed an invitation from Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine’s commander in chief, and will focus on rapid advances in uncrewed systems and tactics, which have been evident throughout the ongoing conflict with Russia.
According to Maj. Gen. Boysen, the insights gained from Ukrainian operations can significantly enhance Denmark’s military capabilities.
Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen previously emphasized the importance of rapid response and adaptation from these lessons for Western armed forces. Denmark has also been forward in supplying weapons systems to Ukraine, including fighter jets and its entire artillery stock.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had already threatened the West and NATO with World War III for helping Ukraine use missiles to strike deep inside Russia before the reelection of Donald J. Trump. The Russian leader has also warned against NATO sending troops to Ukraine, arguing it could spark a larger conflict.
❓What Happened: The Trump administration requested a federal appeals court to review a lower court order regarding March 15 deportation flights, following potential contempt findings.
👥 Who’s Involved: U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, Trump administration officials, and the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.
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📍 Where & When: The appeal was made on Wednesday, court actions relate to deportation flights halted on March 15.
💬 Key Quote: U.S. District Judge James Boasberg has stated, “The Court ultimately determines that the Government’s actions on that day demonstrate a willful disregard for its Order.”
⚠️ Impact: The administration has been directed to submit declarations by April 23, or face potential prosecution. The issue is part of broader disputes about immigration in U.S. federal courts.
IN FULL:
On Wednesday, the Trump administration sought an appellate court’s review of a recent decision by U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who threatened to hold administration officials in contempt over the handling of deportation flights that occurred on March 15.
Earlier in the day, Judge Boasberg indicated there was probable cause to believe that administration officials had not adhered to a court directive requiring the return of deportation flights carrying illegal aliens to El Salvador. In his ruling, Boasberg warned of possible criminal contempt charges if the administration did not provide additional declarations by April 23.
The Trump administration filed its appeal with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals shortly following Boasberg’s pronouncement. The administration’s legal team did not present new evidence in the brief appeal, as the case’s details had been thoroughly examined by both the district and appellate courts. Previously, the appellate court maintained Boasberg’s temporary restraining order with a 2-1 decision. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that deportation flights under the Alien Enemies Act, blocked by Boasberg, could proceed, contingent on the provision of due process and opportunities for individuals to seek habeas relief.
Judge Boasberg expressed the court’s view that the government’s actions on the day he ordered flights turned around amounted to “willful disregard” for his emergency order. The Trump administration contends that Boasberg’s order unlawfully hindered the Executive’s ability to remove individuals considered threats.
Attempts to bring criminal contempt proceedings against administration officials could hit a roadblock if President Trump uses his pardon powers to dismiss them, setting up a constitutional impasse between the executive and the judiciary.
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❓What Happened: Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador to support the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a deported illegal alien held in an El Salvadoran prison. The trip has led to accusations of Van Hollen violating the Logan Act.
👥 Who’s Involved: Democrat Senator Chris Van Hollen, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, White House communications director Steven Cheung, Roger Stone, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
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📍 Where & When: El Salvador, April 15.
💬 Key Quote: Roger Stone argued on X, “Pursuing your own individual foreign policy is a violation of the Logan Act. The FBI should arrest this senator the instant he returns to the country.”
⚠️ Impact: The trip stirred significant political debate in the U.S., with accusations of foreign policy interference and renewed scrutiny of the Logan Act, its historical application, and its modern-day relevance.
IN FULL:
Senator Chris Van Hollen’s recent trip to El Salvador has sparked controversy in Washington, as the Maryland Democrat lobbied for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an MS-13-linked illegal alien and national of El Salvador. Van Hollen’s efforts have resulted in accusations of violating the Logan Act, a U.S. law from 1799 aimed at preventing unauthorized foreign negotiations.
Garcia previously resided in Maryland with his family. Prior to his deportation, courts ruled the authorities had provided “sufficient” evidence he was linked to MS-13. Democrats have attempted to claim Garcia is an innocent Maryland father of three, while neglecting his illegal alien status and dubious past, which includes domestic violence allegations.
Republican figures, including White House communications director Steven Cheung and border czar Tom Homan, criticized Van Hollen’s actions. Cheung questioned the senator’s intentions, while Homan described the trip as inappropriate.
Political consultant Roger Stone suggested that Van Hollen’s actions warranted prosecution under the Logan Act. This law, established under President John Adams, seeks to maintain U.S. government cohesion in foreign affairs by prohibiting unauthorized negotiations. Historically, the Logan Act has seen minimal enforcement, with only two prosecutions in over 200 years, neither resulting in a conviction.
While in El Salvador, Senator Van Hollen was unable to meet with Abrego Garcia, with the Salvadoran government declining to arrange a visit or even a phone call.
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