Friday, August 22, 2025

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Trump Trial Day 5: Prosecution Tries to Save Michael Cohen’s Credibility.

The fifth day of testimony in former President Donald Trump’s Manhattan-based hush money trial has ended. Democrat-aligned Judge Juan Merchan kicked off the day by fining Trump $1,000 for each of his nine alleged violations of the court’s gag order. The gag order was ostensibly imposed to prevent the former President from communicating with the public about endemic corruption in the Alvin Bragg and Joe Biden-led case.

Prosecutors continued questioning Michael Cohen‘s banker, Gary Farro. The banker began his testimony before the court adjourned last Friday.

Following Farro, District Attorney Alvin Bragg‘s prosecution team moved on to their next witness, Keith Davidson. A Beverly Hills lawyer and frequent Democrat donor, Davidson formerly represented Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal in their attempts to strong-arm Trump out of cash. The entertainment lawyer has faced numerous legal sanctions for his unsavory activities.

FARRO PART 2.

Prosecutor Rebecca Mangold kicked off the second day of banker Gary Farro’s testimony. The banker testified that he opened a home equity line of credit for disgraced attorney Michael Cohen for $130,000. It is this amount that Cohen then allegedly paid Stormy Daniels. The email communications between Cohen and Farro presented by the prosecution were from the former’s personal TrumpOrg.com account, and not one affiliated with Trump‘s presidential campaign.

Further undermining Bragg‘s accusations that Cohen‘s activities were in the service of aiding Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, Farro testified that he saw no indication that the consulting business accounts he helped establish were connected to any political candidate. “There would be additional scrutiny,” he said, if the bank had any indication that the accounts were for political activities.

To set up entertainment lawyer Keith Davidson’s testimony, Mongold showed the jury a wire transfer for $130,000 from Cohen to a trust controlled by Davidson. The transfer occurred just after Cohen had secured the line of credit from Farro. She then asked the banker why an attorney might pay a fellow lawyer a retainer in a real estate transaction. Farro replied, “There could be a number of things.”

FARRO SINKS COHEN.

During Farro’s cross-examination by Trump‘s defense team, the banker acknowledged that Cohen‘s rushed requests were not at all unusual. “90 percent of the time, it was an urgent matter,” Farro said of his dealings with the disgraced attorney. The banker confirmed that he’d never done business with former President Trump.

In one of the most damning moments for Bragg’s case in the trial so far, Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche drew the jurors‘ attention to Michael Cohen’s bank filings in which Cohen had asserted he was NOT acting as an agent on behalf of anyone else. This acknowledgment directly contradicts the prosecution’s claim that Cohen was directed to make the payments to Daniels and McDougal by Trump.

Addressing the matter, Farro told Blanche: “If the client told me it was a shell corporation, it would not have been opened. It would give me pause, very frankly.”

JUDGE DENIES BIDEN DOJ COLANGELO’S MOTION.

In a surprise moment, Democrat-aligned Judge Juan Merchan denied a request by former Biden Department of Justice attorney Matthew Colangelo — now a member of District Attorney Bragg’s office — to introduce statements by Trump regarding Cohen and Daniels. Colangelo argued that the statement would demonstrate consciousness of guilt. He also ruled against the prosecution‘s request to introduce texts from Stormy Daniels’s publicist as evidence.

However, Merchan did decide to allow the prosecution to introduce statements that refute claims that Cohen and Daniels have benefited financially from attacking Trump.

BETTER CALL KEITH?

The day in court concluded with the start of testimony by the ethically dubious Hollywood entertainment lawyer Keith Davidson. It is from Davidson that the term “catch and kill” may have first originated, though it appears it was popularized in the American press by Australian journalist Lachlan Cartwright. The National Pulse’s editor-in-chief, Raheem Kassam, has a deep dive into Davidson’s sordid history that can be read here.

“At that time, my practice was heavily involved with media cases,” Davidson told prosecutors regarding his legal work between 2015 and 2017. He went on to acknowledge he was granted immunity for his testimony before the grand jury but was in court today under subpoena.

Davidson acknowledged that he was a friend of Dylan Howard — the former chief content officer at the National Enquirer‘s parent company, American Media, Inc. (AMI). However, the entertainment lawyer claimed that it was not his standard practice to sell stories to tabloid media outlets.

This appears to contradict a 2018 story that describes Davidson as “the attorney to hire if you are seeking to monetize a celebrity sex tape or compromising information about public figures like Trump, Charlie Sheen, Tiger Woods, and Kanye West. Davidson specializes in extracting payments in exchange for the quashing of incriminating videos and/or details about sexual indiscretions, STDs, and all manner of regrettable behavior.”

BEST DEAL FOR HIS CLIENT.

Regarding the Karen McDougal story about Donald Trump, Davidson admitted that he had played the National Enquirer and ABC News off of each other. “At the time, as is often the case with negotiations, I was trying to play two entities off of each other,” he said, adding his intent was to “create a sense of urgency, if you will.”

Davidson stated that McDougal “did not want to tell her story” but instead wanted to “rejuvenate her career, to make money.” This comment by Davidson seemingly adds credence to the defense team’s claims that McDougal and Daniels were simply engaging in a shakedown. The entertainment attorney also acknowledged receiving 45 percent of the money paid to McDougal by AMI as payment.

DAVIDSON NAMES TRUMP WITHOUT PROOF.

In another damaging moment for Bragg‘s case, prosecutor Joshua Steinglass attempted to get Davidson to confirm that Trump was Cohen‘s client. The entertainment lawyer obliged, saying that is what he believed. However, Davidson added — unfortunately for Bragg — that at no point was Trump actually named as a party to the deal he made with Cohen.

The remainder of Davidson’s testimony relied on the same degree of innuendo. While he could point to existing texts between himself and Cohen, the attorney could not provide the prosecution with any definitive proof tying former President Donald Trump or his 2016 presidential campaign to the payment negotiations.

Overall, the day in court continued along the path that The National Puluse suggested the prosecution was taking last Friday. It appears that despite the District Attorney’s office’s witnesses at times undermining its case, each is meant to bolster Cohen‘s credibility as having been the middleman between Donald Trump and AMI. Whether the prosecution can demonstrate this beyond a reasonable doubt remains yet to be seen — and honestly, it is unlikely.

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Trump Names Next U.S. City That Could See Federal Crime Crackdown.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump indicated that Chicago, Illinois, may be the next city where federal agents, officers, and troops, potentially including “regular military,” are deployed to restore order.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D).

📍WHEN & WHERE: August 22, 2025, in the Oval Office of the White House, Washington, D.C.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Chicago’s a mess, you have an incompetent mayor, grossly incompetent. And we’ll straighten that one out probably next.” – President Trump

🎯IMPACT: The announcement signals potential federal intervention in Chicago and possibly other Democrat-run cities, including New York.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump stated on Friday that Chicago, Illinois, will “probably” be the next city to see federal agents, officers, and troops deployed by his administration. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump criticized the city’s Democrat mayor, Brandon Johnson, calling him “grossly incompetent.”

“Chicago’s a mess, you have an incompetent mayor, grossly incompetent,” the President told reporters. “And we’ll straighten that one out probably next. That’ll be our next one after this.”

President Trump also mentioned that residents of Chicago, which saw close to 200 homicides and over 1,000 shootings in the first six months of 2025, are “screaming for us to come.” He further suggested a willingness to deploy the “regular military” to American cities, hinting that New York could follow Chicago in receiving federal assistance.

The National Pulse reported earlier on Friday that the America First leader has warned that increased federal control over Washington, D.C., is under consideration unless the capital city’s mayor, Muriel Bowser (D), and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) rectify falsified crime statistics. Local officials and the MPD are currently facing a Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation and at least one lawsuit over allegations that the city’s crime statistics have been repeatedly altered to make violent crime rates appear far lower than they are in reality.

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America’s Defense Intelligence Chief Was Just FIRED Amidst a Major Iran Leak.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), who conducted the leaked initial assessment of U.S. strikes on Iran earlier this year.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Pentagon officials.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The firing was announced on Friday in Washington, D.C.

💬KEY QUOTE: “It was preliminary, a day and a half after the actual strike… it admits itself, in writing, that it requires weeks to accumulate the necessary data to make such an assessment.” – Pete Hegseth on the leaked Iran strike assessment.

🎯IMPACT: A criminal investigation was previously launched to uncover the source of the DIA leak.

IN FULL

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday dismissed Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, the head of the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), according to White House and Pentagon officials. The announcement did not include a specific reason for Kruse’s removal, though Congressional officials cited a “lack of confidence”—likely stemming from the leaked initial assessment of the U.S. military strikes against Iran’s nuclear program earlier this year.

The leaked assessment appeared to contradict President Donald J. Trump’s claim that the facilities had been “obliterated,” suggesting, instead, the strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities had only a limited impact. This preliminary assessment has since been discounted by both other U.S. intelligence sources, as well as Israeli and independent analysis.

The DIA’s preliminary report, conducted just 24 hours after the strikes, was marked as “low confidence” and stated that Iran’s nuclear program had been set back only by several months. Pentagon officials later criticized the report for being incomplete and uncoordinated with the broader intelligence community. Subsequently, a criminal investigation was launched to uncover the source of the leak.

“It was preliminary, a day and a half after the actual strike… it admits itself, in writing, that it requires weeks to accumulate the necessary data to make such an assessment,” Hegseth told reporters following the leak.

Kruse had served as the agency’s director since February 2024 and was expected to remain until 2027.

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Trump Appoints Trusted Ally Sergio Gor as Ambassador to India.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: President Trump announced the promotion of his head of personnel, Sergio Gor, to a top new ambassadorial position.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald Trump and Sergio Gor.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The announcement was made on President Trump’s Truth Social feed on Friday afternoon.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Sergio will make an incredible Ambassador. Congratulations Sergio!” – Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: Sergio Gor will become the United States Ambassador to the Republic of India, pending confirmation.

IN FULL

President Trump announced the promotion of Sergio Gor to United States Ambassador to the Republic of India and Special Envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs on Friday afternoon through Trump’s Truth Social feed.

As Director of Presidential Personnel, Gor and his team have hired nearly 4,000 personnel across various federal departments, achieving a 95% fill rate. He will continue in his current role at the White House until his confirmation as ambassador.

President Trump praised Gor as a long-time friend and crucial ally in his administration, noting Gor’s work on Trump’s presidential campaigns, his involvement in publishing Trump’s bestselling books, and his leadership of a major Super PAC supporting the movement.

Trump emphasized the importance of having someone he trusts in the ambassadorial role for the world’s most populous region, underscoring Gor’s ability to help advance the agenda of making America great again.

Trump concluded by expressing confidence in Gor’s future success as an ambassador, stating, “Sergio will make an incredible Ambassador. Congratulations Sergio!”

The National Pulse understands Gor has been interested in a senior role in South Asia for some time. He previously worked on Capitol Hill for members such as Rand Paul and Steve King. Age 38, Gor was born Sergey Gorokhovsky in the former U.S.S.R. His family moved to the United States and Gor attended George Washington University. He recently helped President Trump launch Winning Team Publishing, and sits on the board of the Kennedy Center.

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Editor’s Notes

Behind-the-scenes political intrigue exclusively for Pulse+ subscribers.

RAHEEM J. KASSAM Editor-in-Chief
Just don’t ask Sergio about Elon Musk, or vice versa! 😬
Just don’t ask Sergio about Elon Musk, or vice versa! 😬 show more
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SecDef Hegseth Authorizes Thousands of ARMED National Guard to Patrol DC.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorized 2,000 armed National Guard troops to patrol Washington, D.C. with service-issued weapons, if necessary.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the D.C. National Guard, the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), federal law enforcement partners, and President Donald J. Trump.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Authorization made on Thursday, in Washington, D.C.

💬KEY QUOTE: “At the direction of the Secretary of Defense, JTF-DC members supporting the mission to lower the crime rate in our nation’s capital will soon be on mission with their service-issued weapons, consistent with their mission and training.” – a Defense Department official

🎯IMPACT: Armed National Guard troops will be visible in D.C. to assist in lowering crime but will not make arrests, instead detaining suspects temporarily before transferring them to law enforcement.

IN FULL

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorized 2,000 National Guard troops to patrol Washington, D.C., with their service-issued weapons, if necessary, according to a Defense Department (DOD) official. Currently, they are supporting federal and federalized law enforcement in the American capital without firearms.

“At the direction of the Secretary of Defense, JTF-DC members supporting the mission to lower the crime rate in our nation’s capital will soon be on mission with their service-issued weapons, consistent with their mission and training,” the DOD official said, adding: “The Interim Commanding General of the D.C. National Guard retains the authority to make any necessary force posture adjustments in coordination with the D.C. Metropolitan Police and Federal law enforcement partners. The D.C. National Guard remains committed to safeguarding the District of Columbia and serving those who live, work, and visit the District.”

While troops will not be making arrests, they will have the ability to temporarily detain individuals before transferring suspects to law enforcement. Armed National Guard personnel could be seen in the coming days.

President Donald J. Trump met with National Guardsmen and law enforcement officers in Washington, D.C., on Thursday at the U.S. Park Police Anacostia Operations Facility. Trump brought pizza and hamburgers for the officers, showing support for their efforts in restoring order in the capital city.

“We want to make this absolutely perfect. It’s our capital. And, I guess it used to be many years ago, safe, but it’s certainly not had a… very good run. And you got to be strong. You got to be tough. You got to do your job. Whatever it takes to do your job, you got to do your job,” Trump told the officers during his visit.

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Judge Frees Kilmar Abrego Garcia, ICE Vows to Deport Him.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Alleged MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia was released from custody in Tennessee.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Kilmar Abrego Garcia, his attorney Sean Hecker, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Released on Friday in Tennessee; previously deported to El Salvador and later detained in Maryland and Tennessee.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Today, Kilmar Abrego Garcia is free.” – Sean Hecker

🎯IMPACT: ICE officials plan to re-arrest him and begin deportation proceedings after his release from U.S. Marshals’ custody.

IN FULL

Alleged MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia was released from custody in Tennessee on Friday. The release followed the expiration of a judge’s 30-day pause on his case. U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes in Tennessee had ordered his release from a jail near Nashville, where he had been held since June after returning from El Salvador.

“Today, Kilmar Abrego Garcia is free,” his attorney, Sean Hecker, said. Abrego Garcia had been deported to El Salvador earlier this year after being identified as a member of MS-13 by the Trump administration. Hecker claimed that the deportation and subsequent imprisonment were part of a “vindictive attack” and praised the courts for providing “meaningful due process.”

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials, however, have indicated that they plan to re-arrest Abrego Garcia and begin deportation proceedings once he is no longer in the custody of the U.S. Marshals. The case has drawn significant political and media attention, including sympathetic support from U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and other Democratic members of Congress, as well as misleading stories from The Atlantic and POLITICO, which described the illegal immigrant as a “Maryland father.”

Abrego Garcia was initially returned to the U.S. from El Salvador on human trafficking charges stemming from a 2022 traffic stop. He was later detained in Tennessee after being indicted on human smuggling charges. His lawyers hired a firm with court-approved pre-trial transportation experience to bring him back to Maryland after his release.

Barack Obama-appointed U.S. District Court Judge Paula Xinis ordered that ICE must provide 72 hours of notice before initiating removal efforts.

Image by Victoria Pickering.

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BREAKING: DOJ Drops Transcripts, Audio of Ghislaine Maxwell Interviews.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has published transcripts and hours of audio from Deputy Attorney Todd Blanche’s recent interviews with Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted of trafficking children to deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein in 2021.

The interviews, published on the DOJ website, were set up amid public backlash over the agency’s release of a memo suggesting Epstein had no “client list,” despite Attorney General Pam Bondi previously stating that such a list was “on [her] desk.”

Maxwell claims to Blanche that she was not aware of Epstein attempting to record or blackmail people, and repeats that “there is no list, there’s no client list. Nothing like that.” She also says she does not believe the financier committed suicide, which is the government’s official position.

This story is developing…

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The Department of Justice (DOJ) has published transcripts and hours of audio from Deputy Attorney Todd Blanche's recent interviews with Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted of trafficking children to deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein in 2021. show more
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Trump Warns D.C. Mayor: Address Fake Crime Stats or Face Federal Takeover.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump is threatening further federal intervention in Washington, D.C., if Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) do not address the alleged falsification of crime statistics.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, Mayor Bowser, the Metropolitan Police Department, the D.C. Police Union, and the Department of Justice (DOJ).

📍WHEN & WHERE: Washington, D.C., on Friday, with ongoing developments throughout the week.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Mayor Muriel Bowser must immediately stop giving false and highly inaccurate crime figures, or bad things will happen, including a complete and total Federal takeover of the City!” – Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: The DOJ is investigating allegations of manipulated crime statistics, with federal oversight of D.C. law enforcement under review.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump blasted Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in a Truth Social post on Friday for providing “false and highly inaccurate crime figures.” Trump, who has temporarily federalized law enforcement in the American capital, warned of a “complete and total Federal takeover of the City” if the issue is not addressed.

“Washington, D.C. is SAFE AGAIN! The crowds are coming back, the spirit is high, and our D.C. National Guard and Police are doing a fantastic job. They are out in force, and are NOT PLAYING GAMES!!! As bad as it sounds to say, there were no murders this week for the first time in memory,” Trump wrote. “Mayor Muriel Bowser must immediately stop giving false and highly inaccurate crime figures, or bad things will happen, including a complete and total Federal takeover of the City! Washington D.C. will soon be great again!!!”

The National Pulse reported on Thursday that the MPD is being sued by a veteran of its homicide unit who alleges the capital city’s law enforcement leaders manipulated crime data by misclassifying murders as accidental deaths and suicides. Meanwhile, the D.C. Police Union, representing 3,000 officers, has expressed skepticism over the accuracy of crime statistics reported by the MPD. Union President Gregg Pemberton stated, “What we know, what our members know, is that we go call to call to call out on the streets at night, going from robbery to carjacking to stabbing to shooting, and we just know that crime is ubiquitous, and it’s all in every quadrant of the city.”

Notably, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched an investigation into allegations of manipulated crime data, following reports of a D.C. police commander being placed on leave over accusations of falsifying statistics. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro is leading the investigation, which may examine actions by multiple police officials.

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Canada Folds, Lifts Numerous Retaliatory Tariffs Against U.S.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Canada announced the removal of many retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, bowing to the Trump administration’s prerequisite that the duties be ended before trade talks can resume.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, U.S. President Donald J. Trump, and a White House official.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The announcement was made on August 22, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “As we work intensively with the United States, our focus is squarely on the strategic sectors,” said Prime Minister Mark Carney.

🎯IMPACT: The decision is expected to ease trade tensions and could lead to further negotiations between the two nations under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

IN FULL

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Friday that his country would remove many of its retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, signaling progress in trade relations between the two nations. The announcement was made during a press conference in Ottawa, Ontario.

The tariffs, initially imposed in March, included a 25 percent levy on a wide range of U.S. products, mostly falling under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Beginning September 1, these trade duties will end, though similar tariffs imposed on Canada by the United States will remain in effect as negotiations continue. However, Canada will maintain its 25 percent tariffs on U.S. autos, steel, and aluminum.

“As we work intensively with the United States, our focus is squarely on the strategic sectors,” Carney stated during the press conference. He also noted that President Donald J. Trump assured him in a phone call that removing tariffs would pave the way for further negotiations.

A White House official described Canada’s decision as “long overdue” and expressed optimism about continued discussions on trade and national security concerns. The announcement comes as the USMCA, negotiated during Trump’s first term, is set for review later this year.

Canada’s counter-tariffs, originally imposed by then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, targeted CA$30 billion (US$21.7 billion) worth of U.S. goods. The decision to ease tariffs follows a period of heightened tensions, during which Trump raised tariffs on Canadian goods to 35 percent, citing issues such as the continued flow of fentanyl into the U.S. and Canada’s lack of cooperation on the matter.

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Trump Targets Comprehensive Review of All 55 MILLION Visa Holders.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: The Trump administration has announced plans to review the status of all 55 million foreign nationals in the U.S. holding valid visas, initiating a “continuous vetting” process aimed at identifying security threats and individuals supporting terrorism.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Trump administration.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Announced on Thursday, August 21, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “We review all available information as part of our vetting, including law enforcement or immigration records or any other information that comes to light after visa issuance.” – Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

🎯IMPACT: The new policy will include a “continuous vetting” process for all 55 million foreign nationals who hold valid visas in the United States.

IN FULL

The Trump administration says it will soon implement a “continuous vetting” process for all foreign nationals in the U.S. holding valid visas. The policy, announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, aims to identify legal immigrants who pose security risks or are involved in activities such as supporting terrorism.

“Things like any indicators of overstays, criminal activity, threats to public safety, engaging in any form of terrorist activity, or providing support to a terrorist organization” will serve as cause for visa revocation under the new policy, according to the State Department. The agency added: “We review all available information as part of our vetting, including law enforcement or immigration records or any other information that comes to light after visa issuance.”

The State Department highlighted that since the beginning of Trump’s second term, it has revoked more than twice as many visas, including nearly four times as many student visas, compared to the same period last year. The administration has also targeted visa applicants for potential ties to anti-American or terrorist groups, with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) monitoring foreign nationals participating in campus protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Secretary Rubio has also announced additional measures, including a halt on worker visas for foreign commercial truck drivers, citing concerns over road safety and the impact on American truckers. “Effective immediately we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers,” Rubio wrote on X, adding that the move was necessary to protect American lives and livelihoods.

This follows the killing of three people by an illegal immigrant truck driver in Florida.

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RFK Jr. Moves to End Dependency on China for Pharma Supplies.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: The Trump administration is taking steps to onshore the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and reduce reliance on China.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: John Knox, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and President Donald J. Trump.

📍WHEN & WHERE: This month, with ongoing efforts including new manufacturing partnerships in Virginia and Maryland.

💬KEY QUOTE: “It really is a critical national security issue at this point when we have these trade wars and economic issues going on.” – John Knox

🎯IMPACT: Efforts aim to strengthen U.S. national security and reduce dependency on foreign pharmaceutical supply chains.

IN FULL

Officials at Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have stated that the U.S. is taking concrete steps to reduce its reliance on foreign nations for critical drug ingredients, particularly China and India. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response John Knox said in a recent interview, “There’s a lot of levers that can be pulled and need to be used in order to bring onshoring back.”

According to Knox, 70 percent of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and key drug-making materials used in the U.S. are sourced from China and India. He noted that China alone produces about 90 percent of the world’s antibiotics. “It really is a critical national security issue at this point when we have these trade wars and economic issues going on,” he said.

The U.S. dependence on Chinese pharmaceutical manufacturing stems from years of cost-cutting by major drug companies, which moved production overseas due to lower labor costs and looser regulations. As a result, China has become the world’s largest supplier of generic drug ingredients and essential medicines. Experts have long warned that any disruption in China, whether due to trade wars, natural disasters, or political tensions, could severely impact America’s access to life-saving treatments.

To address this vulnerability, President Donald J. Trump recently signed an executive order to expand the Strategic Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Reserve (SAPIR), a federal stockpile designed to secure a domestic supply of essential drug components. The White House said the move is part of a broader effort to “safeguard national health and security against global supply chain disruptions.”

Knox pointed to successful examples of domestic drug production, such as batch manufacturing facilities in Petersburg, Virginia, and rapid, on-demand pharmaceutical systems in Rockville, Maryland. “Over here at ASPR and through our IBMSC Program, we’re looking at innovative technologies [and] using that American ingenuity to create new ways to make these medications so that we’re not so dependent on foreign sources,” he said, expressing hope that future public-private partnerships will help restore U.S. pharmaceutical independence.

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