Monday, July 7, 2025
wilders

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Populist Parties Reach Deal To Form Govt, But There’s a Catch…

An initial agreement among four right-leaning Dutch political parties was reached on Wednesday that could pave the way for the formation of a government. However, the agreement would exclude populist firebrand Geert Wilders from ascending to prime minister.

Since November last year, Wilder’s Party for Freedom has been attempting to form a government in coalition with the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy — a long-standing center-right party that has governed the Netherlands for the last 13 years — the centrist New Social Contract party, and the Farmer Citizen Movement. While rumors of a political breakthrough in the negotiations have popped up in the past months, the question of whether Wilders would become prime minister continually proved a sticking point for the political centrists.

In March, Geert Wilders announced he would not seek the prime minister’s office — ostensibly removing a hurdle to the four political parties agreeing to form a government. They hold 88 seats in the Dutch House of Representatives, giving them a relatively comfortable majority.

The sentiment among party leaders remains largely positive, reflected in the comments of Caroline van der Plas, chief of the Farmer Citizen Movement. “This won’t go wrong,” van der Plas said on Wednesday regarding the tentative political agreement. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday as well, Wilders said of the negotiations: “We spoke about the prime minister today, as well. And we will continue that conversation at a later time.”

Following last November’s Dutch elections, Wilder’s Party for Freedom became the largest in the country’s lower legislative house. Though the Party for Freedom did not attain an outright majority, the election victory did position the party as the lead party in forming a new government.

By Popular Demand.
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Trump Admin Ends ‘Temporary Protected Status’ for Tens of Thousands More Migrants.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: The Trump administration is ending Temporary Protected Status for immigrants from Nicaragua and Honduras, paving the way for tens of thousands of deportations.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Department of Homeland Security (DHS), migrants from Nicaragua and Honduras, and pro-immigration organizations.

📍WHEN & WHERE: July 2025; United States.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Temporary Protected Status, as the name itself makes clear, is an inherently temporary status.” – Department of Homeland Security

🎯IMPACT: Migrants from Nicaragua and Honduras lose legal work authorization and face deportation; however, lawfare cases attempting to frustrate this are near-certain.

IN FULL

The Trump administration has moved to end more than 25 years of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for immigrants from Nicaragua and Honduras. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the change in the Federal Register, saying the protections officially lapsed as of July 5. A 60-day transition period is now in effect before termination becomes final.

Originally granted following natural disasters in the late 1990s, TPS for these countries has been repeatedly extended by multiple administrations. The status provides work authorization and protection from deportation, but does not offer a path to permanent residency. Around 50,000 migrants are estimated to be impacted.

During the first Trump administration, DHS tried to cancel these designations but was bogged down by lawfare suits. The Joe Biden government extended the status again after rescinding those terminations. Now, the Trump administration has reasserted its position, citing the program’s “temporary” nature and arguing that original conditions no longer justify continued protection.

“Temporary Protected Status, as the name itself makes clear, is an inherently temporary status,” the DHS explained.

The move follows the termination of TPS for around half a million Haitians in June—although, as with that decision, following through on deporting formerly TPS-designated Hondurans and Nicaraguans will likely face a protracted lawfare campaign.

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By Popular Demand.
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Musk Taps Tesla’s Indian CFO as ‘America Party’ Treasurer.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Elon Musk has tapped the India-born Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Tesla, Vaibhav Taneja, to serve as the treasurer of his new third-party group, the America Party.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Elon Musk and Vaibhav Taneja.

📍WHEN & WHERE: News of the Tesla CFO’s new role was made over the July 4, 2025, weekend.

🎯IMPACT: The launch of the America Party and Taneja’s role as treasurer has renewed the December 2024 fight between Musk and supporters of President Donald J. Trump over the former’s aggressive support for expanding H1-B visas, allowing the importation of cheap foreign labor.

IN FULL

Tesla CEO and former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) frontman Elon Musk has tapped his struggling electric vehicle company’s chief financial officer (CFO), Vaibhav Taneja, to serve as the treasurer of the America Party. The move has revived criticism of Musk’s zealous support for replacing American workers with cheap foreign labor through H1B visas.

The move is also seeing renewed allegations of Musk and his associates being “broligarchs”—a term popularized by former Trump White House Chief Strategist and WarRoom host Stephen K. Bannon—as PACs and political parties typically employ experienced campaign finance experts as treasurers and avoid hiring personal company employees so as to avoid potential conflicts of interest.

The new America Party’s treasurer, Vaibhav Taneja, has served as Tesla’s CFO since 2023. Notably, Taneja was born and educated in India, receiving a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Delhi University in 1999 and a qualified chartered accountancy from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India in 2000. From 1999 until 2016, Taneja appears to have worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in India, moving on to Solar City in 2016. A year later, Taneja became part of Tesla’s India operations after Solar City was acquired by Musk’s company, and in 2023, he ascended to the role of Tesla’s CFO.

On social media, the revelation that an Indian is serving as a leader in the America Party has drawn significant backlash. Musk, himself a South African immigrant, drew similar criticism in December 2024 over his aggressive support for the importation of cheap foreign labor. In a series of posts, Musk disparaged American workers, called for an unprecedented expansion in foreign work visas, and threatened that he would be unrelenting in his push to expand the number of foreign workers in America.

While Musk was eventually forced to walk back his comments—especially after it was pointed out that his own visa status was questionable before he attained U.S. citizenship—the billionaire tech mogul has continued to quietly advocate for increased foreign workers.

Meanwhile, Taneja’s role as CFO is also raising renewed allegations of “broligarchy.” The term refers to a tight-knit cadre of Silicon Valley technology billionaires who have attempted to gain political influence to consolidate their market dominance and access to foreign imports and cheap foreign labor.

Taneja, as the CFO of Tesla, has one of the highest compensations of any chief executive in the country. Notably, after incentives, Taneja’s salary of $139 million in 2024 far exceeded the salaries of Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Having someone with such close financial and personal ties to Musk serve as the treasurer of Musk’s America Party could raise ethics concerns.

Whether Taneja is well enough versed in U.S. campaign finance law to perform his role, or capable of standing up to Musk, is unclear. Regardless, the fact that Musk installed Taneja as the America Party’s treasurer—given the plethora of potential ethical conflicts—will raise alarm bells.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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By Popular Demand.
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Gunman Dead After Ambushing Border Patrol Agents.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: A gunman entered a Border Patrol building near McAllen International Airport in Texas and ambushed federal agents before being shot and killed.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The unnamed gunman, armed with a rifle and wearing tactical gear, and Border Patrol agents.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Early Monday morning at the Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol building near McAllen International Airport, Texas.

🎯IMPACT: Flights at McAllen Airport have been delayed. Graphic photos show the gunman lying dead outside the federal building.

IN FULL

An active shooter was killed after entering the Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol building near McAllen International Airport in Texas on Monday morning. The gunman, who had not been identified as of the time of publication, ambushed federal agents during the incident.

According to a witness, the man was armed with a rifle and wearing tactical gear when he launched the attack. Border Patrol agents responded by neutralizing the threat. The ambush appears to be intentional, with Border Patrol agents purposely targeted. Some reports indicate that a McAllen police officer was wounded during the exchange of gunfire, but they are believed to be in stable condition.

The attack follows weeks of political agitation by Democrat lawmakers, some directly calling for action against U.S. immigration agents. A number of Democratic officials have been arrested for physically interfering with immigration enforcement actions, including Congresswoman LaMonica McIver (D-NJ), who pleaded not guilty to assaulting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel in federal court at the end of June.

Meanwhile, former Democratic Party vice presidential nominee, Governor Tim Walz (D-MN), has publicly likened ICE agents to the Gestapo in Adolf Hitler’s Germany. Additionally, in June, Cudahy, California, Vice Mayor Cynthia Gonzalez posted a social media video in which she called on Hispanic gangs to defend illegal immigrants from ICE agents.

The latest incident caused significant disruption at McAllen International Airport, with all flights delayed as authorities secured the area.

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By Popular Demand.
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Federal Govt and Soros Managed ‘Independent’ Media Together After the Cold War.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Documents confirm that U.S.-funded “independent media” in Europe was co-managed with George Soros’s Open Society Institute during the post-Soviet transition.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, George Soros’s Open Society Institute, and Open Media Research Institute (OMRI).

📍WHEN & WHERE: 1994–1997, Central and Eastern Europe; financial disclosures from 2023.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Yep, that’s right, our government co-founded the research arm for ‘independent media’ in Europe alongside George Soros – an arrangement that was in place for several years.” — Jennica Pounds, a.k.a. “Data Republican”

🎯IMPACT: Confirms decades-long entanglement between U.S. federal media operations and the Soros network’s influence campaigns in former communist nations.

IN FULL

In the 1990s, George Soros’s Open Society Institute partnered with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)—a U.S. government-funded “independent” broadcaster—to establish the Open Media Research Institute (OMRI). This joint venture, headquartered in the Czech capital of Prague, took over the analytical responsibilities of RFE/RL’s dissolved Research Institute and operated from 1994 to 1997.

Archival material highlighted by software engineer Jennica Pounds, known by her X (formerly Twitter) handle @DataRepublican, confirms that OMRI’s work fed directly into RFE/RL’s reporting. OMRI’s Information Services Department ran multiple archives and compiled intelligence on post-Soviet and Eastern European developments. These documents were later deposited with the Vera and Donald Blinken Open Society Archives, named after the father of Antony Blinken, the Secretary of State under President Joe Biden.

At the same time, RFE/RL—classified as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and operating under EIN 52-1068522—was and still is funded by the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM). In FY2023, RFE/RL disclosed receiving over $167.7 million in federal funds, of which $167.5 million came from USAGM. No subrecipients were listed for any of the funds.

The financial structure of this arrangement reveals a long-running public-private fusion between U.S. federal messaging efforts and Soros-backed information infrastructure, operating under the guise of “independent journalism.” These ties remain relevant today, as RFE/RL continues broadcasting into Europe and beyond while relying entirely on U.S. taxpayer dollars.

The Blinken Archives formally processed and revised these records in 2003. The archival listing directly states that OMRI was the institutional successor to RFE/RL’s internal analysis unit, and its funding and staffing were heavily integrated with Soros-backed foundations during its entire operation.

Under the Trump administration, the Senior Advisor to USAGM, Kari Lake, has moved to aggressively cut back the agency’s staff and budget, saying, “For decades, American taxpayers have been forced to bankroll an agency that’s been riddled with dysfunction, bias, and waste. That ends now.”

House Republicans are also investigating USAGM for years of alleged visa abuses and potential infiltration by foreign spies.

Image by IMF Staff Photographer/Michael Spilotro.

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By Popular Demand.
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Deadly Texas Floods Leave Dozens Dead.

At least 80 are dead, including dozens of summer camp kids, after unexpected flash floods ripped through Texas over the weekend.

The details: Late Thursday, torrential rain caused the Guadalupe River to overflow, causing widespread flooding into Friday. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott confirmed Sunday that 68 of the deaths occurred in Kerr County – 40 adults and 28 children.

Summer camp submerged: At Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp, five girls and the camp director were among the confirmed dead. Eleven campers and one counselor are still unaccounted for.

  • Camp Mystic director Dick Eastland died while trying to save his campers

Federal response: President Trump wrote on Truth Social that he signed a disaster declaration “to ensure that our Brave First Responders immediately have the resources they need.”

Rescue efforts: More than 850 rescues were made across the region in 36 hours, with 366 conducted by air.

  • DHS Secretary Kristi Noem singled out U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer and Petter Officer Scott Raskin, who “directly saved an astonishing 165 victims in the devastating flooding.”

Playing politics: Left-wing news outlets like the NY Times tried to blame the Trump administration’s cuts to the National Weather Service for the loss of life.

  • Homeland Security debunked those accusations, posting a detailed timeline of events, showing it gave “12 hours of advance notice via the Flood Watch and over 3 hours of lead time for Flash Flood Warnings.”

The last word goes back to President Trump, who said: “These families are enduring an unimaginable tragedy, with many lives lost, and many still missing… GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!”

Rescue efforts are ongoing.

Image via World Tourism & Travel Council.

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At least 80 are dead, including dozens of summer camp kids, after unexpected flash floods ripped through Texas over the weekend. show more
By Popular Demand.
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Trump Blasts Elon as ‘Trainwreck,’ Says He Asked for ‘Inappropriate’ Things.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald Trump criticized Elon Musk’s recent actions and his idea of starting a Third Political Party.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The statement was made on TruthSocial, recently.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The one thing Third Parties are good for is the creation of Complete and Total DISRUPTION & CHAOS.” – Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: The statement highlights Trump’s opposition to the Electric Vehicle Mandate and his views on political party dynamics.

IN FULL

President Donald Trump expressed his disapproval of Elon Musk’s recent conduct and his proposal to establish a Third Political Party. Trump described Musk’s actions as going “off the rails” and becoming a “TRAIN WRECK” over the past five weeks.

Trump emphasized that Third Parties have historically been unsuccessful in the United States and are mainly known for causing “Complete and Total DISRUPTION & CHAOS.” He contrasted this with the Republican Party, which he described as a “smooth running ‘machine.'”

A significant point in Trump’s statement was the Republican Party’s recent passage of a major bill that eliminates the Electric Vehicle (EV) Mandate. Trump has been a vocal opponent of the mandate, advocating for consumer choice in vehicle purchases.

Trump recounted a conversation with Musk, where he questioned Musk’s support given his stance against the EV Mandate. Musk reportedly had “no problems” with Trump’s position, which Trump found surprising.

Additionally, Trump mentioned Musk’s request for a close friend to run NASA, a suggestion Trump found inappropriate due to the individual’s political background and connections to Musk’s business interests.

“I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely “off the rails,” essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks. He even wants to start a Third Political Party, despite the fact that they have never succeeded in the United States – The System seems not designed for them. The one thing Third Parties are good for is the creation of Complete and Total DISRUPTION & CHAOS, and we have enough of that with the Radical Left Democrats, who have lost their confidence and their minds! Republicans, on the other hand, are a smooth running “machine,” that just passed the biggest Bill of its kind in the History of our Country. It is a Great Bill but, unfortunately for Elon, it eliminates the ridiculous Electric Vehicle (EV) Mandate, which would have forced everyone to buy an Electric Car in a short period of time. I have been strongly opposed to that from the very beginning. People are now allowed to buy whatever they want – Gasoline Powered, Hybrids (which are doing very well), or New Technologies as they come about – No more EV Mandate. I have campaigned on this for two years and, quite honestly, when Elon gave me his total and unquestioned Endorsement, I asked him whether or not he knew that I was going to terminate the EV Mandate – It was in every speech I made, and in every conversation I had. He said he had no problems with that – I was very surprised! Additionally, Elon asked that one of his close friends run NASA and, while I thought his friend was very good, I was surprised to learn that he was a blue blooded Democrat, who had never contributed to a Republican before. Elon probably was, also. I also thought it inappropriate that a very close friend of Elon, who was in the Space Business, run NASA, when NASA is such a big part of Elon’s corporate life. My Number One charge is to protect the American Public!”

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By Popular Demand.
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NORAD Intercepts Plane at Trump’s Bedminster.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: A NORAD fighter aircraft intercepted a general aviation aircraft violating restricted airspace over Bedminster, New Jersey.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and a civilian pilot.

📍WHEN & WHERE: July 5, 2025, over Bedminster, New Jersey.

💬KEY QUOTE: “NORAD employs a layered defense network of radars, satellites, and fighter aircraft to identify and respond to potential threats.” – 2nd Lt. Tyler Turnmire.

🎯IMPACT: The incident highlights the importance of pilots verifying FAA Notices before flights to avoid restricted airspace violations.

IN FULL

A general aviation aircraft was intercepted by a North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) fighter after it violated Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) airspace over Bedminster, New Jersey. This event marked one of five unauthorized incursions into the restricted airspace on the day.

The civilian aircraft entered the restricted zone at about 2:39 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. To capture the pilot’s attention, NORAD aircraft executed a headbutt maneuver and safely escorted the aircraft out of the area.

General aviation pilots are urged to check all Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) and remain informed before flights. Specific to Bedminster, New Jersey, pilots should be aware of FAA NOTAMs 1353, 1358, 2246, and 2247.

Pilots can find the most current information on the FAA’s website at https://tfr.faa.gov/.

NORAD’s use of a layered defense system, incorporating radars, satellites, and fighter aircraft, ensures the identification and response to possible threats.

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By Popular Demand.
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The Supreme Court Is Reviewing Transgender Sports Bans.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: The Supreme Court will review state bans on transgender athletes’ participation in school sports amid two cases in Idaho and West Virginia.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. Supreme Court, West Virginia, Idaho, West Virginia Attorney General John McCuskey, Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador, and the Trump administration.

💬KEY QUOTE: “We are confident the Supreme Court will uphold the Save Women’s Sports Act because it complies with the U.S. Constitution and complies with Title IX.” — West Virginia Attorney General John McCuskey

🎯IMPACT: The enforcement of Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in education, may become more stringent depending on how the Supreme Court rules. The position of the Trump administration and several conservative-led states is that forcing women and girls to compete with biological males who identify as transgender is discriminatory.

IN FULL

On Thursday, the Supreme Court decided to review state bans on transgender athletes participating in public school sports. Oral arguments will be heard this fall regarding two cases in Idaho and West Virginia focused on state laws that prevent biological males from competing on girls’ and women’s sports teams.

West Virginia enacted the “Save Women’s Sports Act” in 2021, but a lower court ruling allowed a transgender athlete who goes by Becky Pepper-Jackson to compete in cross country and track teams. In April 2024, the US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Pepper-Jackson.

West Virginia Attorney General John McCuskey said of the Supreme Court review in a statement, “It’s a great day, as female athletes in West Virginia will have their voices heard,” He added, “The people of West Virginia know that it’s unfair to let male athletes compete against women; that’s why we passed this commonsense law preserving women’s sports for women.”

“We are confident the Supreme Court will uphold the Save Women’s Sports Act because it complies with the U.S. Constitution and complies with Title IX,” McCuskey added. “And most importantly: it protects women and girls by ensuring the playing field is safe and fair.”

Raul Labrador, the Attorney General for Idaho—where a similar law protecting women’s sports from transgenders has also been blocked by judges—also expressed satisfaction with the Supreme Court review, saying, “Idaho’s women and girls deserve an equal playing field.” He added, “For too long, activists have worked to sideline women and girls in their own sports. Men and women are biologically different, and we hope the court will allow states to end this injustice and ensure men no longer create a dangerous, unfair environment for women to showcase their incredible talent and pursue the equal opportunities they deserve.”

Image by Billy Wilson.

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By Popular Demand.
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Trump Admin Moves to Build Waterborne Barrier in Rio Grande Swiftly.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem signed a waiver to allow for the construction of a waterborne barrier on the southern border in Texas.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Secretary Kristi Noem, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the U.S. Border Patrol’s Rio Grande Valley Sector.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Construction planned in the Rio Grande River, Cameron County, Texas, with awards expected by the end of Fiscal Year 2025.

🎯IMPACT: The barrier aims to close capability gaps, deter illegal crossings, and create safer conditions for border agents.

IN FULL

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has signed a waiver for the rapid construction of around 17 miles of waterborne barrier in Texas. The barrier will be built in the Rio Grande River in Cameron County, Texas, within the U.S. Border Patrol’s Rio Grande Valley Sector, to help combat human and drug traffickers.

The RGV Waterborne Barrier Project has been solicited and is planned for award by the end of Fiscal Year 2025, using U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) FY 2021 appropriations. This marks the sixth waiver signed by Secretary Noem for border barrier construction projects along the southern border.

Addressing a capability gap in waterways along the Southwest border, CBP has identified the need for waterborne barriers to combat drug smuggling, human trafficking, and other illegal activities. These barriers are also intended to create safer conditions for patrolling agents and deter illegal crossings through hazardous waterways.

The Secretary’s waiver authority, granted under Section 102 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, allows DHS to bypass certain legal requirements, including environmental laws, to expedite the construction of these physical barriers and roads.

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By Popular Demand.
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The New York Times Finally Admits Trump Was Right About Migrant Gangs in Colorado.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: The New York Times has finally admitted that President Donald J. Trump was right in his claims about the violent illegal immigrant crime crisis that plagued the city of Aurora, Colorado, in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The New York Times, President Donald J. Trump, illegal immigrants from Venezuela, Tren de Aragua, residents of Aurora, Colorado, and journalist Ted Conover.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Aurora saw a series of violent crimes perpetrated by illegal immigrants between 2023 and 2024, with the NYT acknowledging Trump was correct on July 3, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “[T]heir refusal to acknowledge the violence that some residents were seeing with their own eyes came off not as reassurance but as erasure,” writes Ted Conover, describing Democrat lawmakers and the corporate media who waved off the incidents of violent illegal immigrant crime in Aurora in 2024.

🎯IMPACT: The issue of illegal immigrant crime became a major presidential campaign issue for Trump, with his administration subsequently enacting a sweeping nationwide crackdown on those in the country unlawfully.

IN FULL

The New York Times has finally acknowledged that President Donald J. Trump was right about the illegal immigrant Venezuelan gangs that have plagued residents in Aurora, Colorado. In a sprawling exposé, author and journalist Ted Conover details a violent series of incidents perpetrated by illegal immigrants believed to be members of the Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, that became a core focus of President Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.

Conover admits that, at the time, the corporate media and Democrat politicians ignored the city’s illegal immigrant gang crisis, writing, “[T]heir refusal to acknowledge the violence that some residents were seeing with their own eyes came off not as reassurance but as erasure.” Notably, the NYT itself ran a story with the headline, “How the False Story of a Gang ‘Takeover’ in Colorado Reached Trump” and waved away the crisis, stating: “The claim that Aurora, Colo., has been overrun by gun-toting migrants stemmed from the city’s fight with a landlord.”

While city officials in Aurora had been engaged in a protracted battle with CBZ Management—a Brooklyn, New York-based landlord company—over sanitation and blight conditions at three apartments along East Colfax Avenue, these issues appear only tangentially connected to the spike in violent crime perpetrated by illegal immigrants at the complexes. Speaking with several former residents of the CBZ Management properties in Aurora, Conover details incidents that far exceed the claims made by Trump during the election.

While a video of a group of young male Venezuelan illegal immigrants brandishing firearms and breaking into a residential unit at the Edge at Lowry apartment complex last year garnered some corporate media attention, the details surrounding the incident and the frightening extent of criminal activity were largely ignored. Notably, while the illegal immigrants appeared to leave after briefly entering the apartment unit, they subsequently confronted the resident, Oswaldo José Dabion Araujo, outside the complex and shot and killed him. “It looked like Beirut, with bullet holes in the front,” a local pastor said, describing the state of the property after a wave of illegal immigrants, mostly young men in their twenties, arrived from Venezuela in late 2023.

In addition to the murder of Dabion Araujo, the three apartments owned by CBZ Management saw other violent assaults. In one incident, a man and a woman arguing in a parking lot outside one complex were attacked by a group of illegal Venezuelans, ending with the man being shot several times in the leg. Other residents reported illegal immigrants stealing motorcycles and riding them through the hallways of the buildings. All three properties were plagued with drug dealing, theft, and prostitution.

Two Venezuelan nationals appear to have controlled a bulk of the criminal activity in at least one of the apartment buildings. Brothers Jhonnarty and Jhonardy Pacheco Chirinos ran what Aurora Police now believe was a local affiliate of Tren de Aragua, financing their gang operations through—among other things—the theft of items from a nearby Walmart. Both brothers have subsequently been arrested.

While President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration has begun to turn the tide—U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests in Colorado are up over 250 percent—Aurora is still seeing some violent incidents. In June, the city’s Chief of Police, Todd Chamberlain, publicized a new video of an apartment break-in perpetrated by illegal immigrants believed to be members of a gang. “This might sound like déjà vu,” Chamberlain said at the time, adding: “This is something that we are proactively addressing with everything that we can.”

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By Popular Demand.
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