Friday, July 11, 2025

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Trump Trial Day 14: Michael Cohen, The MeidasTouchers, And a 14-Year-Old!?

The 14th day of former President Donald J. Trump‘s Manhattan-based trial was exclusively dedicated to the defense’s cross-examination of the disbarred serial perjurer Michael Cohen. On Wednesday, Cohen’s former criminal defense attorney, Robert Costello, testified before Congress that his old client had repeatedly claimed to him that he had no evidence against Donald Trump. With most of his Tuesday testimony now in question, Trump’s lead counsel, Todd Blanche, zeroed in on more of Cohen’s lies and hammered the prosecution’s star witness over the shifting details of the disgraced lawyer’s testimony.

COHEN GETS MEIDAS TOUCHED.

The morning started with a muddled exchange about when Cohen found out about Bragg’s indictment against former President Trump. Judge Juan Merchan later sidelined much of the questioning and testimony surrounding this as attorneys on both sides struggled to clarify the timeline of events.

Next, however, Blanche entered into the evidence record a recording of the serial perjurer’s Mea Culpa podcast hosted by the far-left website MeidasTouch. Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger objected to the move but was overruled by Judge Merchan.

Cohen can be heard on the podcast recording congratulating Bragg on the Trump indictment. Additionally, Cohen states that he spent countless hours with Bragg. “You never met Alvin Bragg, right?” Blanche asked Cohen.

“Correct,” responded the disgraced lawyer. Again, Blanche, with tightly controlled questioning, elicits another instance where Cohen lied—in this case, to his audience regarding his interactions with the Manhattan District Attorney.

MOTIVATED BY REVENGE. 

The next stage of the Trump defense team’s cross-examination of Michael Cohen focused on the serial perjurer’s possible motivations for testifying against his former boss. Blanche hammered Cohen on the latter’s public statements, celebrating the chance Trump could be sent to prison.

“I truly f**king hope that this man ends up in prison,” Cohen could be heard on a podcast recording played for the jury. The disgraced attorney went on to say: “But revenge is a dish best served cold, and you better believe I want this man to go down and rot inside for what he did to my family.”

Blanche asked Cohen if he had ever said his work with prosecutors had helped get the former President indicted. “I took some credit, yes,” he replied. Trump‘s lead counsel repeated his question. “Yes, that’s what I believe,” responded Cohen.

COHEN CAN’T HELP HIMSELF.

“You continued to call President Trump various names on your podcasts and when you’re even doing CNN interviews, correct?” Blanche asked next, and Cohen admitted he did. Cohen was then presented with his April 21, 2024, TikTok post just before the trial began. In the video, Cohen states he has “mental excitement about the fact that this trial was starting.”

Blanche asked Cohen if he knew a paralegal was monitoring his social media. “That didn’t stop you, did it?” Blanche pressed Cohen. “No, sir,” he replied.

Trump’s defense team hit Cohen hard on both Tuesday and Thursday for his lack of self-control and inability to follow instructions. Blanche’s strategy appears to be to illustrate to jurors that Cohen is motivated only by his own self-perception and selfish desires. Beyond his simply profiting from the trial, Blanche is underscoring that Cohen often acts on his own with disregard for how his actions affect others.

LIES, LIES, AND MORE LIES.

Again taking aim at Cohen’s credibility, Blanche walked the disbarred attorney through multiple past instances where he was proven to have lied before courts, lawyers, and Congress. “Was that oath that you took every single time, so going back to all the depositions, the same oath that you took Monday morning in this courtroom?” Blanche asked, with Cohen responding: “Yes, sir.”

“And each time you met with a federal agent you were told that if you made a false statement that that was a felony, a federal crime, correct?” Blanche continued. Again, Cohen responded: “Yes, sir.”

Blanche next focused on Cohen’s lies before the House Intelligence Committee in 2017. “There were a couple of different lies?” he asked Cohen, the latter responding: “That’s correct.”

Cohen admitted to Blanche that he had lied under oath to the Congressional committee and lied again when he met with the special counsel in April 2018.

WHOSE FAULT IS IT?

Trump’s lead defense counsel pressed further, again trapping Cohen into admitting that he lied because of what he perceived he should do. “You said you were accepting responsibility for those lies, for lying to Congress. But in fact, you repeatedly said — and even said this morning, and even this week — that the reason why you lied was because of your loyalty to President Trump,” Blanche asked.

“I worked with a joint defense agreement, and we crafted the two-page document in order to stay on message — the message we all knew Mr. Trump wanted, including Mr. Trump’s attorney at the time,” Cohen replied. Blanche followed up, asking the disgraced attorney: “So are you saying you’re accepting responsibility or blaming the joint defense agreement?”

Cohen begrudgingly admitted on the stand, “I accepted responsibility, I read it, and I submitted it to the committee.”

UNTRUE VERSUS A LIE.

Blanche grilled Cohen about whether federal prosecutors threatened him or tried to induce him to plead guilty to a series of 2018 tax evasion charges. “Nobody induced you or threatened you to plead guilty, correct?” Blanche asked Cohen.

“As I stated previously, I was provided 48 hours within which to accept the plea, or the Southern District of New York was going to file an 80-page indictment that included my wife. And I elected to protect my family,” the disgraced lawyer responded. Blanche pressed Cohen again about his characterization of interactions with federal prosecutors.

Cohen responded the second time, “I never denied the underlying facts; I just did not believe that I should have been criminally charged for either of those six offenses.”

Blanche pushed back, asking Cohen if there was a difference between him saying something untrue and stating a lie. “I was using just different terminology,” Cohen replied.

“So it was a lie?” Blanche asked. Cohen responded: “Correct.”

WHAT ABOUT BOB?

Much of Blanche’s cross-examination of Cohen seems to be setting up Robert Costello as — possibly — the singular defense witness. Costello is Cohen’s former criminal defense attorney who has, in recent days, told both Congress and several media outlets that his former client is lying on the stand.

The questioning regarding Cohen’s interactions with federal prosecutors is especially pertinent as Costello testified before Congress directly on conversations he had with his client about the federal tax charges. On Wednesday, The National Pulse reported that Costello said: “I explained that if Cohen had truthful information that would implicate Donald Trump, I could get him out of his legal troubles by the end of the week.” He added: “I emphasized that any information Cohen could give would have to be truthful, otherwise it was useless.”

“Each time Cohen said to me: ‘I swear to God, Bob, I don’t have anything on Donald Trump,’” Costello recalled. He continued: “Cohen must have said this at least ten times because I kept coming back to it from different approaches.”

LYING TO A FEDERAL JUDGE.

Trump’s lead defense counsel next addressed Cohen and the fact that the disbarred lawyer had lied to a federal judge. “You testified under oath at a different trial that you did not commit the crimes that you pled guilty to before Judge Pauley, correct?” Blanche asked Cohen, referring to the latter’s perjury before the late U.S. District Court Judge William H. Pauley III.

“Correct,” answered Cohen.

Blanche, citing Cohen’s own words, asked the serial perjurer if it was true that he lied to Judge Pauley because “the stakes affected you personally?” Cohen confirmed to Blanche this was true. Pushing further, Blanche pressed Cohen as to why—during his 2019 testimony before Congress—the disgraced lawyer didn’t tell lawmakers he had lied to the federal judge.

“By not telling Congress or the Senate that you had lied under oath, do you believe that you were omitting important information?” Trump’s lead counsel asked Cohen, and Judge Merchan again overruled the prosecution‘s objection.

“I don’t believe I was asked the question,” Cohen said.

BLAME GAME. 

As the morning’s cross-examination began its final stretch, Blanche focused on Cohen‘s refusal to take responsibility for his actions. “You blame a lot of people over the years for the conduct that you were convicted of,” Blanche told Cohen. The disgraced lawyer responded: “I blame people, yes.”

Blanche proceeded to rattle off a list of people and institutions that Cohen has pointed the finger at for his crimes over the years. These included Cohen’s accountant, bank, federal prosecutors, federal judges, and Donald Trump. Cohen admitted he had blamed each one.

Observers in the courtroom described Cohen as appearing angry and annoyed as Blanche pressed him on every person he’s blamed and his prior convictions for tax evasion and perjury.

A JILTED LAWYER.

Blanche shifted gears again, focusing on the 2016 presidential transition and Cohen’s disappointment at being left behind in New York City. Blanche asked Cohen if it was true that he wanted to serve as the White House chief of staff. “I would have liked to have been considered for ego purpose,” Cohen responded.

After former President Trump tapped Reince Priebus to serve as his chief of staff, Cohen admitted to Blanche that he was disappointed. Blanche then presented Cohen with texts between the latter and his daughter. In the text, Cohen told his daughter that he was with Trump at that very moment and that “he wants me to go, just not sure the position,” insinuating that he’d be joining the President in Washington, D.C.

This line of question is important because, as others have testified, Cohen was not seriously considered for any role in the White House or approached about a role. Blanche likely intended this inquiry to reinforce Cohen’s penchant for lying, even to his own daughter. Additionally, the moment further proved that Cohen has an almost delusional opinion of himself and his actions.

“Did you express disappointment to Pastor Scott repeatedly that President Trump hadn’t brought you into the administration?” Trump’s lead counsel asked Cohen. The prosecution’s witness responded annoyedly: “Not into the administration — I knew the role I wanted… I may have expressed frustration.”

When Blanche pressed Cohen as to why he needed someone to put in a good word for a role in the White House when Cohen claimed he talked to Trump almost every day, the disgraced lawyer said, “It’s always good to have somebody else advocate.”

PRANKED BY A TEENAGER.

Just before the lunch break, Trump‘s defense team took aim at one of the prosecution and Cohen’s key claims. Blanche presented Cohen with a series of text and call logs that Cohen had claimed were him reaching out to Trump regarding the resolution of the Stormy Daniels hush money payment. Trump’s lead counsel contended that rather than reaching out to Trump, Cohen was actually calling Trump’s bodyguard, Keith Schiller, for help dealing with a series of harassing phone calls he was receiving from a 14-year-old prankster. The texts between Cohen and Schiller appear to indicate that the latter was indeed the case.

However, Cohen insisted to Blanche that the prankster wasn’t all that he discussed on the calls, stating: “I know that Keith was with Mr. Trump at the time and there was more potentially than this.” A skeptical Blanche, noting the short amount of time over which the texts and calls took place, asked Cohen if he really “had enough time to update Schiller about all the [harassment] problems you were having and also update President Trump about the status of the Stormy Daniels situation because you had to keep him informed?”

“I always ran everything by the boss immediately, and in this case, it would have been saying, ‘Everything has been taken care of — it’s been resolved,'” Cohen responded.

LAWYER OR PR GUY?

The post-lunch cross-examination continued with Blanche pressing Cohen on whether he frequently worked to drive positive stories for Donald Trump. Cohen testified that he would often work place positive stories and that Trump would “blow up” if he failed. At this point, former President Trump visibly shook his head “no” as Cohen spoke.

“It was my routine to always advise Mr. Trump because the story that I was going to put out is not the way he would want it. One, it would cause him to blow up at me, and two, it would probably be the end of my job,” Cohen told Blanche. Again, it appears Blanche’s strategy was to portray Cohen as someone who viewed their role as something more ‘connected‘ than it was.

A CAMPAIGN SURROGATE?

In the next series of questions, Cohen was pressed on whether he ever had a role in the 2016 Trump presidential campaign. Former Trump campaign aide Hope Hicks testified earlier in the trial that Cohen was not a part of the campaign but would often try and interfere with the campaign staff.

Cohen testified that while he wasn’t a campaign staff member, he was a “surrogate.” The serial perjurer, however, has not produced any documentation or evidence of this role being in any official capacity.

“Your testimony is the frustration toward you that didn’t come from President Trump; it came from the campaign staffers?” Blanche asked Cohen. He replied, “Correct.”

COHEN FALLS APART.

As the fourteenth day of trial testimony neared its end, Cohen inadvertently may have crushed District Attorney Alvin Bragg‘s case. Prosecutors have maintained that the hush money payments were campaign expenditures and not legal fees, as Trump’s only concern was about the Stormy Daniels story’s impact on the 2016 election.

However, when discussing the 2011 blog post marking the first public allegations regarding an affair with Stormy Daniels, Cohen admitted Trump was worried about the impact the story would have on his family. “Fair to say that the first time you heard about that and the story by Ms. Daniels, when you talked to President Trump about it, he said he was worried about what his family would think, correct?” Blanche asked.

“Yes, as well as, of course, for the brand,” Cohen admitted. Blanched continued to press Cohen, addressing his 2021 conversation with law enforcement: “The first thing that President Trump said to you was that his family wouldn’t like that very much?”

“That’s true,” Cohen replied.

After Blanche rehashed additional details of conversations Cohen allegedly had with Trump and other associates, the court adjourned at 4PM with Cohen’s cross-examination set to continue on Monday.

You can read The National Pulse’s Day Thirteen trial coverage here, and if you find our work worthwhile, consider joining as a supporter.

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Admiral Responsible for Drag Shows on Navy Carrier Loses Promotion Nomination.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: The Defense Department has withdrawn the nomination of Rear Adm. Michael “Buzz” Donnelly for promotion to vice admiral following scrutiny over drag performances aboard the USS Ronald Reagan during his command.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Rear Adm. Michael “Buzz” Donnelly, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley, and Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL).

📍WHEN & WHERE: The drag events occurred aboard the USS Ronald Reagan from 2016 to 2018. The nomination withdrawal was reported in July 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Every military officer takes command of units large and small with the understanding they are responsible for everything that does and does not happen under their command.” – William Thibeau, The American Military Project

🎯IMPACT: The withdrawal highlights ongoing efforts to drive woke ideology and its enablers out of the U.S. military under the Trump administration.

IN FULL

The Defense Department has withdrawn the nomination of a rear admiral for promotion to vice admiral, following inquiries into drag performances that took place aboard the USS Ronald Reagan during his tenure as commanding officer. Rear Adm. Michael “Buzz” Donnelly led the aircraft carrier from April 2016 to September 2018, during which time Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley, under the drag name “Harpy Daniels,” performed at department-sanctioned events.

The nomination, announced on June 18, was for Donnelly to lead the Navy’s 7th Fleet, its most significant overseas force. However, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has since decided to withdraw the nomination and is seeking a new candidate, according to a Defense Department source. The decision followed scrutiny from Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who had previously blocked Donnelly’s promotion as part of a broader effort to challenge Pentagon policies, including taxpayer-funded abortions.

Tuberville, in a May 2023 letter, called on Navy leadership to disclose the officers responsible for funding and promoting drag queen performances, arguing such programs were unrelated to the military’s mission of national defense. “This is a fight worth having,” Tuberville remarked on social media, referencing Donnelly’s role in allowing the USS Ronald Reagan drag shows.

William Thibeau, director of The American Military Project at The Claremont Institute, noted that the drag performances were not isolated occurrences but part of official Navy programs. “The USS Ronald Reagan drag shows of 2017 and 2018 were not random acts of entertainment for sailors, but were sanctioned Navy programs,” Thibeau stated.

“Every military officer takes command of units large and small with the understanding they are responsible for everything that does and does not happen under their command,” he added.

Donnelly’s nomination withdrawal is part of a larger effort by Secretary Hegseth to eliminate woke ideology and its enablers in the military and return to a traditional “warrior ethos.” So far, that policy has led to a surge of new recruits, with military branches exceeding recruitment targets months ahead of schedule.

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Fetterman Blasts NYC’s Zohran Mamdani: ‘He’s Not Even a Democrat.’

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) criticized Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, calling his nomination for New York City Mayor “Christmas in July for the GOP.”

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Sen. John Fetterman and Zohran Mamdani.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Fetterman’s remarks came on Thursday, July 10, as he spoke with the media.

💬KEY QUOTE: “He’s not even a Democrat, honestly.” – Sen. Fetterman

🎯IMPACT: The comments highlight internal divisions within the Democratic Party and raise questions about its direction.

IN FULL

Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) on Thursday lamented the Democratic Party’s nomination of far-left socialist immigrant Zohran Kwame Mamdani for New York City Mayor. The Pennsylvania Senator, who has positioned himself as a foil to the Democrats’ increasingly radical leftist base, called Mamdani’s primary victory last month “Christmas in July for the GOP.”

“I’m not a voter in New York City, and so I have no dog in that fight, and everything that I’ve read on him, I don’t really agree with virtually any of it politically. So that’s just where I’m at as a Democrat. I mean, so he’s not even a Democrat, honestly,” Fetterman said while speaking with the media on Thursday, referencing Mamdani’s alignment with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) organization.

Notably, DSA-affiliated politicians like Mamdani, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)—who caucuses with the Senate Democrats—have gained significant influence within the party. Ocasio-Cortez, specifically, has seen a surge in polling numbers suggesting she is among the frontrunners for the Democratic Party’s 2028 presidential nomination.

Since winning his party’s New York City mayoral nomination, Mamdani has experienced a series of setbacks in his campaign, as some of his more radical ideas have been scrutinized. For instance, his plan to establish socialist, city-run grocery stores was revealed to be predicated on a faulty understanding of current New York City law. Under his plan, Mamdani claimed that the city-owned and run stores would be funded by redirecting an alleged $140 million subsidy that New York provides to private grocers. However, no direct $140 million subsidy actually exists to be redirected, with the figure actually being an estimate of the total tax breaks, exemptions, and regulatory relief provided to grocery stores operating in underserved neighborhoods.

Mamdani’s campaign has also been criticized for radical policies like increasing property taxes on predominantly white neighborhoods and abolishing prisons. Additionally, the Democratic mayoral candidate has drawn backlash for insisting that violent race riots, like those in Minnesota following the death of George Floyd, “has to happen” in order to achieve racial justice.

The Uganda-born leftist also holds extreme religious views, being a member of Shia Islam’s “Twelver” sect, which believes a final prophet born in 868 A.D. has been living in hiding for over a thousand years, awaiting his opportunity to spread Islam worldwide.

Image by Bingjiefu He.

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Trump Admin Catches MS-13 Leaders Released Into U.S. Under Biden.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Federal law enforcement arrested two illegal immigrant MS-13 gang leaders during a raid in Omaha, Nebraska, on Wednesday. Both men are wanted by El Salvador’s government for numerous violent crimes.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Melvin Alejandro Varela Pérez, a.k.a. Payaso, Rene Escobar-Ochoa, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), other federal law enforcement agencies, MS-13, the government of El Salvador, INTERPOL, and the former Biden government.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The two MS-13 gang leaders were arrested on Wednesday, July 9, 2025; both were detained and paroled into the United States by the former Biden government.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The Biden Administration allowed two ringleaders of MS-13, one of the most violent gangs in the world, straight into our country. One of these depraved aliens is on El Salvador’s 100 Most Wanted Fugitives list and is wanted for five counts of murder. The other has an INTERPOL notice for drug trafficking.” — DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.

🎯IMPACT: Both men are now in ICE custody while the agency coordinates for them to be returned to El Salvador.

IN FULL

Two illegal immigrant MS-13 gang kingpins were arrested during a federal raid in Omaha, Nebraska, on Wednesday, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Melvin Alejandro Varela Pérez—also known as Payaso—and Rene Escobar-Ochoa are both wanted by the Salvadoran government and are accused of numerous murders, conspiracy to commit murder, and drug trafficking. Pérez is listed on El Salvador’s 100 Most Wanted, and Escobar-Ochoa is the subject of an INTERPOL Red Notice. Concerningly, DHS states that despite the warrants and Red Notice, both men were paroled by the former Biden government into the United States after being detained while illegally crossing the U.S. southern border.

“The Biden Administration allowed two ringleaders of MS-13, one of the most violent gangs in the world, straight into our country,” said Tricia McLaughlin, DHS’s Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs. “One of these depraved aliens is on El Salvador’s 100 Most Wanted Fugitives list and is wanted for five counts of murder. The other has an INTERPOL notice for drug trafficking.”

“These are the kinds of scum-bags sanctuary politicians are protecting and letting walk free on America’s streets,” she added.

Both men are now in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after being captured in the raid, which was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and included other federal and international law enforcement partners. DHS says that ICE will continue to hold both MS-13 leaders as it coordinates with the Salvadoran government on returning them to the Central American nation to face justice.

The arrests are being highlighted as a shocking example of the lack of adequate vetting of illegal immigrants detained and subsequently released into the interior of the U.S. under former President Joe Biden.

Speaking on the matter on Thursday, President Donald J. Trump’s Border Czar, Tom Homan, blasted the Biden-Harris era, noting that former DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas had directed U.S. immigration officials to only proceed with immediate deportations when the detainee had prior violent criminal convictions and not merely warrants for violent crimes.

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WATCH: Bannon Urges Trump to Appoint a Special Prosecutor to Release Epstein Files.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: WarRoom host and former White House Chief Strategist Stephen K. Bannon has urged President Donald J. Trump to appoint a special prosecutor to release all government files related to deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Stephen K. Bannon, Donald Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Comments were made on Bannon’s WarRoom podcast on Thursday after the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Epstein’s 2019 death in jail was a suicide and no “client list” of people he trafficked victims to exists.

💬KEY QUOTE: “If DOJ can’t move off the dime, and FBI can’t move off the dime, [there] should be a special counsel to go through everything and release it all.” – Stephen K. Bannon

🎯IMPACT: Bannon’s statements have reignited scrutiny of Epstein’s case and raised questions about transparency within the DOJ and FBI.

IN FULL

WarRoom host and former White House chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon has called on President Donald J. Trump to appoint a special prosecutor to release all government files related to deceased pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. This comes after the Department of Justice (DOJ) released a memo reiterating that Epstein’s 2019 death in a Manhattan jail cell was a suicide, and that there is no “client list” of people he trafficked victims to—despite Attorney General Pam Bondi implying such a list was “sitting on [her] desk right now” in February.

On his WarRoom podcast, Bannon stated, “They have to go to the court and demand and unseal the sealed evidence in Epstein. It starts there.”

“Bundle everything together… release it all. Or, which I called for yesterday, appoint a special prosecutor—he should appoint a special prosecutor, a special counsel now, for the 2020 election and everything after that, and include Russiagate and all this. You have to do that. That should be done immediately, and that should report to the President,” he added.

The Justice Department’s attempt to essentially close the book on the Epstein case comes as Jay Lefkowitz, the lawyer who helped secure his “sweetheart” deal connected to his 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor, is negotiating with the Trump administration to help Columbia University escape financial consequences for fostering radical politics.

Sources tell The National Pulse that Lefkowitz is outplaying federal negotiators, with the timing of the DOJ’s Epstein memo appearing suspicious to many legal and political insiders.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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EPA’s Zeldin Releases Info on Contrails and Geoengineering.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the release of public information on contrails and geoengineering.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and the EPA.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The announcement was made on Thursday via social media and the EPA website.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The Trump EPA is committed to total transparency,” said Lee Zeldin.

🎯IMPACT: The EPA has created online resources to provide Americans with accessible information on contrails and geoengineering.

IN FULL

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced Thursday that the agency will make information about contrails and geoengineering publicly accessible.

“The Trump EPA is committed to total transparency,” Zeldin posted on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). “I tasked my team… to compile everything we know about contrails and geoengineering to release to you now publicly.”

In a video shared with the post, Zeldin addressed the longstanding skepticism surrounding these topics, stating that people who previously questioned them were often “dismissed as conspiracy theorists.” He added that the EPA’s latest initiative is intended to challenge that perception.

Contrails—short for condensation trails—are visible lines of water vapor that form behind high-altitude aircraft or rockets. Geoengineering, meanwhile, encompasses deliberate strategies aimed at altering the climate, typically to counteract alleged climate change.

The EPA has launched new online materials that explain these subjects in detail. According to the agency’s website, “EPA also created a new online resource focused specifically on solar geoengineering activities, which involve cooling the Earth by reflecting sunlight back to space, usually through injecting gases, like sulfur dioxide, into the upper atmosphere where they form reflective particles.”

In April of last year, it was revealed that scientists kept the details of geoengineering experiments hidden from the public because they feared a public backlash. For instance, the Coastal Atmospheric Aerosol Research and Engagement (CAARE) project, led by researchers at the University of Washington, deployed trillions of salt particles to increase the density and reflectivity of clouds. They did this despite some believing it could adversely affect the weather in unclear ways.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated earlier this year that the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) may be mixing chemicals into jet fuel to create chemtrails.

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A Chinese State-Owned Company Is Selling Supplements on U.S. Military Bases.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Republican Rep. Pat Harrigan (R-NC) has called for an investigation into General Nutrition Centers (GNC) stores on U.S. military bases, amid claims that products which are supposed to be predominantly U.S.-made use ingredients mostly from China.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Rep. Pat Harrigan (R-NC), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Marty Makary, and GNC representatives.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The investigation request was made in July 2025, targeting GNC stores on U.S. military bases.

💬KEY QUOTE: “A Chinese state-owned company with this level of access to U.S. military bases is a direct threat to national security.” – Rep. Pat Harrigan

🎯IMPACT: Harrigan’s push could lead to investigations into GNC’s operations and potentially the removal of their stores from military bases.

IN FULL

Republican Congressman Pat Harrigan (R-NC) is calling on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate where General Nutrition Centers (GNC) sources its supplement ingredients, raising alarms about potential national security risks tied to Chinese supply chains and ownership.

In a letter addressed to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, Harrigan pointed to a significant gap between GNC’s public marketing and what he claims is the reality behind the scenes. “Our analysis reveals that nearly 90 percent of GNC’s private-label ingredients are sourced from China, despite GNC’s public claims that 96 percent of its products are U.S.-made,” Harrigan wrote.

At the heart of his concern is GNC’s 2020 acquisition by Harbin Pharmaceutical Group, a Chinese state-owned company with ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Harrigan argues that such ownership could pose a security threat, particularly since GNC operates stores on U.S. military bases. He’s now pushing for legislation—the Military Installation Retail Security Act—that would ban Chinese-owned retailers from operating on those bases.

“A Chinese state-owned company with this level of access to U.S. military bases is a direct threat to national security,” Harrigan said.

Supporting his case, Harrigan cited a risk assessment conducted by third-party firm Exiger. The report categorized GNC’s ownership risk as “medium-high,” and found that since the 2020 acquisition, GNC had received more than 4,300 ingredient shipments from China, worth roughly $500 million. Harrigan also referenced a $2.25 million penalty the company paid in 2016 for selling supplements containing unapproved ingredients.

The clash between Harrigan and GNC comes amid a related effort to scrutinize farmland acquisitions by Chinese nationals and corporations, particularly those near military installations.

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T-Mobile Axes DEI as It Seeks Merger Permission from Trump FCC.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: T-Mobile announced it will eliminate its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, citing legal and internal restructuring reasons.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: T-Mobile, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the Trump administration.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The announcement was made public on Wednesday, July 10, through a letter sent to the FCC.

💬KEY QUOTE: “T-Mobile will no longer have any individual roles or teams focused on DEI,” the company stated in a memo.

🎯IMPACT: The move aligns with the Trump administration’s broad pressure against corporate DEI policies and coincides with T-Mobile’s pursuit of federal approval for two major business transactions.

IN FULL

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has scored another major win for the Trump administration with T-Mobile, the second-largest wireless carrier in the United States, announcing it has ended its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. T-Mobile states the decision to scrap its DEI initiatives stems from legal and restructuring reasons, but the move is widely seen as an effort to comply with President Donald J. Trump’s directives ending federal government contracts with companies that promote discriminatory DEI policies.

T-Mobile’s decision was made public on Wednesday in a letter sent to FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr. The FCC has aggressively enforced President Trump’s rollback of DEI, using its regulatory power to encourage major U.S. telecommunications and technology companies to ditch the discriminatory policy.

The company claims it is ending DEI-related policies “not just in name, but in substance.” Employees previously assigned to DEI-specific roles will be reassigned within the Human Resources department to focus more broadly on employee culture and engagement. T-Mobile clarified that it will no longer maintain any positions or teams focused solely on DEI initiatives.

“First, the handful of T-Mobile employees who focused on diversity and inclusion will be redirected within Human Resources to focus on employee culture and engagement. As a result, T-Mobile will no longer have any individual roles or teams focused on ‘DEI.’ T-Mobile is also removing any language, logos, or other references to DEI on its websites, and will ensure that company websites and future communications do not have any references to DEI or diversity, equity, and inclusion, and are consistent with T-Mobile’s commitment to promote nondiscrimination and equal employment opportunity,” the company said in its memo.

T-Mobile is currently seeking approval from federal regulators to conduct two major business transactions. The company is pursuing a $4 billion deal to acquire nearly all of US Cellular’s regional carrier wireless operations, including customers, stores, and other assets. Additionally, T-Mobile is working on a joint venture with KKR to acquire Internet provider Metronet.

Image by Phil Dolby.

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Trump Terminates Clinton-Era Policy Giving Free Tuition to Illegals.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump’s Department of Education has revoked a Bill Clinton-era policy giving taxpayer funds to help pay for the education of illegal aliens.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, and illegal aliens.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The announcement was made on July 10, and the policy will come into force on August 9.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Postsecondary education programs funded by the federal government should benefit American citizens, not illegal aliens.” – Linda McMahon.

🎯IMPACT: The change will save taxpayers from funding the education of illegal aliens.

IN FULL

The U.S. Department of Education has announced the rollback of a Bill Clinton-era policy that made certain federal education funds accessible to illegal immigrants enrolled in technical, career, and adult education programs.

The decision reverses a directive from the former Clinton administration, allowing non-citizens without legal status to benefit from federal funding for postsecondary education. According to the Trump administration, that interpretation was at odds with the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), a federal law that limits most public benefits to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.

“Postsecondary education programs funded by the federal government should benefit American citizens, not illegal aliens,” said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “Under President Trump’s leadership, hardworking American taxpayers will no longer foot the bill for illegal aliens to participate in our career, technical, or adult education programs or activities. The Department will ensure that taxpayer funds are reserved for citizens and individuals who have entered our country through legal means who meet federal eligibility criteria.”

Officials pointed to an executive order signed by President Trump on February 19, which reinforced the administration’s commitment to ending the use of federal funds for illegal immigrants. That order aligns with the PRWORA by emphasizing that federal benefits should be reserved for legal residents.

Beginning August 9, 2025, the Department will enforce the updated interpretation of the PRWORA. Federally funded postsecondary programs will be required to verify participants’ eligibility in accordance with the revised policy.

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EXPLAINED: Judge Blocks Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Order Despite SCOTUS Ruling.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: A federal judge has issued a nationwide injunction blocking President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order ending birthright citizenship, despite a Supreme Court ruling last month barring lower courts from granting such relief beyond their jurisdiction.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Normand Laplante, the United States Supreme Court, President Donald J. Trump, and the children of immigrants born on or after January 20, 2025.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The injunction was issued on Thursday, July 10, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The court hereby finds that Class Petitioners have demonstrated likelihood of success on the merits of their claims; that Class Petitioners are likely to suffer irreparable harm if the order is not granted,” wrote Judge Laplante.

🎯IMPACT: Despite the Supreme Court ruling limiting nationwide injunctions, Judge Laplante utilized the “wiggle room” in the ruling, which allows for nationwide injunctive relief to be granted in class action lawsuits where a viable class is established and certified by the court.

IN FULL

U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Normand Laplante has issued a nationwide injunction blocking President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order ending birthright citizenship. While the U.S. Supreme Court ruled late last month that lower courts cannot—under most circumstances—grant injunctive relief beyond their jurisdiction, the high court left a degree of what Justice Samuel Alito called “wiggle room” for issuing nationwide injunctions as part of a class action lawsuit. This latter exception is how Judge Laplante, a George W. Bush appointee, made his ruling blocking the birthright citizenship order.

“After careful consideration of the parties’ submissions, the supporting declarations, the applicable law, and the filings and record in this case, the court GRANTS Petitioners’ Motion for a Classwide Preliminary Injunction,” Judge Laplante wrote in his ruling. He continued: “The court hereby finds that Class Petitioners have demonstrated likelihood of success on the merits of their claims; that Class Petitioners are likely to suffer irreparable harm if the order is not granted; that the potential harm to the class petitioners if the order is not granted outweighs the potential harm to Respondents if the order is granted; and that the issuance of this order is in the public interest.”

Notably, the injunction only provides relief from President Trump’s directive ending birthright citizenship for the class established by the court, which Judge Laplante defines as the children of immigrants born after the January 20, 2025, Executive Order went into effect. The federal judge, based in New Hampshire, also issued a seven-day stay on his injunction to allow time for the Trump administration to appeal the decision.

While Judge Laplante appears to have circumvented the constraints placed on nationwide injunctions by the Supreme Court, the expediency with which he recognized a viable class for the purposes of class action could be seen as dubious. Typically, establishing and certifying a viable class can take a relatively long period of time, with most class action lawsuits in the United States taking, on average, two to three years to conclude.

The Trump administration is expected to appeal the injunction.

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EXC: Epstein Lawyer Jay Lefkowitz Now Helping Columbia University Get Off Trump’s Hook.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Jay Lefkowitz, known for once securing a lenient deal for sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, is now negotiating on behalf of Columbia University to restore its federal funding.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Jay Lefkowitz, Columbia University, and the federal government under the Trump Administration.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Current negotiations following actions against Columbia by the Trump Administration, including a suspension of $400M in federal grants.

🎯IMPACT: Potential restoration of hundreds of millions in federal funding and protection of Columbia’s accreditation and tax-exempt status.

IN FULL

Jay Lefkowitz, the lawyer who once helped carve out a sweetheart deal for sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, is now orchestrating another behind-the-scenes maneuver—this time on behalf of Columbia University, The National Pulse has learned.

Sources tell The National Pulse that Lefkowitz has outplayed federal negotiators in the Trump administration and is on the verge of finalizing an agreement with the U.S. government to rescue the far-left college from the brink of financial disaster. This involves restoring over $400 million in suspended federal grants and preserving its tax-exempt status and accreditation, even as the university faces accusations of civil rights violations and internal bigotry against both Trump supporters and Jewish students.

Lefkowitz’s name is infamous among legal and political observers. In 2007, while a partner at Kirkland & Ellis, he helped broker a non-prosecution deal with then-U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta that let Epstein dodge a 53-count federal indictment in Florida. The pair met at a Marriott 70 miles from the prosecutor’s office to hammer out the secret arrangement. Epstein would plead guilty to state prostitution charges, serve just 13 months with work-release perks, and—most shockingly—his victims would never be notified, a blatant violation of federal law.

When the agreement eventually surfaced a decade later, Acosta was forced to resign as Trump’s Secretary of Labor. Lefkowitz, meanwhile, doubled down—personally appealing to Manhattan authorities to minimize Epstein’s sex offender registration requirements.

In May, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services concluded that Columbia “violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act” by ignoring anti-Semitic harassment on campus. The Trump Administration responded by cutting off federal funds and moving to review Columbia’s accreditation—a potential deathblow to an Ivy League institution long viewed as untouchable.

Lefkowitz is reportedly working to scrub the damage and convince federal officials to settle. A source familiar with the negotiations said he’s “close to another miracle,” despite Columbia’s long list of controversies.

Among them:

— The university published a formal protocol instructing students and staff how to resist ICE enforcement actions;

— Internal text messages from Claire Shipman, Chair of the Board of Trustees and Acting President, show her scheming to oust a Jewish board member and “replace her with somebody from the Middle East or who is Arab.”

— Columbia’s leadership has refused to take accountability for weeks of on-campus intimidation and harassment targeting Jewish students during the Gaza-related protests.

Meanwhile, this week, the Department of Justice and the FBI attempted to close the book on the Epstein case with a curt two-page memo. It claimed there was “no client list” and reaffirmed the government’s position that Epstein died by suicide in 2019, despite widespread skepticism and a mountain of unanswered questions. The timing of that announcement, coming as Lefkowitz works his magic once again, has raised eyebrows in both legal and political circles.

Lefkowitz has historically been a major donor to ‘RINO’ Republican candidates such as Nikki Haley, Jeb Bush, and Mitt Romney. His most recent political contribution was to New York Democrat Ritchie Torres, who represents part of the Bronx neighborhood. Lefkowitz has also represented anti-Trump activist and failed magazine editor Bill Kristol.

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