Tuesday, September 30, 2025

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ICYMI: Trump’s Full Speech to Globalist World Economic Forum in Davos.

President Donald J. Trump made a virtual appearance at the globalist World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland on Thursday, drawing battle lines by emphasizing national sovereignty, rejecting its climate agenda, and threatening the European Union (EU) on trade.

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PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, thank you very much, Klaus [Schwab]. And hello to everyone in beautiful Davos.

This has been a truly historic week in the United States. Three days ago, I took the oath of office, and we began the golden age of America. The recent presidential election was won by millions of votes and all seven — every one of them — all seven swing states. It was a massive mandate from the American people like hasn’t been seen in many years. And some of the political pundits, even some of my so-called enemies, said it was the most consequential election victory in 129 years. That’s quite nice.

What the world has witnessed in the past 72 hours is nothing less than a revolution of common sense. Our country will soon be stronger, wealthier, and more united than ever before, and the entire planet will be more peaceful and prosperous as a result of this incredible momentum and what we’re doing and going to do.

My administration is acting with unprecedented speed to fix the disasters we’ve inherited from a totally inept group of people and to solve every single crisis facing our country.

This begins with confronting the economic chaos caused by the failed policies of the last administration. Over the past four years, our government racked up $8 trillion in wasteful deficit spending and inflicted nation-wrecking energy restrictions, crippling regulations, and hidden taxes like never before. The result is the worst inflation crisis in modern history and sky-high interest rates for our citizens and even throughout the world. Food prices and the price of almost every other thing known to mankind went through the roof.

President Biden totally lost control of what was going on in our country but, in particular, with our high-inflation economy and at our border. Because of these ruinous policies, total government spending this year is $1.5 trillion higher than was projected to occur when I left office just four years ago. Likewise, the cost of servicing the debt is more than 230 percent higher than was projected in 2020.

The inflation rate we are inheriting remains 50 percent higher than the historic target. It was the highest inflation probably in the history of our country. That’s why, from the moment I took office, I’ve taken rapid action to reverse each and every one of these radical left policies that created this calamity — in particular, with immigration, crime, and inflation.

On day one, I signed an executive order directing every member of my Cabinet to marshal all powers at their disposal to defeat inflation and reduce the cost of daily life. I imposed a federal hiring freeze, a federal regulation freeze, a foreign aid freeze, and I created the new Department of Government Efficiency.

I terminated the ridiculous and incredibly wasteful Green New Deal — I call it the “Green New Scam”; withdrew from the one-sided Paris Climate Accord; and ended the insane and costly electric vehicle mandate. We’re going to let people buy the car they want to buy.

I declared a national em- — energy emergency — and it’s so important — national energy emergency to unlock the liquid gold under our feet and pave the way for rapid approvals of new energy infrastructure. The United States has the largest amount of oil and gas of any country on Earth, and we’re going to use it.

Not only will this reduce the cost of virtually all goods and services, it will make the United States a manufacturing superpower and the world capital of artificial intelligence and crypto.

My administration has also begun the largest deregulation campaign in history, far exceeding even the record-setting efforts of my last term.

In total, the Biden administration imposed $50,000 in additional regulatory costs on the average American household over the last four years. I have promised to eliminate 10 old regulations for every new regulation, which will soon put many thousands of dollars back in the pockets of American families.

To further unleash our economy, our majorities in the House and Senate — which we also took, along with the presidency — are going to pass the largest tax cut in American history, including massive tax cuts for workers and family and big tax cuts for domestic producers and manufacturers. And we’re working with the Democrats on getting an extension of the original Trump tax cuts, as you probably know by just reading any paper.

My message to every business in the world is very simple: Come make your product in America, and we will give you among the lowest taxes of any nation on Earth. We’re bringing them down very substantially, even from the original Trump tax cuts. But if you don’t make your product in America, which is your prerogative, then, very simply, you will have to pay a tariff — differing amounts, but a tariff — which will direct hundreds of billions of dollars and even trillions of dollars into our Treasury to strengthen our economy and pay down debt.

Under the Trump administration, there will be no better place on Earth to create jobs, build factories, or grow a company than right here in the good old USA.

Already, American’s economic — and you can see this, I think, maybe even in your — in your wonderful, wonderful room that you’re all gathered together — so many of my friends — but, Americans, the economic confidence is soaring like we haven’t seen in many, many decades, maybe not at all.

Upon my election, it was just announced that small-business optimism skyrocketed by 41 points in a single month. That’s the highest ever. There’s never been anything like that.

SoftBank has announced between a $100 and $200 billion investment in the U.S. economy because of the election result. And just two days ago, Oracle, SoftBank, and OpenAI announced a $500 billion investment in AI infrastructure. Other companies, likewise, have announced billions and billions and billions — adding up to trillions — of investment in America, in the United States.

And it’s also reported today in the papers that Saudi Arabia will be investing at least $600 billion in America. But I’ll be asking the crown prince, who’s a fantastic guy, to round it out to around $1 trillion. I think they’ll do that because we’ve been very good to them. And I’m also going to ask Saudi Arabia and OPEC to bring down the cost of oil. You got to bring it down, which, frankly, I’m surprised they didn’t do before the election. That didn’t show a lot of love by them not doing it. I was a little surprised by that.

If the price came down, the Russia-Ukraine war would end immediately. Right now, the price is high enough that that war will continue. You got to bring down the oil price; you’re going to end that war. They should have done it long ago. They’re very responsible, actually, to a certain extent, for what’s taking place — millions of lives are being lost.

With oil prices going down, I’ll demand that interest rates drop immediately. And, likewise, they should be dropping all over the world. Interest rates should follow us.

All over, the progress that you’re seeing is happening because of our historic victory in a recent presidential election, one that has become quite well known throughout the world.

I think a lot of things are happening to a lot of countries. They say that there’s light shining all over the world since the election. And even countries that we aren’t particularly friendly with are happy because they understand what — there is a future and th- — how great the future will be.

Under our leadership, America is back and open for business. And this week, I’m also taking swift action to stop the invasion at our southern border. They allowed people to come in at levels that nobody has ever seen before. It was ridiculous. I decided a — and declared to dec- — to — to do — and very, very importantly — a national emergency on our border; immediately halted all entry of illegal border crossers, of which there were many; and began properly returning the illegal trespassers back to the place from which they came.

That action, as you’ve probably seen, has already started very strongly. I have deployed active-duty U.S. military and National Guard troops to the border to assist in repelling the invasion. It was really an invasion. We will not allow our territory to be violated.

After four long years, the United States is strong and sovereign and a beautiful nation once again. It’s a strong, sovereign nation.

In addition, I’m pleased to report that America is also a free nation once again. On day one, I signed an executive order to stop all government censorship. No longer will our government label the speech of our own citizens as misinformation or disinformation, which are the favorite words of censors and those who wish to stop the free exchange of ideas and, frankly, progress. We have saved free speech in America, and we’ve saved it strongly.

With another historic executive order this week, I also ended the weaponization of law enforcement against the American people — and, frankly, against politicians — and restored the fair, equal, and impartial rule of law.

My administration has taken action to abolish all discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion nonsense — and these are policies that were absolute nonsense — throughout the government and the private sector. With the recent, yet somewhat unexpected, great Supreme Court decision just made, America will once again become a merit-based country. You have to hear that word: merit-based country.

And I’ve made it official — an official policy of the United States that there are only two genders, male and female, and we will have no men participating in women’s sports, and transgender operations, which became the rage, will occur very rarely.

Finally, as we restore common sense in America, we’re moving quickly to bring back strength and peace and stability abroad. I’m also going to ask all NATO nations to increase defense spending to 5 percent of GDP, which is what it should have been years ago — it was only at 2 percent, and most nations didn’t pay until I came along; I insisted that they pay, and they did — because the United States was really paying the difference at that time, and it’s — it was unfair to the United States. But many, many things have been unfair for many years to the United States.

Before even taking office, my team negotiated a ceasefire agreement in the Middle East, which wouldn’t have happened without us, as I think most of the people in the room know. Earlier this week, the hostages began to return to their families. They are returning, and it’s a beautiful sight. And they’ll be coming in more and more. They started coming back on Sunday.

Our efforts to secure a peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine are now, hopefully, underway. It’s so important to get that done. That is an absolute killing field.

Millions of soldiers are being killed. Nobody has seen anything like it since World War II. They’re laying dead all over the flat fields. It’s a flat field — farmland, and there’s millions of Russians and millions of Ukrainians. Nobody’s seen anything like it since World War II. It’s time to end it.

And here in America, we have big events coming up. Next year we have the 250th anniversary of America’s founding. I’m so honored to be president during that. That’s been a big event. They’ve been talking about it for 10 years. We also have the World Cup, and I understand Gianni — Gianni is in the room — Infantino. He was very instrumental in helping us get it — he’s there with you someplace, I think — and I want to thank him for that.

And then we have the Olympics coming up, which I was instrumental in getting, also, in my first term. And who would have known that by skipping a term, I would get the Olympics? I was upset. I said, “You know, I got the Olympics to come and I won’t be president.” But it turned out, through a stroke of luck or whatever you might call it, that I’m going to be president during the World Cup and the Olympics and the 250th

anniversary. So, that’s going to be three big events.

And we’ve accomplished more in less than four days — we have really been working — four days — than other administrations have accomplished in four years, and we’re just getting started. It’s really an amazing thing to see, and the spirit and the light over our country has been incredible.

Under the last administration, our nation has suffered greatly, but we are going to bring it back and make it greater, bigger, stronger, better than ever before.

I want to thank everybody for being with you. I would have been there myself, except the inauguration was two days ago. I thought it might be a little bit quick to make it the first stop, but we’ll get there one day. We hope to get there.

But I — I do appreciate — I heard the audience is fantastic, and many of my friends are in the audience. And I will be taking questions now from some very distinguished people.

Thank you all very much. (Applause.)

MR. BRENDE: Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. President, for that very powerful speech, and I think you could hear the applause all the way from Davos to the White House. But next year, it will be even better, because then you can get the applause here in Davos. So, we wish you welcome to our village next year. We hope to see you.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much.

MR. BRENDE: So, we also know, Mr. President, that you open up for interaction here. We have a great panel with some of the most distinguished businesspeople in the world.

Let me start with someone that you know really well, that I think is almost a neighbor of you in Mal-a- — in — in Florida, Mr. Steve Schwarzman, chairman, CEO, and cofounder of Blackstone Group.

So, Steve, floor is yours.

MR. SCHWARZMAN: Well, Mr. President —

THE PRESIDENT: Hello, Steve.

MR. SCHWARZMAN: — I’m sure the crown prince of Saudi Arabia will be really glad you gave this speech today. (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: I hope so.

MR. SCHWARZMAN: You’ve had the busiest four days that anybody can imagine, and congratulations for that.

And my question is — is about some of the things I’ve observed here at Davos. It’s a terrific forum. I’ve met lots of people, as usual. I think I’ve been here 30 years. And a lot of the European businesspeople have expressed enormous frustration with the regulatory regime in the EU, and they attribute slower growth rates here because of numerous factors, but especially because of regulations.

And you’ve taken a completely different approach in this area. And if you could explain the theory of what you’re doing, how you’re going to do it, and what you expect the outcome to be, I’d appreciate it.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you very much. And congratulations, Steve — you’re a friend of mine — but on a great career. You have had an amazing career and continues. So, I just want to congratulate you. Very inspirational to a lot of people.

I want to talk about the EU, because you mentioned specifically that I’ve also had a lot of friends and leaders of countries. I’ve gotten to know them all my first term and a little bit during this period of four years and know them well, like them a lot, but they’re very frustrated because of the time everything seems to take to get approved — environmental impact statements for things that you shouldn’t even have to do that, and many, many other ways that it takes.

And I’m going to give you a quick little example. I w- — in the private life, my beautiful private life — before I had all these things happening — the world is a little different — I had a nice, simple life. You knew that.

But when I had that simple life, I did projects, and I had a big project in Ireland, and it had to get approval on something that would have made it even better. And I got the approval from Ireland in a period of a week, and it was a very, very, very efficient, good approval.

And they informed me, though, “The problem is you’re going to have to get it from the EU, and we think that’ll take five to six years.” And I said, “You have to be kidding.” And this was before politics. And I said, “Wait a minute. It’s not that important. I don’t want to go five or six years.” But it would have been a big investment. It would have been nice, and it would have been good for the project.

And I sent the people to the EU to see if they could speed it up, and basically it was a five- or six-year wait just to get a simple approval that Ireland gave me in a period of, literally, not much more than a week.

And I realized right then — that was the first time I really was involved with the EU, but I realized right then, that’s a problem, and I didn’t even bother applying to do it, and — or if I did, I pulled it very quickly. I don’t wa- — I have to be very accurate, because I don’t want to be criticized. “He did apply, actually.” No, I want to be very accurate. So, I don’t think I did, but if I did, I pulled it very quickly. It was just something you — you couldn’t wait five years or six years to get an approval.

So, a lot of — in a very big business sense, a lot of people are — are claiming that’s the problem.

From the standpoint of America, the EU treats us very, very unfairly, very badly. They have a large tax that we know about and — a VAT tax — and it’s a very substantial one. They don’t take our far- — essentially, don’t take our farm products and they don’t take our cars. Yet, they send cars to us by the millions.

They put tariffs on things that we want to do, like, for instance, I think they actually — in terms of these are noneconomic or nonmonetary tariffs, and — and those are very bad, and they make it very difficult to bring products into Europe, and yet they expect to be selling and they do sell their products in the United States.

So, we have, you know, hundreds of billions of dollars of deficits with the EU, and nobody is happy with it. And we’re going to do something about it, but nobody is happy with it. So, I think the EU has to speed up their process.

Friends of mine that are in some of the nations within the EU, great people, they — they want to be able to compete better, and you can’t compete when you can’t get — go through the approval process fast. There’s no reason why it can’t go faster.

So, you know, I’m — I’m trying to be constructive, because I love Europe. I love the countries of Europe. But the process is a very cumbersome one, and th- — and they do treat the United States of America very, very unfairly with the VAT taxes and all of the other taxes they impose.

One other — just to finish up, I got a call from the head of a major airline, one of the biggest airlines in the world. And he said, “Sir, could you help us?” “What?” “Landing in Europe is brutal. They charge us fees for everything, and it’s so unfair.” I said, “How does it compare to China?” He said, “It’s — it’s much worse.”

And the other thing, as you know, they took court cases with Apple, and they supposedly won a case that most people didn’t think was much of a case. They won $15 or $16 billion from Apple. They won billions from Google. I think they’re after Facebook for billions and billions.

These are American companies. Whether you like them or not, they’re — they’re American companies, and they shouldn’t be doing that. And that’s — as far as I’m concerned, it’s a form of taxation.

So, we have some very big complaints with the EU.

Thank you.

MR. BRENDE: Tha- — thank you very much, Mr. President. We’ll now go to one of your friends in the EU, Patrick Pouyanné. He’s the chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies.

I guess you have a question ready, Patrick, for the president.

MR. POUYANNÉ: Mr. President, as we understand, energy is at the top of your agenda, and it’s an honor for me to represent the energy industry tonight in this panel. TotalEnergies is indeed the fourth largest oil and gas and electricity company in the world.

I will not ask you a question about the oil price. It’s quite clear what you expect from us. I will more go to gas more. And we, our company, is the largest, number one exporter LNG from the U.S. company. We are a strong contributor to and we invest in mammoth LNG projects in Texas, $20 billion. It’s far from $200, but it’s $20 billion. And we contribute with that to security of supply to Europe as we export this LNG to Europe.

Some experts fear that if there are too many projects developed in the U.S. on LNG, this could have an inflat- — inflationary impact on the U.S. domestic gas price, and they recommend a pause on these projects.

I would ask you the following question: What are your views on — about such a pause on investments on LNG in the U.S.? What would happen if you would observe an increased domestic gas price because of these exports? And final question, which is important for Europe: Would you agree to guarantee security of supplies of U.S. LNG to Europe?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, on the last part of your question, yes, I would. I would make sure that you get it. If we make a deal, we make a deal; you’ll get it. Because a lot of people do have that problem. They make a deal, and then it can’t get supplied because of war-type problems and other problems. So, we would absolutely do that.

LNG is very interesting, because when I took office for the first term, one of the first things I looked at was two — there were two very massive plants in Louisiana, a state that has been very good to me. I won it by many, many points, and

I felt strongly indebted to it, actually.

And they said there are two plants that have been under environmental consideration for more than 10 years, and they were costing — as you say, you know how expensive those plants are — but they were costing like $12 billion and, I think, $14 or $15 billion. But they couldn’t get their permits. It was — they were in review for years — many, many years — like a decade or more.

And I said, “So ridiculous.” I know so much about that, because in the construction industry, I had to go through it too, but I got good at it after a while.

But I — I went — I saw the projects, and you’re talking about a total investment of $25 to $30 billion, and it looked like it was going to end. They couldn’t get their permits, and I got them done in less than a week. It was done, completed.

In fact, when they called them to announce that it was done, the countries — largely countries — Japan was involved and — and another country and some very big investors — they couldn’t believe it. They actually couldn’t believe it.

And I said, “Just do yourself one favor. Don’t pay any consultants, because the only one that got it done was me.” I got it done because it was the right thing to do for the U.S. and for the world, but the consultants had nothing to do with it, you know? The consultants go in and they say, “Give us millions of dollars because Trump did it.” Nobody called me about it. I just heard it was a problem for years, and I got it done because it was the right thing to do for the U.S. and the right thing to do for beyond. It had to do with energy — very important.

So, I think it’s very important. I think the — the — you know, I disagree with one. I think the more that you do, the lower the price is going to go. And what I’d like to see is rapid approvals.

We’re going to give very rapid approvals in the United States, like with the AI plants, talking to — many people want to build them. That’s going to be a very big thing.

We’re going to build electric generating facilities — they are going to build. I’m going to get them the approval. Under emergency declaration, I can get the approvals done myself without having to go through years of waiting.

And the big problem is we need double the energy we currently have in the United States — can you imagine? — for AI to really be as big as we want to have it. Because it’s a very competitive — it will be very competitive with China and others.

So, I’m going to give emergency declarations so that they can start building them almost immediately.

And I’m — I’m — I think it was largely my idea, because nobody thought this was possible. It wasn’t that they were not smart, because they’re the smartest, but I told them that what I want you to do is build your electric generating plant right next to your plant as a separate building, connected. And they said, “Wow, you’re kidding.” And I said, “No, no. I’m not kidding.” You don’t have to hook into the grid, which is old and, you know, could be taken out. If it’s taken out, they wouldn’t have any way to get any electricity.

So, we are going to allow them to go on a very rapid bas- — basis to build their plant — build the electric generating plant. They can fuel it with anything they want, and they may have coal as a backup. Good, clean coal.

You know, if there were a problem with a — with a pipe coming in — as an example, you’re going with gas — oil or gas — and a pipe gets blown up or, for some reason, doesn’t work, there are some companies in the U.S. that have coal sitting right by the plant so that if there’s an emergency, they can go to that short-term basis and use our very clean coal.

So, that’s something else that a lot of people didn’t even know about. But nothing can destroy coal — not the weather, not a bomb — nothing. It might make it a little smaller, might make it a little different shape. But coal is very strong as a backup. It’s a great backup to have that facility, and it wouldn’t cost much more — more money.

And we have more coal than anybody. We also have more oil and gas than anybody.

So, we’re going to make it so that the plants will have their own electric generating facilities attached right to their plant. They don’t have to worry about a utility. They don’t have to worry about anything. And we’re going to get very rapid approvals.

MR. BRENDE: Thank you. Thank you so much, Mr. President. We’ll now go to another CEO that you know very well: Brian Moynihan, the CEO and chair of Bank of America.

MR. MOYNIHAN: Good afternoon, Mr. President, and congratulations — an obviously eventful week for you and your family.

If you remember, five years ago, you came here and we walked among 150 CEOs from all over the world, and you engaged with them about your policies and your procedures.

This year, you’re not here. And yet this week was eventful, from the orders that you mentioned earlier — literally a wave of orders coming out on immigration, on trade, and many other matters.

And so, as a representative of the United States here,

we got a lot of questions about what does all this mean and how would the president square this with his clear focus on growth, prosperity, market gro- — stock market growth, a good bond market, and bringing down prices.

So, how do you think about the impact of all these orders and how fast they come out and how you’re going to balance them with that scorecard of being successful on both contan- — continuing GDP growth, bringing down inflation, and also having a good stock price appreciation for the American citizen?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I think it’s going to actually bring down inflation. It’s going to bring up jobs. We’re going to have a lot of jobs. We’re going to have a lot of companies moving in.

You know, Brian, we’re at 21 percent. It was at 40 percent, and I got it down to 21 percent — the corporate tax. And it was — actually, if you look at state and city, it was, in many cases, much higher than 40 percent. I got it down to 21 percent. And now we’re going to bring it down from 21 to 15 percent if — this is a big “if” — if you make your product in the U.S.

So, we’re going to have the lowest — just about the lowest rate. It will be — the 21 is on the low side worldwide; the 15 is about as low as it gets, and by far the lowest of a large country — a large, you know, rich, powerful country — by far, not even a contest.

So, we’re going to bring it down to 15 percent if you make your product in the USA. So, that’s going to create a — a tremendous buzz.

We’re also probably going back to the one-year deduction, where we deduct — you know, we — we did that originally, and that was amazing what — the impact that that had, the one-year deduction, which built up over a period of time and then it expires. But we’re going to go back to that when we do the renewal of the Trump tax plan.

We have to get Democrats to approve it. But, you know, if the Democrats didn’t approve it, I don’t know how they can survive with about a 45 percent tax increase, because that’s what it would be. And so, I think they’re going to b- — w- — we’ve been working along with them pretty well.

I think it’s very hard for a political group to say, “Let’s charge people 45 percent more.” So, I think we’re in good shape.

But we’re actually doing a reduction for business and small businesses, where you’re going to b- — bring it down to 15 percent, which is really something.

And, by the way, speaking of you — and you’ve done a fantastic job — but I hope you start opening your bank to conservatives, because many conservatives complain that the banks are not allowing them to do business within the bank, and that included a place called Bank of America. This conserve- — they don’t take conservative business. And I don’t know if the regulators mandated that because of Biden or what, but you and Jamie and everybody, I hope you’re going to open your banks to conservatives, because what you’re doing is wrong.

MR. MOYNIHAN: Mr. President —

MR. BRENDE: (Inaudible.)

MR. MOYNIHAN: — I’ll say that your friend Gianni was — said hello — told me tell you hello, and we look forward to sponsoring the World Cup when it comes, both this summer for the club and next year. So, thank you for getting that for the United States.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, Brian.

MR. BRENDE: Thank you, Mr. President. We’ll now go to Ana Botín. She’s the executive chairman of Banco Santander, one of the big European banks and also in the U.S.

So, Ana.

MS. BOTÍN: Mr. President, congratulations on a historic victory.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.

MS. BOTÍN: I believe you don’t know me as well as my fellow panelists, so a few words. Santander is one of the largest banks in the world by number of customers, 170 million. That’s more than my friend Brian or my friend Jamie have. (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: Wow.

MS. BOTÍN: And those — (applause) —

MR. MOYNIHAN: If they fix the regulation (inaudible).

MS. BOTÍN: That’s coming. That’s coming.

MR. BRENDE: That was cheeky. (Laughter.)

MS. BOTÍN: We are — we are a big investor in the United States. We have many million customer, 12,000 employees. We’re one of the largest auto lenders, and we recently launched a fully digital bank called Openbank.

We strongly believe banks have a pivotal role in the economy, and we can accelerate growth and help many more customers. That’s what we do in the United States. So, as Brian pointed out, we very much welcome your focus on deregulation and reducing bureaucracy.

So, my question is: What are your priorities in this regard, and how fast is this going to happen? Thank you very much.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I think it’s going to — thank you and congratulations. I know very much about your bank, and you’ve done a fantastic job. Congratulations.

We are going to move very quickly. We’ve moved very quickly. We’ve done things in the last three days that nobody thought were possible to do in years. And it’s all taken — it’s all taken effect. It’s going to have a huge impact on the economy, a huge positive impact. Money was being wasted on crazy things.

I mean, the Green New Deal was such a total disgrace — what — what — how that was perpetrated. And it was conceived of by people that were average students — less than average students, I might add — and never even took a course in energy or the environment. It was just a game. Remember, the world was going to end in 12 years? Remember that? Well, the 12 years has come and gone. It was going to end. It was going to all foam into earth. But, you know, the time has come.

The — these people — and they — they really — they really scared the Democrats large- — I can’t say the Republicans. Republicans maybe could have fought harder to stop it, but it’s been a tremendous waste of — a tremendous waste of money.

You know, during my four years, we had the cleanest air, we had the cleanest water, and yet we had the most productive economy in the history of our country. We had the most productive economy. Until COVID came, we had the most productive in the history of our country, by far.

And — and actually, you could look worldwide, we — we’re — we were beating everybody from China to everybody else. So — and we think we really — now, with what we have learned and all of the other things that have taken place, we think we can even far surpass that — a- — actually, far, far surpass it. But we do — one thing we’re going to be demanding is we’re going to — be demanding respect from other nations.

Canada. We have a tremendous deficit with Canada. We’re not going to have that anymore. We can’t do it. It’s — it’s — I don’t know if it’s good for them. As you probably know, I say, “You can always become a state, and if you’re a state, we won’t have a deficit. We won’t have to tariff you, et cetera, et cetera.”

But Canada has been very tough to deal with over the years, and it’s not fair that we should have a $200 billion or $250 billion deficit. We don’t need them to make our cars, and they make a lot of them. We don’t need their lumber because we have our own forests, et cetera, et cetera. We don’t need their oil and gas. We have our — we have more than anybody.

So, you know, just as an example, with Mexico — we’re dealing with Mexico, I think, very well. And we’re just — you know, w- — we just want to be treated fairly with other nations, because there’s hardly a nation in the world — and I blame this on us, and I blame it on politicians that for some reason — and probably mostly it’s stupidity, but you could also say other reasons, but mostly stupidity — they’ve allowed other nations to take advantage of the U.S. And w- — we can’t allow that to happen anymore.

You know, we have debt. It’s a very small debt when you compare it to value — the value of the assets that we have, but we don’t want to do that. We want to just have debt be obliterated, and we’ll be able to do that fairly rapidly. And a lot of good things are going to happen.

And — and honestly, good things are going to happen for the world, and good things are going to happen for the people that are dealing with us — allies and beyond allies.

One thing — very important — I really would like to be able to meet with President Putin soon and get that war end — ended, and — and that’s not from the standpoint of economy or anything else. It’s from the standpoint of millions of lives are being wasted. Beautiful, young people are being shot in the battlefield. You know, the bullet — a very flat land, as I said, and the bullet goes — there’s no — there’s no hiding. And a bullet — the only thing going to stop the bullet is a human body. And you have to see — I’ve seen pictures of what’s taken place. It’s a carnage.

And we really have to stop that war. That war is horrible. And I’m not talking economy, I’m not talking economics, I’m not talking about natural resource. I’m just talking about: There’s so many young people being killed in this war, and that’s not including the people that have been killed as the cities are being, you know, knocked down building by building. So, we really should get that stopped.

Likewise, in the Middle East, I think we’ve made a lot of progress in the Middle East, and I think that’s going to — that’s going to come along pretty well.

Thank you very much.

MR. BRENDE: Thank you, Mr. President. We know that most consequential relationship in the world is between the U.S. and China. U.S., 28 percent of the global economy; China close to 20. That’s almost half of the global GDP.

And we know that you called President Xi Jinping last Friday. We heard that you had a good discussion.

How do you see the relationship between the U.S. and China in the next four years under your leadership?

THE PRESIDENT: He called me. But I see it very good. I think that we’re going to have a very good relationship. All we want is fairness. We just want a level playing field. We don’t want to take advantage. We’ve been having massive deficits with China. Biden allowed it to get out of hand. He’s — $1.1 trillion deficit. It’s ridiculous, and it’s just an unfair relationship.

And we have to make it just fair. We don’t have to make it phenomenal. We have to make it a fair relationship. Right now, it’s not a fair relationship. The deficit is massive, as it is with other countries — a lot of Asian countries, actually. But we have deficits that are very big, and we can’t keep doing that, so we’re not going to keep doing that.

But I like President Xi very much. I’ve always liked him. We always had a very good relationship. It was very strained with COVID coming out of Wuhan. Obviously, that strained it. I’m sure it strained it with a lot of people, but that strained our relationship. But we always had a great relationship, I would say, and we look forward to doing very well with China and getting along with China.

Hopefully, China can help us stop the war with, in particular, Russia-Ukraine. And they have a great deal of power over that situation, and we’ll work with them.

And I mentioned that with — during our phone conversation with President Xi, and hopefully we could work together and get that stopped.

We’d like to see denuclearization. In fact, with President Putin, prior to a — an election result, which was, frankly, ridiculous, we were talking about denuclearization of our two countries, and China would have come along. China has a — a much smaller, right now, nuclear armament than us or field than us, but they’re — they’re going to be catching it at some point over the next four or five years.

And I will tell you that President Putin really liked the idea of — of cutting way back on nuclear. And I think the rest of the world, we would have gotten them to follow. And China would have come along too. China also liked it.

Tremendous amounts of money are being spent on nuclear, and the destructive capability is something that we don’t even want to talk about today, because you don’t want to hear it. It’s too depressing.

So, we want to see if we can denuclearize, and I think that’s very possible. And I can tell you that President Putin wanted to do it. He and I wanted to do it. We had a good conversation with China. They would have been involved, and that would have been an unbelievable thing for the planet.

And I hope —

MR. BRENDE: Mr. President, when you’re —

THE PRESIDENT: — it can be started up again.

MR. BRENDE: — back here in Davos next year, will — will there be then a peace agreement with — with Ukraine and Russia by then?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, you’re going to have to ask Russia. Ukraine is ready to — to make a deal.

Just so you understand, this is a war that should have never started. If I were president, it would never have started. This is a war that should have never, ever been started. And — and it wasn’t started during my — there was never even talk about it. I knew that it was the apple of President Putin’s eye, but I also knew that there was no way he was going in, and he wasn’t going to go in.

And then, when I was out, bad things happened, bad things were said, a lot of stupidity all around, and you end up with what you have. Now you have all these bombed-out cities — they look like demolition sites — with many people killed.

I think the — the thing that you’ll see about Ukraine is that far — far more people have died than is being reported. And I’ve seen that. But far, far more people have died.

When you look at a city that’s become a demolition site, where big buildings have been collapsed by missiles hitting them and everything else, and they say, “One person was slightly injured.” No, no, many people were killed. Those are big buildings. I was surprised at how — that was my business. These are buildings that go two and three blocks long. They’re 20 stories high. They’re big, powerful buildings. Then they were knocked down, and there were a lot of people in those buildings. They had announced that two people were injured. That’s not true. So, I think you’re going to find that there were many more people killed in Ukraine and the Ukraine war than anybody has any idea.

But if you look now, so many of the — the people being killed are soldiers just facing each other with guns, rifles, and drones — the new form of warfare — drones. And it’s a very sad thing to see.

And when you see pictures of the fields that I see, nobody wants to see it. You’ll never be the same.

MR. BRENDE: Thank you very much, Mr. President. On behalf of all the 3,000 participants here in Davos, we really, really underline that joining us, the third day in your presidency, live, taking questions here, it’s so appreciated. And we are already ready for receiving you next year in person.

So, thank you very much, and all the best from Davos. (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. (Applause.)

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More Lawfare: Federal Judge Blocks Hundreds of Trump Firings.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: A federal judge has temporarily suspended the Trump administration’s plan to cut jobs at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), halting the elimination of 532 positions.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, acting USAGM CEO Kari Lake, Voice of America employees, and Department of Justice (DOJ) lawyers.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The ruling was issued late Monday in Washington, D.C., and the cuts were set to take effect Tuesday.

💬KEY QUOTE: “A wholly overbroad and improper remedy.” — DOJ attorneys

🎯IMPACT: The ruling delays the reduction in force and maintains operations at the U.S. Agency for Global Media while legal challenges are addressed.

IN FULL

U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s plan to cut 532 jobs at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees Voice of America (VOA). The cuts, which were scheduled to take effect Tuesday, represent the majority of the agency’s remaining full-time staff.

Judge Lamberth, a Ronald Reagan appointee, issued the ruling late Monday to preserve the status quo while the court considers a motion from plaintiffs to block the reduction in force. Acting CEO Kari Lake had announced the job cuts last month.

Previously, Lamberth ordered the Trump administration to restore VOA’s programming to meet its statutory mandate to provide reliable news. He also blocked Lake from removing VOA Director Michael Abramowitz and criticized the administration for showing “concerning disrespect” toward the court’s earlier orders.

VOA employees sued to stop the agency’s dismantling, arguing that the planned reductions would undermine the court’s ability to enforce its injunction. “This Court should therefore preserve the status quo while the parties litigate compliance,” their attorneys stated. Meanwhile, Department of Justice (DOJ) lawyers argued that halting the cuts would improperly interfere with the agency’s operations, calling it “a wholly overbroad and improper remedy.”

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BREAKING: Trump Strikes Pfizer Deal for Lower Prices, $70BN in Investment, and New ‘TrumpRx’ Drugs Site.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump announced a deal with Pfizer to lower drug prices and increase investment in U.S. manufacturing, along with a new direct-to-consumer drug-buying website dubbed TrumpRx.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: PresidentTrump, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, and American patients.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Announcement made on Tuesday from the Oval Office.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Pfizer is one of the biggest, greatest in the world.” – Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: Pfizer shares increased by 3.5 percent following the announcement.

IN FULL

Americans will soon have the opportunity to purchase prescription drugs directly from a new government website, dubbed “TrumpRx,” which will provide discounted drugs to consumers. President Donald J. Trump and members of his administration announced the site at the same time as a deal with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, cutting drug prices for Americans and securing $70 billion in investment.

While specifics on the prescriptions available on TrumpRx are still to be explained in detail, President Trump indicated that at least some of Pfizer’s drugs would be offered on the new platform. The America First leader, speaking alongside Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, said that the U.S. will benefit from the “lowest price” globally under a most-favored-nations system, addressing the long-standing issue of American consumers subsidizing global research and development costs.

Bourla admitted that, until now, foreign governments have been allowing America to shoulder an unfair share of the burden in terms of funding research and development, and that President Trump’s tariffs have proved a powerful means of forcing reform.

Following the announcements, Pfizer’s stock saw a 3.5 percent increase, reflecting a positive market response to the deal.

This story is developing…

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Here’s What Happens If the Government Shuts Down Tonight.

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WHAT HAPPENED: The Trump administration has outlined plans for a potential government shutdown, including furloughs and service pauses.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump’s administration, federal agencies, and Congress.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Plans were detailed on Monday, with a shutdown potentially beginning at midnight on Tuesday across the United States.

🎯IMPACT: Federal agencies will furlough workers, pause economic data releases, and suspend certain services.

IN FULL

The Trump administration has begun outlining plans for which government services will be paused in the event of a federal shutdown beginning at midnight. Among the measures, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is expected to furlough 41 percent of its workforce, while other agencies plan to suspend various operations.

Unlike previous shutdowns, the administration has indicated it may use the funding lapse to implement mass layoffs and reduce the size of the federal government. According to a memo from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), training and onboarding of new federal employees will be prohibited during a shutdown, but those overseeing potential terminations will continue working. Furloughed employees will also be allowed to check government-issued emails for layoff notices.

Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), the top Democrat member of the Senate committee overseeing shutdown operations, criticized the administration’s approach, stating it “threatens to cause lasting damage to the country and the safety of the American people by mass firing nonpartisan, expert civil servants.”

The Department of Labor (DOL) announced that economic data releases, including the September employment report, would be suspended during a shutdown. Similarly, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) would halt GDP statistics reporting. However, crucial government benefits such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid will remain unaffected, as they are funded through mandatory spending.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), backed by supplemental funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, will continue full operations. Meanwhile, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has stated medical care and benefits would continue, though cemetery maintenance would cease.

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War Sec Hegseth Announces Major Military Reforms in ‘Warrior Ethos’ Speech.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced new directives to senior military leaders, rolling back policies on combat roles for women and “weaponized” hazing and bullying prevention measures.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, senior military leaders, and flag-rank officers at a Marine Corps base in Virginia.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The directives were announced during a gathering on Tuesday at a Marine Corps base in Virginia.

💬KEY QUOTE: “If women can make it excellent. If not, it is what it is. If that means no women qualify for some combat jobs, so be it.” – Pete Hegseth

🎯IMPACT: Hegseth’s policies aim to reinstate male standards for combat roles, overhaul definitions of toxic leadership, and remove anonymous reporting processes for harassment and discrimination complaints.

IN FULL

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth addressed over 800 senior military leaders at a Marine Corps base in Virginia, unveiling a series of new directives aimed at reversing policies on combat roles for women and redefining standards for leadership and conduct in the military. The meeting, held on Tuesday, marked a significant shift in Pentagon policies under President Donald J. Trump.

Hegseth stated that his directives would restore “a ruthless, dispassionate and common sense application of standards” that are “uniform, gender neutral and high.” He emphasized that combat roles would return to the “highest male standard only,” effectively reversing a 2015 directive that opened all combat roles to women. “If you do not meet the male level physical standards for combat positions … it’s time for a new position or a new profession,” he said.

The Secretary also criticized efforts to eliminate “toxic leadership” and claimed that definitions of hazing and bullying had been “weaponized” to undermine effective leaders. He announced a review of these definitions, aiming to empower leaders to enforce standards without fear of retribution. “Real, toxic leadership is promoting people based on immutable characteristics or quotas instead of based on merit,” Hegseth remarked.

Additionally, Hegseth revealed plans to reform the Pentagon Inspector General’s (IG) office and Equal Opportunity offices to prevent what he described as the “weaponization” of complaint processes. He stated that anonymous reporting for harassment and discrimination complaints would be eliminated, as well as “frivolous complaints” that he claimed have harmed reputations and careers.

The directives also include the implementation of a “1990 test,” which evaluates current military standards against those from 1990 to determine whether changes were necessary or the result of political priorities. Hegseth concluded by assuring military leaders that his reforms are designed to “put leadership back in the driver’s seat.”

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Second Victim Dies Following Anti-ICE Shooting.

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WHAT HAPPENED: A man injured in a sniper attack at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Dallas, Texas, has died from his injuries.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Miguel Angel Garcia-Hernandez, his wife Stephany Gauffeny, and their four children, with a fifth child expected.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The incident occurred on September 24, 2025, at a Dallas ICE facility, with Garcia-Hernandez succumbing to his injuries days later at Parkland Hospital.

💬KEY QUOTE: “My husband Miguel was a good man, a loving father, and the provider for our family,” said Stephany Gauffeny.

🎯IMPACT: The family, who had recently moved into their first home, is now left without their primary provider. The Dallas ICE field office is set to reopen with increased security.

IN FULL

Miguel Angel Garcia-Hernandez, 32, has died following a sniper attack on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office in Dallas, Texas, according to the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). Garcia-Hernandez was shot at least eight times during the September 24 attack and was taken to Parkland Hospital in critical condition. He passed away after being removed from life support.

His wife, Stephany Gauffeny, described him as a “good man, a loving father, and the provider for our family.” She added, “We had just bought our first home together, and he worked hard every single day to make sure our children had what they needed. His death is a senseless tragedy that has left our family shattered. I do not know how to explain to our children that their father is gone.”

Last week, Joshua Jahns—motivated by anti-ICE sentiment and far-left ideology—opened fire on the ICE field office and a van sitting in its portico. The indiscriminate fire struck three ICE detainees, killing one and wounding others, including Garcia-Hernandez. Jahns subsequently committed suicide but left a trail of evidence regarding his radical far-left political motivations.

A third victim, Jose Andres Bordones-Molina, has been released from hospital, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The Dallas ICE field office, which serves as a temporary holding facility for detainees, is expected to reopen on Tuesday with increased security measures.

The facility reportedly held an average of 47 detainees per day between January and mid-June, with migrants spending an average of seven hours in detention, according to ICE data.

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FBI Investigates ‘Armed Queers’ Connection to Charlie Kirk Assassination.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Federal investigators are examining possible extremist ties to Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old leftist accused of assassinating Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Tyler Robinson, Charlie Kirk, Armed Queers SLC, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL).

📍WHEN & WHERE: Charlie Kirk was assassinated on September 10, 2025, on the Utah Valley University campus in Utah, with the broadening investigation revealed on September 30, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Why did Armed Queers SLC delete their Instagram after Charlie was murdered?” – Rep. Anna Paulina Luna.

🎯IMPACT: The investigation has raised concerns about foreign interference, domestic extremism, and the activities of groups like Armed Queers SLC and the Party for Socialism and Liberation.

IN FULL

Federal officials are probing potential extremist ties of Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old man accused of assassinating Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is examining whether Robinson, who had a transgender lover, had connections to Armed Queers SLC, a self-described militant LGBTQ organization advocating for “the armed and militant protection of queer and trans communities” and the establishment of a socialist society.

The group, founded by trans activist Ermiya Fanaeian in 2021, has been linked to socialist and communist ideologies. Social media posts from Armed Queers SLC, now deleted, reportedly showcased support for communist regimes and called for violence to end what they described as a “war against trans people.” Fanaeian, the son of Iranian immigrants, has also been connected to the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), which is alleged to receive funding from China-based businessman Neville Singham.

Charlie Kirk, 31, known for his outspoken opposition to gender ideology, was murdered on the Utah Valley University campus on September 10. Robinson turned himself in 33 hours later and reportedly confessed to his trans partner, Lance Twiggs, who cooperated with investigators. No charges have been brought against Twiggs, but the FBI continues to follow leads connecting Robinson to Armed Queers SLC.

Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), a friend of Kirk’s, confirmed the FBI’s investigation into the group’s potential ties to foreign adversaries and questioned the swift deletion of Armed Queers SLC’s social media accounts following Kirk’s assassination. “Why did Armed Queers SLC delete their Instagram after Charlie was murdered?” Luna asked, adding that the group’s founder and PSL members have been documented visiting adversarial nations like Cuba and Venezuela.

Congressional investigators have also raised concerns about Neville Singham’s alleged funding of extremist groups, including PSL, and its potential ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). While no direct evidence has been made public linking Robinson to Armed Queers SLC, sources familiar with the investigation described the group as “domestic terrorists” and noted their foreign connections. The investigation remains ongoing.

Image by Ross Burgess.

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Fact Check: Why Are 100,000 Federal Employees Really ‘Resigning’ Today?

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Over 100,000 federal employees are set to resign on Tuesday as a result of buyout agreements entered into with the Trump administration earlier this year, marking the largest mass resignation in U.S. history.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Federal workers from various agencies, the Trump administration, and congressional leaders.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The resignations are scheduled for Tuesday, September 30, at the end of the 2025 fiscal year.

🎯IMPACT: The resignations are the conclusion of buyout agreements entered into with the Trump administration this past February, with the federal workers’ tenure set to end at the conclusion of the 2025 fiscal year.

IN FULL

More than 100,000 federal workers are set to resign on Tuesday, marking the largest mass resignation in U.S. history. The resignations are the conclusion of buyout agreements entered into with the Trump administration this past February, with the federal workers’ tenure set to end at the conclusion of the 2025 fiscal year.

Despite misleading reports, the resignations are not politically motivated nor are they new departures. Rather, the terminations were voluntarily agreed to months ago, with many of the federal workers either having already moved on to the private sector or using the intervening time to find new work. Notably, a number of the 100,000 employees—per their buyout agreements—have not worked for the federal government in any significant capacity for several months or more.

In addition to the scheduled resignations per the terms of the buyout agreements, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has warned that if a temporary federal government funding agreement in Congress is not reached before October 1, the agency will be laying off some non-essential workers in addition to furloughs.

With a potential government shutdown looming, President Donald J. Trump held eleventh-hour negotiations with Republican and Democratic congressional leaders at the White House on Monday evening. Despite the last-minute budget talks, most lawmakers on Capitol Hill have indicated that at least a short closure of some federal agencies is likely.

House and Senate Democrats have demanded that any short-term funding measure include hundreds of billions of dollars in healthcare funding for illegal immigrants and the repeal of certain provisions in President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Image by Ted Eytan.

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Britain’s Governing Labour Party Recognizes Gaza War as Genocide.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Britain’s governing Labour Party voted to accept that a genocide is taking place in Gaza, based on claims by the United Nations (UN), at its annual conference.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Labour Party members, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, and the UN Commission of Inquiry.

📍WHEN & WHERE: During the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, England, following the UN report released nearly two weeks ago.

💬KEY QUOTE: “It must be for the ICJ [International Court of Justice] with their judges and judiciary, and for the ICC [International Criminal Court], to determine the issue of genocide in relation to the convention, it is not for politicians like me to do that.” – David Lammy

🎯IMPACT: The party vote embarrasses the Labour government, which has not endorsed the view that Israel is acting with genocidal intent in Gaza.

IN FULL

Britain’s governing Labour Party has voted to acknowledge that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza at its annual party conference, following the findings of a United Nations commission of inquiry. The vote, passed with strong backing from trade unions, embarrasses Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s government, as neither he nor his Cabinet has endorsed the view that Israel is acting with genocidal intent, and piles pressure on them to align with their party base.

The UN commission concluded earlier this month that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe Israel has committed four of five genocidal acts outlined under international law since the war with Hamas began in 2023. Israel has rejected the report’s findings, calling them “distorted and false.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his Cabinet have stopped short of endorsing the genocide label, insisting that such determinations should be left to international courts. Israel is currently the subject of a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, where it faces charges of genocide brought by South Africa.

Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy responded to the conference vote by reaffirming the government’s position. “It must be for the ICJ with their judges and judiciary, and for the ICC [International Criminal Court], to determine the issue of genocide in relation to the convention,” he said. “It is not for politicians like me to do that.”

Lammy, who has previously described President Donald J. Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement as a “cult of white supremacists,” did add that, during his tenure as Foreign Secretary, he had identified a “clear risk” of Israel breaching international humanitarian law. Consequently, dozens of arms export licences to Israel have been suspended, and targeted sanctions on certain Israeli officials have been imposed.

Earlier this month, Starmer’s government also formally recognized Palestinian statehood.

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Trump Admin Plans Moon ‘Village’ by 2035.

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WHAT HAPPENED: NASA has announced plans to establish a sustainable lunar base by 2035, creating a “village” on the Moon.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Secretary of Transportation and NASA Administrator Sean Duffy and other international space agency leaders.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Announcement made at the International Aeronautical Congress in Sydney, Australia, September 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “We’re going back to the Moon, and this time, when we plant our flag, we stay.” – Sean Duffy

🎯IMPACT: The lunar base will pave the way for future Mars exploration and enhance U.S. leadership in space exploration.

IN FULL

Secretary of Transportation and NASA Administrator Sean Duffy has announced plans to establish a permanent presence on the Moon by 2035. Speaking at the International Aeronautical Congress in Sydney, Australia, Duffy said, “We are going to have sustained human life on the Moon. Not just an outpost, but a village.”

This initiative will be driven by the Artemis program, which is set to return humans to the lunar surface for the first time since the Apollo era. Artemis II, scheduled for February 2026, will test both the Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft in a crewed mission around the Moon. The follow-up, Artemis III, targets a 2027 lunar landing. Unlike previous missions, astronauts will remain on the Moon for a full week, gathering critical data to support long-term habitation.

To sustain operations during the Moon’s 14-day night, when solar power is unavailable, NASA plans to deploy a compact nuclear reactor. The Fission Surface Power System, as it is called, must weigh under 15 tonnes and produce 100 kilowatts of electricity, enough to support life-support systems, equipment, and communication infrastructure. NASA is currently seeking industry partners to help develop the reactor.

Construction of the base itself may rely heavily on lunar resources. NASA is exploring ways to mix lunar soil with binding agents to create a form of cement, which could be used with 3D printing technologies to build structures on-site. These methods are not only intended for the Moon but may also play a role in future Mars missions requiring long-term human presence.

“We’re going back to the Moon, and this time, when we plant our flag, we stay,” Duffy said. He framed the effort as part of a new “space race,” with the United States aiming to stay ahead of rivals such as China in space exploration and technology.

Meanwhile, on Mars, the Perseverance rover recently collected a rock sample that may show signs of ancient microbial life, although scientists caution that the evidence is not definitive. NASA is also monitoring a house-sized asteroid set to pass near Earth, and, in deep space, Voyager 1 has begun transmitting garbled data as it travels beyond the edge of the solar system.

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Trump Marks Feast of Saint Michael the Archangel.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Millions of Christians worldwide are observing the Feast of Saint Michael the Archangel, or Michaelmas.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Christians across the United States and worldwide; President Donald J. Trump.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The Feast of Saint Michael, observed annually, is being celebrated in churches and homes around the world.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.” – Pope Leo XIII (1886 Prayer to Saint Michael)

🎯IMPACT: Christians continue to seek strength, protection, and courage through Saint Michael’s intercession, as they have for over 2,000 years.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump has offered a “salute” to the “millions of Christian believers in the United States and around the world observing the Feast of Saint Michael the Archangel,” or Michaelmas, in a presidential message.

“According to sacred Scripture, when the Devil rebelled against God in Heaven, Saint Michael and his legion of angels cast Satan down to Earth—triumphantly reasserting God’s sovereignty over all creation,” the President wrote, noting how, for two millennia, “Christians have looked to Saint Michael the Archangel for protection, strength, and courage in times of conflict, distress, and doubt.”

He also cited the “legendary Prayer to Saint Michael” formulated by Pope Leo XIII in 1886, quoting it in full:

“Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.”

Notably, following President Trump’s near-assassination in Butler, Pennsylvania, last year, the Catholics for Catholics group paid for billboards featuring the America First leader raising his fist after he was shot, alongside the words “St. Michael The Archangel, Defend Us In Battle.” However, the Lamar Advertising Company refused to run them.

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