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Tuesday, March 24, 2026

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58 minutes ago
Corruption
World

Italy’s Justice Minister Just Resigned Over Mafia Connections.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Andrea Delmastro, Undersecretary of State at the Italian Ministry of Justice, resigned following reports of his alleged stake in a restaurant chain linked to the mafia.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Andrea Delmastro, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Justice Minister Carlo Nordio, and mafia-linked ex-convict Andrea Caroccia.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Italy; Delmastro’s resignation was announced on Tuesday, shortly after Meloni’s government was defeated in a judicial reform referendum earlier in the week.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Although I did nothing wrong, I made an error of judgment, which I corrected as soon as I became aware of it. I take responsibility for that.” – Andrea Delmastro

🎯IMPACT: The resignation is another blow to Giorgia Meloni’s governing coalition, so soon after its defeat in the judicial reform referendum.

IN FULL

Andrea Delmastro, Undersecretary of State at Italy’s Ministry of Justice, has resigned amid claims that he held a stake in a restaurant business connected to the mafia. Delmastro co-owned a Rome eatery with the daughter of Andrea Caroccia, who was previously convicted for links to the Camorra, the mafia group based in Naples.

Delmastro insisted he had done nothing illegal and said he had sold his interest as soon as he learned of Caroccia’s criminal background. Questions grew, however, after a 2023 photograph emerged of Delmastro standing alongside Caroccia, indicating the two may have known each other earlier. It was also reported that he had not disclosed his business stake to parliament, as required by law.

The controversy follows shortly after Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government suffered a loss in a national referendum. Voters turned down a judicial overhaul promoted by Meloni’s governing coalition, with 54 percent casting ballots against the measure. Meloni responded to the outcome by saying, “Italian citizens have decided and we respect their decision as always. We will move forward as we always have: with responsibility, determination, and above all, with respect for Italy and its people.”

Leftist political and media figures were initially fearful that Meloni, who campaigned on a strong anti-mass migration, populist platform, could be the most right-wing leader in Italy since Benito Mussolini. However, when she entered office in late 2022, there was an initial surge in illegal immigration, and she has also increased legal immigration, arguing that Italy and Europe “need” migrants. Instead of immigration, she has often seemed more focused on supporting Ukraine and befriending European Union (EU) officials.

Image © European Union, 1998 – 2026.

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13 minutes ago
News

Trump Admin Hands $1BN to French Firm to Cancel Wind Farm Deal.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Trump administration is paying $928 million to TotalEnergies to cancel its offshore wind farm leases off the coasts of New York and North Carolina.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: TotalEnergies, the Trump administration, the Interior Department, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D).

📍WHEN & WHERE: The deal was announced on Monday and involves federal waters off New York and North Carolina.

💬KEY QUOTE: TotalEnergies CEO, Patrick Pouyanné, stated that offshore wind was deemed “not the most affordable way to produce electricity” and that pursuing it in the U.S. was too expensive.

🎯IMPACT: Funds intended for renewable energy are being redirected to fossil fuel projects, sparking criticism from environmentalists.

IN FULL

The Trump administration announced a $928 million deal with French energy company TotalEnergies to cancel offshore wind farm leases in federal waters off New York and North Carolina. The agreement was revealed by the Interior Department and involves a refund of the lease payments made under the former Biden government.

In return, TotalEnergies has committed to redirecting the refunded monies into oil and gas projects, including ramping up oil production in the Gulf of America and building additional gas-fired power plants to meet data center electricity demand. The company’s CEO, Patrick Pouyanné, stated that offshore wind was deemed “not the most affordable way to produce electricity” and that pursuing it in the U.S. was too “expensive.”

Environmentalists have criticized the deal, arguing that funds meant for renewable energy are now being funneled into fossil fuel projects. New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) condemned the agreement, calling it “an outrageous abuse of taxpayer dollars.”

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is expected to use its Judgment Fund to cover the costs of the agreement.

Image by Olivier Dugornay.

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33 minutes ago
Immigration
Lawfare

A Deportee Just Filed a $1.3 Million Lawsuit Against the United States.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A Venezuelan man deported to El Salvador and detained in the country’s CECOT mega-prison has filed a lawsuit in the U.S., seeking $1.3 million in damages for alleged false imprisonment and emotional distress.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Neiyerver Adrián Leon Rengel, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and advocacy groups including LULAC and the Democracy Defenders Fund.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Leon Rengel was detained in 2025 in El Salvador’s CECOT prison; lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Tuesday.

💬KEY QUOTE: “There came a point when I thought about hanging myself with the sheet they gave us.” – Neiyerver Adrián Leon Rengel

🎯IMPACT: The lawsuit seeks to challenge the use of wartime powers for deportation and the treatment of detainees in foreign facilities.

IN FULL

Venezuelan national Neiyerver Adrián Leon Rengel, 28, has filed a lawsuit in the United States seeking $1.3 million in damages for the mistreatment he claims he suffered during four months of detention in El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison. Deported by U.S. authorities in 2025, he claims he endured beatings, inhumane conditions, and severe psychological trauma, and that the detention amounted to “torture” under international law.

Leon Rengel described his time in CECOT as “total hell,” claiming he was forced to drink the same water used for bathing and that guards warned him he would be imprisoned for 90 years. “There came a point when I thought about hanging myself with the sheet they gave us,” he said.

The lawsuit, filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act, contends that he was falsely imprisoned and deliberately subjected to emotional distress. Advocacy organizations, including the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and the Democracy Defenders Fund, are backing his legal action. “What happened to Adrián Rengel is government-sanctioned torture,” alleged Juan Proaño, LULAC’s CEO.

Leon Rengel was deported under the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime measure the Trump administration invoked to address the “invasion” of the U.S. by migrant gangs. Leon Rengel insists he has no gang ties and says he was wrongly identified because of a tattoo. “I’ve never been a gang member, nor a member of a criminal group,” he claimed.

Now back in Venezuela, Leon Rengel says he has no plans to return to the U.S.

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1 hour ago
War

Israel Wants ‘Several More Weeks’ of War to Achieve ‘Full Strategic Victory.’

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Israeli military officials estimate several more weeks of fighting are needed to achieve war goals in Iran, though U.S. efforts to end the conflict could alter the timeline.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Israeli military, President Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Iran, and intermediaries from Pakistan, Egypt, Oman, and Turkey.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Ongoing conflict centered in Iran and Israel, with diplomatic efforts spanning multiple nations.

💬KEY QUOTE: “We are in many ways halfway there. There are very significant achievements, both at the tactical level and at the strategic level. But there has not been a full strategic victory.” – Senior Israeli military official.

🎯IMPACT: The conflict has degraded Iran’s military capabilities and delayed its nuclear plans, but significant threats remain, and diplomatic efforts are ongoing.

IN FULL

Israeli military leaders have indicated that their forces need several more weeks of war to fully meet their objectives against Iran. This comes as President Donald J. Trump is pushing for a ceasefire, recently describing U.S.-led discussions with Iran as “productive.”

Backchannel talks involving Pakistan, Egypt, Oman, and Turkey are reportedly underway. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recognized Trump’s initiative but stopped short of fully backing it. “President Trump believes there is an opportunity to leverage the tremendous achievements we have reached alongside the U.S. military to realize the goals of the war through an agreement, an agreement that will safeguard our vital interests,” he remarked.

Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are reportedly working on a month-long ceasefire so a 15-point peace plan can be agreed, but Israeli media reports that the prospect of a “rapid, ambiguous agreement in principle is giving Israel’s political and security leaders sleepless nights.”

Although Israel maintains that it has destroyed the majority of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers, Tehran is still firing missiles, including one that recently hit a residential neighborhood in Tel Aviv. “We are in many ways halfway there,” a senior Israeli military official stated. “There are very significant achievements, both at the tactical level and at the strategic level. But there has not been a full strategic victory.”

Israel has also been conducting operations against Iran’s Hezbollah proxies in Lebanon, and recently confirmed it intends to seize the south of the country in order to create a security buffer.

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By Popular Demand.
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2 hours ago
William Upton
War
World

Trump’s Envoys Are Working on a Month-Long Iran Ceasefire – But Israel Doesn’t Want It.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A month-long ceasefire may be taking shape between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, and Iranian and Israeli government officials.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The possible ceasefire was reported on Tuesday, March 24, 2026.

🎯IMPACT: According to Israeli media, the temporary cessation of hostilities is meant to allow the two nations to engage in negotiations over a multi-point peace plan, but the prospect is “giving Israel’s political and security leaders sleepless nights.”

IN FULL

A month-long ceasefire may be taking shape between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran. According to Israeli media, the temporary cessation of hostilities is meant to allow the two nations to engage in negotiations over a multi-point peace plan that would mirror agreements negotiated by U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Gaza and Lebanon.

While details of any proposed ceasefire and subsequent peace plan have not been made public, speculation on the latter suggests the U.S. is seeking a guarantee that Iran will dismantle its current nuclear sites and capabilities, along with an agreement that the Islamist regime will cease funding regional terror proxies, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis—along with Shia militias in Iraq.

Israel is said to be skeptical of the plan, with the country’s media noting that the possibility of a “rapid, ambiguous agreement in principle is giving Israel’s political and security leaders sleepless nights.”

The National Pulse reported earlier on Tuesday that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered to host peace talks between the United States and Iran. In a post on social media, Sharif tagged President Donald J. Trump, Steve Witkoff, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Pakistani sources have also indicated that Vice President J.D. Vance is favored as a possible lead negotiator, and that the Iranians are interested in speaking to special envoy Jared Kushner—Trump’s son-in-law—as well as Witkoff.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon has announced the deployment of 3,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East. The move comes amid reports of potential military operations targeting Iranian assets such as Kharg Island, a major oil export hub.

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2 hours ago
News

US Deploying 3,000 Troops from 82nd Airborne.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Pentagon is deploying 3,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East amid tensions with Iran, The National Pulse understands.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. Department of War, Iranian military officials, and American allies in the Gulf.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Deployment announcement expected shortly, involving the Middle East and strategic locations such as Kharg Island.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Our armed forces will fight until complete victory against the U.S. and Israel.” – Iranian military spokesman.

🎯IMPACT: Rising tensions, with Iran launching missile attacks on Israel and U.S. allies in the Gulf.

IN FULL

The Pentagon has announced the deployment of 3,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, The National Pulse understands.

This move comes amid escalating tensions and reports of potential military operations targeting Iranian assets such as Kharg Island, a major oil export hub.

Iranian officials have previously dismissed claims made by President Donald J. Trump regarding “productive talks” or a “five-day ceasefire” between the U.S. and Iran, though The National Pulse understands unofficial conversations have been taking place, with Iran’s parliamentary speaker involved.

Officially, a spokesman for Iran’s top military command stated, “Our armed forces will fight until complete victory against the U.S. and Israel.”

The news comes as U.S. officials head to Pakistan for ceasefire talks, while the Israeli government demands more time at war to achieve “full strategic victory.”

The latest polling on the matter shows Trump’s MAGA base still broadly supportive of the military action, though other elements of his coalition, notably the ‘MAHA’ and ‘America First’ wings, are less enthused.

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3 hours ago
Data
Politics

Ken Paxton is Beating John Cornyn in ANOTHER Poll. Here’s What the Data is Telling Us…

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A new poll shows Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) leading Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) in the Lone Star State’s Republican Senate runoff, with many former supporters of Representative Wesley Hunt (R-TX) now backing Paxton.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Ken Paxton, John Cornyn, Wesley Hunt, and Texas Republican voters.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Poll results were reported on Tuesday; the runoff election is scheduled for May 26 in Texas.

💬KEY QUOTE: The runoff electorate is “largely settled, highly certain to vote, and not especially movable,” according to the Quantus Insights report.

🎯IMPACT: Paxton’s lead, voter certainty, and favorability ratings suggest he enters the runoff with a significant advantage.

IN FULL

New data released on Tuesday shows Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) leading Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) 48.8 percent to 41.3 percent, with 9.9 percent undecided, ahead of the May 26 primary runoff race. The poll, conducted by Quantus Insights, also revealed that nearly 58 percent of Representative Wesley Hunt’s (R-TX) supporters have shifted to Paxton, indicating there is a consolidation of anti-Cornyn voters.

Additionally, the survey of Texas voters suggests the electorate has largely become entrenched, with 88.1 percent of respondents certain to vote and 78.7 percent describing their choice as definite. Among Paxton’s supporters, 88 percent said their vote is definite, compared to 86 percent of Cornyn’s supporters. Notably, 92 percent of Paxton voters are certain to vote, compared to 86 percent of Cornyn voters.

Quantus Insights describes the runoff electorate as “largely settled, highly certain to vote, and not especially movable.” Paxton was noted to have “the clearer edge in ballot support, favorability, and perceived effectiveness.” Meanwhile, the potential of a presidential endorsement was also analyzed, with 25.3 percent of respondents saying President Donald J. Trump’s endorsement would make them more likely to support Paxton, while 63 percent said it would make no difference. For Cornyn, 18.3 percent said Trump’s endorsement would increase their support, while 70 percent said it would not affect their decision.

Last week, The National Pulse reported that a separate voter poll found Paxton leading Cornyn by a wider margin, 53 percent to 37 percent, among likely Republican runoff voters. This survey also found Paxton with a higher favorability rating (64 percent favorable, 31 percent unfavorable) compared to Cornyn (45 percent favorable, 47 percent unfavorable).

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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By Popular Demand.
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4 hours ago
War

Pakistan Proposes US-Iran Peace Talks – Who Will Be There?

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered to host peace talks between the United States and Iran to resolve the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, U.S. President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The offer was made on Tuesday via a post on X. Discussions regarding a meeting are reportedly at an advanced stage and could occur within a week if agreed upon.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Pakistan stands ready and honoured to be the host to facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks for a comprehensive settlement of the ongoing conflict.” – Shehbaz Sharif.

🎯IMPACT: The offer comes as Iran is targeting Gulf states aligned with the U.S. and shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global energy and fertilizer supplies.

IN FULL

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered on Tuesday to host peace talks between the United States and Iran to resolve the war between them, which also encompasses Israel, Iranian proxies in Lebanon, and multiple U.S.-aligned Gulf states. He announced the proposal on X (formerly Twitter), highlighting Pakistan’s readiness to help arrange the discussions.

“Pakistan welcomes and fully supports ongoing efforts to pursue dialogue to end the WAR in Middle East, in the interest of peace and stability in [the] region and beyond,” Sharif stated. He added that Pakistan is “ready and honoured” to host “meaningful and conclusive talks” for a comprehensive settlement, subject to agreement by both the U.S. and Iran.

The Prime Minister tagged President Donald J. Trump, U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in his post. Elsewhere, Pakistani sources have indicated that Vice President J.D. Vance is favored as a possible lead negotiator, and that the Iranians are interested in speaking to special envoy Jared Kushner—Trump’s son-in-law—as well as Witkoff.

With Iran’s leadership structure fractured, Araghchi is not the only figure being mooted to represent the Iranian side, with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also reported to be a likely candidate—although he has publicly denied it. President Trump has alluded to speaking to a “respected” but currently unidentified Iranian leader, possibly a figure within the military or the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Preparations for a possible meeting are said to be well advanced, with a Pakistani government source indicating it could happen within a week, though officials stressed that nothing is certain.

Iran has been hitting energy infrastructure in Gulf states and disrupting the Strait of Hormuz, a vital corridor for global oil and gas supplies, and has threatened to escalate its attacks if President Trump follows through on a threat to “obliterate” the Iranian power grid. Trump subsequently postponed the planned strikes, offering Tehran a five-day window to agree to a ceasefire.

Image via Wikimedia Commons.

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4 hours ago
Science
TECH

NASA Plans Moon Base and Nuclear-Powered Mars Mission.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced plans to build a base on the moon and launch a nuclear-powered spacecraft to Mars beginning in 2028.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, aerospace companies, international space agencies, and Congress representatives.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Announced on March 24, 2026, at a NASA event.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The moon base will not appear overnight. We will invest approximately $20 billion over the next seven years and build it through dozens of missions.” – Jared Isaacman

🎯IMPACT: The plans aim to advance lunar exploration and establish a human presence on the moon, with significant investment over the next seven years.

IN FULL

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced it is developing the Space Reactor-1 Freedom, a nuclear-powered robotic spacecraft that will begin traveling to Mars in late 2028. Additionally, the agency laid out new, detailed plans to construct a research base on the surface of the moon, with permanent human habitation anticipated by the middle of the next decade.

“We are calling today’s event Ignition because it represents the start of a transformative journey for NASA,” the agency’s administrator,  Jared Isaacman, said at the announcement on Tuesday. He added, “The moon base will not appear overnight. We will invest approximately $20 billion over the next seven years and build it through dozens of missions.”

While NASA has long floated the idea of establishing a permanent lunar presence, Tuesday’s announcement was the first time the agency laid out an explicit timeline for the project. According to Isaacman, the lunar base will be established in three phases over the next ten years, with the initial steps already underway with NASA’s Artemis missions. By 2029, Issacman said the agency will have established an initial human presence on the moon, with “semi-habitable infrastructure.” According to the timeline, by 2032, permanent infrastructure will be in place, enabling continued human habitation.

Aside from the agency’s moon ambitions, Issacman also detailed plans for the launch of its nuclear-powered, robotic spacecraft, called Space Reactor-1 Freedom. NASA is currently working toward the unmanned spacecraft’s launch in late 2028, beginning its journey to Mars.

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5 hours ago
Crime
News

40% of Vape Stores Checked by Police Caught Selling to Children.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Police in Smithfield, North Carolina, checked ten vape stores in response to reports of school students vaping, and caught clerks selling to minors at four of them.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Smithfield Police Department, school resource officers, vape store clerks, and students.

📍WHEN & WHERE: March 2026, Smithfield, North Carolina.

💬KEY QUOTE: The Smithfield Police Department urged the community to adhere to state regulations on vape sales.

🎯IMPACT: The operation highlighted ongoing issues with criminality at vape stores.

IN FULL

North Carolina’s Smithfield Police Narcotics Division carried out a compliance operation at ten vape stores on March 18, amid reports of underage school students vaping. Officers caught clerks selling to minors at four of them. School resource officers had noted a sharp rise in students carrying vapes throughout March.

Under North Carolina law, it is illegal to sell vape products to anyone under the age of 18. Charges have been filed against the arrested clerks. Increasingly, vape stores are becoming hubs for criminality across the United States and the wider West, with raids in another North Carolina town earlier this month netting four arrests, millions in cash, and illegal narcotics.

In the United Kingdom, vape stores have been definitively linked to anti-social behavior, the sale of drugs and counterfeit cigarettes, and organized crime, including immigration crime. They are also a threat to public safety and national heritage, with one of many unregistered stores selling unsafe products in Glasgow, Scotland, recently starting a fire that burned a 175-year-old historic landmark to the ground.

The fire also forced the country’s largest railway station, located nearby, to close, triggering days of chaos across the national rail network.

Image by Nikita Korchagin.

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5 hours ago
Data
Politics

More Voters Blame GOP for DHS Shutdown, Airport Travel Chaos.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: More American voters blame the Republican Party than the Democratic Party for the partial government shutdown caused by a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding lapse that has led to hours-long lines for airport security screenings.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, Congressional Democrats, Congressional Republicans, DHS employees, and TSA workers.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The shutdown began on February 14, 2026, impacting airports nationwide, including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and LaGuardia Airport in New York.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The Democrats are being blamed by the American people for the catastrophe going on right now in our airports, and at other points of transportation and beyond,” insisted President Donald J. Trump

🎯IMPACT: Over 400 TSA agents have quit, and wait times at some airports have stretched to nearly three hours, with ICE agents now deployed to assist TSA. The Democrats are refusing to allow funding unless curbs are placed on immigration enforcement.

IN FULL

Over one-third of American voters blame the Republican Party for the partial government shutdown caused by a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding lapse that has hours-long lines for airport security screenings, as nearly half of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers have now called off work without pay. According to a new JL Partners survey, 34 percent of voters blame the Republicans for the long lines and delays, compared to 25 percent who blame the Democrats. Another 20 percent said both parties were responsible, and 10 percent were unsure.

The funding lapse began on February 14, 2026, after Senate Democrats blocked a Republican-backed appropriations bill, demanding radical restrictions on the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement actions.

As a result of the funding impasse, roughly 50,000 TSA workers have been working without pay, leading to over 400 resignations. Airports across the U.S., such as Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, have experienced significant delays, with travelers advised to arrive hours early for their flights.

In response to the TSA work call-offs, President Donald J. Trump ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to be deployed to major American airports to assist with security screenings. The President has placed responsibility for the air travel chaos squarely on the Democrats, stating, “The Democrats are being blamed by the American people for the catastrophe going on right now in our airports, and at other points of transportation and beyond.”

The National Pulse reported on Monday that President Trump is urging Republican lawmakers to insist that any DHS funding deal include passage of the SAVE America Act, an election integrity bill with broad public support that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and a voter ID to cast a ballot in federal elections.

Image by Ted Eytan.

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By Popular Demand.
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