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Tuesday, June 24, 2025
5 minutes ago
Immigration
NatSec

ICE Operation Catches Iranian Illegals, Including Terror Suspect.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Federal agents arrested 11 Iranian nationals, including a watchlisted individual, over a 48-hour period as part of targeted operations across eight states and nine cities.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and 11 Iranian nationals, including Mehran Makari Sahel and Ribvar Karmi.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The arrests took place over 48 hours starting Sunday, June 22, in states including Minnesota, Mississippi, and Alabama.

💬KEY QUOTE: DHS Secretary Kristi Noem emphasized proactive measures to counter potential threats, stating, “We have to watch for all of it, and to be diligent on all of it, and we’ll continue to do so.”

🎯IMPACT: The arrests highlight continued federal efforts to target threats to public safety presented by illegals, especially following President Donald J. Trump’s authorization of military strikes against Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

IN FULL

In a series of operations spanning eight states and nine cities, federal agents arrested 11 Iranian nationals, including one individual on the U.S. known or suspected terrorist list. Among those arrested was Mehran Makari Sahel in St. Paul, Minnesota, alleged by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to have ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Hezbollah.

Five of the arrested migrants had prior criminal convictions, including charges for grand larceny, drug possession, and firearm offenses. One migrant, Yousef Mehridehno, was apprehended in Mississippi after living in the U.S. illegally for nearly eight years. Federal authorities determined he had lied on his visa application and added him to the terrorist watchlist earlier this year.

Ribvar Karmi, arrested in northern Alabama, was found carrying an Iranian Army identification card and is alleged to have served as a sniper for Iran’s military from 2018 to 2021. He entered the U.S. on a K-1 visa, designated for migrants engaged to American citizens, and now remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

In addition to the 11 Iranian nationals, federal agents also arrested U.S. citizen Linet Vartaniann on charges of threatening law enforcement and harboring an illegal alien. ICE officials allege she threatened to “shoot officers in the head” during a confrontation at her home.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) activated its National Terrorism Advisory System following U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear weapons facilities over the weekend. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem emphasized proactive measures to counter potential threats, stating, “We have to watch for all of it, and to be diligent on all of it, and we’ll continue to do so.”

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47 minutes ago
Sports

Top LGBT Group Warns Dems to Stop Talking About Transgender Sports Issues.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The head of the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund urged Democrats to focus on kitchen-table issues rather than identity politics in the upcoming election cycle.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Evan Low, Jared Polis, Sarah McBride, Aime Wichtendahl, and the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund

📍WHEN & WHERE: June 24, 2025, San Francisco and national political scene

💬KEY QUOTE: “We want to talk about kitchen-table issues, not about identity.” – Evan Low

🎯IMPACT: LGBTQ+ candidates are winning even in red states by de-emphasizing identity and focusing on pragmatic issues like education, affordability, and governance.

IN FULL

Evan Low, CEO of the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, is pushing Democrats to focus less on cultural identity battles and more on the issues voters care about day-to-day—what he calls “kitchen-table issues.” He’s advising candidates to steer clear of hot-button topics like transgender participation in sports, which he says are not priorities for most Americans.

“This is not a top 1, top 5, top 10 or top 30 issue,” he said of transgender sports.

Low’s comments come as the Democratic Party wrestles with how to appeal to working-class voters post-2024, while President Trump continues using gender identity as a key wedge. Yet Low insists identity politics shouldn’t be front and center, even as LGBTQ+ individuals face regular targeting by Republican messaging. “We are running to serve the people, not to distract on issues that divide,” he stated.

According to the Victory Fund’s new “Out in America” report, shared in advance with POLITICO, 1,334 openly LGBTQ+ individuals now hold office—nearly triple the number from Trump’s first term. Most are Democrats, with less than three percent identifying as Republicans.

The trend has extended to top offices. Govs. Jared Polis, Maura Healey, and Tina Kotek have all secured governorships, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made history as the highest-ranking openly gay official in U.S. history under President Trump.

Polis, however, compared his sexuality to religion. “You answer any questions, and then you move on and talk about what you want to do,” he said. “It’s similar to how you deal with your faith. You’re not running just to represent that faith.”

Victory Fund leaders argue that being LGBTQ+ and simply running is a powerful act, but success lies in addressing universal concerns. Executive Director Elliot Imse said, “We are not going to win elections by pandering just to the nine percent of voters.”

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1 hour ago
War

Netanyahu Hits Back at Trump, But Agrees to Stop Strikes.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Israel has defended striking Iranian targets in Tehran hours before a ceasefire went into effect, resulting in Iranian strikes and Israeli counter-strikes after the ceasefire and angering President Donald J. Trump.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Iran, and President Trump.

📍WHEN & WHERE: June 24, 2025, Israel and Iran.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Pursuant to the conversation between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, Israel has refrained from additional attacks.” – Office of the Israeli Prime Minister.

🎯IMPACT: President Trump, who intervened in the Israel-Iran war to deliver a decisive blow to Iran’s nuclear facilities, is now adopting a more aggressive diplomatic posture to bring the conflict to a close.

IN FULL

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has responded to President Donald J. Trump’s criticism of Israeli forces launching a massive attack on Iran shortly before a ceasefire was due to take effect, resulting in subsequent violations by both parties.

According to a statement from Netanyahu’s office, the Israeli Air Force “forcefully attacked in the heart of Tehran, struck regime targets and eliminated hundreds of Basij and Iranian security forces personnel” at 03:00 AM, just hours before a scheduled ceasefire was to begin at 07:00 AM.

“Shortly before the ceasefire was due to take effect, Iran launched a barrage of missiles, one of which took the lives of four of our citizens in Be’er Sheva,” the statement continues, asserting that six minutes after the ceasefire took effect at 07:00 AM, “Iran launched one missile at Israeli territory, and two additional missiles at 10:25.”

Despite acknowledging that the missiles “were either intercepted or fell in open areas, and caused neither casualties nor damage,” the Israeli statement defends subsequent strikes on Iran as a response to the Islamic Republic’s “violations.”

President Trump was highly critical of Israel’s actions on Tuesday morning, saying, “Israel, as soon as we made the deal, they came out and they dropped a load of bombs the likes of which I’ve never seen before. The biggest load that we’ve seen.”

“I’m not happy with Israel. You know, when I say, ‘OK, now you have 12 hours,’ you don’t go out in the first hour and just drop everything you have on them,” he continued, adding that Israel and Iran “don’t know what the f**k they’re doing.”

Despite defending its strikes before the ceasefire officially went into effect, Netanyahu’s office acknowledged that, “Pursuant to the conversation between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, Israel has refrained from additional attacks.”

The Israeli statement added that, “In the conversation, President Trump expressed his great appreciation for Israel, which achieved all of its objectives for the war, as well as his confidence in the stability of the ceasefire.”

Image by Chatham House.

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1 hour ago
Alex Swoyer
Analysis

Don Jr., Lara Trump Open Up About ‘Shocking’ and ‘Scary’ Lawfare Against Their Family.

EDITOR’S NOTE

The following is an excerpt from attorney and former Breitbart reporter Alex Swoyer’s new book, Lawless Lawfare, which comes with a foreword by Mike Davis. Ms. Swoyer has made the following excerpt available exclusively for readers of The National Pulse, and will be launching her book in Washington, D.C., at Butterworth’s:

From the moment Trump launched his 2016 campaign, he was under scrutiny by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which ended up probing him for more than two years for allegedly working with Russia to win the 2016 campaign.

When the Russia investigation failed to land any luck for Democrats, they turned to impeaching him not once, but twice. Eventually, civil lawsuits ensued. But the worst of it may have been the four criminal prosecutions he faced, making history as the first time a former president ever stood trial and was convicted of a crime.

Don Jr., the eldest son of the president, said he does not think his father is bothered by being labeled a “felon” or a “convict.” He told me that, like the mug shot taken in Fulton County, Georgia, over Trump’s state prosecution there, it has all become “sort of a symbol for standing against the corrupt swamp establishment and standing with the tens of millions of everyday, commonsense Americans who supported him.”

“In a weird way, the courtroom sketches, the phony witch hunts, the failed Democrat ads, and the mug shot—it all became sort of a badge of honor, because it represents a courageous and bold stand against abuse of power. It’s a political comeback story like we’ve never seen. And no, I’m not tired of winning,” Don Jr. said.

He also credited the love and loyalty of the American people for motivating the Trump family to continue to campaign despite the mountain of lawfare.

“In fact, the lawfare only made us that much more driven and eager to deliver on the promises to restore equal justice and equal application of our laws. We’re a family of builders—and when you’re building something, you don’t stop until the job is finished. The more the corrupt left-wing lawfare cabal tried to bring him down, the stronger my father became. Because once the corruption got to a certain point, we had no choice but to work harder than ever to deliver a massive victory in November.”

Lara Trump, for her part, said that one day the family will feel comfortable coming out and talking more specifically about the way the political targeting that started nearly ten years ago has impacted each of them, adding that “it has upended all of our lives.”

“It has been very, very damaging to all of our lives in ways probably people couldn’t fathom. When that day comes, I think people will be utterly shocked by the things that have happened to our family and we made it through. I am grateful to the American people that they saw through all the lies and the lawfare and all the nonsense. But it is a really scary process that, had things gone the opposite way in this election, I don’t know what that would have meant for our family, for my father-in-law, and for this country as a whole, because I think once you go past a certain point, I don’t know that you get this country back. So, I feel like we are very fortunate right now.”

Get your copy of Lawless Lawfare: Tipping the Scales of Justice to Get Trump and Destroy MAGA, here today.

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2 hours ago
Breaking

‘Go Ahead, Make My Day’ Trump Tells Impeachment-Obsessed Democrats.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Donald J. Trump responded to calls from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to impeach him again, mocking the idea and calling her “stupid” and unqualified.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, Rep. Ilhan Omar, and Sen. Chuck Schumer.

📍WHEN & WHERE: June 24 2025, posted via Truth Social by President Trump.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Go ahead and try Impeaching me, again, MAKE MY DAY!” – Donald J. Trump, channeling Clint Eastwood, in a line written by John Milius.

🎯IMPACT: Trump’s post rallies supporters, reignites debate over impeachment abuse and throws shade at leading progressive Democrats ahead of primary season.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump responded sharply to renewed calls for his impeachment by far-left Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, calling her “stupid” and “one of the dumbest people in Congress.” The remarks came as AOC floated impeachment over Trump’s mounting policy victories, a reaction Trump chalked up to Democratic frustration with losing.

“The reason for her ‘rantings’ is all of the Victories that the U.S.A. has had under the Trump Administration,” Trump posted. “The Democrats aren’t used to WINNING, and she can’t stand the concept of our Country being successful again.”

The president didn’t stop at AOC. He slammed Rep. Jasmine Crockett as “a seriously Low IQ individual” and torched Rep. Ilhan Omar for constantly criticizing the U.S. while representing a “Failed Country… drenched in Crime and Poverty.” He added, “How dare ‘The Mouse’ tells us how to run the United States of America!”

Trump claimed he recently completed a cognitive test at Walter Reed Medical Center and “ACED it,” noting, “I got every answer right.” He suggested Ocasio-Cortez should take one as well and return to her district in Queens to clean up “filthy, disgusting, crime ridden streets.”

He warned her to “start worrying about her own Primary” against Sen. Chuck Schumer, sarcastically calling him “our Great Palestinian Senator.” Wrapping up, Trump mocked Democrats’ polling collapse and issued a challenge, paraphrasing Clint Eastwood’s famous character Harry Callahan: “Go ahead and try Impeaching me, again, MAKE MY DAY!”

The line in the Eastwood movie is believed to have been written by John Milius, the writer and director behind smash hits like Dirty Harry, Apocalypse Now, and Red Dawn. Milius is also believed to be the inspiration behind the character of Walter Sobchak in The Big Lebowski, and is the father of filmmaker Amanda Milius, who served in the first Trump administration and directed the movie Plot Against the President.

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2 hours ago
Immigration
Lawfare
SCOTUS

Rogue Judge Defies SCOTUS to Block Deportations.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Supreme Court authorized the deportation of certain illegal immigrants to third countries, overturning a lower court injunction. However, the district court moved to reinstate its order just hours later, regardless.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Trump administration, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), eight illegal alien criminals, U.S. District Court Judge Brian Murphy, and the Supreme Court.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The Supreme Court ruling was issued on Monday, following a lower court injunction in Boston, with the district court reinstating its injunction late Monday.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Expect fireworks tomorrow when we hold this judge accountable for refusing to obey the Supreme Court,” White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller stated late Monday evening.

🎯IMPACT: Deportations of criminal illegal immigrants to third countries are expected to resume quickly, though the actions of Judge Murphy could complicate matters in the short term.

IN FULL

In a major win for the Trump administration’s immigration agenda, the Supreme Court on Monday authorized the deportation of certain illegal immigrants to “third countries,” overturning a lower-court injunction that had halted the removals. “With this decision, DHS can finally exercise its undisputed authority to deport criminal illegal aliens—who are not wanted in their home country—to third countries that have agreed to accept them,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement. The order follows a decision by a far-left judge that had left U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and eight criminal migrants stranded in Djibouti.

The 6-3 ruling stayed a lower court injunction that had blocked the removals, with left-wing Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissenting. The case involved eight migrants convicted of serious crimes who challenged their deportations after being transferred to Sudan. They claimed they were unlawfully sent to countries not listed in their original removal orders.

U.S. District Court Judge Brian Murphy had previously blocked their deportations, requiring that the immigrants remain in U.S. custody until undergoing a “reasonable fear interview” to assess potential persecution. Solicitor General D. John Sauer argued that Murphy’s decision obstructed immigration enforcement and delayed the deportation of “some of the worst of the worst illegal aliens.”

Despite the high court’s ruling, just hours later, Judge Murphy reinstated his injunction specific to the illegal immigrants in Djibouti—in blatant defiance of the Supreme Court’s order. Judge Murphy late Monday wrote that his prior injunction “remains in full force and effect, notwithstanding today’s stay of the Preliminary Injunction.” The district court judge goes on to cite Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s dissent, arguing that the case was “not properly before [the Supreme] Court.”

“Expect fireworks tomorrow when we hold this judge accountable for refusing to obey the Supreme Court,” White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller stated late Monday evening.

Image by Billy Wilson.

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3 hours ago
Health
News

Chicago Clinic Will Abort Babies Up to 34 Weeks.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A Chicago abortionist clinic is now killing unborn babies in the third trimester, making Illinois one of the few states to allow abortions up to approximately 34 weeks.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Hope Clinic, pro-life leaders, and Illinois lawmakers.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Hope Clinic’s new Chicago location opened on June 2, 2024, in the Uptown neighborhood.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Almost everyone recognizes the brutality of an abortion that late in pregnancy.” – Eric Scheidler, Pro-Life Action League.

🎯IMPACT: The facility plans to perform eight to ten late-term abortions weekly, with more than half of patients expected to come from states with stricter abortion laws.

IN FULL

Hope Clinic, a long-standing abortionist clinic in Illinois, has opened a second location in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, offering to kill unborn babies in all trimesters, including up to approximately 34 weeks. The facility, which started operations on June 2, is now the only independent provider in the Midwest performing abortions at such an advanced stage of pregnancy.

The clinic announced its expansion on Instagram, stating, “Hope Clinic is now open in Chicago, IL, expanding our care through all trimesters! (And OMG we couldn’t be more excited).” Reasons for late-term abortions listed by the clinic include issues like health complications, but also personal changes of mind, such as “They just don’t want to be pregnant.”

Illinois law permits abortions past so-called fetal viability if a physician determines it is necessary for the life or health of the mother, including mental health. The law does not specify a gestational limit, allowing for significant latitude in such decisions. Dr. Erin King, the clinic’s chief medical officer, insists that the facility “absolutely” operates within the law and seeks to provide as many abortions as possible under its guidelines.

Pro-life advocates have expressed strong opposition to the facility’s operations. Eric Scheidler of the Pro-Life Action League commented, “Almost everyone recognizes the brutality of an abortion that late in pregnancy.” Mary Kate Zander of Illinois Right to Life highlighted concerns over the law’s mental health exemption, stating, “The overarching issue is that Illinois law is intentionally vague. Illinois state legislators don’t want to say that third trimester abortion is legal in Illinois. … But the reality is, [they] want women to be able to come to Illinois in the third trimester and get an abortion.”

The clinic expects to perform eight to ten abortions per week, primarily in the second and third trimesters, with over half of its patients anticipated to come from states with stricter abortion laws. In 2024, Illinois recorded the highest number of out-of-state abortions in the nation, with approximately 35,000 procedures performed for non-residents, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

Notably, premature babies can now be saved as early as 21 weeks in the U.S., with survival rates rising to 42 to 59 percent by 24 weeks and 67 to 76 percent at 25 weeks.

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4 hours ago
News
War

WATCH – Trump Blasts Israel, Iran: ‘They Don’t Know What the F**k They’re Doing!’

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump chastised Iran and especially Israel for breaking a freshly-brokered ceasefire deal in the Middle East, telling reporters, “They don’t know what the f**k they’re doing.”

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Israel, Iran.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Remarks made on Tuesday at the White House before a NATO summit in the Netherlands.

💬KEY QUOTE: “We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f**k they’re doing.” – Donald Trump.

🎯IMPACT: Trump’s comments highlight his frustrations with Israel, in particular, as he attempts to wind down the war between the Jewish State and Iran, which saw the U.S. participate in strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

IN FULL

President Donald Trump expressed frustration with both Israel and Iran early Tuesday morning, stating that the two nations “don’t know what the f**k they’re doing.” The profanity-laced remarks were made as Trump departed the White House for a NATO summit following a ceasefire agreement between the two countries.

Trump criticized Israel for its actions shortly after the ceasefire began. “I’m not happy with Israel. You know, when I say, okay, now you have 12 hours, you don’t go out in the first hour and just drop everything you have on them,” he said. “I’m not happy with Iran either, but I’m really unhappy if Israel is going out this morning.”

On his Truth Social account, Trump urged Israel to halt its planned attack. “ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!” Shortly after, he announced Israel had canceled its plans, writing, “ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly ‘Plane Wave’ to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect!”

The ceasefire for what Trump referred to as a “12-day war” was brokered with the help of Qatar’s Prime Minister after Iran launched limited strikes on a U.S. airbase in Qatar. Despite the agreement, tensions remain high as a senior Israeli official reported that Iran fired additional missiles toward Israel, with more potentially on the way.

“Unfortunately, the Iranians have decided to continue to fire toward Israel,” the official told Fox News. “Now we will have to retaliate, this will happen of course. It could end within several hours, but they [the Iranians] need to make a decision.”

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16 hours ago
Immigration
News

Here’s How Much the L.A. Migrant Riots Cost.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Pro-illegal immigrant riots in Los Angeles, California, this month have resulted in significant taxpayer costs.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Protesters, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia, California Governor Gavin Newsom (D), and the Trump administration.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Los Angeles, during June 2025, and other Democrat-controlled cities.

💬KEY QUOTE: “$29.5 million or 92 percent relates to LAPD’s response to protests against ICE, including citywide tactical alert costs.” – Kenneth Mejia

🎯IMPACT: Over $30 million in taxpayer costs, deployment of the National Guard, and over 700 arrests nationwide.

IN FULL

Downtown Los Angeles became the epicenter of pro-illegal immigrant riots earlier this month, with similar protests taking place in other Democrat-controlled cities. These demonstrations were in response to the Trump administration’s increased immigration enforcement efforts in California.

Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia stated that the riots and protests cost taxpayers over $30 million. Mejia detailed the costs on X, writing, “$29.5 million or 92 percent relates to LAPD’s response to protests against ICE, including citywide tactical alert costs.” An additional $1.4 million went toward clean-up and public property damage.

During the weekend of June 8, rioters in downtown L.A. burned Waymo cars, assaulted police officers, and engaged in mass looting. The violence led the Trump administration to deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles, a move that cost approximately $134 million, to protect U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal personnel who were not being adequately protected by local and state officials while performing their duties.

Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the deployment and filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the decision. The lawsuit failed, however.

Similar anti-ICE riots occurred in cities like Seattle and Portland, some coinciding with anti-Trump “No Kings” protests. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reported that over 700 arrests were made nationwide in connection with the riots. On June 10 alone, more than 200 arrests took place in Los Angeles after Mayor Karen Bass issued an emergency curfew to curb the looting and vandalism.

President Donald J. Trump has vowed to keep going forward with his deportation policies alongside Border Czar Tom Homan. Trump’s strict immigration policies have significantly reduced illegal entries into the United States, which are down 99.99 percent compared to the Biden era, Homan said in April.

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17 hours ago
TECH

Zuckerberg is Losing the AI Race, So He’s Deploying MASSIVE Recruitment Cash…

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Mark Zuckerberg has launched an aggressive recruitment campaign to build a new AI “superintelligence” team at Meta, personally messaging top researchers and offering record-breaking financial packages.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI figures like Ilya Sutskever and John Schulman, Alexandr Wang, Sam Altman, and Meta’s chief AI scientist Yann LeCun.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Spring and summer 2025, primarily in California and via Meta’s global communication networks.

💬KEY QUOTE: “At least so far, none of our best people have decided to take them up on that.” – Sam Altman, OpenAI.

🎯IMPACT: Meta’s recruitment drive signals panic and ambition in the AI arms race, but its internal leadership contradictions and lack of technical trust may stall Zuckerberg’s superintelligence dreams.

IN FULL

Mark Zuckerberg has launched a desperate recruitment drive to salvage Meta’s lagging AI ambitions. The Facebook founder has personally contacted hundreds of top-tier engineers and researchers, including OpenAI co-founders, product leads, and infrastructure experts, promising them nine-figure packages and blank checks to build a new Superintelligence lab from scratch.

Some recipients of Zuckerberg’s messages thought they were being pranked. One ignored his outreach entirely, assuming it was spam. Others were intrigued—but hesitant. Despite the jaw-dropping offers, doubts loom large: Meta’s AI program has faced public embarrassment, delays in launching core models, and internal confusion over leadership roles. A recent scandal involved accusations that Meta gamed benchmarks to make its AI appear more powerful than it is.

To plug the credibility gap, Zuckerberg is throwing money and status around. He’s tried to lure away OpenAI figures like John Schulman and Bill Peebles. He made a $14 billion deal with AI startup Scale and its CEO Alexandr Wang, handing him control of the new Meta AI team. Meanwhile, Zuckerberg has also flirted with acquiring Perplexity and Ilya Sutskever’s new startup, Safe Superintelligence—Meta even floated buying out parts of Sutskever’s venture fund in a bid to win over ex-GitHub CEO Nat Friedman and Daniel Gross.

But while Zuckerberg’s effort is high-touch—dining with recruits at his homes, personally assigning desks, and joining WhatsApp chats named “Recruiting Party”—not everyone is sold. Some recruits say the vision lacks clarity. Internally, Meta’s AI chief scientist Yann LeCun remains openly skeptical of the large language model (LLM) approach Zuckerberg is betting billions on, calling it a dead-end for achieving true superintelligence.

Zuckerberg believes his personal brand can do what Meta’s infrastructure cannot. He’s convinced that a message from him can override institutional hesitation. He’s telling recruits not to worry about money or computing power—Meta has both in spades. But rivals aren’t impressed. OpenAI’s Sam Altman, who’s running his own high-dollar offensive with designer Jony Ive, quipped publicly that none of his top staff have jumped ship.

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