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Wednesday, March 4, 2026
51 minutes ago
Crime
News

Iran-Backed Pakistani on Trial Over Plot to Assassinate Trump.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A Pakistani national was accused of plotting with Iran to kill U.S. officials as part of a broader murder-for-hire scheme.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Asif Merchant, federal prosecutors, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents, and unnamed informants. President Donald J. Trump and former President Joe Biden were mentioned as targets.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Merchant flew from Pakistan to the United States in an attempt to recruit hitmen, and was arrested one day before the assassination attempt against President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024.

💬KEY QUOTE: “This dangerous murder-for-hire plot was allegedly orchestrated by a Pakistani national with close ties to Iran and is straight out of the Iranian regime’s playbook.” – Former FBI Director Christopher Wray

🎯IMPACT: Merchant faces a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted. The trial highlights ongoing threats from the Iranian regime against U.S. interests.

IN FULL

Federal prosecutors say Pakistani national Asif Merchant plotted with Iranian contacts to assassinate U.S. political figures, reportedly including President Donald J. Trump. Merchant is on trial in Brooklyn, New York, facing charges of attempting to commit terrorism and participating in a murder-for-hire scheme. Authorities allege Merchant was indicted in July 2024 after being recorded during a meeting with a confidential informant, where he outlined a plan on a napkin to kill an unnamed politician.

Prosecutors say he later attempted to hire two men to carry out the killing, offering $5,000 each. The would-be hitmen were undercover Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents. Merchant was arrested as he attempted to leave the United States.

Court evidence also includes graphic images that Merchant allegedly shared online depicting violence against Trump, including a severed head and a gravestone bearing Trump’s name. Some posts dated back to 2020 and referenced former President Joe Biden. One image showed a mock wanted poster for Trump with the caption, “Iran issues an arrest warrant for Trump.”

The case comes amid ongoing tensions between Washington and Tehran following military operations ordered by Trump targeting Iranian-linked interests. Critics have argued that some of those actions lacked clear congressional authorization, while others maintain that Trump acted within his Article II powers as commander-in-chief.

Then-FBI Director Christopher Wray said, “This dangerous murder-for-hire plot was allegedly orchestrated by a Pakistani national with close ties to Iran and is straight out of the Iranian regime’s playbook.” Merchant’s defense team denies the allegations and contends the case is politically motivated.

Merchant’s prosecution follows other cases involving alleged threats against Trump. In February 2026, Ryan Routh,  accused of attempting to assassinate Trump, was sentenced to life in prison after authorities said he took substantial steps toward carrying out an attack. Months earlier, Routh reportedly sought transfer to a prison in a state permitting assisted suicide, stating he wished to pursue euthanasia while incarcerated.

In June 2025, authorities also charged an alleged Antifa-linked sharpshooter in connection with threats against Trump, accusing the suspect of making explicit statements about conducting a sniper-style attack before being apprehended.

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1 hour ago
Immigration
SCOTUS

Supreme Court UNANIMOUSLY Backs Trump Admin on Asylum.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously sided with the Trump administration in a case concerning the standard for reviewing asylum claims by illegal immigrants.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The case involved Salvadoran illegal immigrant Humberto Urias-Orellana and the Trump administration.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The ruling was issued on March 4, 2026, by the U.S. Supreme Court.

💬KEY QUOTE: “We conclude that the statute requires application of the substantial-evidence standard to the agency’s conclusion that a given set of undisputed facts does not constitute persecution.” – Ketanji Brown Jackson

🎯IMPACT: The decision reinforces the substantial evidence standard for reviewing asylum claims, supporting the executive branch’s determinations.

IN FULL

In a firm and unanimous ruling, the United States Supreme Court handed the Trump administration a victory regarding its power to review asylum claims made by illegal immigrants. The high court in Urias-Orellana v. Bondi found that federal courts must defer to immigration agencies when deciding whether facts qualify as “persecution” in asylum cases. Importantly, this entails the application of the substantial-evidence standard, rather than the interpretation of individual jurists.

The case involves Humberto Urias-Orellana, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador who unlawfully entered the United States in 2021 and filed for asylum. Urias-Orellana claimed that he faced persecution in El Salvador, but both an immigration judge and the Board of Immigration Appeals rejected his claims, determining the alleged violence he faced did not constitute persecution. The First Circuit Court of Appeals upheld this decision.

Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, writing for the court, stated that the statute requires the application of the substantial-evidence standard to the agency’s conclusion that the facts do not amount to persecution. “We conclude that the statute requires application of the substantial-evidence standard to the agency’s conclusion that a given set of undisputed facts does not constitute persecution. Accordingly, we affirm,” Justice Jackson wrote.

Notably, the case reinforces the deference given to the executive branch’s factual determinations in immigration cases. The substantial evidence standard is a highly deferential appellate review standard requiring that factual findings be upheld if they are supported by “such relevant evidence as a reasonable mind might accept as adequate to support a conclusion”. It requires more than a mere scintilla of evidence but less than a preponderance.

Image by Joe Ravi.

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2 hours ago
Crime
News

No Felony Charges for Antifa Agitators Despite $1M Damage at University of Washington.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: King County prosecutors declined to pursue felony charges against 33 agitators arrested for vandalizing the University of Washington’s Interdisciplinary Engineering Building, instead filing misdemeanor charges.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Thirty-three agitators, including members of the now-suspended group Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return (SUPER UW), and University of Washington police investigators.

📍WHEN & WHERE: May 2025 at the University of Washington’s Interdisciplinary Engineering Building; decision not to prosecute confirmed recently.

💬KEY QUOTE: “This is an important step in ensuring accountability for those who perpetrated this occupation.” – UW spokesman Victor Balta

🎯IMPACT: Twenty-three students involved have already faced disciplinary suspensions.

IN FULL

Prosecutors in King County will not pursue felony charges against 33 Antifa agitators arrested in connection with last spring’s occupation and vandalism of the University of Washington’s Interdisciplinary Engineering Building. Instead, nearly a year after the May 2025 incident, which caused more than $1 million in damage, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed 33 counts of Criminal Trespass in the First Degree, a gross misdemeanor.

Records show University of Washington police told prosecutors they lacked sufficient evidence to support felony charges such as burglary or malicious mischief. Investigators cited the absence of eyewitness testimony or surveillance footage capturing the vandalism. A forensic review of seized electronic devices also failed to tie specific suspects to the property destruction.

Police reports indicate the demonstration was organized by Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return (SUPER UW), an anti-Israel student group later suspended by the university. According to authorities, individuals dressed in “Black Bloc” Antifa clothing entered the building after hours, barricaded exits, and damaged equipment. Officers issued dispersal orders and ultimately removed dozens of people, encountering resistance that included makeshift shields and protective gear.

Police Lieutenant Anthony Stewart said investigators believe two separate groups were involved: one that carried out the destruction and another, with university affiliations, that remained inside and “leverage[d] their status to avoid aggressive police responses.”

University spokesman Victor Balta confirmed that 23 of those charged were students who had already been disciplined.

The case unfolds amid broader national scrutiny of protest movements employing “Black Bloc” tactics associated with Antifa. In Texas, federal prosecutors have brought terrorism-related charges against individuals accused of attacking an ICE detention facility in 2025, marking one of the most aggressive uses of federal statutes in cases linked to alleged Antifa activity.

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3 hours ago
Corruption
Data

It’s NOT The Economy, Stupid! – The Issue That Most Americans List as Their TOP CONCERN Might Surprise Some.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Government and political leadership remained the top concern for Americans in February, with immigration rising sharply as the second most mentioned issue.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The responses reflect concerns from Democrats, Republicans, and independents, as well as broader dissatisfaction with political leadership and immigration policies.

📍WHEN & WHERE: February 2-16, 2025, across the United States, per a Gallup poll.

🎯IMPACT: The findings highlight continued dissatisfaction with government and an increased focus on immigration, reflecting partisan divides and differing priorities.

IN FULL

Government and political leadership remain Americans’ top concern, according to a Gallup poll conducted February 2-16. Immigration emerged as the second-most-cited issue, followed by the economy and inflation. Importantly, Gallup stresses that the survey was conducted before the United States and Israel launched military strikes on Iran on February 28.

According to the data, 29 percent of American adults said government or politics is the most important problem facing the United States. This is only a slight decline from 32 percent who said the same in January. Notably, immigration as an issue rose to 20 percent, up from 10 percent in January, while the economy was a concern of only 11 percent, and inflation was a concern for only eight percent of respondents.

Other notable issues included unifying the country (seven percent), problems with the judicial system (six percent), and concerns about elections and democracy (five percent). Race relations, crime, and healthcare were each cited by four percent of respondents.

A major factor in what respondents considered their top concern is partisan affiliation. According to Gallup, 44 percent of Democrats cited government as the top problem. Meanwhile government was only the top problem for 24 percent of independents and 19 percent of Republicans. The Democrat concerns, according to the data, are almost entirely driven by criticisms of the Trump White House. However, Republican respondents pointed to corruption—like the massive social services fraud scheme in Minnesota—or partisan gridlock as the most important problems plaguing government.

Mentions of immigration rose across all party groups in February, with 32 percent of Republicans, 18 percent of Democrats, and 15 percent of independents citing the issue. Republicans frequently focused on illegal immigration and border security, while Democrats highlighted humanitarian concerns and their criticism of federal immigration policy.

Image by Ted Eytan.

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4 hours ago
News
TECH

Jeff Bezos Gathers War Chest to Gobble Up AI-Hit Firms.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Jeff Bezos’s artificial intelligence (AI) lab, Project Prometheus, is raising billions to acquire companies impacted by AI disruption.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Jeff Bezos, Robert Nelsen, Vikram Bajaj, Cristian Bodnar, Nal Kalchbrenner, Jamie Dimon, and sovereign wealth funds.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Ongoing efforts, with a $6.2 billion fundraising round completed in late 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The pace of innovation in AI right now is truly hard to understate.” – Robert Nelsen, Arch Venture Partners

🎯IMPACT: Prometheus aims to transform manufacturing and industry, potentially consolidating major sectors under Bezos’s control.

IN FULL

Jeff Bezos is pursuing an ambitious plan via his artificial intelligence (AI) venture, Project Prometheus, by raising tens of billions of dollars to purchase companies facing challenges from AI-driven changes. Reports indicate that the project secured $6.2 billion in funding toward the end of 2025, resulting in a valuation of roughly $30 billion.

The effort centers on applying AI to “transform manufacturing and industry,” including plans for a dedicated holding company designed as a “manufacturing transformation vehicle.” This structure would target acquisitions in various manufacturing fields, such as those producing jet engines and computer chips. The initiative has attracted backing from prominent investors, including Jamie Dimon and sovereign wealth funds such as the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, as well as substantial involvement from Robert Nelsen of Arch Venture Partners.

Nelsen has called the project potentially “one of the most important companies in the world,” stating, “The pace of innovation in AI right now is truly hard to understate.” Bezos, who serves as co-chief executive, works alongside experienced figures such as former Google executive Vikram Bajaj and AI specialists Cristian Bodnar and Nal Kalchbrenner, both previously from Microsoft and Google.

Analysts have drawn parallels to J.P. Morgan’s historical tactics, where he consolidated struggling industrial businesses during periods of economic pressure to build giants like U.S. Steel.

Image by Daniel Oberhaus.

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4 hours ago
War
World

Here’s Who Iran’s Next Leader Might Be… If He Isn’t Killed First.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is expected to assume leadership of the country despite lacking an elected or appointed government role.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Mojtaba Khamenei, the Iranian Assembly of Experts, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

📍WHEN & WHERE: Following the death of Ayatollah Khamenei during an Israeli airstrike on Saturday as part of Operation Epic Fury, in Iran.

🎯IMPACT: Mojtaba Khamenei’s potential rise highlights tensions within Iran’s leadership and raises questions about the Islamic Republic’s stance on hereditary rule.

IN FULL

Mojtaba Khamenei, a 56-year-old Twelver Muslim cleric and son of the deceased Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is poised to take over as Supreme Leader of Iran despite having no prior government role nor significant position within the religious sect. His rise is reportedly backed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian Assembly of Experts following the death of his father during joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes.

The Assembly of Experts, a body of 88 Islamic scholars vetted for loyalty to the Supreme Leader, convened twice to discuss the succession. Some Iranian officials have claimed that Mojtaba was selected as the primary candidate, with the Assembly of Experts under pressure from the IRGC.

However, the legitimacy of the selection is already being called into question, especially in light of the Assembly of Experts allegedly being hit by an airstrike during its meeting. Leaving a U.S. Senate briefing with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday, Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) alluded to the possibility that 80 or so of the Assembly of Experts members were killed in the strike.


Even if Mojtaba Khamenei becomes the new Supreme Leader, his tenure may be short. The U.S. Department of War and President Donald J. Trump say the U.S. Air Force has established air superiority over Iran—meaning U.S. and Israeli aircraft can strike Islamic Republic regime targets at will—and largely destroyed the regime’s navy. Additionally, the Iranian exile community is pushing several other candidates to lead the country, including Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late Shah of Iran, and Maryam Rajavi, exiled leader of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)—a front for the Islamo-Marxist People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK).

If Mojtaba Khamenei assumes the role, it will contradict the Islamic Republic’s long-standing criticism of hereditary rule.

Image by Mahmoud Hosseini / Tasnim News Agency.

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5 hours ago
News
Politics

Cornyn Camp Mocks, Belittles Wesley Hunt and His Voters.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Senate Leadership Fund (SLF) attacked Representative Wesley Hunt (R-TX) after his third-place finish in the Texas Republican primary for Senator John Cornyn’s seat, potentially alienating Hunt’s supporters ahead of a May run-off between Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: SLF Executive Director Alex Latcham, Wesley Hunt, John Cornyn, Ken Paxton, and GOP fundraiser Caroline Wren.

📍WHEN & WHERE: March 2026, Texas Republican primary race.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Congratulations to Wesley Hunt on an abysmal third place finish in Texas’ Republican primary.” – Alex Latcham

🎯IMPACT: The statement by the SLF, which is backing Cornyn, may drive Hunt and his hundreds of thousands of supporters to back Paxton in the run-off.

IN FULL

The Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), which is backing Republican-in-name-only (RINO) Senator John Cornyn in the primary race for his Texas seat, has taken a swipe at Wesley Hunt following his third-place finish in the first round of the contest. Observers believe this is likely to motivate Hunt and his supporters to back Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in his head-to-head run-off with Cornyn.

SLF Executive Director Alex Latcham issued a statement belittling Hunt and, by extension, his supporters, saying, “Congratulations to Wesley Hunt on an abysmal third place finish in Texas’ Republican primary. Instead of fighting for President Trump and conservative priorities, Wesley launched a career-ending vanity tour without any substance or political reasoning. While Wesley’s amateur consultants got wealthy on his senseless campaign, Republican voters are now forced to endure an even longer primary runoff election.”

Paxton and Cornyn appear to have finished the first round of the primary neck-and-neck, within roughly one percent of each other. Hunt, while significantly behind the pair, still boasted around 14 percent of the vote share with approaching 300,000 voters—who will likely decide the run-off.

Caroline Wren, a prominent GOP fundraiser, questioned the wisdom of Cornyn’s camp alienating Hunt and his supporters ahead of the run-off, writing on social media, “Politics is a game of addition. And SLF just told 200,000+ Wesley Hunt voters to fuck off.”

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5 hours ago
Politics

WATCH: GOP Senator Grills Kristi Noem Over $220M Taxpayer Ad Spend, Vendors.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem faced criticism over a $220 million ad campaign.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Kristi Noem, Senator John Kennedy (R-LA), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and President Donald J. Trump.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The hearing took place on a Tuesday, March 3, 2026.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The President approved ahead of time you spending $220 million running TV ads across the country in which you feature prominently?” – Sen. John Kennedy

🎯IMPACT: The ad campaign raised questions about spending priorities and the bidding process.

IN FULL

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem faced criticism from Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) during a hearing, as he questioned the effectiveness and intent of a $220 million ad campaign supposedly targeting illegal immigrants. Kennedy suggested the campaign was more about boosting Noem’s name recognition than promoting the Trump administration’s agenda.

“How do you square that concern for waste, which I share, with the fact that you have spent $220 million running television advertisements that feature you prominently?” Sen. Kennedy pressed during Sec. Noem’s appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. Noem responded, “Sir, the President tasked me with getting the message out to the country and to other countries, where we were seeing the invasion come from, with putting commercials out that told them that if they were in this country illegally, they needed to leave.”

“The President asked you to run these advertisements. Is that correct?” Kennedy continued, with Noem stating that President Donald J. Trump did. The DHS Secretary further stated that the contracts to produce the ads went out to a competitive bid. When pressed further about whether the contractors who produced the television ads had formerly worked for her political operation in South Dakota, Noem insisted they had not, but did not clearly answer whether their subcontractors had.

Sen. Kenney again circled back to whether President Trump had approved Noem spending $220 million on the advertisement campaign “in which you [Noem] feature prominently?” Again, Sec. Noem answered in the affirmative and insisted the television ads had been effective.

“They were effective in your name recognition… To me, it puts the President in a terribly awkward spot—and I’m not saying you’re not telling the truth, it’s just hard for me to believe, knowing the President as I do, that you said, ‘Mr. President, here’s some ads I’ve cut, and I’m gonna spend $220 million running them,’ that he would have agreed to that,” Sen. Kennedy responded, adding, “I don’t think Russ Vought would’ve agreed to that. It’s something we have to defend… It troubles me. A quarter of a billion in taxpayer money when we’re scratching for every penny.”

The Strategy Group, a firm with ties to Noem and Corey Lewandowski, acted as a subcontractor on the ad campaign for Safe America Media, LLC, the firm initially awarded the contract. Safe America Media, LLC was formed just days before receiving the contract, bypassing the usual competitive bidding process due to a national emergency declaration. The Strategy Group’s involvement has drawn further scrutiny as its CEO is married to former DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, Tricia McLaughlin.

Following Kennedy’s comments, McLaughlin responded in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “[Sen. Kennedy], if you’re going to accuse someone of corruption, you better have your facts straight. No, my husband doesn’t own Safe America and is not apart of it. He nor his company have ever had a contract with DHS.”

WATCH HERE:

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7 hours ago
War

WATCH: U.S. Submarine Torpedoes Iranian Warship in Indian Ocean.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A U.S. submarine launched a torpedo strike, sinking an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, killing at least 80 Iranians onboard.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The U.S. Navy, the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena, Sri Lankan officials, and U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The attack occurred late Tuesday night in international waters, approximately 44 nautical miles off the southern coast of Sri Lanka.

💬KEY QUOTE: “An American submarine sank an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. It was sunk by a torpedo, a quiet death—the first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War II.” – Pete Hegseth

🎯IMPACT: The strike marks the first U.S. attack on Iranian military assets outside the Middle East since the conflict began.

IN FULL

The United States Department of War (DOW) has confirmed it carried out a submarine torpedo strike that sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena off the southern coast of Sri Lanka. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth noted that the attack marked the first U.S. sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War II.

“An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters,” Sec. Hegseth said on Wednesday, continuing, “It was sunk by a torpedo, a quiet death—the first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War II.”

“Like in that war, back when we were still the War Department, we are fighting to win,” Hegseth added.

According to Hegseth, the Iranian frigate was targeted late Tuesday night while sailing in international waters. The vessel, described as the newest in Iran’s naval fleet, was equipped with surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles, and torpedo launchers. At least 80 crew members were reported dead, with 32 survivors rescued and hospitalized in Galle, Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Vijitha Herath, confirmed that the Sri Lankan coastguard responded to a distress call from the Iranian ship early Wednesday morning. Herath stated that Sri Lanka, as a signatory to the international convention on maritime search and rescue, dispatched two vessels to assist in rescue operations.

Representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran have yet to officially comment on the incident. However, Sri Lankan officials reported that Iranian sources believe the ship’s defense systems were disabled by electromagnetic means prior to the torpedo strike. The attack occurred 44 nautical miles off the coastal city of Galle, within Sri Lanka’s economic zone but outside its territorial waters.

This strike follows days of joint U.S.-Israel operations against Iranian leadership and military targets in the Middle East, including the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

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7 hours ago
News
War

Trump Poised to Invoke Defense Production Act to Boost Munitions Production for Iran War.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Trump administration is considering invoking the Defense Production Act to accelerate the production of munitions amid concerns over U.S. stockpiles during “Operation Epic Fury” in Iran.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, War Secretary Pete Hegseth, and the U.S. military.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Discussions took place recently in Washington, D.C., as the U.S. military carries out operations in Iran and across the Middle East.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The U.S. military has more than enough munitions, ammo, and weapons stockpiles to achieve the goals of Operation Epic Fury laid out by President Trump—and beyond.” – Karoline Leavitt

🎯IMPACT: The move could ensure sufficient munitions for the ongoing conflict while replenishing stockpiles, but concerns remain about America’s long-term readiness and production capacity.

IN FULL

The Trump administration is considering invoking the Defense Production Act to ramp up the manufacturing of munitions, driven by worries about U.S. inventory levels during the ongoing “Operation Epic Fury” against Iran. This law permits the government to direct production priorities toward critical national security requirements; the idea of invoking it has surfaced in closed-door briefings on Capitol Hill, per people with knowledge of the discussions.

President Donald J. Trump has openly called on defense manufacturers to speed up output, stating, “We have unlimited middle and upper ammunition, which is really what we’re using in this war.” Trump further stated that defense firms are operating “under emergency orders” to fulfill military demands.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has said that the armed forces possess adequate supplies to fulfill the mission’s aims, declaring, “The U.S. military has more than enough munitions, ammo, and weapons stockpiles to achieve the goals of Operation Epic Fury laid out by President Trump—and beyond.”

Anxieties regarding reserves have grown due to America’s continued backing of partners such as Israel and Ukraine and the heavy use of defensive missile stockpiles to defend the former. General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has privately raised concerns about shortages of air defense munitions during talks with the President and lawmakers.

Activating the Defense Production Act could tackle short-term requirements while also rebuilding inventories for potential future contingencies.

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