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Tag: Donald Trump
August 18, 2025
Crime
News

DC Crime Crackdown: A Guardsman Just Saved a Cop at the National Mall.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A National Guardsman intervened to stop an assault on a Park Police officer at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., amid President Donald J. Trump’s federalization of law enforcement in the American capital.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Staff Sergeant Hector Amaya of the D.C. Air National Guard and a Park Police officer.

📍WHEN & WHERE: August 16, 2025, at the National Mall, Washington, D.C.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I want people to see that we’re human beings, we’re their neighbors, we’re their friends, and we’re just here to help.” – Staff Sgt. Amaya

🎯IMPACT: The incident highlights the positive role of the National Guard in supporting public safety.

IN FULL

A District of Columbia Air National Guardsman intervened to stop an assault on a Park Police officer on August 16, amid President Donald J. Trump’s federalization of law enforcement in the American capital. The officer was directing traffic when the incident at the National Mall, one of the most visited landmarks in Washington, D.C., took place.

Staff Sergeant Hector Amaya, a security forces officer with the 113th Squadron, was patrolling the area with fellow airmen when he responded to the officer’s call for help. “The park police officer asked for our help, and I was the first one to catch up, and was able to detain him to the park police and turn him over,” Amaya stated.

Reflecting on his actions, Amaya expressed pride in serving the community where he has lived his entire life. “I have grown up and lived my entire life in the DMV. I remember coming here when I was in fifth grade for field trips, and all the way now into my 20s, I’m still coming to DC., so I care a lot about this city,” he said.

“I want people to see that we’re human beings, we’re their neighbors, we’re their friends, and we’re just here to help,” Amaya added, referring to the hostile reception some federal personnel have been receiving from far-left activists—including a now-former Department of Justice (DOJ) employee who assaulted a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent.

President Trump has surged hundreds of National Guardsmen and personnel from federal law enforcement agencies into D.C., citing figures showing the American capital has worse homicide rates than many Third World capitals as evidence of a crime emergency.

Liberal critics of the America First leader claim D.C. statistics do not support the federalization, but the Fraternal Order of Police argue the crime statistics are being falsified, with one D.C. police commander already facing charges for allegedly doctoring the data to make crime appear lower.

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August 15, 2025
Jack Montgomery
Breaking
War

BREAKING: Trump Greets Putin in Alaska.

President Donald J. Trump has greeted Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, where the two leaders are expected to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine and a possible deal on nuclear arms control.

Initial reports indicated that the pair would meet one-on-one, with only interpreters present, but the White House has since advised that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will join President Trump. President Putin will also be joined by Russian officials, possibly including Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov, who arrived in Alaska earlier in the day.

Trump said en route to Alaska that he is not sure a deal can be struck today, but added he is “not going to be happy if it’s not today.” He added, “Everyone said it can’t be today—but I want the killing to stop.”

“I’m not doing this for my health, OK?” Trump told reporters. “I don’t need it. I’d like to focus on our country, but I’m doing this to save a lot of lives.”

Trump has indicated that the meeting could be cut short if Putin tries stonewalling him, warning, “If he doesn’t want to cooperate, then I’m gone.”

This story is developing…

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President Donald J. Trump has greeted Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, where the two leaders are expected to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine and a possible deal on nuclear arms control. show more
August 15, 2025
Politics

Here’s How Many Federal Workers Trump Expects to Lay Off by Year’s End:

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump’s Office of Personnel Management (OPM) estimated that efforts to reduce the federal workforce would lead to 300,000 layoffs by year-end.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: OPM Director Scott Kupor and the Trump administration.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The estimate was shared on Thursday, August 14, 2025.

🎯IMPACT: The administration targets a 12.5 percent reduction in the federal workforce, with most reductions coming from voluntary buyouts.

IN FULL

A new report from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) estimates that President Donald J. Trump‘s efforts to cut government waste and federal redundancies will result in an estimated 300,000 federal workers being laid off by the end of the year. According to OPM Director Scott Kupor, 80 percent of the workforce reduction number stems from personnel accepting voluntary buyouts, while 20 percent is the result of direct layoffs.

The Trump White House says its goal is a 12.5 percent reduction in the federal workforce. It has offered two rounds of buyouts so far. An initial round in February resulted in 75,000 federal employees accepting the offer, and a second round was offered in April.

Democrat-backed legal challenges to the buyouts and layoffs have been largely unsuccessful. Earlier this year, Massachusetts U.S. District Court Judge George O’Toole ruled against unions seeking to block the buyouts, stating they lack standing in the legal challenge. Additionally, Judge O’Toole determined his court lacked jurisdiction even to hear the matter.

Meanwhile, in July, jobs data showed that between January and May, the total number of government jobs in the Washington, D.C. area had been slashed by 22,000. The layoffs appear to have substantially accelerated after the U.S. Supreme Court lifted a lower court order earlier last month that had blocked the Trump administration from cutting workforces across 19 federal departments and agencies.

Image by Ted Eytan.

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August 15, 2025
Politics

This MAGA SuperPac Is Crushing Anti-Trump Massie’s Poll Numbers.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Anti-Trump Congressman Thomas Massie (R-KY) has seen a sharp drop in polling numbers following a MAGA-backed campaign targeting him for defeat in an upcoming Republican primary.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Rep. Thomas Massie, MAGA Inc. SuperPAC, President Donald J. Trump, and McLaughlin and Associates.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The poll was conducted August 10-12, 2025, among likely Republican voters in Kentucky’s 4th congressional district.

💬KEY QUOTE: “MAGA Kentucky’s advertising campaign has turned Thomas Massie’s polling numbers up-side-down, leaving him exposed and extremely vulnerable in a Republican primary election for Congress,” the poll stated.

🎯IMPACT: The poll suggests Massie’s approval has dropped significantly, leaving him vulnerable to a Trump-endorsed challenger in the 2026 Republican primary.

IN FULL

Anti-Trump Congressman Thomas Massie (R-KY)—once largely thought untouchable in Kentucky’s 4th congressional district—has seen his polling numbers turn upside down following a series of recent spats between himself and President Donald J. Trump. The Kentucky congressman’s opposition to Trump’s America First agenda is being emphasized in a series of advertisements and a voter education effort backed by the MAGA Inc. SuperPAC.

A new internal poll by McLaughlin and Associates shows Massie’s favorability rating dropped from 54 percent in June to 43 percent this month, while his unfavorability rating rose to 54 percent from 40 percent. President Trump himself highlighted the polling data in a post on Truth Social.


The Massie campaign is dismissing the data, calling it unreliable. “This poll does not reflect reality in Kentucky’s 4th district,” a campaign spokesman claimed following the McLaughlin poll.

They contend that MAGA Inc.’s campaign against Massie isn’t having an impact, alleging the SuperPAC is funded by “three socially liberal globalist billionaires who are upset Congressman Massie doesn’t vote for wars and foreign aid.” Notably, The National Pulse has reported that Elon Musk is still a major donor to MAGA Inc.

McLaughlin and Associates made a strong argument that MAGA Inc.‘s $1.8 million ad campaign is negatively impacting Massie’s voter support. “MAGA Kentucky’s advertising campaign has turned Thomas Massie’s polling numbers up-side-down, leaving him exposed and extremely vulnerable in a Republican primary election for Congress,” the pollster states.

The poll, conducted between August 10 and 12 among 500 likely Republican voters from Massie’s district, had a margin of error of ±4.4 percentage points. It also highlighted that 57 percent of GOP primary voters would be more likely to back a Trump-endorsed challenger, and Massie’s “reelect score” fell to 30 percent, below the 40 percent threshold considered safe for incumbents.

Massie has clashed with Trump on key issues, including airstrikes on Iran that crippled its nuclear weapons program and the U.S. debt ceiling. Earlier this year, Trump labeled him “lazy,” “disingenuous,” and the “worst Republican congressman” after Massie voted against the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a signature Trump policy.

Trump has threatened to back a primary challenger against Massie for the 2026 midterms, and MAGA Inc. has been heavily involved in efforts to unseat him.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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August 15, 2025
News

Trump Secures Major Prisoner Release.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump announced he spoke with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, to thank him for the release of 16 prisoners and discuss the potential release of 1,300 more.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, and the recently released prisoners.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The announcement was made on Truth Social as Trump traveled to Alaska for a meeting with Putin.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Our conversation was a very good one. We discussed many topics, including President Putin’s visit to Alaska. I look forward to meeting President Lukashenko in the future.” – Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: The discussion highlights international diplomatic efforts and the potential for further prisoner releases in Belarus.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump shared on Truth Social that he spoke with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko about prisoner releases ahead of his Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday afternoon. “I had a wonderful talk with the highly respected President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko. The purpose of the call was to thank him for the release of 16 prisoners. We are also discussing the release of 1,300 additional prisoners,” Trump stated.

He related that the conversation “was a very good one,” and that he and Lukashenko “discussed many topics, including President Putin’s visit to Alaska.” He added, “I look forward to meeting President Lukashenko in the future. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Russia and Belarus are close allies, joined together in a Union State involving deep economic and military ties, although each remains sovereign. Belarus has not participated directly in the Ukraine war, but it has allowed Russian forces to operate from its territory, with the 2022 offensive towards Kiev being launched largely across the Belarusian border.

President Lukashenko pardoned the 16 prisoners, many of whom were charged with extremism—a common charge used against political dissidents in Belarus—last month. Over 1,000 political prisoners are believed to remain detained in the country.

In June, Belarusian political figure Siarhei Tsikhanouski and 13 others were freed and transported to Lithuania, a NATO and European Union (EU) member on the Baltic coast, after a meeting between Trump’s Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, and Lukashenko.

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August 15, 2025
William Upton
Crime

All 800 National Guard Troops Are Now Mobilized in D.C.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The National Guard has officially deployed all 800 troops mobilized as part of President Donald J. Trump’s 30-day federalization of law enforcement in Washington, D.C.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The National Guard, President Donald J. Trump, Department of Defense spokeswoman Kingsley Wilson, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, and criminals.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Thursday evening, August 14, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “As of today, all 800 Army and Air National Guardsmen are mobilized… as part of Joint Task Force D.C., and they are now here in our capital.” — Kingsley Wilson

🎯IMPACT: The deployment will last for at least 30 days, and could be extended if President Trump is able to secure the votes he needs in Congress.

IN FULL

The National Guard has officially deployed all 800 troops mobilized as part of President Donald J. Trump‘s 30-day federalization of law enforcement in Washington, D.C., aimed at cracking down on violent crime in the United States capital. According to the U.S. Army, the National Guard troops, while not engaging in direct policing, “[are] to provide a visible presence in key public areas, serving as a visible crime deterrent.”

“As of today, all 800 Army and Air National Guardsmen are mobilized… as part of Joint Task Force D.C., and they are now here in our capital,” Department of Defense spokeswoman Kingsley Wilson said, adding that they “will assist the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and federal law enforcement partners with monument security, community safety patrols, protecting federal facilities and officers” and assisting with traffic stops.

Wilson went on to state that the National Guard troops “will remain until law and order has been restored in the District, as determined by the President.” The National Pulse reported on Thursday that President Trump will pursue “long-term extensions” from Congress to maintain control of Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

“We’re going to need a crime bill that we’re going to be putting in and it’s going to pertain initially to D.C. We’re going to be asking for extensions on that, long-term extensions, because you can’t have 30 days,” Trump said. While Republicans hold majorities in both chambers, at least seven Democratic votes would be needed in the Senate to meet the 60-vote threshold for passage.

Late Thursday evening, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi officially transferred the powers of the Washington, D.C. police chief to the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), solidifying federal control. The move prompted a response from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter): “We have followed the law… there is no statute that conveys the District’s personnel authority to a federal official.”

The Democrat D.C. Attorney General, Brian Schwalb, is challenging the transfer of powers in court.

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August 15, 2025
Crime
Lawfare

D.C. Files Lawfare Suit Against Trump Takeover.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The District of Columbia’s city government filed a lawsuit challenging federal control over its police department, following a directive from the Trump administration naming a federal official as the emergency head of the department.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) head Terry Cole, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, and Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Pamela Smith.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The lawsuit was filed on Friday in Washington, D.C., following federal directives issued earlier in the week.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The administration’s unlawful actions are an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the 700,000 Americans who call D.C. home. This is the gravest threat to Home Rule that the District has ever faced, and we are fighting to stop it.” – Brian Schwalb

🎯IMPACT: Federal forces, including National Guard troops, have been clamping down on crime in the American capital, but a successful legal challenge could disrupt this.

IN FULL

The District of Columbia has taken legal action against the Trump administration’s decision to place its police department under federal control. The lawsuit, filed by D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb (D), argues that the administration’s move violates the autonomy of the district and its residents.

The legal challenge follows an announcement late Thursday by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who stated that Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) boss Terry Cole would assume the powers of the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief of Police. Bondi’s directive also rescinded local policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and mandated that all new directives receive Cole’s approval.

Mayor Muriel Bowser and Police Chief Pamela Smith have pushed back against the federal actions. Bowser stated there is no legal basis for transferring the district’s personnel authority to a federal official, while Schwalb advised Smith to continue following orders from local leadership rather than federal officials.

The Trump administration has justified its actions as part of a broader crackdown on crime and illegal immigration, citing a state of emergency to bolster its authority. Federal forces, including National Guard troops and DEA agents, have been deployed across D.C., with visible patrols in high-traffic areas and checkpoints in popular nightlife districts.

Image via Wikimedia Commons.

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August 15, 2025
Wake Up Right
War

What to Expect From Trump-Putin Alaska Summit:

President Donald J. Trump will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska today—aiming to jumpstart a deal to end the Ukraine war.

The details: The heads of state will meet at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage at 3:30 PM ET. Their itinerary includes:

  • 1-on-1 meeting with interpreters only
  • Working lunch with delegations
  • Joint press conference

I wouldn’t be surprised to see a quick, impromptu photo-op/press gaggle before the 1-on-1.

Zoom out: Since taking office, just over 200 days ago, Trump has not been shy about his efforts to end the war in Ukraine. At times, he has voiced his frustrations with both parties—Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Why meet with Putin? Trump’s critics—both Democrats and RINOs—oppose his decision to meet with Putin. But Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended him, saying,

  • “The president feels like, ‘Look, I’ve got to look at this guy across the table. I need to see him face-to-face. I need to hear him one-on-one. I need to make an assessment by looking at him.”

What are the odds of a deal? Trump told Fox News Radio: “There is a 25 percent chance this meeting will not be a successful meeting.”

What is Putin saying? On the eve of these historic talks, the Russian leader said Trump “is making, in my opinion, quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the fighting, stop the crisis and reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved in the conflict.”

What’s Zelensky up to? He flew to London yesterday to meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Starmer’s office said the Trump-Putin summit presents “a viable chance to make progress.”

The numbers: A new Gallup poll found that 69 percent of Ukrainians support seeking a negotiated peace to end the war as soon as possible—up from just 27 percent in 2023. Just 24 percent want to continue fighting.

The goal: The White House has already stated publicly that it does not expect to walk out of Anchorage with a deal. However, a senior official told Politico that Trump is “intent on delivering the beginnings of peace.”

What would happen next? Trump says, if the meeting goes well, he will return to D.C. and look to schedule a summit with Putin, Zelensky, and European leaders. If it doesn’t go well, he is “not calling anybody.”

Hillary said what? Failed presidential nominee Hillary Clinton recently said: “[H]onestly, if he could bring about the end to this terrible war… without putting Ukraine in a position where it had to concede its territory… I’d nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize.”

Real talk from G: Temper your expectations for today’s meeting. But don’t temper your appreciation for a president who is genuinely working to bring peace.

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President Donald J. Trump will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska today—aiming to jumpstart a deal to end the Ukraine war. show more
August 14, 2025
News

Melania Trump Wants to Sue Hunter Biden for $1 Billion, Here’s Why:

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: First Lady Melania Trump has threatened to sue Hunter Biden for $1 billion over false claims linking her to deceased child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Melania Trump, Hunter Biden, Jeffrey Epstein, and author Michael Wolff.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Comments aired during Biden’s interview with the Channel 5 podcast; lawsuit threats issued shortly after.

💬KEY QUOTE: “What I said is what I have heard and seen reported and written, primarily from Wolff.” – Hunter Biden

🎯IMPACT: Melania Trump alleges significant financial and reputational harm, while Biden is dismissing the lawsuit threat.

IN FULL

First Lady Melania Trump has initiated legal action against Hunter Biden, demanding $1 billion in damages for what her legal team describes as “false, defamatory, disparaging, and inflammatory statements” linking her to deceased child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. The claims were made during Biden’s appearance on the Channel 5 podcast and YouTube show and have since been widely circulated on social media and various media outlets.

Hunter Biden alleged that Jeffrey Epstein introduced the First Lady to President Donald J. Trump, alleging it was “beyond a doubt” that Trump and Epstein were “very close friends” who spent significant time together. Biden attributed his claims to author Michael Wolff, whose credibility has been called into question by the Trump family in the past, with President Trump labeling him a “Third Rate Reporter.”

Melania Trump’s legal representative, Alejandro Brito, stated in a letter to former President Joe Biden’s son that his comments caused her “overwhelming financial and reputational harm.” Despite the threat of legal action, Hunter Biden has refused to apologize or retract his apparently false assertion, insisting, “What I said is what I have heard and seen reported and written, primarily from Wolff.”

Channel 5 even offered Biden a chance to retract his statements and apologize to Melania Trump to avoid the lawsuit, but Biden declined, dismissing the legal threat as a distraction. He added, “I don’t think these threats of a lawsuit add up to anything.”

President Trump and Melania have consistently related that they were introduced by Paolo Zampolli, a modeling agent, at a New York Fashion Week party in 1998. The National Pulse reported last week that Democratic strategist James Carville was forced to issue a public apology after making the same false claim as Biden.

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August 14, 2025
William Upton
Crime
Immigration

D.C. Mayor Bowser Absconds to Martha’s Vineyard as Trump Cleans Up Capital.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) has left the capital city for Martha’s Vineyard as President Donald J. Trump’s federalization of the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) hits full swing and reports indicate that city law enforcement will now cooperate with federal immigration enforcement agents, despite the nation’s capital’s sanctuary city status.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Muriel Bowser, President Trump, Border Czar Tom Homan, the MPD, federal officials, criminals, and illegal immigrants.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Bowser was revealed to have left for Martha’s Vineyard on Thursday, August 14.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Every American has a constitutional right to be able to access and petition their government in safety. And countless government officials and employees, likewise, have the right to carry out their jobs in peace without being shot.” — President Trump

🎯IMPACT: The lack of resistance from Bowser and other D.C. officials is seen by many as a tacit admission that the Democrat city government has failed to curb violent crime.

IN FULL

Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) has left the capital city for Martha’s Vineyard as President Donald J. Trump’s federalization of the city’s police force, aimed at cracking down on violent crime and rampant vagrancy, hits full swing. The Democrat mayor, who has only meekly opposed the federalization, largely acknowledged earlier this week that Trump is within his legal rights as President and that the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) will comply with federal officials.

Importantly, the MPD is reportedly now cooperating with federal immigration enforcement agents, despite the nation’s capital’s sanctuary city status. While national Democratic Party figures and 2028 presidential hopefuls, like Governor Wes Moore (D-MD), have vigorously opposed Trump’s D.C. crime crackdown, the lack of resistance from Bowser and other D.C. officials is seen by many as a tacit admission that the city government has failed to curb violent crime.

The National Pulse reported earlier on Thursday that White House Border Czar Tom Homan declared Washington, D.C.’s sanctuary polices were effectively null and void amid Trump’s federalization of law enforcement. “The illegal alien criminal threat in D.C. is not going to be protected. There’s no sanctuary for these people in the city of D.C,” Homan said.


On Monday, at a press conference announcing the federalization of the MPD and crime crackdown, Trump pledged, “We’re going to take our capital back.”

He added, “Every American has a constitutional right to be able to access and petition their government in safety. And countless government officials and employees, likewise, have the right to carry out their jobs in peace without being shot.”

Image by Lorie Shaull.

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