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Tag: Donald Trump
April 8, 2025
Health
Media

Trump White House Blasts NYT for Ignoring Their Own Reporting on Fluoride in RFK Jr. Smear.

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❓What Happened: The New York Times published a story involving Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s review of fluoride recommendations. The White House argues it is a smear meant to portray the Trump administration as anti-science and anti-health.

👥 Who’s Involved: Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., The New York Times, the Trump administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

📍 Where & When: The White House, state governments across the U.S., including Utah.

💬 Key Quote: The White House contends The New York Times story “is another thinly veiled attempt to falsely portray the Trump Administration as anti-science and anti-health—a characterization that couldn’t be farther from the truth.”

⚠️ Impact: Fluoride in drinking water is linked to health concerns, such as potential impacts on children’s intelligence and various associations with chronic diseases.

IN FULL:

The Trump White House is accusing The New York Times of ignoring their own previous reporting to smear Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.‘s push for state governments to consider restrictions on the use of fluoride in public drinking water. According to the White House, The New York Times story, published on Monday, “is another thinly veiled attempt to falsely portray the Trump Administration as anti-science and anti-health—a characterization that couldn’t be farther from the truth.”

Previous reporting by the newspaper notes that “fluoride may be linked to lower IQ scores in children,” the Trump White notes. The potential negative impact on brain development in children has been a core concern raised by Kennedy in his push for state governments to reevaluate their use of fluoride.

In response to the story, the White House contends that the HHS review is grounded in several recent studies and other evidence suggesting fluoride is more harmful than previously thought. They note that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has determined that the dental benefits provided by fluoride come from topical contact with the outside of a person’s teeth and not from its ingestion. Additionally, the Trump administration is pointing to a 2024 study from HHS’s National Toxicology Program, which found with “moderate confidence” that drinking water fluoride levels, even at the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended limit of 1.5 mg/l, are “consistently associated with lower IQ in children.”

The National Pulse previously reported that Utah has become the first state in the U.S. to end the use of fluoride in its public water system. Governor Spencer Cox (R-UT) signed the groundbreaking law into law this past March. It will ban the addition of fluoride on May 7.

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April 8, 2025
William Upton
Economy
Politics

Trump Ends Biden-Era Anti-Coal Policies to Boost American Energy Production.

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❓What Happened: President Donald J. Trump signed four Executive Orders to revitalize the U.S. coal industry.

👥 Who’s Involved: President Trump, relevant federal agencies, and the U.S. coal industry.

📍 Where & When: The announcement was made at the White House on Tuesday, April 8, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: President Trump stated, “Today, we’re taking historic action to help American workers, miners, families and consumers. We’re ending Joe Biden’s war on beautiful, clean coal once and for all. We’re going to put the miners back to work.”

⚠️ Impact: The order aims to increase energy production, support the economy, create jobs, and lower electricity costs.

IN FULL:

President Donald J. Trump signed a series of Executive Orders on Tuesday to increase American energy production by ending almost all restrictive regulations on coal. According to the America First leader, the Executive Orders will end all discriminatory policies against the coal industry, end the federal land leasing moratorium enacted by former President Joe Biden, and accelerate permitting and new funding for coal projects. Additionally, Trump signed an order placing a moratorium on Biden’s coal plant regulations—which would have effectively ended their use in the United States—preventing the restrictions from taking effect.

Trump signed two additional orders. The first directs federal agencies to prioritize electrical grid security by focusing on policies that promote secure and effective energy production and ending policies rooted in the woke green agenda that discriminate against reliable energy sources such as coal. The President also enacted an Executive Order directing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate state governments that enact discriminatory environmental policies targeting the coal industry. The White House contends that many of these policies are unconstitutional and represent state governments impeding upon federal regulatory authority.

“Today, we’re taking historic action to help American workers, miners, families and consumers. We’re ending Joe Biden’s war on beautiful, clean coal once and for all,” President Trump said before signing the four executive actions. He stressed that the coal plants closed under the former Biden government will be reopened as part of an across-the-board American energy plan. Trump added: “We’re going to put the miners back to work.”

Under Biden, the federal government enacted a bevy of new environmental regulations targeting the coal industry and emissions standards as part of its embrace of the far left’s green agenda. The Trump White House has prioritized reversing those extreme Democratic policies.

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April 8, 2025
News

F-16 Executes ‘Headbutt’ Maneuver to Intercept Plane Near Mar-a-Lago.

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❓What Happened: An F-16 fighter jet executed a “headbutt” maneuver to intercept a plane that breached the restricted airspace near Mar-a-Lago.

👥 Who’s Involved: The event involved the U.S. Air Force and the pilot of the intercepted aircraft.

📍 Where & When: The incident occurred over Palm Beach, Florida, close to President Donald J. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, last Friday.

💬 Key Quote: “The plane was safely escorted from the area,” according to the U.S. Air Force.

⚠️ Impact: No injuries or further incidents were reported after the plane was escorted out of the restricted airspace.

IN FULL:

An F-16 fighter jet intervened to redirect an aircraft that strayed into restricted airspace near President Donald J. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. The incident took place last Friday when the fighter jet performed a maneuver known colloquially as a “headbutt” to intercept the unidentified plane, which is described as a “general aviation aircraft”—a term used to describe civilian, non-military aircraft.

U.S. Air Force officials confirmed that “the plane was safely escorted from the area” following its interception. However, specifics about the airplane, its pilot, and the reason for its incursion into restricted airspace over Mar-a-Lago remain undisclosed.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issues Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs), which are enforced by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), over airspace where the President of the United States is present. On Friday, President Trump was playing a round of golf near his Mar-a-Lago residence at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.

Since Trump’s inauguration on January 21, 2025, there have been several incidents in which civilian aircraft have either entered or wandered concerningly close to the closed airspace over Mar-a-Lago. Notably, pilots are responsible for checking and being aware of any FAA-issued Notice to Airmen (NOTAMs) prior to takeoff and as they traverse American airspace.

None of the incidents above or near Mar-a-Lago have been found to be intentionally malicious in nature thus far.

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April 8, 2025
William Upton
Lawfare
SCOTUS

SCOTUS Upholds Trump’s Mass Firing of Federal Employees, Overturns Far-Left Judge’s Rehire Order.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: The Supreme Court upheld the Trump administration’s decision to terminate thousands of new federal employees by setting aside a lower court’s ruling that ordered their rehiring.

👥 Who’s Involved: The Supreme Court, Trump administration, U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup, nonprofit groups, and acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris.

📍 Where & When: The ruling came from Washington, D.C., with a previous lower court decision in San Francisco, California.

💬 Key Quote: “This Court should not allow a single district court to … seize control over reviewing federal personnel decisions,” argued acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris.

⚠️ Impact: The ruling supports the Trump administration’s force reduction policy regarding federal personnel, limiting judicial interference based on complaints from nonprofit organizations.

IN FULL:

The Supreme Court has affirmed the Trump administration’s authority to dismiss thousands of probationary federal employees. This decision, passed by a 7-2 majority, nullifies the order from U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup in San Francisco, which had previously mandated the reinstatement of 16,000 staff across various departments.

Judge Alsup’s ruling rested on arguments from nine nonprofit organizations claiming harm due to government staffing reductions. However, the Supreme Court dismissed these claims as inadequate to provide standing under the existing legal framework—effectively agreeing with President Donald J. Trump’s acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris, who argued in the appeal: “This Court should not allow a single district court to … seize control over reviewing federal personnel decisions.”

“Under established law, those allegations are presently insufficient to support the organizations’ standing,” the Supreme Court’s brief unsigned order reads. Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson were the two dissenting voices amongst their peers, supporting the lower court decision that favored rehiring. Justice Elena Kagan, the court’s third liberal member, joined the majority.

Notably, the high court declined to address the standing of federal unions that had also joined the lawsuit. Judge Alsup had already ruled that Congress set out a separate procedure for the labor groups to adjudicate federal employment policies.

The National Pulse reported in March that Judge Alsup ordered the Trump administration to rehire an estimated 16,000 federal workers across a number of agencies, calling the federal government’s contention that the layoffs were performance-based a “gimmick” and a “sham.” Alsup was visibly irate and animated while reading his ruling.

Perhaps realizing that his behavior and legal reasoning made the reversal of his order likely, the far-left judge conceded: “The words that I give you today should not be taken that some wild-and-crazy judge in San Francisco said that an administration cannot engage in a reduction in force. It can be done, if it’s done in accordance with the law.”

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April 8, 2025
Jack Montgomery
NatSec
War

EXC: SecDef Hegseth Announces Plans to Reopen Elite, Cold War-Era Military ‘Jungle School’ in Panama.

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❓What Happened: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announces plans to partially reopen the “Jungle School” in Panama, a former U.S. jungle warfare training site in the Panama Canal Zone, dormant since 1999.

👥 Who’s Involved: Pete Hegseth, U.S. troops in Panama, President Donald J. Trump.

📍 Where & When: Panama, during Hegseth’s trip for the Central American Security Conference (CENTSEC), April 8, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “I should never put you in a fair fight. My job is to put you in a fight where you are overwhelming.” – Pete Hegseth

⚠️ Impact: Signals a U.S. military push to revive jungle training and reassert influence over the Panama Canal Zone, once American territory.

IN FULL:

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has said he intends to partially reopen the “Jungle School,” where up to 9,000 troops a year trained in jungle warfare from the 1950s to 1999 in the former Panama Canal Zone. Secretary Hegseth made the announcement to U.S. troops in Panama amid an ongoing trip to the Central American country, where he will attend the Central American Security Conference (CENTSEC).

Thanking the troops for their service, Hegseth said, “We will have your back; President Trump has asked me to share that with all the groups of troops I talk to,” stressing the importance of the military’s “warrior ethos” to the administration and its determination to rebuild the military.

“I should never put you in a fair fight. My job is to put you in a fight where you are overwhelming… First of all, hopefully, deterring the enemy, [but] if it comes to conflict, overwhelmingly closing with and destroying the enemy,” said Hegseth, himself a decorated former infantry officer.

The Defense Secretary is joined on his Panama trip by Raheem Kassam, Editor-in-Chief of The National Pulse, providing exclusive coverage and commentary to Pulse+ members as the trip unfolds.

The Panama Canal Zone was under U.S. sovereignty in perpetuity until its surrender to Panama in 1979 under the late Democratic President Jimmy Carter. The canal was largely American-built and funded, and incumbent President Donald J. Trump has expressed a desire to regain control over it, lamenting its handover as one of his predecessors’ worst-ever deals.

“The purpose of our deal [with Panama] and the spirit of our treaty has been totally violated,” he said during his inaugural address, noting Chinese involvement in the canal now and vowing, “We’re taking it back.”

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April 8, 2025
Immigration

Trump DHS Ends Legal Status for Migrants Registered Under Biden’s CBP One App.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: Illegal immigrants who entered the U.S. using the CBP One app during the Biden government are being told to leave the country immediately.

👥 Who’s Involved: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), illegal immigrants from countries like Honduras, El Salvador, and Mexico, and nonprofit organizations like Al Otro Lado.

📍 Where & When: United States, with the announcement made Monday; CBP One app in use since January 2023.

💬 Key Quote: “Canceling these paroles is a promise kept to the American people to secure our borders and protect national security,” said the DHS public affairs office.

⚠️ Impact: Over 900,000 illegal immigrants are affected, with the Trump administration noting that national security and public safety take precedence over the Biden parole program.

IN FULL:

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that illegal immigrants who were temporarily permitted to reside in the U.S. via an appointment application launched during President Joe Biden’s term are being directed to leave the country immediately. It is estimated that over 900,000 illegal immigrants utilized the CBP One app under the former Biden government to enter the United States since its launch in January 2023.

“Canceling these paroles is a promise kept to the American people to secure our borders and protect national security,” the DHS public affairs office said regarding the decision. During the 2024 presidential campaign, President Donald J. Trump pledged to immediately reverse Biden’s open-borders policies and end the unprecedented flow of illegal immigrants into the United States.

While it is not currently known how many illegal immigrants who used the CBP One app to enter the U.S. have now received the notice requiring them to leave the country, the Trump administration has repurposed the app as CBP Home, allowing foreign nationals to notify the federal government of their self-deportation. Migrants from Honduras, El Salvador, and Mexico are among those known to be impacted by the announcement.

The Biden government implemented CBP One in January 2023 as part of an initiative to expand pathways for legal entry into the United States. However, the application faced serious problems, especially as it could not adequately identify and prevent fraudulent claims and entry—posing a potential national security risk.

Moments after taking office on January 21, 2025, President Trump suspended the CBP One app—effectively terminating its use.

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April 8, 2025
NatSec
War

Trump Wants $1 Trillion for Defense — ‘We Have to Be Strong.’

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: President Donald J. Trump wants a substantial increase to the Pentagon’s budget, raising it to $1 trillion.

👥 Who’s Involved: President Donald Trump and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

📍 Where & When: The announcement was made in the Oval Office of the White House, Washington, DC, on April 7, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “We have to build our military, and we’re very cost-conscious, but the military is something that we have to build, and we have to be strong because you’ve got a lot of bad forces out there now,” said Trump.

⚠️ Impact: This budget increase would be the largest in U.S. military history, reflecting a significant shift in defense spending priorities.

IN FULL:

President Donald J. Trump stated plans to approve an unprecedented increase in the U.S. military budget, elevating it to $1 trillion. This figure represents the most substantial military budget in the nation’s history. During an announcement in the Oval Office on April 7, 2025, Trump highlighted the necessity of enhancing military capabilities, citing rising global threats.

“We rebuilt the military during my first term, and we have great things happening with our military. We also essentially approved a budget which is in the vicinity… of a trillion dollars, $1 trillion. And nobody’s seen anything like it,” he told reporters during an Oval Office meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“We have to build our military, and we’re very cost-conscious, but the military is something we have to build, and we have to be strong because you have a lot of bad forces out there now. So we’re going to be approving a budget, and I’m proud to say actually the biggest one we’ve ever done for the military,” he continued, adding: “We’re cutting other things under DOGE. When you look at a woman getting $2 billion for environmental, and it had nothing to do with the environment, and they had $100 in the bank, and they gave her $2 billion, many, many of those cases.”

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth praised the budget announcement and thanked President Trump. “President [Trump] is rebuilding our military—and FAST,” Hegseth wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter), while emphasizing that the Pentagon will “spend every taxpayer dollar wisely—on lethality and readiness.”

The National Pulse understands that in recent weeks, Elon Musk lobbied for the halving this budget, in a move that caused consternation amongst top MAGA figures at the Pentagon, especially given the precarious global security situation as well as the efforts to secure locations such as the Panama Canal which requires convincing nations that America is investing and expanding its strength harder and faster than the Chinese Communist Party.

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April 7, 2025
William Upton
Economy
World

BREAKING: Trump Gives China 24 Hours to Withdraw Retaliatory Trade Duties or Face New 50% Tariff.

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❓What Happened: President Donald J. Trump on Monday took to Truth Social, warning China that it has 24 hours to withdraw its 34 percent retaliatory tariff on American imports or else he will impose an additional trade duty of 50 percent on Chinese goods. Additionally, Trump indicated that should China refuse, he will break off all ongoing talks about a broader trade agreement.

👥 Who’s Involved: President Donald J. Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping

📍 Where & When: April 7, 2025 in Washington D.C.

💬 Key Quote: “Therefore, if China does not withdraw its 34% increase above their already long-term trading abuses by tomorrow, April 8th, 2025, the United States will impose ADDITIONAL Tariffs on China of 50%, effective April 9th, ” Trump announced.

⚠️ Impact: Further retaliatory tariffs could mark a significant escalation in the trade conflict.

IN FULL:

President Donald J. Trump is giving China 24 hours to end its retaliatory trade measures against the United States. Otherwise, he will impose an additional 50 percent tariff on top of those enacted on April 2. Following Trump’s imposition last week of reciprocal tariffs against nations that abuse their trade position against the United States, China announced they would escalate, enacting trade levies that have, in part, helped fuel global market volatility.

“Yesterday, China issued Retaliatory Tariffs of 34%, on top of their already record setting Tariffs, Non-Monetary Tariffs, Illegal Subsidization of companies, and massive long term Currency Manipulation, despite my warning that any country that Retaliates against the U.S. by issuing additional Tariffs, above and beyond their already existing long term Tariff abuse of our Nation, will be immediately met with new and substantially higher Tariffs, over and above those initially set,” Trump wrote on Monday. “Therefore, if China does not withdraw its 34% increase above their already long term trading abuses by tomorrow, April 8th, 2025, the United States will impose ADDITIONAL Tariffs on China of 50%, effective April 9th.”

He added: “Additionally, all talks with China concerning their requested meetings with us will be terminated! Negotiations with other countries, which have also requested meetings, will begin taking place immediately. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

The move could mark a serious escalation in the trade conflict between the United States and China. For years, the Chinese communist government has used various tools, such as currency manipulation, state subsidies, and regulatory measures aimed at obstructing American exports, to prevent U.S. exporters from remaining competitive with Chinese firms. Ending this behavior is a key goal for the Trump White House.

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April 7, 2025
Jack Montgomery
Economy
News

Trump Admin Defends Pro-Worker, Anti-Cheating Tariff Policy.

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❓What Happened: Officials from the Trump Administration discussed the President’s reciprocal trade plan to counter global economic policies perceived as harmful to American workers.

👥 Who’s Involved: Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, National Economic Director Kevin Hassett, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Senior Counselor Peter Navarro.

📍 Where & When: Various news shows aired discussions on Sunday, including Meet the Press, Face the Nation, This Week, State of the Union, Fox News Sunday, and Sunday Morning Futures.

💬 Key Quote: Scott Bessent remarked on tariffs, “A 20 percent tariff on China led to a 0.7 percent price level increase over four years. I think that’s pretty good.”

⚠️ Impact: The administration aims to reduce reliance on foreign goods and protect American industries, citing national security and economic stability concerns.

IN FULL:

Several Trump Administration officials appeared on major news programs Sunday to outline its tariff strategy, intended to change the economic landscape to favor American workers and industries and mitigate distorted trade imbalances.

Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent recalled the tariffs imposed during President Donald J. Trump’s first term, noting that a 20 percent tariff on Chinese goods resulted in only marginal price increases and net real wage growth for American households. He added that the COVID-10 pandemic exposed the fact that “[America’s] supply chains are not resilient,” explaining that “President Trump has decided that we cannot be at risk like that for our crucial medicines, for our semiconductors, for shipping.”

Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick also emphasized the national security risks involved in outsourcing critical manufacturing: “We don’t make medicine in this country anymore. We don’t make ships. We don’t have enough steel and aluminum to fight a battle,” he warned.

Kevin Hassett, National Economic Director, explained that cheap foreign imports come at a cost, recalling how, in the years since China was admitted to the World Trade Organization (WTO), “real incomes declined about $1,200 cumulatively… We got the cheap goods at the grocery store, but then we had fewer jobs.”

Peter Navarro, Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing, emphasized that many of America’s so-called trade partners have adopted practices beyond tariffs “that are designed, explicitly, to cheat us”—such as currency manipulation, to strengthen their export potential, and regulatory barriers against American produce —and that President Trump has determined to draw a line against this.

“We’re headed towards a strong America that makes things again,” he added.

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April 4, 2025
William Upton
Immigration
Lawfare

Federal Judge Bizarrely Orders Trump to Return a Deported MS-13 Gang Member to U.S.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: A federal judge is ordering the Trump administration to return an illegal immigrant gang member who was deported to El Salvador to the United States.

👥 Who’s Involved: U.S. District Court Judge Paula Xinis, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, President Donald J. Trump, El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, and federal immigration officials.

📍 Where & When: U.S. federal court on Friday, April 4.

💬 Key Quote: “You have an agreement with this facility where you’re paying the money to perform a certain service. It stands to reason that you can go to the payee and say, ‘We want the person back.’” — Judge Paula Xinis

⚠️ Impact: The ruling represents a significant usurpation of executive branch authority in the United States and potentially infringes upon El Salvador’s sovereignty over its own citizens.

IN FULL:

U.S. District Court Judge Paula Xinis is ordering the Trump administration to arrange for an illegal immigrant MS-13 gang member who was deported to El Salvador to be returned to the United States by midnight on Monday. The bizarre and unprecedented ruling represents a significant usurpation of executive branch power by a federal court and appears to imply United States law takes precedence over El Salvador’s own sovereignty.

“You have an agreement with this facility where you’re paying the money to perform a certain service,” Judge Xinis said when issuing her ruling on Friday, adding: “It stands to reason that you can go to the payee and say, ‘We want the person back.’”

The case involves the recent deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an El Salvadoran national and illegal immigrant who was ordered to be detained by a U.S. immigration judge due to his affiliation with the violent MS-13 gang, which made him a danger to the community. While the judge ordered Abrego Garcia to be removed from the United States in 2019, the gang member and illegal immigrant was able to secure a grant of withholding preventing his deportation to El Salvador after convincing the court that a rival gang in the country had threatened his life should he return.

However, as part of President Trump’s deportation agreement with the El Salvadoran government, Abrego Garcia—still under the protective order—was included among other dangerous illegal immigrants and flown to El Salvador to be held in the country’s CECOT facility. Consequently, Abrego Garcia filed a lawsuit arguing his removal was unlawful, asking that the U.S. courts intervene and order his return to the United States.

Federal officials have been forward in admitting that Abrego Garcia’s removal and deportation to his home country was in error and that the court-issued protective order had been accidentally violated. However, since he is an El Salvadoran national and currently in the custody of the El Salvadoran government, the Trump administration contends that U.S. courts lack jurisdiction, noting that issues of diplomacy are a constitutionally reserved power of the executive branch.

El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, in response to the U.S. court’s order, posted on X (formerly Twitter) a gif of an animated rabbit making an exaggerated face expressing confusion.

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