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MAGA reacts to Trump's former national security adviser's ties to Vladimir Putin

1 hour agoFar Left

Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, President Donald Trump's first National Security Adviser, has registered as a foreign agent for the Republic of Srpska, a Bosnian Serb entity led by Milorad Dodik, described as President Vladimir Putin's closest European ally. Conservative journalist Scott McMahan confirmed Flynn filed the Foreign Agent Registration Act paperwork and is receiving a monthly payment of $100,000. Trump's loyal online supporters have publicly criticized the move. Conservative personality Catturd questioned the payment's amount. Other MAGA personalities reacted, as well.Sebastian Gorka, Trump's Senior Director for Counterterrorism on the National Security Council, explained he signed two documents promising not to work for foreign governments when he joined the administration. "In one I promised to not work as a lobbyist for a decade. In the second, I promised to never work for another government. I was happy to sign both. I presume GEN Flynn also signed similar documents."The story further evolved when national security analyst and investigative journalist Ryan Mauro, reported Glenn Diesen, a Norwegian political scientist associated with Russian ultranationalist Alexander Dugin, spoke at a recent Flynn event alongside former CBS journalist and conservative commentator Lara Logan. Flynn, who previously pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about Russian contacts before receiving a Trump pardon, has not publicly responded.Watch the video below. Your browser does not support the video tag.

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Expert makes the case for Trump's biggest self-inflicted wound

Raw Story

31 minutes ago

Expert makes the case for Trump's biggest self-inflicted wound

The Trump administration abandoned a $1.776 billion "anti-weaponization" fund created through a Department of Justice, or DOJ, settlement with the Internal Revenue Services, or IRS, over the President's leaked tax returns. The fund was designed to compensate individuals who claimed improper prosecution, with multiple of President Donald Trump's allies indicating they would seek payments. In his latest Substack essay, former federal prosecutor Harry Litman characterized the retreat as Trump's "biggest self-inflicted wound of Trump 2.0," noting the President was "pinned between a rock and a hard place." The fund became "politically radioactive" after reporters questioned Republicans about potentially paying individuals convicted of assaulting police officers during the January 6 insurrection. Litman warned Trump could face "serious lumps" from the MAGA base approaching the midterms. He added, the retreat represents a public defeat for a president whose political brand centers on bravado and winning, though the full parameters of the reversal remain unclear as of the report."All of that amounts to a richly deserved comeuppance for Trump’s staggering audacity in trying to make the American people not just pardon but financially reward the most serious assault on American democracy since the Civil War," Litman wrote. Watch the video below. Your browser does not support the video tag.

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‘Partisan thug’: Democrats erupt over Trump intel pick Bill Pulte

The Hill News

32 minutes ago

‘Partisan thug’: Democrats erupt over Trump intel pick Bill Pulte

Democratic lawmakers are airing their frustration Tuesday, after President Trump appointed Bill Pulte to serve as acting head of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). Trump named Pulte, the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency )FHFA), to replace Tulsi Gabbard after she resigned from the office last month. “Bill Pulte is…

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Trump signs scaled-back executive order on AI oversight

NewsNation

40 minutes ago

Trump signs scaled-back executive order on AI oversight

The new order appears to be a scaled-back version of the order Trump initially intended to sign recently.

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Reporter painstakingly details how Trump’s DNI pick will hijack intel apparatus

Alternet.org

47 minutes ago

Reporter painstakingly details how Trump’s DNI pick will hijack intel apparatus

President Donald Trump named Bill Pulte to oversee the entire national security apparatus of the United States. He will serve in the job while also remaining in his current job as Federal Housing Finance Agency Director. This adds to Pulte's other job, chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.Pulte has a history of using his government position to aid Trump's retribution campaign, targeting Federal Reserve Board of Governors member Lisa Cook and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Cook was never charged by the Justice Department and James' charges were dismissed. You know, to call this appointment an unorthodox one, I think, would be an understatement," said senior CNN reporter Kevin Liptak. "You know, he's the heir to a construction company, fortune. He's been in this mortgage role for the last year or so. What he is, is a real, true Trump loyalist. You know, he's a frequent guest on Air Force One and at Mar-a-Lago. And what you've seen him doing is leveraging this role that he's in at the mortgage agency to try and go after some of Trump's perceived enemies..."While the Cook efforts have failed, Liptak said that it has likely "engendered an enormous amount of goodwill towards him by the president."He noted the seriousness of the Director of National Intelligence post, overseeing 17 intelligence agencies. The post was created after Sept. 11, 2001, when a report found there was intelligence ahead of time that an attack was imminent, but that bureaucratic silos prevented the various intelligence agencies from connecting all of the dots. Liptak said that Trump has relied more on the CIA for international intelligence than he did on Gabbard. "He looked to her to, sort of, go after some of his obsessions, whether it's to try and advance claims of voting fraud, whether it was to try and downplay allegations of Russian election meddling," said Liptak. "This, I think, suggests that the president will put in this position someone who has gone after this retribution campaign, who has advanced some ideas of vindication against some of his enemies. [Trump] doesn't say whether he will be appointing him to the permanent job, but because Bill Pulte was already approved by the Senate for his current job, he will be able to stay in this position for quite some time."CNN host Wolf Blitzer asked whether the White House had yet to explain what qualifies Pulte to run the nation's intelligence apparatus."The only qualifications that the White House has specified is what President Trump is pointing out on his Truth Social, which is what he calls experience 'managing the most sensitive matters in America,'" Liptak said."I do think you can read into what Pulte has used his job to do as how President Trump views the DNI position," Liptak continued. "He has used his access to the mortgage information in his current position to go after Trump's perceived enemies. And I don't think it's a stretch to suggest that he would use his access as the intelligence director to also potentially advance the retribution campaign. That has been the most prominent way we have seen Bill Pulte act in the job that he is currently in."Trump, he explained, has put a "premium on trying to go after his enemies, but also has been frustrated that [it's] not been particularly effective or particularly quick so far in his term."It's one of the reasons Trump fired former Attorney General Pam Bondi. Pulte, wrote Will Neal for the Daily Beast in November, "has reportedly made such a song and dance of pandering to the president that it’s starting to drive other aides insane."

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GOP operative Roger Stone advised Trump on DNI pick: report

Alternet.org

47 minutes ago

GOP operative Roger Stone advised Trump on DNI pick: report

President Donald Trump appointed Bill Pulte to serve as acting director of national intelligence, tapping him to manage the entire national security apparatus of the United States. The "unorthodox" pick reportedly came from longtime GOP operative Roger Stone, Semafor reports.According to Semafor, MAGA forces joined together to convince Trump that, despite his lack of intel experience, Pulte could still manage the 17 intelligence agencies that the post oversees. Pulte will serve in the job while also remaining in his current job as Federal Housing Finance Agency Director. This adds to Pulte's other job, chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.What Stone, Trump and other MAGA allies believe is that Pulte can use his "attack-dog mentality" in "waging an internal war to ramp up the declassification of sensitive information," according to the Tuesday report.“He’s like a bulldozer,” said a source familiar with Pulte when speaking to Semafor about Pulte. “Bulldoze the bureaucracy and accelerate document releases and declassifications.”Stone is best known for his ongoing loyalty to former Republican President Richard Nixon, whom Stone has tattooed on his back. The self-described "dirty trickster" has remained a close confidant and informal adviser to Trump since the 1970s and became a key part of the 2020 "Stop the Steal" movement. He was later convicted on seven counts of lying to Congress and obstruction of justice relating to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Trump commuted his sentence before Stone served a day in prison. He was later pardoned. He's also known for his conspiracy theories and spreading unfounded rumors about Trump's critics. CNN reporter Kevin Liptak commented after the announcement that Pulte has used his post as the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency to target some of Trump's foes. "This, I think, suggests that the president will put in this position someone who has gone after this retribution campaign, who has advanced some ideas of vindication against some of his enemies," the reporter said.Semafor noted that the biggest barrier to Pulte will be the U.S. Senate. For him to take on the job, Trump needs the votes and right now it doesn't appear he has them. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said, “I don’t see any evidence of his qualifications for that job, but I’m willing to listen.”“We don’t need a weaponized DNI, we need professionals there,” Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) also told reporters on Tuesday. “If he’s somebody we want in that position permanently, he’s got a lengthy road ahead of him.”Stone wouldn't comment on the record about his involvement in picking Pulte, Semafor reported. The one positive of the nomination, a banking lobbyist told Semafor, is that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Pulte don't get along. With Pulte otherwise engaged, Bessent will be able to focus on housing issues. “If I was Bessent, my wheels are turning right now, like: ‘What can I accomplish in the housing space while I have this open field?’” the banking lobbyist said.Democrats appear ready for a fight. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) released a statement about Pulte on Tuesday, saying, “Today, President Trump is rewarding his lackey — who has no national security experience — with a perch atop our nation’s intelligence community. What could go wrong?”

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Trump signs executive order seeking early access to new AI releases

US news | The Guardian

1 hour ago

Trump signs executive order seeking early access to new AI releases

Under new rules, tech companies will be asked to share AI models with government for review before public releaseDonald Trump signed an executive order to create a voluntary framework for the federal government to vet powerful new AI models before they are released. Tuesday’s highly anticipated order represents an attempt by the president to tighten his grip on cybersecurity and national security threats posed by AI, tacking against his earlier deregulatory stance.Under the new rules, tech companies would be asked to share their AI models with the government for a voluntary review, up to 30 days before a public release. The Trump administration says doing so will allow them to improve national security, particularly with regards to cybersecurity. Continue reading...

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Marco Rubio sweats when pressed on secret Trump admin memo: ‘They don’t want us to see’

Raw Story

1 hour ago

Marco Rubio sweats when pressed on secret Trump admin memo: ‘They don’t want us to see’

Secretary of State Marco Rubio was pressed Tuesday over the Trump administration’s refusal to grant lawmakers access to an official government memo on the U.S. war against Iran, one that Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) suspected may have “something in there you don’t want us to see.”Rubio testified Tuesday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, his first appearance before the body since the war against Iran was launched in late February. Kaine, a member of the committee, asked Rubio why the Trump administration has, to date, refused to share with lawmakers the written opinion from the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) on the war against Iran, despite having done so for other recent conflicts.“We can agree with it or not, but the administration presented a legal opinion from the [Justice Department on Operation Southern Spear] that we could review. Absolute Resolve, the effort against [Venezuelan President Nicolás] Maduro, the administration presented a legal rationale that we could review,” Kaine said. “Now, we could review both in classified, they've not been made public. We're 92 days into a war against Iran and the administration will not let Congress look at the OLC legal opinion justifying the war.”Kaine pressed Rubio for answers given the $1.5 trillion defense spending request Congress is being asked to approve, a request that represents an approximate 40% increase of the previous year’s defense spending. He also argued that the Trump administration’s hesitancy to share the OLC opinion on the war against Iran gave lawmakers cause for concern.“Mr. Secretary, you know what kind of thinking we do. If you showed us the legal rationale for two wars and you won't show us the legal rationale for the third... is there something in the rationale they don't want us to see?” Kaine said. “Is there a dissenting opinion that says it's not legal? Are there conditions like you can't strike civilian infrastructure like schools and bridges? Are there factual assertions like the war will be over in two days, or Iran will never close the Strait of Hormuz? By not sharing the legal opinion, you give us the opinion that there's something in there that you don't want us to see.”Kaine then asked Rubio if he would use his “influence” in the administration to press for the OLC legal opinion to be shared with lawmakers.“I can certainly inquire as to why it has not been available,” Rubio said before stumbling his words. “I don't think there's a reason why... I... I am not aware that... I'm – in fact, my understanding is that they have provided documentation to the committee.”Kaine interjected, clarifying that the Trump administration had provided “documentation” to lawmakers but not the OLC legal opinion. Kaine also asserted that Rubio, as a former U.S. senator himself, would “not accept” being denied access to a critical government memo.“Alright, well let me take that back and ask the Office of Legal Counsel,” Rubio conceded. “I'll take that back.”"You give us the opinion that there's something in there that you don't want us to see."Sen. @timkaine presses SOS @marcorubio on why the OLC legal opinion on the Iran war has not been shared with lawmakers."Is there a dissenting opinion that says it's not legal?" pic.twitter.com/vPnGdRufdL— Alexander Willis (@ReporterWillis) June 2, 2026

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The Greek portmanteau that explains why Trump nominations are getting even worse

Alternet.org

1 hour ago

The Greek portmanteau that explains why Trump nominations are getting even worse

On Tuesday morning, the New York Times' Maggie Gallagher reported that President Donald Trump had appointed MAGA loyalist Bill Pulte as acting national intelligence director despite the fact that he "has no known background in intelligence, military or national security." According to journalist Derek Thompson, the Pulte appointment is a glaring example of Trump's willingness to promote his loyalists to key positions that they are woefully unqualified for.Linking to Gallagher's reporting on Pulte on X, formerly Twitter, Thompson (known for his writing for The Atlantic) tweeted, "'Late Kakistocracy' is that phase of democratic decline where the regime starts running out of ppl who will work for it, and so the folks who aren't qualified for their current positions are promoted to even larger positions for which they are even more unqualified."The term "kakistocracy" comes from two Greek words: "kákistos" (worst) and "krátos" (rule). And together, they mean "government by the worst people." Trump's Pulte appointment follows the resignation of Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman turned MAGA Republican, as national intelligence director. Gabbard said she was stepping down to care for her husband, Abraham Williams, who was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer.Pulte's focus in the second Trump administration has been housing. In 2025, he became director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) as well as chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. But none of his previous experience in the administration, according to Gallagher, pertained to national security.Gallagher reported, "Mr. Pulte has no known background in intelligence, military or national security, but he is a Trump loyalist who has been among the most aggressive advocates for prosecuting Democrats and others perceived by Mr. Trump as having crossed him…. Mr. Pulte will continue to run the housing agency while taking on the position of director of national intelligence."In order to take over the national security director position permanently, Pulte will need to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate."On paper, the director of national intelligence, a role created after the September 11 terrorist attacks, is among the most powerful of Cabinet positions, responsible for coordinating the work of the CIA and a host of other agencies," Gallagher noted. "But Mr. Trump has never seen it as an important role, his advisers have said previously, and in his first term, he believed the staff working for that office were leaking information about him."Gallagher added, "The fact that Mr. Pulte will serve in an acting role, as opposed to facing Republican senators during a confirmation hearing for the job, could give him a freer hand in focusing on priorities the president cares about, including looking for evidence that his election loss in 2020 stemmed from fraud, something that Ms. Gabbard was already pursuing."

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