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Trump battles John Bolton, Chris Christie and threatens to pull funds from Wes Moore’s Maryland
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I asked Donald Trump the question. Everyone asked Donald Trump the question.
Would he engage in retribution in a second term?
And we all got the same answer: He’d be too busy for that. His only retribution would be success.
Well, if Trump is not engaged in turning government against his political enemies, he’s doing a pretty good imitation of it.
Now, hardball politics is as old as the republic. The founders engaged in it. Abe Lincoln engaged in it. And you think LBJ never got his way by threatening to pull a grant or two for a congressman’s pet projects?
Look, one thing I’ve learned covering Trump for decades is that he loves to fight. In New York, back in the day, he would do battle with the likes of Ed Koch and Leona Helmsley, the «Queen of Mean.»
BROADCAST BIAS: NETWORKS OOZE WITH SYMPATHY TO ANYONE WHO OPPOSES TRUMP
President Donald Trump has dismissed suggestions that he would target political enemies, but Trump’s combative approach reflects a pattern that has defined both his career and American politics more broadly. (Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
When his divorce from Ivana became a tabloid sensation, Trump got on the phone with me to discuss why his proposed settlement was really generous.
We see that fighting instinct today when the president goes after not just Democrats but fellow Republicans who defy him, or won’t back his proposals – a number of whom have announced their retirements rather than lose a primary to a Trump-backed challenger.
We see that Trump-against-the-world approach with his crackdown on D.C. crime which, despite the home-rule issues, is being welcomed by some liberals (publicly and privately) because folks are scared in a city that can’t even stop teenage carjackings.
The next target is Chicago, which also has a Black mayor, with the Washington Post reporting that there has been weeks of secret planning to send thousands of National Guard troops there. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has denounced this as an effort to spread fear, and sometimes it seems like the president is at war with urban America.
The underlying motivation is crucial: Trump believes that the Democrats waged «lawfare» against him for four years. There is no evidence that President Biden ordered such efforts, but Trump is convinced that the multiple investigations against him–as in the Stormy Daniels case–were part of a grand scheme to knock him out of the race.
And he has a point. Look at the outrageously illegal fine that Judge Arthur Engoron hit him with in the civil fraud case brought by New York AG Letitia James: $354 million, since grown to $515 million.
This was so blatantly unfair that an appellate court just threw it out as a violation of the Eighth Amendment, barring cruel and unusual punishment. James is appealing, and the court didn’t toss the whole case–the «fake» case, says Trump–but a half-billion-fine over real estate valuations seems pathetically unfair.
But when Trump cried foul, the media reaction was there he goes again, attacking every judge who disagrees with him. But Trump was right about Engoron.
The Trump DOJ, by the way, is now investigating Tish James for allegations of mortgage fraud.
So what the press sees as Trump going after his opponents is, in his eyes, just basic payback, an attempt at getting even.
Having said that…
«I just watched Sloppy Chris Christie be interviewed on a ratings challenged ‘News’ Show…on ABC Fake News,» «This Week» hosted by George Stephanopoulos.
«Can anyone believe anything that Sloppy Chris says? Do you remember the way he lied about the dangerous and deadly closure of the George Washington Bridge in order to stay out of prison, at the same time sacrificing people who worked for him, including a young mother, who spent years trying to fight off the vicious charges against her. Chris refused to take responsibility for these criminal acts. For the sake of JUSTICE, perhaps we should start looking at that very serious situation again?»
Christie, a onetime ally, was Trump’s harshest Republican critic during the campaign. As for the 2013 scandal known as Bridgegate, it was thoroughly investigated and two top Christie aides were convicted, but the Supreme Court, while blasting the conduct, overturned those convictions.
It’s worth pointing out that the decision to close some lanes on the George Washington Bridge, which created traffic chaos, was the governor’s attempt to strike back at a Democratic mayor who refused to endorse him.
«Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee,» wrote one of the convicted aides in a remarkably succinct message.
«I always thought he got away with murder,» Trump told reporters yesterday.
Having watched the Sunday shows, the president unloaded on two networks:
«Despite a very high popularity and, according to many, among the greatest 8 months in Presidential History, ABC & NBC FAKE NEWS, two of the worst and most biased networks in history, give me 97% BAD STORIES. IF THAT IS THE CASE, THEY ARE SIMPLY AN ARM OF THE DEMOCRAT PARTY AND SHOULD, ACCORDING TO MANY, HAVE THEIR LICENSES REVOKED BY THE FCC. I would be totally in favor of that because they are so biased and untruthful, an actual threat to our Democracy!!!»
CHRIS MATTHEWS SAYS DEMOCRATS ‘FALLING INTO A TRAP OF DEFENDING WHAT’S INDEFENSIBLE’ ON CRIME
President Donald Trump and former national security adviser John Bolton have feuded since Trump fired him in 2019. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
He added that ABC and NBC should be paying «Millions of Dollars a year in LICENSE FEES…Crooked ‘journalism’ should not be rewarded, it should be terminated!!!»
Now networks shouldn’t lose their licenses just because the president doesn’t like their coverage. Maybe they should be paying more for use of the airwaves, but that should apply to all networks; so far they’ve played by the rules.
Trump and John Bolton have been at each other’s throats since the president fired the national security adviser. There was a criminal investigation over Bolton’s 2020 book that Trump tried to stop, but it was cleared for publication.
I take Trump at his word that he didn’t know in advance about the FBI raid on Bolton’s Bethesda home. But twice in the days leading up to the raid, Trump was slamming him online for criticizing his efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war..
«Very unfair media is at work on my meeting with Putin. Constantly quoting fired losers and really dumb people like John Bolton, who just said that, even though the meeting is on American soil, ‘Putin has already won.’ What’s that all about?»
After the raid, Trump called Bolton a «low-life» and a «sleazebag» who suffers from «major Trump Derangement Syndrome.»
But two things can be true at once. Trump prosecutors had to show convincing evidence to a special court to get the search warrant approved. So it’s possible that Bolton did hang on to some classified documents.
After the raid, Trump posted that Bolton was among the «stupid people» who were making it «much harder» for him to end the war by ripping his approach to Putin.
I’ve known John Bolton for years–he used to be a Fox contributor–and I’m surprised he’s made no comment. There was just a little wave at the press pack when he returned home.
Next up: Wes Moore, Maryland’s first Black governor.
They’ve been jabbing each other back and forth, which is fine. But then the president posted this:
«Governor Wes Moore of Maryland has asked, in a rather nasty and provocative tone, that I ‘walk the streets of Maryland’ with him. I assume he is talking about out of control, crime ridden, Baltimore? As President, I would much prefer that he clean up this Crime disaster before I go there for a ‘walk.’ Wes Moore’s record on Crime is a very bad one.».
DEMOCRATS’ NEW BOOGEYMAN IS A DIFFERENT KIND OF DONALD TRUMP
Governor Wes Moore of Maryland has been rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge with funds approved by Congress as part of a package during the Biden Administration. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
There’s more:
Trump «offered» to deploy troops to Baltimore – which has a serious crime problem – after which he would accept Moore’s invitation to meet him on the streets.
Then came the threat: «I gave Wes Moore a lot of money to fix his demolished bridge. I will now have to rethink that decision???»
Moore has been rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge since a reckless and out-of-control tanker destroyed it early last year. And for the record, Congress approved the funds as part of a package during the final stretch of the Biden administration.
But put that aside. Who would be hurt if Trump carried out this threat?
Millions of people in Maryland who rely on the bridge, or whose jobs are tied to commerce in that region.
So Trump is openly suggesting to use the official power of government to withhold funds that would hurt ordinary citizens. That is more troubling than the punching and counterpunching with Bolton and Christie.
For what it’s worth, I don’t think Trump would actually do it. It’s a brushback pitch.
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While Trump may view himself as evening the score, one day Democrats will occupy the White House again. They would feel fully justified in going after their opponents as payback for the way they were targeted for investigation. And the endless cycle continues.
media buzz,donald trump,republicans elections,feud
INTERNACIONAL
Entre los misiles de Irán y los ataques de Hezbollah: cómo se vive en el kibutz Hanita, el territorio israelí que limita con Líbano
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Russia has turned to its so-called «shadow fleet» to carry out a roughly $29.3 million «semi-dark» ship-to-ship oil transfer in the Gulf of Oman, deliberately sidestepping Western sanctions, according to reports.
Maritime intelligence firm Windward AI reported on March 8 that the Russian-flagged tanker M/V TRUST, a vessel already blacklisted by the U.S., European Union and United Kingdom, carried out a «high-probability» covert crude transfer in Omani territorial waters.
Based on an estimated price of about $90 per barrel on March 10, the cargo involved in the transfer was valued at roughly $29.3 million.
«The timing of the operation coincided with heightened military escalation in the Gulf following Operation Epic Fury, suggesting the vessel exploited regional instability to conduct the transfer under reduced scrutiny,» Windward said.
HORMUZ ERUPTS: ATTACKS, GPS JAMMING, HOUTHI THREATS ROCK STRAIT AMID US-ISRAELI STRIKES
A crude oil tanker sits anchored in Muscat during the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran in Muscat, Oman, March 6, 2026. (Reuters/Benoit Tessier)
The tanker had previously loaded approximately 325,000 barrels of Russian crude oil at the Russian port of Ust-Luga, Windward said.
Windward described the operation as a «semi-dark» activity, meaning one of the vessels transmitted its automatic identification system (AIS) signal while the other did not.
According to the firm, the M/V TRUST had anchored and switched off its AIS transponder while holding what it called a «prolonged stationary meeting» with another tanker, likely producing an anonymous vessel to transfer cargo process.
TRUMP SAYS IT’S AN ‘HONOR’ TO KEEP STRAIT OF HORMUZ OPEN FOR CHINA AND OTHER COUNTRIES
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets the Russian delegation and some officials ahead of the Istanbul talks May 14, 2025, in Moscow, Russia. (Kremlin Press Office/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
A fully «dark» meeting, Windward said, typically involves two vessels not transmitting, but, in this case, only one ship appeared to be broadcasting, creating partial visibility that still complicates tracking efforts.
Such tactics are part of a broader strategy by Moscow to continue exporting crude despite sweeping Western sanctions imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The semi-dark oil transfer comes amid heightened volatility in global energy markets tied to the escalating conflict in the Middle East and limited traffic in the Strait of Hormuz given the joint U.S.-Israeli military action against Iran.
US SIGNALS READINESS TO ESCORT TANKERS THROUGH HORMUZ AS TRAFFIC THINS BUT NO MISSION LAUNCHED
A navy vessel sails in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which much of the world’s oil and gas passes, March 1, 2026. (Sahar Al Attar/AFP via Getty Images)
Oil topped $100 a barrel March 9 as traders priced in the risk that the conflict was disrupting flows through the Strait, which carries about a fifth of global supply, CNBC reported.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on March 9 that Russia, the world’s second-largest oil exporter and holder of the largest natural gas reserves, stands ready to resume long-term energy cooperation with European customers if they choose to return, Reuters reported.
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Meanwhile, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that Russia «should not be involved» in the escalating conflict between the U.S., Israel and Iran.
His comments followed reports suggesting Moscow may be providing intelligence support to Tehran, though the Kremlin has not publicly confirmed the claims.
On Russia’s ship-to-ship semi-dark cargo transfer amid the ongoing conflict, Windward highlighted «operational blind spots that enable illicit maritime activity to proceed largely uninterrupted.»
russia,vladimir putin,sanctions,iran,war with iran,middle east
INTERNACIONAL
WATCH: Dem witness accuses Trump of ‘population purge,’ Kennedy fires back: ‘You trigger my gag reflex’
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David Bier, a Democrat-called witness at a Senate Budget Committee hearing Tuesday, drew a sharp rebuke from GOP Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana after accusing the Trump administration of attempting a «population purge» in the U.S.
Earlier in the hearing, Bier, an immigration policy expert at the CATO Institute, argued that both legal and illegal aliens «are a benefit to this country» because they help to reduce the national deficit.
Kennedy ripped into Bier, asking, «What planet did you parachute in from? You trigger my gag reflex.»
Bier had just claimed that federal judges opposing President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement operations «are much braver» than U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
FAMILY DEMANDS FAR-LEFT PROSECUTOR BE OUSTED FROM OFFICE AFTER SISTER KILLED BY REPEAT VIOLENT OFFENDER
«They are much braver. They put their names on their rulings, and they stand behind their constitutional rulings,» said Bier.
He accused the administration of attempting to carry out a «population purge,» saying, «They’re trying to deport U.S.-born citizens, people born here, they are trying to deport them as well. So, it’s not a mass deportation agenda, it is also an agenda intended to reduce the population of the United States, including U.S.-born people.»
Earlier in the hearing, Bier had called for «more» immigrants to help address the soaring national deficit.
While being questioned by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Bier said that there are «clear reasons for believing that they are reducing the deficits and debt, they are a benefit to this country, and we need more people who are going to contribute in the future as our population ages.»
Bier said «it’s easy to understand why» immigrants reduce the deficit «because they work at 12 percentage points higher than the national average, they use less benefits because they’re subject to constraints, unique barriers to applying for those benefits, in particular Social Security and Medicare. Those are by far our largest programs, and they’re not eligible for those at all if they’re here in the country illegally or if they came legally and they don’t have a sufficient work history to qualify.»
After the hearing, Bier later told Fox News Digital that «this exchange had nothing to do with illegal immigration» and that «the question was about immigration generally.»
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHARGED FOR ALLEGEDLY VOTING IN EVERY PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION SINCE 2008
ICE officers participating in a week-long immigration enforcement operation in the Houston, Texas area, which resulted in the arrests of 646 illegal immigrants. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)
Despite testifying in a hearing titled «Sanctuary Cities: The Cost of Undermining Law and Order,» during which members criticized the mass migration under the Biden administration, Bier posited that more immigration is a positive step for the country.
«According to the Social Security Administration, we need about 35 million more workers in order to keep revenues equal to expenses by the middle of the 2030s,» he said. «So, we are at a position right now where immigration is not going to solve it. Obviously, it’s not going to solve it, but it is moving us in the right direction.»
He praised immigrants, saying, «These are people who are showing up, they’re ready to work, they’re often prime age individuals who are ready to enter the labor force.»
«So, it’s a huge benefit fiscally to the United States to have these people who want to contribute to our country,» he added.
Bier was not the only one arguing in the hearing that illegal immigrants can improve communities. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., one of the Trump administration’s most outspoken critics, took a similar line, arguing that sanctuary policies actually lower crime, poverty and unemployment.
«Data shows that sanctuary policies actually make communities safer, healthier and more prosperous. That’s right, the evidence shows, the research shows sanctuary jurisdictions have lower crime rates, higher median household income, less poverty, less reliance on public assistance, higher labor force participation, and lower unemployment,» said Padilla.
«That’s right. It seems like sanctuary cities are helping to make America great, I said it,» he added.
FOUR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS LINKED TO MS-13 INDICTED FOR ALLEGEDLY MURDERING 14-YEAR-OLD BOY IN MARYLAND PARK
Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio. (Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Likewise, Kennedy was not the only Republican who took issue with Bier. After arguing over whether it was a mistake for Congress to ban people from entering the country illegally, Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, slammed Bier as a «smug guy.»
«You haven’t answered my question, but that’s okay. You’re a smug guy, and that’s part of your shtick,» said Moreno.
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After another Democrat-called witness declined to answer the same question, Moreno criticized both, saying, «This is the best that Democrats can come up with.»
«This is the best witnesses you’ve got? A guy who can’t distinguish whether it’s okay to have people enter our country illegally. Of all the millions of people that you could have chosen to testify … the best you have is a guy who has no idea what our immigration law is, and isn’t sure if somebody should enter the country illegally [and] another guy is a smug guy who obviously has an agenda,» said Moreno.
hearings,immigration,illegal immigrants,sanctuary cities,democratic party,woke
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