Matzav

Joe Biden’s former chief of staff is pushing back against how his remarks have been portrayed regarding the president’s performance during last year’s widely criticized debate against Donald Trump, clarifying to POLITICO that his criticism was directed at Biden’s top aides—not Biden himself.

“I think the framing is wrong,” Ron Klain wrote in a text message, responding to a Guardian report that described him as offering a “devastating picture” of Biden’s mental and physical condition in an interview for an upcoming book. “My point wasn’t that the president lacked mental acuity … He was out of it because he had been [sidelined], not because he lacked capacity.”

Klain, who served as Biden’s chief of staff for two years and later assisted with preparing the president for the June debate, faulted senior White House staff for failing to keep Biden engaged with domestic concerns, especially as public approval of his economic agenda weakened. That lapse, Klain believes, left Biden unprepared to articulate clear policies on inflation or present a compelling second-term plan during the debate.

“He had been isolated from domestic politics by a WH team unplugged from hill Dems,” Klain said in another text, explaining that the president had become “solely focused on foreign affairs” due to his administration’s involvement in two global conflicts at the time.

He did not name specific aides he felt were responsible for that lack of focus.

Klain’s remarks arrive as multiple new books centered on the 2024 race are set to reignite discussion around Biden’s mental state, his choice to pursue reelection, and the short-lived campaign that eventually gave way to Trump’s political comeback.

One such book is Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History by Chris Whipple, which includes an interview with Klain. According to The Guardian, Klain told Whipple that Biden “didn’t really understand what his argument was on inflation” and at one stage “he was just extremely exhausted.”

While overseeing the president’s debate preparation, Klain ended two mock sessions early because of Biden’s exhaustion and unfamiliarity with the material. As the debate with Trump approached, Whipple writes, Klain privately feared it would be “a nationally televised disaster.”

Biden’s performance during the debate — where he often mumbled, lost his train of thought, and struggled to outline key policies — sent shockwaves through the Democratic Party and triggered intense internal finger-pointing. Three weeks later, he ended his bid for a second term, handing the nomination to Vice President Kamala Harris with just over 100 days left before the election.

On Wednesday, The Guardian’s reporting on Klain’s quotes rapidly circulated among ex-Biden staffers. Some expressed frustration that Klain appeared to be voicing his misgivings only now, rather than before the debate.

“No hint there was a problem,” said one former official familiar with pre-debate conversations, who spoke anonymously.

Other former aides acknowledged the campaign’s misreading of voter sentiment and Biden’s popularity — but said Klain, too, bore responsibility for those errors.

“They never had grasp of the moment,” said another anonymous former staffer. “They thought people were in love with Biden.”

Whipple, in an interview, noted that Klain reiterated his belief that Biden was the right candidate and was capable of winning and governing effectively — a position Klain maintained even after the difficult debate. He reportedly told Whipple he still believed Biden should have remained in the race.

Nonetheless, Whipple said his reporting left him convinced that Klain was overly optimistic.

“Ron painted a really devastating portrait of Joe Biden at Camp David during that whole period of debate prep, and I’m not sure he realizes how devastating that portrait is,” Whipple remarked. “I do report in the book Ron’s unhappiness, disagreement with the way Joe Biden was being managed. But I would invite readers to pick up the book and read his account — not mine — of what Joe Biden was like at the debate prep.”

Klain, in his messages to POLITICO, did not argue with the quotes cited by The Guardian. However, he emphasized that his frustration stemmed from the way Biden’s inner circle allowed him to lose touch with key domestic priorities and Democratic lawmakers during a period of high international pressure.

Reflecting on his time in the White House, where he had spent two years cultivating congressional relationships before stepping down in 2023, Klain noted that the administration in its final year had become “unplugged from hill Dems and singularly obsessed with getting [Republican] support for Ukraine.”

After the debate, Klain called a prominent Democratic lawmaker to try to rally her behind Biden’s campaign. Her reply underscored the disconnect: “I haven’t heard from the president in a year.”

{Matzav.com}

Several members of the White House National Security Council were dismissed on Thursday, a day after President Trump met with far-right activist Laura Loomer, who questioned the loyalty of some staffers.

According to a source who spoke to NewsNation’s Kellie Meyer, a total of at least five individuals were terminated — three holding senior positions and two others in junior roles.

Those removed from their posts include Brian Walsh, who was the senior director of intelligence; Thomas Boodry, who led legislative affairs; and David Geuth, who was responsible for technology and national security matters.

The firings came shortly after a Wednesday meeting in the Oval Office between Trump and Loomer, during which she reportedly voiced concerns about certain employees not being fully supportive of the president’s platform. Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz were also in attendance, sources confirmed to The Hill.

Axios was the first to disclose that “several members” of the National Security Council had been let go on Thursday.

Boodry previously served as a congressional staffer under Waltz, while Feith held a position at the State Department during Trump’s initial time in office.

“NSC doesn’t comment on personnel matters,” spokesperson Brian Hughes said in a statement.

Loomer acknowledged on X that she had met with the president but chose not to elaborate, saying she wanted to maintain discretion out of respect for Trump and the confidentiality of the meeting.

“It was an honor to meet with President Trump and present him with my research findings,” Loomer posted. “I will continue working hard to support his agenda, and I will continue reiterating the importance of, and the necessity of STRONG VETTING, for the sake of protecting the President of the United States of America, and our national security.”

Loomer has also publicly expressed concerns about Ivan Kanapathy, who oversees Asian affairs on the NSC. Though Kanapathy held a similar role during Trump’s earlier administration, Loomer has pointed to his links to a company that also employed ex-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and former CIA Director Michael Morell.

Another target of criticism among Trump supporters is Alex Wong, who holds the role of deputy national security adviser.

As of now, it’s unclear whether either Kanapathy or Wong were among those let go on Thursday.

Early in Trump’s second term, Waltz called for a comprehensive evaluation of NSC staff to identify and remove those who might not fully back the administration’s objectives.

Waltz has recently come under scrutiny for his involvement in a private Signal group chat where officials discussed strategies for striking Houthi targets. Controversy erupted when he mistakenly added The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, to the chat.

The incident sparked criticism from some conservatives, who labeled the blunder careless and questioned why Waltz even had Goldberg’s contact. Some have also resurfaced past policy disputes between Waltz and Trump as cause for concern.

{Matzav.com}

Turkey issued a harsh rebuke of Israel on Thursday, condemning its latest aerial attacks in Syria and calling on Israel to pull out of Syrian territory and stop obstructing efforts aimed at stabilizing the war-torn nation.

“Israel has become the greatest threat to regional security” and is a “strategic destabilizer, causing chaos and feeding terrorism,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry stated.

The ministry continued, “Therefore, in order to establish security throughout the region, Israel must first abandon its expansionist policies, withdraw from the territories it occupies, and stop undermining efforts to establish stability in Syria.”

These comments came in the wake of Israeli Air Force operations targeting military installations in Hama and the T-4 airbase, as well as other military facilities around Damascus.

Israeli security officials explained that the strikes were designed to thwart what they described as an impending Turkish incursion into the region.

Meanwhile, Syrian officials also blasted the Israeli strikes, accusing Israel of deliberately working to destabilize the country.

According to a statement released by Syria’s Foreign Ministry, the Israeli actions are “an unjustified escalation which is an intentional attempt to undermine the stability in Syria.”

Turkey has intensified its vocal opposition to Israel’s military campaigns, including its most recent condemnation earlier this week of Israeli airstrikes against Hezbollah positions in Lebanon.

“These attacks have once again exposed Israel’s flagrant disregard for international law and its ongoing threat to the region’s security and stability. The international community must stand united against Israel’s efforts to create a perpetual state of conflict in the region,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry asserted.

In a counterstatement, Israel’s Foreign Ministry fired back, taking aim at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “While violently suppressing his own citizens and carrying out mass arrests of political opponents, [President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan presumes to preach lofty values to the international community.”

“In Erdogan’s Turkey, there is no justice, no law, and no freedom. Israel does not need Erdogan’s ridiculous moral sermons. Israel acts to defend itself and its citizens against real threats and actual attacks — and it will continue to do so,” the statement concluded.

Erdogan’s condemnations of Israel have grown increasingly severe since the conflict in Gaza erupted on October 7, 2023. Prior to that, Turkey and Israel had been slowly repairing their fragile diplomatic relationship.

Following Israeli strikes in Gaza last month, Erdogan launched into another tirade, branding Israel as a “terror state.”

“The Zionist regime has once again shown that it is a terror state that feeds on the blood, lives and tears of the innocent with its brutal attacks on Gaza last night,” Erdogan declared.

The Turkish leader has also been unapologetic in his backing of Hamas. In April, he welcomed then-Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh to Istanbul — a figure who was subsequently killed in a targeted Israeli operation in Tehran.

Shortly after that meeting, Erdogan proudly revealed that more than 1,000 Hamas operatives were receiving medical care in Turkish hospitals and criticized Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for referring to Hamas as a terror group.

{Matzav.com}

LISTEN:

​​For more info, email bitachon4life@gmail.com.

LISTEN:

WATCH:

While flying on Air Force One Thursday, President Trump proudly displayed a sleek prototype of what he called the administration’s $5 million “gold card,” presenting it to reporters with a grin.

Earlier this year, in February, Trump had previewed plans for this luxurious immigration option aimed at wealthy foreigners. The proposal involves a significant transformation of the current EB-5 visa process, long known for its delays and red tape, by offering what he called “green-card privileges-plus” to those who can afford the hefty price tag.

“For $5 million, this could be yours,” Trump told the press. “That was the first of the cards. You know what that card is?”

“It’s the gold card — the Trump card.”

Trump stated that he was the inaugural purchaser of the new card, although he admitted he didn’t know who had followed his lead as the second buyer. He suggested the rollout of the card was imminent: “will be out in less than two weeks, probably.”

Last month, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick asserted that more than 1,000 of the cards had already been snapped up, and estimated that roughly 37 million individuals worldwide could potentially afford one.

At the core of the new initiative is an overhaul of the EB-5 visa program. Traditionally, the EB-5 route has allowed international investors to secure green cards — which grant permanent residency and a path to citizenship — by investing around $1 million in the U.S. economy.

Unlike more restrictive visas that tie workers to specific jobs or employers, green cards provide recipients with broader freedom in choosing where and how to work.

The EB-5 program was originally launched in the 1990s by Congress, and the investment thresholds and criteria have varied over the years.

“There’s a line for EB-5 of 250,000 right now. 200,000 of these gold green cards [at $5 million] is $1 trillion to pay down our debt,” Lutnick previously explained, pointing to the towering $36.5 trillion national debt.

Over 25 years, a total of 135,518 EB-5 visas have been distributed, according to data from Invest In the USA (IIUSA), a trade group representing stakeholders in the program.

The redesigned version streamlines the process and eliminates earlier incentives for investors to funnel money into economically distressed or rural areas.

Still, watchdog organizations focused on government ethics have expressed unease about the potential for abuse and ethical breaches with the gold card strategy. Similar immigration-for-investment schemes exist in other countries and have often sparked debate.

Trump’s commentary on the new immigration offering took place as he was en route to Florida aboard Air Force One, heading to his resort for a LIV Golf tournament.

{Matzav.com}

While speaking to the press aboard Air Force One on Thursday, President Donald Trump mentioned that he had a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu. He hinted that Netanyahu could be making a trip to the United States as early as next week or “sometime in the not so distant future.”

Trump offered no additional insight regarding the timing or purpose of Netanyahu’s possible visit. The Israeli Prime Minister was last in Washington in February, when he held meetings with Trump and other top administration officials. During that visit, Trump and Netanyahu stood together at a press briefing where Trump introduced his strategy for the Gaza Strip.

Trump’s remarks came shortly after a statement was released by Netanyahu’s office indicating that both he and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had recently spoken with the U.S. President.

As per that statement, their conversation focused on Hungary’s decision to exit the International Criminal Court and the possible future actions in response to that move.

Netanyahu landed in Hungary on Thursday and is expected to stay through the weekend as part of his diplomatic tour.

The Prime Minister and his wife, Sara, were received with a formal welcome from Prime Minister Orban, his wife, and a ceremonial honor guard in Budapest.

During the welcoming event, the Israeli national anthem, Hatikva, was played in honor of the visiting dignitaries.

After the ceremony concluded, Netanyahu proceeded to a meeting with Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok at the Presidential Palace. Their discussions centered on boosting collaboration between Israel and Hungary in key sectors such as security, economic development, and energy.

{Matzav.com}

The Senate confirmed Mehmet Oz to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in a party line vote of 53-45 Thursday, placing him in charge of overseeing more than $1 trillion in annual spending.

Cementing his turn from daytime TV star to D.C. bureaucrat, Oz leveraged his physician bona fides to waltz through the confirmation process and helm the agency that regulates health insurance for millions of Americans.

The massive budget of Oz’s agency makes it a target for efforts to cut government spending. Oz dodged questions in his confirmation over whether he would oppose cuts to Medicaid, the health insurance program for the poor. Republicans will be forced to weigh cuts to the program to meet their budgetary goals, reductions that could shutter rural hospitals and decimate maternity care.

Over 70 million low-income Americans rely on Medicaid for their health insurance.

Joan Alker, executive director and co-founder of the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University, said there is plenty of reform for Medicaid that “can and should be done,” but cautioned against a “sledgehammer” approach for Oz.

“Mistakes are very consequential for the folks who rely on Medicaid, often for life and death services,” she said.

The cardiothoracic surgeon also did not address concerns over multiple potential conflicts of interest he may face as head of CMS, including questions over a health benefits company he co-founded with his son, his prior advertising with weight-loss drugs and his history of endorsing supplements.

As head of CMS, Oz says he will focus on Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s agenda to “Make America Healthy Again” by focusing on preventative care.

“The deeper promise that we should all be making to America is we’re going to make it easy for America to do the right thing when it comes to their health,” Oz said in his confirmation hearing.

Oz has a real opportunity to improve America’s health with investments in preventative, primary and value-based care that he and the Kennedy team have indicated could be on the table, said Anand Parekh, the chief medical advisor at the Bipartisan Policy Center.

“If CMS wanted to be, they could be the most important prevention agency at HHS,” Parekh said, pointing to ways they could invest in saving money on preventing elder adult falls or focusing on other chronic care services.

Republicans are thrilled with Oz’s health credentials, with one Republican senator saying it was a blessing Oz had lost his Senate race in 2022.

“We’re all very fortunate that you’re not sitting on this side of the dias, but you’re sitting on that side of the dias,” Sen. John Cornyn (Texas) said during Oz’s confirmation hearing in March. “What you will be able to do in your new capacity will outstrip anything you might be able to do as a legislator.”

Oz will take the reins amid a tumultuous time for America’s health agencies. HHS laid off thousands of workers Tuesday, as part of a projected 25 percent reduction in force announced by Kennedy last week.

One of his first challenges will be deciding whether or not to add to his agency’s bottom line by expanding the approval of the use of weight-loss drugs, which could cost the federal government an additional $35 billion between 2026 and 2034. Oz has previously sung the praises of such medication, while his new boss, Kennedy, has been an outspoken critic, saying in October: “They’re counting on selling it to Americans because we’re so stupid and so … addicted to drugs.”

In his confirmation hearings, Oz also promised to police upcoding in Medicare Advantage plans – Medicare-approved health plans offered by private companies considering his prior advocacy for expanding access to the program.

(c) 2025, The Washington Post · Lauren Weber 

President Donald Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services, under the leadership of Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has removed Christine Grady—wife of Anthony Fauci—from her position as head of the bioethics division at the NIH Clinical Center, according to recent reports.

As first reported by Politico, Grady was dismissed on Tuesday. Sources familiar with the situation told the outlet that, in addition to her firing, several individuals who had worked closely with Fauci were reassigned. Fauci, who previously led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and served as a prominent health adviser to the White House during the COVID-19 crisis, has faced criticism in recent years for promoting lockdowns, masking, and vaccines—all of which ultimately failed to stop the spread of the virus.

Per Politico’s reporting: The shake-up occurred in the midst of widespread staffing reductions across HHS, which dramatically impacted leadership at both the NIH’s infectious disease division and important departments within the FDA. The abrupt moves shocked many inside the agencies and left members of the wider public health sphere stunned.

“It’s like a Fauci fixation,” said Dr. Eric Topol, a public health expert and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute. “So many of these people are just dedicated, they really want to do good and now they’re losing their jobs senselessly.”

Politico interviewed 11 individuals for the article, several of whom requested anonymity due to concerns over retaliation.

While certain staff members were merely reassigned, others reportedly felt pushed out entirely, with some encouraged to exit government service altogether. The report also confirmed that Kennedy personally authorized Grady’s termination.

Kennedy addressed the department-wide changes in a post on Tuesday, stating that although the decisions were difficult, they were necessary.

“This is a difficult moment for all of us at HHS. Our hearts go out to those who have lost their jobs. But the reality is clear: what we’ve been doing isn’t working,” Kennedy said in a post on X.

“Despite spending $1.9 trillion in annual costs, Americans are getting sicker every year. In the past four years alone, the agency’s budget has grown by 38% — yet outcomes continue to decline,” he wrote, stressing the importance of changing direction.

“HHS needs to be recalibrated to emphasize prevention, not just sick care. These changes will not affect Medicare, Medicaid, or other essential health services,” he clarified.

“This overhaul is about realigning HHS with its core mission: to stop the chronic disease epidemic and Make America Healthy Again,” Kennedy concluded. “It’s a win-win for taxpayers, and for every American we serve.”

{Matzav.com}

The U.S. Senate voted down a pair of resolutions from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Thursday that would have blocked nearly $9 billion in arms sales to Israel.

Just 15 senators, all Democrats, voted in favor of the measures—fewer than voted for similar resolutions that Sanders put forward in November.

Speaking on the Senate floor before the vote, Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) said that the resolutions were “misguided” and would “reinstate the failed policies of the Biden administration.”

“Worse, they would abandon Israel, our closest ally in the Middle East, during a pivotal moment for global security,” Risch said. “No one in the world is coming to the support of Hamas. No one with the exception of some misguided people in this organization.”

The resolutions targeted $8.8 billion in arms sales for bomb guidance kits, penetrators and 2,000-pound, 500-pound and small-diameter bombs. Sanders alleged that these systems have been “linked to dozens of illegal airstrikes.”

A banner with the “Sarkha,” translated as “God is the Greatest, Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse be upon the Jews, Victory to Islam,” the political slogan of the Houthis, on a house in Dhamar, Yemen, Sept. 26, 2013. Credit: Abdullah Sarhan via Wikimedia Commons.

The two resolutions failed by votes of 15-82 and 15-83.

The 15 “yea” votes in each instance came from Sens. Sanders, Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.).

All 15 voted for Sanders’ previous efforts to block arms to Israel, except for Kim, who took office in December when he won the Senate seat vacated by pro-Israel stalwart Bob Menendez following his conviction in July on corruption charges.

Kim, who represents one of the most Jewish states in the country, said that he voted to block the aid because Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “decision to resume military strikes and operations is not the path to take.”

“Netanyahu’s decision to block all international aid from entering Gaza is wrong,” Kim stated. “Hamas’s brutality to the Israeli people and their negligence to the Palestinian people does not give reason for others to act without regard to the humanity of civilians.”

Notable “nay” votes on the measures included Sens. Angus King (I-Maine), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), who voted for all three of Sanders’ November resolutions, and Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), who voted for two of them.

The Georgia senators faced a backlash from local Jewish groups, including AIPAC and the Georgia chapters of the Anti-Defamation League and American Jewish Committee, over their votes in November.

King issued a statement saying that he has been sharply critical of Israel’s “bombing campaign in Gaza” but that he believed that voting for Thursday’s resolutions would encourage Hamas to resist negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. (JNS sought comment from Ossoff, Shaheen and Warnock.)

AIPAC welcomed the Senate votes to defeat the Sanders resolutions on Thursday.

“We applaud the Trump administration for approving these sales and helping ensure Israel has the resources it needs to win,” the pro-Israel group stated.

“The majority of Senate Democrats and Senate Republicans reaffirmed profound American support for our ally and rejected the repeated dangerous efforts by Sen. Sanders and his allies to weaken Israel and undermine the U.S.-Israel relationship,” it added. JNS

{Matzav.com}

Stephen A. Smith thinks former President Barack Obama would have difficulty beating President Trump in a hypothetical third-term matchup, Breitbart reports.

On a recent episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show, the ESPN hot-take artist delved into the debate swirling around Trump seeking a third term and the counterargument liberals have raised to that discussion, saying that such a situation would mean Obama, too, could run.

“Once upon a time, I thought Barack Obama would smoke him,” Smith said of the hypothetical matchup between Trump and Obama. “I’m not so sure anymore. It was Barack Obama that spoke on behalf of Kamala Harris. Michelle Obama certainly put forth her due diligence in doing the same. Where did that get them? They lost the popular vote, lost the Electoral College vote, lost every swing state, lost the Senate, lost the House. I mean….it’s L’s all over the place!”

Both Trump and Obama are subject to the 22nd Amendment which states in part, “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.”

After recent remarks to NBC News in which Trump affirmed he was “not joking” about a hypothetical third term run, he asserted that “There are methods by which you could do it,” although he added, “It is far too early to think about it.”

{Matzav.com}

Due to a critical shortage of corrections officers, New York state will begin releasing some prisoners ahead of schedule, just weeks after more than 2,000 guards were terminated for participating in a strike over poor working conditions.

Corrections Commissioner Daniel Martuscello issued a directive to prison officials instructing them to compile a list of inmates who were convicted of lesser offenses and are already scheduled to be released in the next 15 to 110 days, so they can be evaluated for early release.

According to the state’s Department of Corrections, individuals found guilty of sex offenses, violent crimes, or serious felonies—such as arson, terrorism, or murder—will not qualify for the early release initiative.

Martuscello explained the reasoning behind the policy, stating it was being implemented “in view of the current staffing crisis, and in order to have the appropriate balance between the safety and well-being of those working and residing” in state prisons.

This development follows a 22-day walkout by correctional officers that severely disrupted the operation of prisons throughout the state. More than 2,000 guards who continued to stay off the job after an agreement between the union and the state was finalized were subsequently dismissed.

Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, responded by issuing an executive order barring any state agency from rehiring the dismissed correctional officers who participated in the strike.

{Matzav.com}

By Miranda Devine

New chat logs released by the House Judiciary Committee this week show the extraordinary lengths the FBI went to behind the scenes to shut down any discussion of Hunter Biden’s laptop in October 2020 after the New York Post broke the story.

The conversations, withheld by the FBI under Director Chris Wray, show that senior leadership issued an internal “gag order” on the laptop.

The FBI had been in possession of the abandoned MacBook Pro for 10 months by that stage, after computer repair shop owner John Paul Mac Isaac handed it over and warned of the potential crimes and national security concerns he had found.

The FBI’s forensic analysts quickly determined the laptop belonged to Hunter, had not been tampered with or altered in any way, and was suitable to be used in court.

Sure enough, four years later, evidence on the laptop was cited in tax fraud charges to which Joe Biden’s son pleaded guilty, and the device was displayed to the Delaware jury that found Hunter guilty of gun felonies.

Yet the chat logs show that senior FBI officials instructed agents to say “No comment” when asked about the laptop during regular meetings with social media companies before the 2020 election.

The FBI had spent weeks warning Facebook and Twitter about election interference in the form of Russian disinformation and had told Twitter to be on guard for a “hack and leak” operation “likely” involving Hunter Biden.

In other words, the FBI “prebunked” The Post’s story so that the social media companies immediately censored it.

The FBI knew The Post had ­received a hard-drive copy of the laptop from Donald Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani because it had a covert surveillance warrant on the former mayor’s iCloud.

On Oct. 14, 2020, the morning the story was published, an FBI analyst confirmed to Twitter that the laptop was real but his bosses then “admonished” him and lamented in one message that “he won’t shut up.”

Another message shows that an FBI attorney slapped a “gag ­order” on any discussion of the laptop.

“Please do not discuss Biden matter,” the lawyer tells one FBI employee whose name is ­re­dacted.

The attorney from the FBI’s Office of Counsel is believed to have worked under former FBI general counsel James Baker, who was conveniently parachuted into Twitter (now X) six months before the election.

According to the Twitter files, Baker played a crucial role in censoring The Post.

FBI Agent Elvis Chan at one point in the chat asks a colleague: “Actually, what kind of case is the laptop thing? Corruption? Campaign financing?”

The response is: “CLOSE HOLD.”

“Oh crap,” says Chan.

“OK. It ends here.”

“Need to talk,” replies the attorney.

“[REDACTED] messed up. We cannot comment.”

Laura Dehmlow, head of the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force, messages her boss, Section Chief Bradley Benavides, that day: “You guys are tracking the coverage of the laptop right?”

“Indeed,” he replies.

“I would love to know if a copy exists, and was it provided to anyone.”

(Benavides was involved in an earlier FBI effort to interfere with a Senate investigation into Hunter Biden’s overseas business dealings. Republican Sens. Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson say Benavides and another agent ambushed them with a “bogus” defensive briefing in August 2020, at the behest of congressional Democrats. The fact they were briefed was immediately leaked to the Washington Post, hampering their investigation.)

The op-ed continues over at The New York Post:

Former Speaker of the House and Fox News contributor Newt Gingrich stopped by Hannity Wednesday night to chat with Sean about the party crazy vs. the party of common sense.

“It’s just plain weird,” Gingrich said. “If you look at his eyes, you’re dealing with a guy who’s living in an alternative universe. That’s what’s happening to their party. They’re increasingly split, and I think you’ll see a Civil War breakout between the religious left and the survivalists.”

Gingrich continued: “I fully expect to see a deep split in the Democratic Party in the next year, a year and a half.”

Gingrich also spoke about President Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs.

“America’s been getting ripped off,” said Hannity, teeing up Gingrich.

“If you watched the president today, in what I thought was historically one of his more important performances, he laid out, ‘This is what they do to us. This is how they block us in Australia — we can’t sell beef. This is how they block us in Japan and South Korea — we can’t sell rice. This is how Japan blocks us from selling cars,’” Gingrich said.

“You go down the list and say yeah, it makes perfect sense that the United States has the right to protect the largest market in the world from getting ripped off.”

WATCH:

Ralph Nader, a former candidate in multiple U.S. presidential elections, recently alleged—without providing any substantiating proof—that the Israeli military has killed over 400,000 people in Gaza since the war began in October 2023. His claims appeared in an article published Monday by the left-leaning digital outlet CounterPunch.

In the piece, titled “The Vast Gaza Death Undercount,” Nader argues that the scale of destruction in Gaza makes such a figure plausible. He writes that Gaza’s civilians could not “withstand over 115,000 tons of bombs, plus artillery, grenades, and snipers targeting civilians, with uncontrollable fires everywhere.” He also states that “five thousand babies a month are born into the rubble.”

Nader has made four attempts to win the U.S. presidency, though never on behalf of the two major political parties. He campaigned under the Green Party banner in 1996 and 2000—serving as its official nominee in the latter race—and later ran as an Independent in both 2004 and 2008.

The figure Nader puts forth vastly exceeds the official fatality count given by the Gaza Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas. Last month, the ministry claimed the number of deaths had surpassed 50,000. Nader rejected those figures, arguing that Hamas intentionally underreports deaths “to lessen the ire of its people for not protecting them.”

In addition to direct casualties, Nader attributes his 400,000 figure to indirect deaths and references other sources with higher tallies than Hamas’s own. Among them is the medical journal The Lancet, which estimated in a July 2024 article that fatalities in Gaza stood around 186,000—a figure still less than half of what Nader suggests.

He also criticized Hamas’s accounting methods, claiming that “Hamas counts only names of the deceased given by hospitals and mortuaries.”

Following the publication of Nader’s article, Salo Aizenberg of the media watchdog Honest Reporting told The Telegraph that Hamas had recently and quietly removed thousands of names from its previously released casualty lists. This observation was based on a review of updated figures issued by the group.

The revised list now shows that the majority of those killed—roughly 75%—were males between the ages of 13 and 55, a population segment closely aligned with Hamas’s fighting forces.

In contrast to earlier claims that women and children made up 70% of the casualties, Hamas’s latest update presents a very different picture. The Israeli government, for its part, reported in late March that its military operations had eliminated 20,000 Hamas combatants.

{Matzav.com}

He’s been saying it for almost 40 years…

A clip of a 1980s Donald Trump talking to Oprah Winfrey went viral this week for its relevance to President Trump’s recent actions on tariffs.

In the clip, Trump tells the talk show host that he’d “make our allies pay their fair share” if he had any control over the matter.

“We’re a debtor nation. Something is going to happen over the next number of years with this country because you can’t keep losing $200 billion, and yet we let Japan come in and dump everything right into our markets — it’s not free trade,” Trump said. “If you go to Japan right now and try to sell something, it’s impossible. They don’t have laws against it; they just make it impossible.”

“They come over here, they sell their cars, their VCRs, they knock the hell out of our companies — and I have tremendous respect for the Japanese people. You can respect someone that’s beating the hell out of you but they are beating the hell out of this country.”

“Kuwait, they live like kings. The poorest people in Kuwait live like kings. And yet, they’re not paying. We make it possible for them to sell their oil, why aren’t they paying us 25% of what they’re making — it’s a joke,” Trump adds.

Watch the clip below:

Zvika Klein, the editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post, has broken his silence following the shocking revelation that he is a suspect in the Qatargate affair. Reflecting on the turn of events, Klein expressed disbelief over what he has endured. “This week, I was arrested,” he recounts in a personal column. “I was placed under house arrest. In an instant, I went from a public servant to a suspect. Not even in my worst nightmares could I have imagined this.”

Klein referenced a high-profile interview he conducted with Qatar’s prime minister last year, emphasizing that the story was openly shared in the pages of The Jerusalem Post. “Nothing was hidden. Everything was done with full transparency and at the highest journalistic standards,” he explains, defending both the integrity and openness of the reporting process.

He insisted that there was no quid pro quo involved in the interview or any of his reporting about Qatar. “I received nothing in return. No benefits, no payment, no promises. I came back to Israel, and apparently one fact puzzled the police: I got nothing in return,” he writes, asserting that the authorities were suspicious specifically because he had not profited from the interaction.

Initially, Klein agreed to cooperate with investigators and share his perspective, but the situation quickly spiraled. He describes a sudden and jarring experience in which his phone was confiscated, his communication with loved ones was cut off, and he was banned from speaking out. “But then everything turned upside down,” he explains, painting a picture of confusion and isolation.

In his column, Klein laments the toll this ordeal has taken on his reputation. “My good name was damaged, even before the truth could come out,” he says. Still, he remains committed to eventually telling his full story. “The time will come when the full story can be told. But it was important for me to speak to you – the readers – now, and say: I am here. We are here.”

{Matzav.com}

Survivors who were once held by Hamas, along with the relatives of those still being held in Gaza, testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday. They pleaded with U.S. lawmakers to take decisive and immediate steps to free the remaining 59 hostages still in captivity.

The powerful session took place in Washington, D.C., and was led by Sens. Dave McCormick, a Republican from Pennsylvania, and Jacky Rosen, a Democrat from Nevada. Several other senators, including Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), and Tim Kaine (D-Va.), also took part in the hearing, which featured heart-wrenching testimony from those directly affected.

“I am absolutely committed to doing everything possible to bring your families home,” McCormick said. “I am inspired by your courage.”

Among those who spoke were Keith and Aviva Siegel, along with Iair Horn—all of whom had previously been freed in a hostage exchange. They were joined by Ilay David, whose brother Evyatar is still held in Gaza; Liran Berman, whose twin brothers Gali and Ziv remain in captivity; and Orna and Ronen Neutra, who lost their son Omer in the Hamas-led attack on October 7 and whose body was taken into Gaza.

Keith Siegel stressed the need for America to stay involved in securing a release agreement. “I’m sharing my story because the world needs to understand what we as hostages went through — and what Gali, Ziv and all the remaining hostages in Gaza are enduring right now,” Siegel said. “I urge President Trump to continue his approach: apply pressure, restart negotiations, and secure a deal—before it’s too late.”

Aviva Siegel gave a chilling description of the fear she felt during her time in captivity. “I was afraid to look at Keith — I was terrified I’d see him dead,” she said. “The world cannot allow this to happen to anyone, ever again.”

Horn, who was also freed but whose brother Eitan is still being held by Hamas, spoke about the emotional toll of separation. “I cannot be truly free while Eitan is still being held in hell,” he said. “As long as he’s in captivity, my heart is not complete. I am here today because of President Trump. I ask you, Mr. President, to keep pushing forward — and to make the release of Eitan and all the other hostages a top priority.”

Berman emphasized the national importance of bringing every hostage home. “Only when the last hostage comes back to Israel will we be able to heal as a nation,” he said. “They are not just hostages — they are human beings who have a future.”

David described the horror of seeing his brother Evyatar in a video Hamas had released. “We saw the despair and pain in Evyatar’s and Guy’s eyes,” he said. “We are on a mission to save their lives and those of all the remaining hostages. This is not about politics — it’s about saving lives.”

With Pesach drawing near, David added a note of hope. “We believe that together, we can help bring them home.”

The Neutras made a passionate appeal not only for the release of the living but also for the return of those who have been killed. “Time is running out to return the deceased, as well,” they said in a joint statement. “The longer this drags on, the harder it will be to locate and recover their remains, denying families such as ours closure and dignity — and the deceased, an honorable final resting place.”

Their son Omer, they noted, “was a symbol of the devastation caused by the events of October 7th — a symbol for all the hostages. Unfortunately, we will not be able to hug our son, but Omer deserves a proper burial.”

The families pledged to continue their campaign to garner international support for the release of their loved ones, stressing that the situation is becoming more urgent with each passing day.

{Matzav.com}

Wall Street took a dramatic downturn just one day after what former President Trump dubbed “Liberation Day,” as financial markets responded sharply to his sweeping new tariff strategy.

Stocks plummeted on Thursday, following Trump’s announcement of a large-scale tariff rollout designed to match what he described as unfair trade practices by other nations—a move that investors fear could spark a full-blown global trade war.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped a staggering 1,679 points, equivalent to a 4% slide, marking its worst single-day performance since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis in 2020.

The S&P 500 fell by 4.84%, while the Nasdaq experienced a steep 6% drop, after Trump declared new tariffs of at least 10% on all imports and even steeper levies on specific countries. These announcements came after markets had closed on Wednesday.

“This was the worst-case scenario for tariffs and were not priced into the markets, which is why we are seeing such a risk-off reaction,” said Mary Ann Bartels, chief investment strategist at Sanctuary Wealth, in a statement.

“We’re expecting rocky markets for the next few months, and through the end of the first half of the year,” she continued.

Appearing on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” Thursday morning, Vice President JD Vance acknowledged the potential economic pain but defended the policy shift, saying he’s not going to “shy away” from the immediate impact the tariffs may have on Americans, and stressing the country is in need of a “big change.”

Businesses dependent on Chinese manufacturing faced sharp losses as a result of the newly announced trade measures.

Apple, which manufactures most of its iPhones in China, saw its shares fall 9.25% after Trump announced a punishing 34% tariff on Chinese imports, pushing the cumulative tariff on the country to 54% with earlier levies included.

Although Apple has been working to diversify production by expanding in countries like Vietnam and India, that strategy took a hit as Trump imposed new tariffs of 46% on Vietnam and 26% on India.

Intel stock saw some volatility, dipping as much as 3.7% before finishing the day up 2%. In contrast, Qualcomm tumbled 9.51% by the close of trading.

Big tech took a broad hit during the selloff—Nvidia dropped 7.8%, Tesla sank 5.47%, and Amazon shares slumped 9%.

Footwear companies that rely heavily on Vietnamese manufacturing were also hit hard. Nike, in particular, recorded a major drop of 14.44%, leading the losses among sneaker brands like Adidas and Puma.

As markets reacted to the tariff plan, the U.S. Dollar Index fell 2.1%, while the euro surged 2.4%, marking what could be the euro’s most significant single-day rise since 2015.

In response to the shifting currency dynamics, Citi recommended investors go long on the euro and projected the dollar could slide to its lowest point since October 2021.

The 10% general tariff Trump announced is roughly three times higher than the average U.S. import duty prior to his presidency, and it is scheduled to go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday.

Additional targeted tariffs that exceed the 10% base rate are expected to roll out after midnight on April 9, allowing a brief window for diplomatic discussions with countries that may seek exemptions.

But the lack of clarity around how negotiations will unfold has only heightened investor anxiety.

“While we have made it past Liberation Day, there is still no clarity on tariffs, as President Trump has complete discretion on adjusting these tariffs and the ability to create carve-outs as he sees fit,” wrote David Bahnsen, chief investment officer at the Bahnsen Group.

“For a stock market that was craving certainty, there is now even more ambiguity than before this announcement.”

{Matzav.com}