#national-security
8 entries with this tag
Trump Sabotages His Own DNI Nominee's Hearing, Holds National Security Hostage for a Voter ID Bill That Can't Pass — FISA Lapses for the First Time Ever
Trump blindsided Senate Republicans with an overnight Truth Social post from the G7 in France, ordering the cancellation of Jay Clayton's confirmation hearing as Director of National Intelligence — hours before it was scheduled to begin. His demands: (1) the Senate must first confirm Jamie McDonald, his pick to replace Clayton as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and (2) Congress must attach his SAVE America Act voter ID bill to any FISA renewal. The result: FISA Section 702 — which provides 60% of the president's daily intelligence briefing — has lapsed for the first time since 2008; Bill Pulte, a housing official with zero national security experience who is under GAO investigation for weaponizing mortgage fraud allegations against Trump's critics, remains as acting DNI; and the qualified, bipartisan-backed nominee sits idle. Sen. Cotton initially said he'd proceed with the hearing anyway, then reversed. GOP Sen. Cramer: "Frankly, I was disappointed again." Thune acknowledged the SAVE Act "doesn't have the votes." Schumer: "Trump is holding our national security hostage." Homeland Security Secretary Mullin warned the threat level is "the highest it's ever been" — during the FIFA World Cup and Freedom 250 celebrations — while the president insists a surveillance program he calls essential cannot be renewed unless Congress passes a voting bill the Senate cannot pass.
FBI Director Patel's Personal Email Hacked by Iran — Was Warned Before Taking Office
Iran-linked hackers published 300+ emails and photos from FBI Director Kash Patel's personal Gmail. He had been warned in late 2024 about the breach before becoming FBI Director. The hackers sat on the materials for over a year before releasing them in retaliation for DOJ seizing their websites.
The "Spy Sheikh" Paid $500M for 49% of Trump's Crypto Firm, Then Got 500,000 AI Chips
Per the WSJ: Sheikh Tahnoon — UAE national security adviser, nicknamed the "Spy Sheikh" — paid $500 million for a secret 49% stake in World Liberty Financial, signed by Eric Trump four days before the inauguration. Months later, the U.S. approved 500,000 advanced AI chips per year to the UAE — a deal Biden had blocked. A fifth go to Tahnoon's own AI firm.
Hegseth Shared War Plans with Wife and Brother on Signal
Beyond the first Signal leak, Defense Secretary Hegseth shared classified F/A-18 strike schedules in a second Signal chat that included his wife, his brother, and his personal lawyer. The IG found it matched SECRET/NOFORN documents.
Classified War Plans Leaked via Signal Group Chat
Senior officials discussed classified military strike plans against Yemen's Houthis on Signal — and accidentally added The Atlantic's editor-in-chief to the group chat, leaking operational details hours before the strikes.
Hoarding Classified Documents at Mar-a-Lago
After leaving office, Trump took hundreds of classified documents — including top secret and compartmented intelligence — to his Florida resort and repeatedly obstructed government efforts to retrieve them.
Helsinki: Sided with Putin Over U.S. Intelligence
Standing next to Vladimir Putin, Trump publicly sided with Russia's denial of election interference over the unanimous assessment of U.S. intelligence agencies — days after 12 Russian intelligence officers were indicted for hacking.
Shared Classified Israeli Intelligence with Russian Officials
The day after firing FBI Director Comey, Trump hosted Russian officials in the Oval Office — closed to U.S. press — and revealed highly classified Israeli intelligence about ISIS, compromising sources and methods.