Donald Trump - The Latremie Post

Federal Reserve Chair Powell says DOJ has subpoenaed central bank, threatens criminal indictment

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Sunday that the Department of Justice has served the central bank with subpoenas and threatened it with a criminal indictment over his testimony about the Fed’s building renovations.

The move represents an unprecedented escalation in President Donald Trump’s battle with the Fed, an independent agency he has repeatedly attacked for not cutting its key interest rate as quickly as he prefers.

The subpoena relates to Powell’s testimony before the Senate Banking Committee in June regarding the Fed’s $2.5 billion renovation of two office buildings — a project that Trump criticized as excessive this summer.

In a video statement, Powell said the threat of criminal charges is a “pretext” to undermine the Fed’s independence when it comes to setting interest rates.

“This is about whether the Fed will be able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions — or whether instead monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation,” Powell said.

The Justice Department, in a statement Sunday, said it could not comment on any particular case but added that Attorney General Pam Bondi “has instructed her US Attorneys to prioritize investigating any abuse of taxpayer dollars.”

A spokesperson for U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office did not immediately respond Sunday to requests for comment.

The potential indictment has already drawn concern from one Republican senator, who said he will oppose any future nominee to the central bank — including any replacement for Powell — until “this legal matter is fully resolved.”

“If there were any remaining doubt whether advisers within the Trump Administration are actively pushing to end the independence of the Federal Reserve, there should now be none,” said North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, who sits on the Banking Committee, which oversees Fed nominations. “It is now the independence and credibility of the Department of Justice that are in question.”

Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim, Eric Tucker, and Alanna Durkin Richer contributed to this report.
https://www.orovillemr.com/2026/01/11/federal-reserve-powell-subpoena/

Trump Vows to Hit Iranian Regime Over Massacres of Protestors

As the Islamic regime in Iran brutally suppresses protesters rising up against tyranny, former President Donald Trump has vowed to support the Persian people in their struggle for freedom. Speaking to Salem radio host Hugh Hewitt, Trump promised to strike the Iranian regime for killing protesters—a tragic reality that has already unfolded, with dozens of civilians gunned down by the regime’s security forces.

The Islamic regime in Iran is the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism and openly declares the United States as its primary enemy. For Ayatollah Khamenei, the U.S. is the “Great Satan.” President Trump commented on the regime’s situation, saying, “They’re not doing well. They’re doing very poorly. And I have let them know that if they start killing people, which they tend to do in their riots…”

On this topic, recent reports highlight a severe escalation in the crackdown. One post on X (formerly Twitter) stated: “Official war has been declared in Iran by the Islamic Republic. Basij security forces have been withdrawn from the streets, replaced with IRGC military to massacre the Iranian people across the country. Iranians need President Trump’s help.”

In a powerful symbolic gesture, a protester in Tehran renamed a street in the capital city after Donald Trump, while many other protesters pleaded with the U.S. president, “Don’t let them kill us.” Holly Dagres, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute, noted that Iranian protesters are increasingly appealing to Trump—thanking him and paying tribute through acts such as renaming streets.

There is hope that President Trump will follow through on his promise to strike the regime in support of freedom protesters. America has long stood as a shining city on a hill, representing liberty and independence from tyranny. It is in the United States’ interest that the terror-supporting Iranian regime—which backs many jihadi groups that attack American soldiers—should be toppled.

May God grant success to the Iranian people as they strive to free their country from the grip of the sharia dictatorship.
https://pjmedia.com/catherinesalgado/2026/01/08/trump-vows-to-hit-iranian-regime-over-massacres-of-protestors-n4948050

US President Donald Trump says Ukraine deal closer but no breakthrough in talks

US President Donald Trump said that he made “a lot of progress” in talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy over a possible peace deal, Bloomberg reported on Sunday.

However, Trump stated that there’s no apparent breakthrough on the flashpoint issue of territory and it might take a few weeks to get it done.

**Market Reaction**

At the time of writing, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) is trading 0.78% higher on the day, reaching $57.10.
https://bitcoinethereumnews.com/finance/us-president-donald-trump-says-ukraine-deal-closer-but-no-breakthrough-in-talks/

Putin Mocks Trump’s Ukraine Peace Push: Russia Hammers Zelenskyy’s Forces Hours Before Crucial US Summit

The roar of air raid sirens echoed across the Ukrainian capital just hours before President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy were set to meet and discuss a peace summit involving Ukraine and Russia. Russia’s sudden attack on Kyiv was unexpected and raised eyebrows as it took place amid ongoing peace talks aimed at ending the war.

The timing of the assault suggests a deliberate attempt by the Kremlin to undermine the legitimacy of the upcoming discussions. The massive wave of at least 500 drones and 40 missiles is widely interpreted as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s violent and contemptuous response to Trump’s repeated boasts that he could end the war “within 24 hours.”

### Why Russia Launched a Pre-Summit Blitz on Kyiv

In the early hours of Saturday, Moscow directed a massive wave of drones and missiles toward Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. This high-intensity bombardment surprised many because it occurred shortly before Zelenskyy and Trump were scheduled to discuss ending the conflict between the two nations.

Military analysts suggest that the scale of this operation was designed to project Russian strength before any formal negotiations began. Joey Contino, a news creator at Premiere Networks, weighed in on Russia’s recent attack on Ukraine. He expressed his belief that there was a clear motive behind the assault — to stall the peace process.

“They actually want the war to continue because they feel like if they keep beating down Ukraine, then Ukraine’s partners will give up on Ukraine,” Contino claimed on TikTok. “And then Russia can get everything they want and more.”

The physical destruction in Kyiv was accompanied by a tragic loss of life, sparking fresh international condemnation. Local authorities confirmed that at least one person died—a 47-year-old woman—and 22 others were injured during the strikes, according to Al Jazeera.

President Zelenskyy reported that Russia targeted “energy facilities and civilian infrastructure.” Speaking to the press on Saturday, he declared, “Russia doesn’t want peace,” as reported by the BBC.

### Trump’s Diplomatic Gamble and the Leaders’ Responses

Donald Trump has positioned himself as a potential peacemaker between Russia and Ukraine. Even before seeking reelection, Trump openly expressed his desire to end the conflict, often making it sound like an easy task.

“We will have the horrible war between Russia and Ukraine settled. It will be settled. The war is going to be settled,” Trump stated during a rally in Pennsylvania in 2023. “I’ll get them both. I know Zelensky, I know Putin, it’ll be done within 24 hours, you watch. They all say, ‘That’s such a boast.’ It will be done very quickly.”

Prior to his meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump remained optimistic about a quick resolution. He told Politico, “I think it’s going to go good with [Vladimir] Putin.” Trump was scheduled to meet Zelenskyy and hear the Ukrainian president’s 20-point peace plan, which includes a demilitarized zone and key conditions such as Russia’s withdrawal from Donetsk.

However, Putin has seemingly publicly belittled the initiative. The recent attack on Kyiv appears to mock the feasibility of a swift resolution. In February, Trump claimed he spoke with Putin, who supposedly agreed to negotiate with Zelenskyy. Both leaders reportedly shared the same sentiment about ending the war.

Yet, Putin’s actions suggest he may have had a change of heart or never truly supported the peace summit after all. Zelenskyy has clearly received the message.
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/putin-mocks-trumps-ukraine-peace-push-russia-hammers-zelenskyys-forces-hours-before-crucial-us-1766295

Legal expert slams Supreme Court Justice for attempt to ‘narrow the forces he unleashed’

The Supreme Court dropped a bombshell on Tuesday by handing President Donald Trump a rare loss, ruling 6-3 to deny a stay on deploying the National Guard to Illinois. However, the rebuke of Trump was not the only notable aspect in the opinion.

Specifically, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who drafted a concurrence with the majority on one of the key issues in the decision, made statements in his opinion that suggest he may regret one of the most controversial court decisions in recent months.

In a ruling last September that stayed a lower court block on certain kinds of immigration raids in California, Kavanaugh authored a concurrence in which he appeared to endorse profiling by federal agents outright, while simultaneously denying that American citizens have anything to fear from this.

“The Government sometimes makes brief investigative stops to check the immigration status of those who gather in locations where people are hired for day jobs; who work or appear to work in jobs such as construction, landscaping, agriculture, or car washes that often do not require paperwork and are therefore attractive to illegal immigrants; and who do not speak much if any English,” he wrote.

This ruling sparked a wave of outrage. Several legal and political observers began calling immigration enforcement based on racial or ethnic profiling “Kavanaugh stops,” while tallying up the growing number of alleged incidents of this type occurring under the Trump administration.

All of this may have stung the justice, because he appeared to qualify or walk back this sentiment in his concurrence in the Illinois case.

“The basic constitutional rules governing that dispute are longstanding and clear: The Fourth Amendment requires that immigration stops must be based on reasonable suspicion of illegal presence, stops must be brief, arrests must be based on probable cause, and officers must not employ excessive force,” Kavanaugh wrote.

“Moreover, the officers must not make interior immigration stops or arrests based on race or ethnicity.”

This change of tone was not lost on New York University law professor and former Defense Department special counsel Ryan Goodman.
https://www.rawstory.com/brett-kavanaugh-2674826052/

‘Yuge!’ Floored CNN analyst steals a Trump phrase to describe ‘stunning’ drop in support

CNN’s chief data analyst, Harry Enten, borrowed one of President Donald Trump’s favorite phrases on Thursday night to describe the president’s precipitous fall in support from a key part of his coalition.

Over the last couple of months, Trump’s approval rating among young men aged 30 years and under has dropped by more than 56 points, Enten said during CNN’s “Erin Burnett OutFront.”

Enten called the plummeting support “stunning.” He added, “I think the word of the day, to borrow a phrase from the current president, is yuge!”

“I spend my days in the spreadsheets,” Enten continued. “You just don’t see drops like that. It’s stunning.”

Trump’s success with young voters was one of the contributing factors to his strong performance during the 2024 election, Enten pointed out. Between 2020 and 2024, Trump won 43% of voters under the age of 30 during the 2024 election, compared to 31% of those voters during the 2020 campaign.

The significant drop in support among this group could prove disastrous for Trump in the 2026 midterm election.

“This is hugely important to Trump,” Enten said.
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-2674371441/

Trump says the U.S. will ‘very soon’ take action on land to stop alleged Venezuelan drug traffickers

President Donald Trump suggested Thursday night that the U.S. could “very soon” begin targeting alleged Venezuelan drug traffickers on land, expanding operations that have so far focused on the Caribbean Sea.

In Thanksgiving remarks to U.S. troops around the world, Trump thanked the Air Force’s 7th Bomb Wing for their work to “deter Venezuelan drug traffickers” and said “it’s about 85% stopped by sea… and we’ll be starting to stop them by land.”

“Also, the land is easier, but that’s going to start very soon,” the president added, speaking from his Mar-a-Lago estate.

The comments come as Trump weighs whether to take military action against Venezuela as part of what his administration has called a campaign against drug trafficking. Senior U.S. military officials have also made recent visits to leaders in the Caribbean.

For months, the president has intensified the U.S. military presence in the region, ramping up pressure on Venezuela with strikes on alleged drug boats since early September. The military has carried out nearly two dozen known strikes on vessels they said were carrying drugs, killing at least 82 people.

Last week, the USS Gerald R. Ford, a major aircraft carrier, arrived in the Caribbean, rounding out a build-up of U.S. military forces in the region that has not been seen for decades.

The U.S. also designated the Cartel de los Soles—a group Washington alleges is run by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro—as a foreign terrorist organization. These moves have raised both expectations and concerns over a possible strike inside Venezuela.

Yet even as he increases military pressure, Trump has said he could still hold talks with Maduro, suggesting a possible diplomatic pathway to defuse mounting tensions.

“I might talk to him,” Trump said aboard Air Force One this week. “We’ll see. We’re discussing this with different staff.”

Asked about the administration’s continued targeting of narcotraffickers on Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that “you can expect to see those strikes continue.”

NBC News previously reported that, according to current and former U.S. law enforcement and military officials as well as narcotics experts, drug cartels operating vessels in the Caribbean are mainly moving cocaine from South America to Europe, not to the U.S.

During his remarks on Thursday, Trump also spoke with members of other military service groups, offering to take “any damn question you want.” Military members praised him, told stories, and asked questions about his presidency.

A Marine speaking from Camp Santiago, Puerto Rico, said that his battalion was ready to support the president’s operation against narcoterrorists.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/trump-soon-take-action-alleged-venezuelan-drug-traffickers-land-rcna246267

Millions of Migrants Right to Remain in US to Be Reviewed—White House

The U. S. government will speed up efforts to review the immigration status of “every single person added to this country over the last four years,” Stephen Miller, a senior adviser to Donald Trump, said on Wednesday. “What you heard from President Trump, the breaking news here tonight, is that his government is going to accelerate efforts to review every single person added to this country over the last four years,” he told Fox News, estimatng that would amount to 20 million migrants. The undocumented immigrant population in the United States reached 14 million in 2023, according to nonpartisan think tank Pew Research Center. President Donald Trump said earlier on Wednesday that individuals who arrived in the U. S. from Afghanistan during the Biden administration should have their status “reexamined.” Trump spoke after it emerged two West Virginia National Guard members deployed in Washington, D. C., had been shot and injured, with an Afghan national named as the suspect. “We must now reexamine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden and we must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from the country who does not belong here, or add benefit to our country. If they can’t love our country, we don’t want them,” President Trump said. Rahmanullah Lakanwal entered the U. S. in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said. Lakamal was granted asylum earlier this year under the Trump administration, according to reports from several outlets. Miller added: “Now if you’re an illegal you’re out automatically, but everybody else who was brought here refugee-, asylum- status whatever status, as he said, if you’re not someone who loves this country if you’re not any benefit to this country wer’e going to send you out of this country.” Thousands of Afghans entered the U. S. after the U. S. withdrawal and the Taliban regaining control in 2021. Many had worked with American forces as interpreters and support staff and were considered at risk of persecution under the new Taliban government. This is a developing story; updates to follow.
https://www.newsweek.com/millions-migrants-right-to-remain-united-states-reviewed-white-house-11118458

New prosecutor won’t pursue charges against Donald Trump, others in Georgia election interference case

A Judge on Wednesday dismissed the Georgia election interference case against President Donald Trump and others after the prosecutor who took over the case said he would not pursue the charges, ending the last effort to punish the President in the courts for his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss. Pete Skandalakis, the Executive Director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, took over the case last month from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who was removed over an “appearance of impropriety” created by a romantic relationship with the special prosecutor she chose to lead the case. After Skandalakis’ filing, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee issued a one-paragraph order dismissing the case in its entirety. The latest criminal case against Trump to unravel The abandonment of the Georgia case is the latest reflection of how Trump has emerged largely unscathed from a spate of prosecutions that once threatened to imperil his political career and personal liberty. Former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith, who had charged Trump with conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 election and hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, dropped both cases after Trump won the White House last year. Smith cited longstanding Justice Department policy against the indictment of a sitting President. And though Trump was convicted of felony charges in New York in connection with hush money payments during the 2016 election, he was sentenced in January to an unconditional discharge, leaving his conviction intact but sparing him any punishment. It was unlikely that legal action against Trump could have moved forward while he is President. Fourteen other defendants still faced charges, including former New York Mayor and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani and former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. Steve Sadow, Trump’s lead attorney in Georgia, applauded the case’s dismissal: “The political persecution of President Trump by disqualified DA Fani Willis is finally over. This case should never have been brought. A fair and impartial prosecutor has put an end to this lawfare.” The Associated Press has reached out to a spokesperson for Willis seeking comment on the dismissal. “The strongest and most prosecutable case against those seeking to overturn the 2020 Presidential election results and prevent the certification of those votes was the one investigated and indicted by Special Counsel Jack Smith,” Skandalakis wrote in his court filing Wednesday. He added that the criminal conduct alleged in the Georgia indictment “was conceived in Washington, D. C., not the State of Georgia. The federal government is the appropriate venue for this prosecution, not the State of Georgia.” Why a new prosecutor took over the Georgia case After the Georgia Supreme Court in September declined to hear Willis’ appeal of her disqualification, it fell to the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council to find a new prosecutor. Skandalakis said last month that he reached out to several prosecutors, but they all declined to take the case. McAfee set a Nov. 14 deadline for the appointment of a new prosecutor, so Skandalakis chose to appoint himself rather than let the case be dismissed right away. He said Willis’ office only recently delivered the case file 101 boxes and an eight-terabyte hard drive and he hadn’t had a chance to review everything yet. Citing the public’s “legitimate interest in the outcome of this case,” he said he wanted to assess the evidence and decide on appropriate next steps. Skandalakis, who has led the small, nonpartisan council since 2018, said in a court filing last month that he will get no extra pay for the case but that Fulton County will reimburse expenses. He previously spent about 25 years as the elected Republican District Attorney for the Coweta Judicial Circuit, southwest of Atlanta. How the Georgia case fell apart Willis announced the sprawling indictment against Trump and 18 others in August 2023, using the state’s anti-racketeering law to allege a wide-ranging conspiracy to illegally overturn Trump’s narrow loss to Democrat Joe Biden in Georgia. Defense attorneys sought Willis’ removal after one revealed in January 2024 that Willis had a romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, the special prosecutor she hired to lead the case. The defense attorneys alleged a conflict of interest and said Willis profited from the case when Wade used his earnings to pay for vacations the pair took. During an extraordinary hearing the following month, Willis and Wade testified about the intimate details of their relationship. They said the romance didn’t begin until after Wade was hired and that they split the costs for vacations and other outings. The Judge rebuked Willis for a “tremendous lapse in judgment” but found no disqualifying conflict of interest, ruling she could stay on the case if Wade resigned, which he did hours later. Defense attorneys appealed, and the Georgia Court of Appeals removed Willis from the case in December 2024, citing an “appearance of impropriety.” The state Supreme Court declined to hear Willis’ appeal. ___ Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/767421-new-prosecutor-wont-pursue-charges-against-donald-trump-others-in-georgia-election-interference-case/

Donald Trump Floats Potential ‘Surprise’ After Trade Talks With China’s Xi

U. S. President Donald Trump says he is near an agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping on greater and faster Chinese purchasing of U. S. farm products, predicting that the U. S. will be “pleasantly surprised.” Newsweek contacted the Chinese government for comment. Why It Matters China is the world’s largest soybean importer and has long been the top buyer of U. S. soybeans, but its purchases ground to a near halt this year in retaliation for Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods, stinging American farmers. Trump announced a deal on soybeans-the most valuable U. S. agricultural export-on October 30, after talks with Xi in South Korea, to the relief of U. S. farmers. Greater Chinese purchasing of U. S. farm produce will boost U. S. exports as well as support for Trump in rural America. What To Know “I spoke to President Xi about buying our farm products and he said he agreed with me,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One, referring to his Monday phone call with the Chinese leader. Trump did not say specifically what Xi has agreed to, but mentioned more Chinese purchases of U. S. farm products. “I asked him, ‘I’d like you to buy it a little faster. I’d like you to buy more,’ and he’s more or less agreed to do that. I think we will be pleasantly surprised by the actions of President Xi,” Trump said. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said earlier that China would be buying a bounty of U. S. soybeans during the coming years. “The Chinese are right on schedule in terms of the cadence of their purchases. Over the next 3 1/2 years, we are going to see 87. 5 million metric tons purchased by the Chinese-minimum-and they are right on schedule,” he told CNBC in an interview Tuesday. The agreement Trump reached with Xi last month will bring total U. S. soybean exports to China this year to 18 million metric tons-down 32 percent from last year and marking the weakest year for American soy since 2018. China has diversified its imports this year by increasing purchases of lower-cost soybeans from Brazil-its top supplier-and Argentina, and analysts have said China is unlikely to reverse that trend, even if relations with the U. S. stabilize. The October deal included trade and tariff concessions from both sides. Trump agreed to delay his threatened 100 percent tariff on Chinese goods and reduce an existing duty on certain fentanyl precursor chemicals from 20 percent to 10 percent. In return, China postponed for at least one year its planned export restrictions on rare earth elements, which are crucial for defense and high-tech industries. What People Are Saying Trump, referring to Xi, to reporters: “I think he’s going to very much surprise you with the upside.” What Happens Next Trump has confirmed that he will be visiting China in April and that Xi would later visit the U. S. Bessent said Xi would also attend a G20 meeting in the U. S. next year and that Trump might visit China for an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-floats-potential-surprise-after-trade-talks-with-chinas-xi-11110208