Loomer on boat strikes: ‘Fentanyl isn’t being manufactured in Venezuela’

 https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5638688-laura-loomer-trump-venezuela-drug-strikes/

Far-right activist Laura Loomer noted inconsistencies with the Trump administration’s justification of strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats off the coast of Venezuela.

Loomer said Monday on the social platform X that while she has “no sympathy for narcoterrorists being killed,” it is “worth noting” that the majority of drugs, including fentanyl, brought into the U.S. are trafficked through Mexico.“Fentanyl isn’t being manufactured in Venezuela,” she added.

Fact check: Trump’s absurd claim that he saved 100,000 lives by attacking alleged Venezuelan drug boats

 https://edition.cnn.com/2025/10/08/politics/venezuela-drug-boats-trump

The total number of US overdose deaths from all drugs in 2024 was about 82,000, according to provisional federal data. (Even adding in reported Canadian opioid and stimulant deaths doesn’t bring the total to 100,000.) Trump is essentially claiming, in other words, that his decision to attack a small number of boats in the Caribbean – there have been at least four US strikes since the beginning of September – prevented more than a full year’s worth of deaths.

There are other issues with Trump’s claims. The White House and Defense Department have not presented proof that the boats were carrying either drugs in general or the “fentanyl, mostly” Trump claimed last week they were carrying, nor that the people on the boats were planning to try to get such drugs into the US. The Caribbean is not known to be a significant fentanyl-smuggling route, and Venezuela is not considered a significant source of the illicit fentanyl trafficked into the US. That fentanyl is primarily manufactured in Mexico and smuggled across the US border in vehicles – generally by US citizens.

Fact-checking Trump’s claim that each boat strike off Venezuela’s coast saves 25,000 lives

 https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fact-checking-trumps-claim-that-each-boat-strike-off-venezuelas-coast-saves-25000-lives

President Donald Trump said U.S. military strikes on five Venezuelan boats have saved more than 100,000 lives because the maneuvers thwarted drug smuggling.

Several aspects of Trump’s statement make it wrong.

There is no way of knowing how many lives are saved as a result of drug interception efforts, drug experts have told PolitiFact.

Additionally, if Trump’s statement were accurate, the strikes on five boats in less than two months would have saved nearly double the number of U.S. lives lost to drug overdoses in an entire year.

The administration has provided no evidence about the type or quantity of drugs it says were on the boats. This lack of information makes it impossible to know how many lethal doses of the drugs could have been destroyed.

Even if the boats were carrying 25,000 lethal drug doses each, that doesn’t mean that destroying them saved 125,000 lives. There were 73,000 U.S. drug overdose deaths from May 2024 to April 2025. That means the drugs on five boats would have been responsible for 125,000 deaths, nearly double the number of U.S. overdose deaths in one year.

The amount of drugs that are stopped from entering the U.S. doesn’t indicate how many lives were saved.

We rate Trump’s statement Pants on Fire! ​

Honduras issues arrest warrant for ex-president Hernández recently pardoned by Trump

 https://edition.cnn.com/2025/12/09/americas/honduras-issues-arrest-warrant-for-ex-president-hernandez-recently-pardoned-by-trump

Luis Santos, the director of Honduras’ Specialized Unit against Corruption Crimes, told CNN a few days ago that Hernández had “an open case in the Supreme Court of Justice for money laundering and fraud,” and that an earlier international arrest warrant had been in the possession of the Ministry of Security and Interpol since September 2023.

Trump formally pardoned Hernández on Dec. 3, telling reporters at the White House “I feel pretty good about it,” and calling the prosecution a “Biden horrible witch hunt.”

The move was criticized by both Republican and Democratic members of Congress, who questioned Trump’s decision to pardon someone with a drug trafficking conviction when his administration has been so focused on disrupting drug trafficking in Latin America, ramping up military activity and launching controversial strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean.

'I didn't say that': Trump backtracks on double-tap strike video release

Alina Habba Resigns as US Attorney, Blames ‘Politicized’ Courts

 https://www.newsweek.com/alina-habba-resigns-us-attorney-new-jersey-11175799

President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney, Alina Habba, said Monday she is resigning as the U.S. attorney for New Jersey, ending her effort to remain in the post after a federal appeals court ruled she had been serving unlawfully.

Habba, 41, rose to prominence as one of Trump’s most outspoken legal defenders during his four years out of office, representing him in civil cases and appearing regularly on cable news as his “legal spokesperson.” Despite her public profile, she had limited federal prosecutorial experience before her appointment to the powerful New Jersey post, which oversees federal criminal and civil enforcement across the state.

"JUST MURDER!" Veteran SLAMS Hegseth's excuses for boat strikes

The Incompetence Undermining Trump’s Agenda

Dem rep: ‘Pretty clear’ Trump administration does not want boat strike video released

 https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5637591-adam-smith-trump-administration-drug-boat-video/?tbref=hp

Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said Sunday it is “pretty clear” that the Trump administration does not want to release video of a second strike on an alleged drug boat in September. 

“If they release the video, then everything that the Republicans are saying would clearly be betrayed to be completely false,” Smith added.

Pete Hegseth speaks amid fallout on boat strikes

‘Relax’ is not a winning economic message

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/12/06/economy-consumers-affordability-vance-johnson/

Republicans have a holiday message for cash-strapped Americans: chill out.

“Relax,” Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) advised on Thursday, assuring voters they will feel better once provisions from the Big Beautiful Bill kick in next year. “We are exactly on the trajectory of where we’ve always planned to be. Steady at the wheel, everybody. It’s gonna be fine."

There’s nothing as soothing as being told to calm down when you’re struggling to pay for groceries, let alone Christmas presents.

Consumers don’t see it that way. Gallup said Thursday that its Economic Confidence Index has slipped seven points to -30, its lowest reading in 17 months. Consumers estimate they will spend an average of $778 on holiday presents, down from $1,012 at this point last year. Growing numbers are using buy now, pay later services, another indication people feel strapped for cash. Data released Wednesday by ADP showed an unexpected drop in private payrolls by 32,000 last month.

Report Double-Strike Vessel Was Not Bound for U.S. Sparks Reactions Online

 https://www.newsweek.com/report-double-strike-vessel-was-not-bound-for-u-s-sparks-reactions-online-11166875+

In September, U.S. forces struck a vessel in the Caribbean suspected of transporting narcotics. According to CNN, Bradley, who oversaw the operation, told lawmakers that the allegedly drug-laden boat was preparing to rendezvous with a larger vessel destined for Suriname, not directly to the United States. Intelligence suggested plans to transfer drugs midsea, CNN reports.

Bradley maintained in his congressional briefing that there was still a "possibility the drug shipment could have ultimately made its way from Suriname to the U.S," CNN reports, citing sources. The thought "justified" striking the smaller boat. The outlet reports that the U.S. military "was unable to locate" the larger vessel.

Trump: Military 'won't refuse' my orders

 https://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-gop-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/03/donald-trump-military-orders-republican-debate-220234

Donald Trump says he would have no problem getting the United States military to execute his orders, even ones that might be illegal under international law.

"If I say do it, they're gonna do it," Trump said. "That's what leadership is all about."

Former CIA and NSA Director Michael Hayden said last Friday that if a President Trump were to order the killing of terrorists' families, as he has said he would do, the military would be obliged to disobey.

Asked what he would do if the military disobeyed, Trump seemed to think that would not be an issue.

"They're not gonna refuse me. Believe me," Trump said, remarking that in the Middle East, "they're chopping off the heads of Christians and anybody else that happens to be in the way" and that waterboarding terror suspects would be acceptable. Trump then went on to hit Ted Cruz for vacillating on torture in past debates.

In explaining why killing the families of terrorists would be justified, Trump referred to the families of the 9/11 hijackers. "They knew what was happening. The wife knew exactly what was happening," Trump said.

Hegseth want to legalize war crimes