Catégorie oBox : OBOXMA
It looks like somebody has finally said what millions of Americans think every day.
The U.S. Marines released a statement in the middle of the night on Wednesday, stating that an Expedition Force would be performing a “live-fire Amphibious Capabilities Demonstration at Red Beach, Camp Pendleton” to mark the Marines’ 250th anniversary on November 9, just three weeks from now.
The demonstration, aimed to showcase America’s readiness to “defend the Homeland,” apparently went through a “detailed risk assessment”, but the office of the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, came out with a different report.
Newsom’s office claimed the demonstration would involve the firing of live explosive rounds from Navy warships over the I-5, a highway that serves over 80,000 commuters per day, and into Camp Pendleton. The military could reportedly choose to close large swaths of the highway for the demonstration, thus not endangering thousands of lives, but only inconveniencing them for the sake of… glory?
Newsom’s comments
Gov. Gavin Newsom didn’t mince words on the topic. In fact, he even Tweeted in a language that Trump could understand, stating in all-caps, “PUT ASIDE YOUR VANITY PARADE AND PAY OUR TROOPS INSTEAD”.
Newsom’s office also claimed that it had received little to no information about implemented safety measures or information regarding coordination for the launch. The missile launch, scheduled for November 9, gives California little time to find a solution for the endless list of problems associated with the demonstration.
As one of the few Democrats consistently releasing effective communication opposing the GOP, Newsom focused on the deeper issues the demonstration unearths, namely, the mistreatment of American veterans.
Conflicting statements
California Department of Transportation spokesman Edward Barrera said that, due to “potential scenarios shared with us by the federal government,” his agency is preparing to shut down parts of I-5 between Orange and San Diego counties for the exercise, not wanting live missiles to be fired over the heads of unsuspecting California residents.
Strangely, the vice president doesn’t seem to be concerned about that aspect of the drill, with William Martin, a spokesperson, denying the claim, calling it “fake news.” I suppose the VP doesn’t see an issue with firing live missiles over a busy highway.
Somehow, there is a clear divide between the State of California and the far-right GOP. A senior state transportation official said in an interview with MeidasTouch “Closing down a critical corridor during a shutdown, for a vanity event, without even consulting state authorities? It’s indefensible.”
The State of California seems to be on the same page about this issue: endangering, or even inconveniencing citizens, is not worth the flexing of a few missiles to celebrate.
Donald Trump a annoncé sur Truth Social qu’il avait ordonné une sixième frappe sur un bateau au large des côtes du Venezuela, déclarant que, sous son autorité en tant que commandant en chef, le secrétaire à la guerre avait effectué une « frappe cinétique létale » sur un navire qu’il a décrit comme étant lié à une organisation terroriste désignée impliquée dans le narcotrafic dans la zone de responsabilité du commandement sud des États-Unis.
Breaking News: A U.S. military strike killed six people on a boat in international waters near Venezuela, President Trump said, asserting without evidence that they were drug smugglers for an unspecified group his team had labeled terrorists.
— The New York Times (@nytimes.com) 2025-10-14T19:15:02.607137Z
M. Trump affirme que « six narcoterroristes masculins à bord du navire » ont été tués lors de la frappe menée par Pete Hegseth, une affirmation faite sans preuve, comme l’ont noté plusieurs médias, dont le New York Times.
Près de 30 morts
Cette sixième opération militaire américaine visant des bateaux transportant prétendument de la drogue vers les États-Unis a fait près de 30 morts parmi les criminels présumés.
Dans son message Truth Social, Donald Trump a affirmé que les services de renseignement américains avaient confirmé que le bateau « faisait du trafic de stupéfiants, était associé à des réseaux narcoterroristes illicites et transitait le long d’une route connue des organisations terroristes
La cible contestée de la cinquième frappe américaine au large du Venezuela
Plusieurs observateurs ont contesté les affirmations répétées du président depuis le début de ces frappes contre les cartels, se demandant si toutes les personnes visées étaient bien des narcotrafiquants.
Le président colombien Gustavo Petro a récemment déclaré que « les indications montrent que le dernier bateau bombardé était colombien, avec des citoyens colombiens à l’intérieur », affirmant que le cinquième navire frappé par les Etats-Unis au large des côtes vénézuéliennes n’appartenait pas au Venezuela mais à la Colombie.
La Maison-Blanche a qualifié l’affirmation de M. Petro de « sans fondement et répréhensible », rejetant l’affirmation du président colombien selon laquelle le navire frappé par les États-Unis était colombien et transportait des citoyens colombiens.
Trump a conclu son message en confirmant la mort de toutes les personnes à bord du bateau, écrivant que « la frappe a été menée dans les eaux internationales, et six narcoterroristes masculins à bord du navire ont été tués lors de la frappe. Aucune force américaine n’a été blessée »
27 people have now been killed by the administration’s boat strikes.
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast.bsky.social) 2025-10-14T19:21:33.362769Z
Three British men were arrested on Thursday, October 23, by the British Police, under suspicion of spying for Russia. The men, aged 44, 45, and 48, were detained at personal addresses in west and central London.
All three men were arrested on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence group, thus enabling UK police to use section 3 of the National Security Act (NSA), 2023, making them eligible for up to 14 years in prison, a fine, or both.
A recent flare of arrests
These arrests come after two men and a woman were arrested in Essex on suspicion of spying for Russia last month.
We’re seeing an increasing number of who we would describe as ‘proxies’ being recruited by foreign intelligence services and these arrests are directly related to our ongoing to efforts to disrupt this type of activity.
-Dominic Murphy, Head of the Counter Terrorism Policing London.
In May, six Bulgarian men were arrested for spying for the Kremlin in the UK and across Europe.
In July, three men were found guilty of an arson attack on Ukraine-linked businesses in east London last year. The coordinated attack was reportedly ordered by Russian mercenary group Wagner, according to prosecutors.
The leader of that group, Dylan Earl, was the first person to be arrested under the new directive of Section 3 of the NSA, 2023.
M15 security director Ken McCallum claimed last week that Russia is committed to “creating havoc and destruction.”
He also stated that “In the last year, we and the police have disrupted a steady stream of surveillance plots with hostile intent aimed at individuals Russian leaders perceive as their enemies,”
On their part, the Kremlin have denied any accusations that it has been connected to British sabotage, claiming that the UK blames Russia whenever something “bad” happens in the Kingdom.
Commander Dominic Murphy, Head of the Counter Terrorism Policing London, stated on Thursday:
Anyone who might be contacted by and tempted into carrying out criminal activity on behalf of a foreign state here in the UK should think again.
National Security Act, 2023
The National Security Act of 2023 was created to help protect the UK against foreign espionage by increasing the government’s power of investigation and litigation.
The act received Royal Assent in July 2023 and introduced a number of new offences that individuals, organizations, and government workers could be charged with.
The Act also outlined a new penalty of up to 14 years in prison or a fine (or both).
The section used in this case was Section 3, “assisting a foreign intelligence service”.
UK corporations and executives have criticized the act, which carries multiple sections targeting those groups’ use of information.
It’s no mystery that 2020 was arguably the most difficult one-year period for Americans in the last decade. COVID, lockdowns, vaccines, the rise of American fascism, an attack on the Capitol, and a country-wide recession that saw hundreds of thousands of Americans fall into poverty.
Nearly all of this happened under the eye of Donald J. Trump, but recently he and his allies have been set on convincing the American public that Biden was actually in charge.
That’s right, the president of the United States is attempting to rewrite history that’s just 5 years old.
Trump’s nearly nonsensical post on Saturday, October 11, was a stark example of disinformation that would make George Orwell pale.
THE BIDEN FBI PLACED 274 AGENTS INTO THE CROWD ON JANUARY 6… If this is so, which it is, a lot of very good people will be owed big apologies.
This is a blatant and dangerous lie meant to fool millions of Americans. There is an overwhelming preponderance of evidence stating the opposite. Firstly, Trump’s own yes-man, Kash Patel, acting as FBI director, said himself that the plainclothes agents were deployed after the riot began, to deal with the situation. This is in direct opposition to what Trump is insinuating in his post.
Plenty of Trump allies have tried to make his statement into a coherent truth, but even the experts at finding truths where there are none are struggling to justify this rambling nonsense.
The 2020 ‘fraudulent’ census
This example of an attempted rewriting of history isn’t the first of its kind. A number of GOP politicians have recently claimed that the 2020 census was fraudulent and a result of Biden’s incompetence.
“The 2020 Census was a fraud,”
The 2020 census was performed under Donald Trump, not Joe Biden.
Sen. Jim Banks of Indiana claimed on October 6 that the census was fraudulent, “The Biden admin used a shady ‘privacy’ formula that scrambled the data and miscounted 14 states.”
Vice President JD Vance has also piled on to the easily debunked statements, stating that the census had apparently undercounted red states, “they have tried to rig the game for Democrats and against Republicans.”
A short list of baseless accusations
Somehow, even though all of this information is incredibly available, the Trump administration has made at least 5 statements implying Biden was the president in 2020. Here’s a shortlist, with a fact check included underneath each false claim.
July 6, 2025: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent – “The democratic party blew out the deficit in 2020.”
In 2020, Donald Trump had veto power over any spending, and the GOP controlled the Senate.
February 7, 2023: Lauren Boebert on the closure of schools during the pandemic – “Hey Joe, YOU CLOSED THEM!”
School closures during COVID were controlled largely by state and local officials, and the vast majority of them happened during Trump’s term.
February 28, 2023: Marjorie Taylor Greene on fentanyl deaths – “Listen to this mother, who lost two children to fentanyl poisoning, tell the truth about both of her son’s murders because of the Biden administrations refusal to secure our border and stop the Cartel’s from murdering Americans everyday by Chinese fentanyl,” Once again, Joe Biden was not the president at the time of these deaths making it unlikely for him to have had control over the border.
Not a new narrative
Trump himself has consistently played into this false narrative. Last year, Trump accused Biden of suppressing the ‘Hunter Biden laptop story’ ahead of the 2020 election. How Biden could have suppressed White House communication during the Trump presidency is a mystery to us.
In fact, in an impressively daring move, Trump actually tried to convince people Biden was responsible for violence in 2020, DURING TRUMPS OWN TERM. His office ran an ad titled “Joe Biden’s America”, where he portrayed moments of violence from summer 2020, and laid the blame on Biden’s shoulders.
It should be clear by now. Trump apparently has no respect for the intelligence of his voters. In fact, he doesn’t even think they’re capable enough to remember what happened just 5 years ago. It’s hard to see this behaviour from the president, and not draw comparisons to ‘1984’, Soviet Russia, and Communist China. Apparently, if Trump had things his way, he would be the source of fact, fiction, and history. The only question is whether the GOP and the MAGA voter base will allow it to happen.
The Trump administration has apparently extended its naval campaign from the Caribbean to the Pacific this week, as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that two boats, presumed to be cartel drug vessels, were struck by the US military.
The 8th and 9th military strikes, ordered by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth with the president’s approval, have brought the death toll to 37, according to CNN.
«Just as Al Qaeda waged war on our homeland, these cartels are waging war on our border and our people. There will be no refuge or forgiveness—only justice.»
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the expansion of the war into the Pacific on X, stating that one of the boats was known to the US military for «conducting narco-trafficking in the Eastern Pacific».
Following the first strike, Hegseth issued a warning, saying there would be «no safe harbor anywhere in our hemisphere» for those he described as narco-terrorists.
On X, Hegseth compared the drug cartels to Al Qaeda and warned that there would be no refuge or forgiveness «only justice»:
«Just as Al Qaeda waged war on our homeland, these cartels are waging war on our border and our people. There will be no refuge or forgiveness—only justice.»
His statement came as CNN reported that the Trump administration has produced a classified legal opinion seeking to justify lethal strikes against a secret and expansive list of cartels and suspected drug traffickers, effectively granting the US military and Hegseth the authority to kill without any form of judicial review.
A war against «narco-terrorists»
Since early September, the U.S. military has conducted nine strikes against vessels suspected of belonging to drug cartels, marking the largest American counter-narcotics campaign in decades.
The first attack, on September 2, targeted a Venezuelan boat allegedly linked to the Tren de Aragua network, killing eleven.
Additional strikes followed on September 15, 16, and 19, with one vessel sunk and nearly one ton of cocaine reportedly recovered by Dominican authorities — the only publicly documented evidence of drug trafficking so far, according to local media cited by international outlets. A new strike on October 3 killed four more.
Two further operations in the Pacific this week brought the total death toll to 37.
The Trump administration calls the campaign a war against «narco-terrorists».
But colombian officials have accused the Trump administration of killing a civilian fisherman during the U.S. anti-cartel strikes, alleging the victim had no criminal ties. The incident has fueled growing doubts over the campaign’s accuracy and legality, as no independent evidence has yet confirmed the U.S. claims about the targeted boats.
The latest subscription cancellation figures for Disney+ and Hulu following the Jimmy Kimmel suspension backlash paint a stunning picture: millions have walked away.
According to the The New York Times, around 3 million U.S. subscribers cancelled their Disney+ accounts and approximately 4 million abandoned Hulu amid what analysts are calling one of the most dramatic subscriber exoduses in recent streaming history.
The Kimmel Controversy: From Suspension to Record-Breaking Return
The controversy surrounding Jimmy Kimmel began on September 15, when the late-night host delivered a monologue reacting to the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. Kimmel criticized Donald Trump’s response to the killing, arguing that the former president was using the tragedy for political gain, remarks that quickly drew outrage from conservative media and Trump supporters.
Just two days later, on September 17, ABC, owned by The Walt Disney Company, abruptly pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air, citing «ongoing review.» The decision came amid mounting political pressure and complaints reportedly lodged with the Federal Communications Commission. The move was widely seen as a capitulation to political interests, sparking immediate outrage from viewers and fellow entertainers.
Protests erupted outside Disney and ABC studios across several cities. Online, the hashtags #CancelDisneyPlus and #CancelHulu surged as millions of users joined a coordinated boycott against Disney’s streaming platforms. According to analytics firm Antenna, the backlash translated into a staggering wave of cancellations, an estimated 3 million Disney+ and 4 million Hulu subscriptions lost in just a few weeks, effectively doubling both platforms’ churn rates.
«That’s not legal, that’s not American, that is un-American and it is so dangerous.»
6 million viewers
Under growing public and media pressure, Disney announced Kimmel’s reinstatement on September 22, and the show returned to air the following night. Despite initial refusals from some local affiliates to broadcast the episode, Jimmy Kimmel Live! made a triumphant comeback, drawing over 6 million viewers, the program’s highest ratings in nearly a decade.
Speaking with a mix of emotion and defiance, Kimmel tore into the president’s attempts to silence him, describing how the threats extended far beyond a personal attack to include ABC, the constitutional right of free expression, and even the role of the press itself in a functioning democracy.
Kimmel criticized the Trump administration for trying to coerce affiliates who run his show in cities across the country to take it off the air: «That’s not legal, that’s not American, that is un-American and it is so dangerous.»
«The government cannot be allowed to control what we do», added the host on his widely anticipated return.
The debate over free speech
Donald Trump erupted on Truth Social after Jimmy Kimmel’s return to late-night TV, unleashing a furious tirade against both the comedian and ABC. He accused the network of making a «big mistake», mocked Kimmel as talentless, and branded his show «Democrat garbage.»
Kimmel’s suspension and return have since become a flashpoint in the debate over free speech, political influence in entertainment, and the corporate risks of cultural backlash in the streaming era.
Catégories
Trump: «I was damaged very greatly»
Donald Trump announced that he made an «awfully strange decision» by asking the Justice Department to pay him $230 million in damages over the investigations conducted against him.
«It’s awfully strange to make a decision where I’m essentially paying myself.»
-Donald Trump
Trump confirmed that he would personally approve the $230 million request, saying, «I’m the one that makes the decision, and that decision would have to go across my desk,» while admitting that «it’s awfully strange to make a decision where I’m essentially paying myself.»
Trump’s $230 million claim is expected to meet little resistance within the Justice Department, now led by loyal allies. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump’s former defense lawyer, and Civil Division chief Stanley Woodward Jr., who represented several Trump aides, will likely approve it quickly, especially after Pam Bondi fired the agency’s top ethics adviser in July.
Trump Seeks Payback for FBI Probes
Trump is seeking payment for two FBI investigations: the 2016 probe into Russian election interference and possible ties to his campaign, and the 2022 search for classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida residence and private club. «I was damaged very greatly, and any money I would get, I would give to charity,» Trump explained, justifying his demand for compensation.
In 2016, the FBI launched an investigation into possible Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election and potential links between Moscow and Donald Trump’s campaign. The probe, known as «Crossfire Hurricane,» aimed to determine whether campaign members coordinated with Russia to influence the election’s outcome.
The FBI investigation determined that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election to influence the outcome in Donald Trump’s favor. However, investigators did not establish sufficient evidence of a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russian officials. The probe highlighted vulnerabilities in U.S. election security.
«I was damaged very greatly, and any money I would get, I would give to charity,»
40 counts over mishandling classified documents and obstructing justice
In August 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida to recover classified documents taken from the White House. Agents found hundreds of sensitive records, including top-secret files, prompting a federal investigation into potential mishandling of government documents and obstruction of justice.
The Mar-a-Lago investigation concluded that Donald Trump had retained classified government materials after leaving office, including documents related to national security. Prosecutors alleged that he obstructed efforts to retrieve them, leading to federal charges. The case raised significant questions about presidential accountability and the handling of sensitive information.
In 2023, Donald Trump was charged with 40 counts over mishandling classified documents and obstructing justice. The case collapsed in July 2024 when Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed it, ruling Special Counsel Jack Smith’s appointment unconstitutional. In early 2025, remaining charges against Trump’s aides were also dropped, ending the prosecution.
Trump connects DOJ compensation request to $250 million White House renovation
The $230 million dollars request, which shocked many ethics experts, comes as Trump has begun the partial demolition of the White House’s East Wing to build a $250 million ballroom.
I am honored to be the first President to finally get this much-needed project underway — with zero cost to the American taxpayer! The White House Ballroom is being privately funded by many generous patriots, great American companies, and, yours truly.»
Trump, addressing the irony of being both the president and the beneficiary of the payment, remarked, «It sort of looks bad, I’m suing myself, right?»
Trump, who previously said the project would be funded by «Yours truly, » now suggests that the money he is seeking from the Justice Department could help finance his controversial White House ballroom.
Trump declared on Truth Social, «I am honored to be the first President to finally get this much-needed project underway — with zero cost to the American taxpayer! The White House Ballroom is being privately funded by many generous patriots, great American companies, and, yours truly.»
The post struck many as ironic, given that it was published only a day before Trump requested $230 million from the Justice Department.
Although his 2022 lawsuit was dismissed, Trump has revived his grievances as president, now seeking $230 million from the Justice Department. He argues that the FBI investigations, including the Mar-a-Lago search, caused him significant personal and political harm, damages he says justify financial compensation.
Shocking photos and videos released by the media show part of the White House in ruins, as construction begins on a $250 million ballroom for Donald Trump.
The images have left many stunned, especially after the president had pledged that the White House’s historic structure would remain untouched during the project.
«It won’t interfere with the current building.»
-Donald Trump
«I am pleased to announce that ground has been broken on the White House grounds to build the new, big, beautiful White House Ballroom.»
The «Rose Garden Club» and a new ballroom
It comes after ordering in June the famous White House Rose Garden to be gutted and replaced with a hard-scape patio, including limestone slabs and club-style seating, and branding it the «Rose Garden Club», a move widely criticized for erasing the garden’s historic character and turning it into a Mar-a-Lago-style venue.
Trump has now turned his attention to the East Wing, where the construction of a massive new ballroom has led to the permanent destruction of part of the White House, sending chills and raising serious questions among Americans.
The ballroom project, envisioned by Donald Trump and announced in July with a projected cost of $250 million, was set to begin construction in September. Trump insisted it would be financed entirely through his own funds and contributions from what he described as «patriot donors», emphasizing that no taxpayer money would be used.
«I am pleased to announce that ground has been broken on the White House grounds to build the new, big, beautiful White House Ballroom,» Trump wrote on Truth Social, as images of the demolition continued to circulate online.
Like his own permanent residence
Images showing a damaged exterior wall and part of the roof quickly spread across the media, as critics denounced the president’s abrupt decision to remodel the White House, the people’s house.
A much-needed project
Many questioned the necessity of a lavish ballroom and anxiously wondered what Trump might do to the building next, as he increasingly appears to treat it like his own permanent residence.
«I am honored to be the first President to finally get this much-needed project underway,» Trump wrote on Truth Social.
According to several media outlets, including The Washington Post, Trump stated while signing the executive order in July that the main White House structure would remain untouched by the ballroom’s construction, saying:
«It won’t interfere with the current building.»