A former and future U.S. president talked with Vladimir Putin on Thursday! At least that is what The Washington Post reported today. 

In a highly detailed account, the Post wrote: 

“During the call, which Trump took from his resort in Florida, he advised the Russian president not to escalate the war in Ukraine and reminded him of Washington’s sizable military presence in Europe, said a person familiar with the call, who, like others interviewed for this story, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter.

Why did Harris lose? Fareed's take: Democrats blew it by making three big mistakes—not taking immigration concerns seriously enough, rallying around prosecutions of Trump, and elevating identity politics

https://www.facebook.com/fareedzakaria/videos/why-did-harris-lose-fareeds-take-democrats-blew-it-by-making-three-big-mistakes/

 

 

YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT.

 

“It’s hard to do cartoons without making mistakes…”

         Gus Leonisky

Donald Trump’s victory in last week’s election reinforced the impression that he and his followers have “taken over” the Republican party. The campaign saw Republicans like Liz and Dick Cheney switch sides and back the Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris. Now—after Trump won a second term—the right is locked in an impassioned struggle to pressure the president-elect to appoint some Republicans to important executive roles and to freeze others out of the administration entirely.

 

The Context Behind Donald Trump’s “Takeover” of the American Right

 

     BY Connor O'Keeffe    

 

REID: “The former and future president is moving quickly to fill the clown car and round out his cabinet before he changes his mind and fires them all. Moments ago, Trump announced that he has selected Fox weekend morning show host — you can’t make this up — Pete Hegseth to serve as secretary of defense, because why not?”

AND WHY NOT?

CAN PETE HEGSETH DO A BETTER JOB THAN LLOYD AUSTIN THE THIRD? SURE CAN....

 

 

YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT.

 

“It’s hard to do cartoons without efficiencies…”

         Gus Leonisky

GOP strategist Susi Wiles, who was tapped by President-elect Donald Trump for the position of White House chief of staff, came under criticism on X for being "a Big Pharma lobbyist" promoting Bill Gates’ Gavi, Gilead, and Pfizer, to name just a few. For MAGA Republicans, who largely opposed mandatory COVID vaccinations, it's a serious matter.

Roger Stone, a long-time Trump ally and Republican political operative, rushed to shred the claims on X: "Susan Wiles has never worked for or represented any pharmaceutical company."

Do the accusations have merit?

 

Middle East updates: Blinken calls for end to Gaza war

Outgoing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said Israel achieved its aims and must now allow Palestinians to return to Gaza.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah has launched drone attacks on Tel Aviv.

EU top diplomat suggests suspending political dialogue with Israel — reports

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell is proposing that EU member states suspend regular political dialogue with Israel over allegations from international aid organizations that Israel is violating human rights and international humanitarian law in Gaza, according to reports from the DPA and Reuters news agencies.

A potential peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine would have the same ripple effect as the 1945 Potsdam Conference, which determined the post-World War II order for decades to come, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has claimed.

In an interview with the TVN24 broadcaster on Tuesday, Sikorski offered his take on how the administration of US President-elect Donald Trump could change American policy on Ukraine and what that would mean for the rest of Europe.

 

‘New world order’ coming after Russia-Ukraine peace deal – Polish FM       US President-elect Donald Trump “cannot afford a catastrophic defeat” for Kiev, Radoslaw Sikorski has argued...

 

Washington: A far-right Republican, who was investigated for sex crimes and was also responsible for a leadership coup that paralysed the US Congress for weeks, has been nominated by Donald Trump to be America’s new attorney-general.

In an announcement that sent shock waves across Washington, the president-elect has tapped Florida congressman Matt Gaetz to be his top lawmaker tasked with overhauling what Trump has long viewed as a “weaponised” federal Justice Department.

US President-elect Donald Trump has chosen former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard to be the next director of national intelligence. A former Democrat, Gabbard joined the Republican Party in 2024 and endorsed Trump for president.

“For over two decades, Tulsi has fought for our country and the freedoms of all Americans,” Trump said in a statement on Wednesday, arguing that Gabbard “has broad support in both parties.”

Trump said that Gabbard “will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our intelligence community, championing our constitutional rights, and securing peace through strength.”

In a post on X, Gabbard thanked Trump “for the opportunity to serve as a member of your cabinet to defend the safety, security and freedom of the American people.”

O’ gentle pain and angry serenity

We hide our being behind flimsy screens

For we use aspirin and valium pills

Morphine and codeine, vitamins and Seraphims

Is our life worth more than heavenly eternity?

 

Others in Palestine scream

For Zion to stop the genocide

It sells as a day in October retribution

For a self-induced century-old affliction

With gleeful anger on a nasty godly side

Bombs and pagers and phosphorus white

Counted in pounds, kilos and many biggoodles

Turning flimsy tents and houses into rubbles 

Piles of concrete, limbs and severed heads

Blood oozing soon drying in the heat of dreads

Running towards a hospital destroyed

Helpers with stretchers stopped by dust

To the summarily-made morgue now

Mass grave where mangled bodies burst

Michael Waltz is a former Green Beret and Florida congressman, who has previously called for Europe to do more to support Ukraine and for the US to pull back its own support in the fight against Russian invasion. 

The 50-year-old was a member of the Armed Forces and of Intelligence and Foreign Affairs Committees, and served as a counterterrorism adviser to Vice-President Dick Cheney. 

His wife, Julie Nesheiwat, was Mr Trump's homeland security adviser during his first administration. 

South Dakota's Governor Kristi Noem has been tapped to lead Homeland Security, the same organisation that oversees multiple entities including the Coast Guard and the Secret Service. 

She has been a fierce critic of immigration policy. 

In his announcement, Mr Trump said Ms Noem would be "very strong on border security". 

As governor, Ms Noem sent National Guard troops to the Texas-Mexico border to assist Texas Governor Greg Abbott in policing it. 

Marco Rubio was elected to the Senate in 2010, and has previously taken a hard stance on China, Iran, Venezuela and Cuba. 

He was also considered a top pick to become Mr Trump's vice-president until Senator JD Vance was announced as the president-elect's running mate. 

According to the New York Times, he has become one of the most outspoken senators when it comes to the need for the US to be more aggressive in its dealings with China. 

Boris Johnson continues to stir tensions with Moscow more than two years after leaving office, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman has said, after the former UK prime minister suggested deploying troops to assist Ukraine.

In an interview with GB News on Tuesday, Johnson raised the possibility of US President-elect Donald Trump cutting support for Kiev in its conflict with Moscow, saying there are some people with “wrong” views on the issue in his inner circle. If this happens, “we will then have to pay to send British troops to help defend Ukraine,” he argued.

"Having ceded power, Johnson continues to provoke and incite” as it is the only type of behavior he is capable of, Zakharov told the Izvestia newspaper on Tuesday.