Archiv: Trump Administration 2017-2021


30.05.2026 - 17:50 [ American Prospect ]

The Miller Doctrine

(May 27, 2026)

Yet proposals that skirt the edges of international law didn’t come out of nowhere. The U.S. under George W. Bush created legal mechanisms following the September 11th attacks to torture hundreds of people in CIA black sites and then at Guantanamo Bay. The Obama administration’s targeted drone strikes were assassinations by another name. The Biden administration further eroded international norms and subverted its own policies by financing Israel’s genocide in Gaza, in violation of the Leahy Law, which prohibits foreign military assistance to nations that violate human rights.

“Seems like Miller is sort of taking what he was already willing to do during the first term and then combining that with what Israel has been doing in the way it has just been completely ignoring any kind of international law, Geneva Conventions, any of it in its conduct in Gaza and Lebanon, to then influence U.S. foreign policy,” Annelle Sheline, a research fellow in the Middle East program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, said in an interview.

In other words, Miller and the Trump administration have been able to steamroll what was left of international law; they just had to figure out how to do it.

28.05.2026 - 14:39 [ CNN ]

Trump’s ‘blow ‘em up’ threat to Oman means he’s now attacked or threatened 1 out of every 13 countries

He’s launched strikes in seven countries so far this term — Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen — after also attacking some of those countries in his first term. That doesn’t even count the strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, which have targeted nearly 60 vessels and killed more than 190 people.

He has also threatened or left open the possibility of strikes against seven others this term: Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Greenland (which is part of Denmark), Mexico, Panama and now Oman. He also threatened Mexico and North Korea in his first term.

23.04.2026 - 04:21 [ NPR.org ]

Cuba confirms meeting with US officials on island, wants energy blockade lifted

(April 21, 2026)

The exchange was conducted „respectfully and professionally,“ he said, adding that the U.S. delegation did not issue any threats or deadlines as has been reported in some U.S. media.

„The elimination of the energy embargo against the country was a top priority for our delegation,“ García del Toro said. „This act of economic coercion is an unjustified punishment of the entire Cuban population.“

23.04.2026 - 04:18 [ Los Angeles Times ]

Cuba’s collapse: From Obama’s historic opening to Trump’s crippling embargo

(April 20, 2026)

When President Trump took office in 2017, he reinstated the travel ban, upped sanctions and closed the U.S. Embassy in Havana that Obama had opened.

President Biden left most of Trump’s restrictions in place. When Trump returned to office last year, he began what the White House has described as a “maximum pressure campaign” to force political and economic change in Cuba, including a near-total blockade on oil shipments that has sparked fuel shortages, price increases and prolonged blackouts on the island.

18.04.2026 - 21:03 [ Jacobin ]

The Imperial Presidency Is Bigger Than Donald Trump

A future Democratic-controlled Congress should take up the job that Obama and the party’s old guard abandoned: put strict limits on the use of drones that won’t simply be alternately loosened and tightened by whichever president comes to power, explicitly outlawing “targeted killing” and any other attempt at finding a loophole for the already existing ban on assassinations; finally repeal the 2001 Authorization of the Use of Military Force that has been serially abused by presidents to fight often secret wars all over the world; end mass surveillance, whether in the form of the National Security Agency’s warrantless backdoor searches that Democrats actually expanded under Joe Biden, or in the warrantless spying that the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies now do through private data brokers; close the Guantanamo Bay prison camp that Trump is now trying to send migrants to; and embark on a twenty-first-century version of the Church Committee to investigate and lay bare national security abuses.

01.03.2026 - 01:29 [ Former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene / X ]

We said “No More Foreign Wars, No More Regime Change!” We said it on rally stage after rally stage, speech after speech. Trump, Vance, basically the entire admin campaigned on it and promised to put America FIRST and Make America Great Again. My generation has been let down, abused, and used by our government our entire adult lives and our children’s generation is literally being abandoned.

Thousands and thousands of Americans from my generation have been killed and injured in never ending pointless foreign wars and we said no more. But we are freeing the Iranian people.
Please.
There are 93 million people in Iran, let them liberate themselves. But Iran is on the verge of having nuclear weapons.
Yeah sure.
We have been spoon fed that line for decades and Trump told us all that his bombing this past summer completely wiped it all out.
It’s always a lie and it’s always America Last. But it feels like the worst betrayal this time because it comes from the very man and the admin who we all believed was different and said no more.
We thought the victory won in 2024 would be finally time to put America First.
And we thought that meant the common American man and woman and their children.
Not the elites.
America has suffered and they don’t even care.
Hundreds of thousands of American small business owners lost their hard earned businesses during tyrannical covid lockdowns, that by the way, started under Trump with 15 days to slow the spread and continued under Biden and Democrats. There is no difference between them.
Vaccine injuries, deaths, delays and loss in our tax payer funded education, record high suicides, record high Big Pharma profits and ZERO accountability for anyone from the MAGA America First administration as they run off to start wars and the board of peace at the same time.
Create the crisis and the solution simultaneously and then build condos to profit. MAGA!
For years we demanded to release the Epstein files, demanding transparency and justice for thousands of victims, women and children, by the richest most powerful men in the world and we had to fight Trump himself to do it, even after we all campaigned on it. And not a single person has been arrested and likely won’t be, no accountability, no justice.
Instead, we get a war with Iran on behalf of Israel that will succeed in regime in Iran.
Another foreign war for foreign people for foreign regime change.
For what?
Does it lower our inflation that our government caused? Caused by BOTH Democrats AND Republicans with their decades of corrupt government spending that has enslaved us all in nearly $40 Trillion in debt and reduced the value of our dollar to nothing. No, war with Iran does not lower inflation and make cost of living affordable.
Does war with Iran fix our healthcare system and make health insurance affordable for Americans??
No war with Iran does not do that and the MAGA admin and Republicans aren’t even working on it in any serious way at all.
Does war with Iran stop AI from replacing your job? Nope.
Does war with Iran help you to be able to afford to buy a home? No, but you’ll see TikTok videos of nice penthouses when Gaza is rebuilt.
Does war with Iran help the mental health crisis in America or help the drug addiction pandemic in America? Nope.
Does war with Iran do anything to help American families stay together and survive? No, not at all.
But within hours of war with Iran it was reported approximately 40 innocent girls, school children, in Iran were killed by bombs from Israel.
And they don’t care, they killed thousands of innocent children in Gaza, and apparently our Pro-Peace administration doesn’t care either.
And, since they won’t solve America’s problems clearly they don’t care about our kids either.
Now, America is going to be force fed and gas lighted all the “noble” reasons the American “Peace” President and Pro-Peace administration had to go to war once again this year, after being in power for only a year.
Head-spinning, but maga.

01.02.2026 - 21:14 [ HeadlineUSA.com ]

EXCLUSIVE: An FBI Informant Said Trump is Compromised by Israel. Headline USA Knows the Informant’s Identity

The Justice Department has released 3 million new files about deceased sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein. Among those documents is an explosive allegation from an FBI informant: that President Donald Trump is compromised by Israel.

Headline USA can reveal the FBI informant’s identity: Charles Johnson, a controversial figure with a long history in the right-wing movement. Though the report in the Epstein files is redacted, Headline USA has independently obtained a separate FBI report featuring allegations made by Johnson when he was an FBI informant. The two reports are from the same field office, contain similar details, and have the same source ID: 00099701.

01.02.2026 - 21:13 [ theCradle.co ]

FBI memo concludes Trump ‚compromised‘ by Israel, new Epstein Files show

A declassified FBI memo released on 30 January states that US President Donald Trump was “compromised by Israel,” that Jeffrey Epstein was a Mossad agent, and that a Jewish religious movement, Chabad Lubavitch, had coopted Trump’s presidency.

The FBI memo was written in 2020 as part of an investigation into improper domestic or foreign influence over the US electoral process.

It is based on information from a confidential human source (CHS) for the bureau and is among more than three million Epstein-related files released by the Justice Department on Friday.

29.01.2026 - 21:38 [ Daniel Neun / Radio Utopie ]

Warum das Atomabkommen für den Iran von Anfang an wertlos war

(May 14, 2018)

D.h., das Atomabkommen gilt faktisch nur für die Vertragsparteien ohne Vetomacht im U.N.-Sicherheitsrat: den Iran, Deutschland und die Europäische Union.

Es ist anzunehmen, dass sich jetzt wieder einmal alle beteiligen Regierungen auf die Unfähigkeit herausreden ihren eigenen Betrug zu verstehen.

Eine U.N.-Resolution ist Teil des am 14. Juli 2015 unterschriebenen internationalen Iranabkommen / Atomabkommen (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, J.C.P.O.A.).

Bereits Monate vorher warnte Radio Utopie ausdrücklich vor genau dieser kommenden U.N.-Resolution und der damit zusammenhängenden Frage der Sanktionen. (4. April 2015, Das Iran-Abkommen: Wende oder Hebel)

Und schon zuvor warnten wir im März 2015 davor, dass diese kommende U.N.-Resolution sich ausgerechnet auf Kapitel VII der nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg beschlossenen Charta der Vereinten Nationen berufen solle

Genau das tut die am am 20. Juli 2015 im U.N.-Sicherheitsrat beschlossene Resolution 2231 (2015), indem sie sich in ihren entscheidenen Abschnitten („decides“) auf Artikel 41 (und damit Kapitel VII) der Charta der Vereinten Nationen beruft.

26.09.2025 - 12:26 [ Fox News ]

Comey indicted for alleged false statements, obstruction of congressional proceeding

The indictment alleges that Comey obstructed a congressional investigation into the disclosure of sensitive information in violation of 18 USC 1505.

The indictment also alleges Comey made a false statement when he stated he did not authorize someone at the FBI to be an anonymous source. According to the indictment, that statement was false.

26.09.2025 - 12:22 [ ABC News ]

Former FBI Director James Comey indicted days after Trump demanded his DOJ move ‚now‘ to prosecute enemies

The charges follow Trump‘s ousting of the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Erik Siebert, who according to sources had expressed doubts internally about bringing cases against Comey, as well as New York Attorney General Letitia James, after Trump appointed him to lead the office.

Trump then immediately moved to install Lindsey Halligan, a White House aide and his former defense attorney, to lead the office, despite her having no prior prosecutorial experience.

17.07.2025 - 01:15 [ Antiwar.com ]

US Africa Command Says It Has Launched 51 Airstrikes in Somalia So Far This Year

(July 15, 2025)

AFRICOM confirmed to Antiwar.com in an email that the latest attack marked the 51st US airstrike in Somalia of the year, putting the Trump administration on track to easily break the annual record, which President Trump set at 63 in 2019.

06.07.2025 - 21:32 [ +972 Magazine ]

Legacy of South African Bantustans hangs over Trump deal

(February 9, 2020)

South Africa‘s Bantustans were designed to weaken and fragment the black population. Under Trump‘s plan, Palestine could face a similar fate.

15.06.2025 - 19:13 [ Arms Control Association ]

Saudi Push for Enrichment Raises Concerns

(November 2023)

The Wall Street Journal reported in September that Netanyahu directed Israeli officials to work with the United States on an agreement that includes Saudi enrichment, but such a deal still would face criticism in Israel. (…)

Given Saudi Arabia’s public threats to develop nuclear weapons, it may be challenging for the Biden administration to gain support for any agreement that allows uranium enrichment, particularly if the kingdom does not have an additional protocol to its comprehensive safeguards agreement in place. Additional protocols to safeguards agreements were developed in the 1990s when it became clear from the cases of Iraq and North Korea that a comprehensive safeguard agreement alone was insufficient to prevent proliferation. An additional protocol gives the IAEA more access and information about a country’s nuclear activities.

22.01.2025 - 20:39 [ Fox News ]

Trump‘s FBI overhaul puts ‚untouchable‘ feds on notice: former agent

On Monday, the White House announced Brian Driscoll as acting director of the FBI. Driscoll’s time as acting director will presumably end when Kashyap „Kash“ Patel is confirmed as the FBI’s next director by the U.S. Senate.

Throughout former President Biden‘s term, the FBI was entangled in repeated scandals, prompting President Trump to promise to root out corruption in the FBI and the Department of Justice (DOJ).

22.01.2025 - 20:02 [ Cato Institute ]

The Imperial Presidency and the War on Terror

(March/​April 2006)

Since the start of the war on terror, the Bush administration has singlemindedly advanced the view that, in time of war, the president is the law, and no statute, no constitutional barrier, no coordinate branch of the U.S. government can stand in the president’s way when, by his lights, he is acting to preserve national security. Bush administration officials have argued

– that the president has the inherent constitutional authority to designate American citizens suspected of terrorist activity as “enemy combatants,” strip them of any constitutional protection, and hold them for the duration of the war on terror;
– that the president has the power to ignore validly enacted statutes prohibiting war crimes if he believes those statutes impede his prosecution of the war on terror; and
– that the president has the power to launch invasions of other countries at his discretion, without so much as a by-yourleave to Congress.

In a 1977 interview with David Frost, Richard Nixon described his view of the president’s national security authority: “Well, when the President does it, that means it is not illegal.” In the arguments it has advanced, both publicly and privately, for untrammeled executive power, the Bush administration comes perilously close to that view.

13.01.2025 - 12:30 [ Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists ]

What a second Trump administration may mean for the Saudi nuclear program

(January 6, 2ß25)

Riyadh has been very clear on the kind of nuclear partnership it expects, and it is no secret that its favored option is cooperation with South Korea, similar under a 123 agreement (a nuclear cooperation document that establishes the legal basis and prerequisites for nuclear deals with the United States) allowing it to enrich uranium domestically. The problem, however, lies in the last bit of the sentence. The United States currently insists on an agreement that requires the Saudis forgo enrichment and reprocessing capabilities—two pathways to building a bomb. The reelection of Trump might be the Saudis’ chance to tip the balance in their favor.

13.01.2025 - 10:57 [ Reason.com ]

Is Biden Teeing Up an Iran War for Trump?

(January 3, 2025)

President Joe Biden has less than a month in office, but that might be enough time to leave a very big mess on President-elect Donald Trump‘s desk. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan presented Biden with plans to bomb Iranian nuclear sites before the end of his term „in a meeting several weeks ago,“ Axios reported on Thursday. A source told Axios that Biden‘s inner circle believes that he has both „an imperative and an opportunity to strike“ now.

11.01.2025 - 10:43 [ Wikipedia ]

United States support for Saudi Arabian–led operations in Yemen

During the presidency of Barack Obama, the United States began providing Saudi Arabia with critical support to „sustain“ the Saudi Arabian–led intervention in the Yemeni Civil War,[1] later expanded during the presidency of Donald Trump.[2] This support included logistical and intelligence aid. Trump vetoed a bipartisan bill in 2019 aimed at stopping U.S. support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. In 2021, Joe Biden vowed to halt U.S. support for the war, though U.S. arms sales to the coalition have continued.[3][4]

From 2015 to 2019, Saudi Arabia was reportedly the largest importer of U.S. arms.[2]

08.01.2025 - 09:52 [ Daniel Neun / Radio Utopie ]

Doppelagent Putin

(15. April 2018)

Der nun erfolgte erneute Luftangriff gegen Syrien repräsentiert die Wiederholung einer Seifenoper aus dem letzten Jahr (11.04.2017, Wag the Russki). Drehbuch wie folgt:

– U.S. Präsident Donald Trump äußert in etwa “es hat nach Hunderttausenden von Toten keinen Sinn mehr die Invasion in Syrien mit terroristischen Proxy-Truppen und regulären eigenen Einheiten weiter fortzusetzen”,

– im Gebiet der terroristischen Proxies und Invasoren bei Ghouta ereignet sich ein fiktiver oder tatsächlicher Einsatz von Chemiewaffen,

– Trump dreht sich um 180 Grad und kündigt einen Militärschlag auf Syrien an,

– dieser erfolgt, mit Ankündigung und laut der französischen Verteidigungsministerin und einem anonymen Politiker über “Reuters” abermals mit Vorwarnung durch die Westmächte,

– die russische Flugabwehr tut nichts, gibt auch noch damit an und die syrische, die genau wie die russischen Militärs noch jedem Massaker gegen die eigenen und verbündeten Truppen aus Irak, Iran und Libanon zugesehen hat wie die Karnickel auf der Fahrbahn, behauptet dies und das.

Einer der wenigen Unterschiede zum letzten Jahr ist, dass sich neben Donald Trump mit Emmanuel Macron und Theresa May nun zwei weitere in ihrem Land hoch umstrittene Staatsleiter vor die Presse stellen und sagen können, sehet her, das haben sie nun davon, diese Russkis. Und Putin, der arme Putin, zitiert das Völkerrecht.

Dass die russische Staatsführung nie beabsichtigt hat Syrien gegen Luftangriffe zu verteidigen, sagte sie schon im letzten Jahr. Dass der russische Präsident jetzt von einer Verletzung der Souveränität Syriens redet, spricht Bände über dessen auch im Humor zum Ausdruck kommenden Grausamkeit. Der ganze Luftraum Syriens quillt über von irgendwelchen Kampfjets von Vancouver bis Wladivostok, seit Jahren. Noch einmal – hätte die Russische Föderation vor Beginn der Syrien-Invasion oder vor Beginn der Libyen-Invasion den dortigen Regimen eine Garantieerklärung gegeben, wie sie China letzten Sommer unter viel Gewimmer und Gebrumm endlich gegenüber Nordkorea abgab, wären Hunderttausende Menschen heute noch am Leben.

12.12.2024 - 06:59 [ Donald J. Trump / Truth Social ]

The resignation of Christopher Wray is a great day for America as it will end the Weaponization of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice. I just don’t know what happened to him.

We will now restore the Rule of Law for all Americans. Under the leadership of Christopher Wray, the FBI illegally raided my home, without cause, worked diligently on illegally impeaching and indicting me, and has done everything else to interfere with the success and future of America. They have used their vast powers to threaten and destroy many innocent Americans, some of which will never be able to recover from what has been done to them.

12.12.2024 - 06:54 [ Reuters ]

FBI Director Chris Wray to resign following Trump nomination of Patel

Wray will leave before the end of the 10-year term that Trump himself appointed him to in 2017.

08.12.2024 - 02:00 [ Antiwar.com ]

Jake Sullivan Says US Won’t ‘Cry’ About the Pressure Syria Is Facing from Al-Qaeda-Linked Fighters

(December 2, 2024)

US officials have not been shy in the past about their preference for HTS and its leader, Abu Mohammad al-Julani, over other factions in Syria. James Jeffrey, an American diplomat who served as a special envoy to Syria under the Trump administration from 2018-2020, said in a 2021 interview that HTS was “an asset” to the US’s strategy in Idlib, a northwestern Syrian province that’s been under HTS control since 2017.

07.12.2024 - 23:21 [ Daniel Neun / Radio Utopie ]

Doppelagent Putin

(15. April 2018)

Der nun erfolgte erneute Luftangriff gegen Syrien repräsentiert die Wiederholung einer Seifenoper aus dem letzten Jahr (11.04.2017, Wag the Russki). Drehbuch wie folgt:

– U.S. Präsident Donald Trump äußert in etwa “es hat nach Hunderttausenden von Toten keinen Sinn mehr die Invasion in Syrien mit terroristischen Proxy-Truppen und regulären eigenen Einheiten weiter fortzusetzen”,

– im Gebiet der terroristischen Proxies und Invasoren bei Ghouta ereignet sich ein fiktiver oder tatsächlicher Einsatz von Chemiewaffen,

– Trump dreht sich um 180 Grad und kündigt einen Militärschlag auf Syrien an,

– dieser erfolgt, mit Ankündigung und laut der französischen Verteidigungsministerin und einem anonymen Politiker über “Reuters” abermals mit Vorwarnung durch die Westmächte,

– die russische Flugabwehr tut nichts, gibt auch noch damit an und die syrische, die genau wie die russischen Militärs noch jedem Massaker gegen die eigenen und verbündeten Truppen aus Irak, Iran und Libanon zugesehen hat wie die Karnickel auf der Fahrbahn, behauptet dies und das.

Einer der wenigen Unterschiede zum letzten Jahr ist, dass sich neben Donald Trump mit Emmanuel Macron und Theresa May nun zwei weitere in ihrem Land hoch umstrittene Staatsleiter vor die Presse stellen und sagen können, sehet her, das haben sie nun davon, diese Russkis. Und Putin, der arme Putin, zitiert das Völkerrecht.

Dass die russische Staatsführung nie beabsichtigt hat Syrien gegen Luftangriffe zu verteidigen, sagte sie schon im letzten Jahr. Dass der russische Präsident jetzt von einer Verletzung der Souveränität Syriens redet, spricht Bände über dessen auch im Humor zum Ausdruck kommenden Grausamkeit. Der ganze Luftraum Syriens quillt über von irgendwelchen Kampfjets von Vancouver bis Wladivostok, seit Jahren. Noch einmal – hätte die Russische Föderation vor Beginn der Syrien-Invasion oder vor Beginn der Libyen-Invasion den dortigen Regimen eine Garantieerklärung gegeben, wie sie China letzten Sommer unter viel Gewimmer und Gebrumm endlich gegenüber Nordkorea abgab, wären Hunderttausende Menschen heute noch am Leben.

01.12.2024 - 22:41 [ Newsweek ]

Putin ‚Letting Syrian Rebels Overthrow Assad‘: Ex-Trump Intel Chief

(November 30, 2024)

Russia appears to be „letting the Syrian rebels overthrow“ President Bashar al-Assad according to Richard Grenell, who served as acting director of National Intelligence for a time during Donald Trump‘s first administration.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Grenell, who had been tipped as a possible member of Trump‘s incoming administration, commented: „Russia seems to be letting the Syrian rebels overthrow Assad. Big. Time to play chess.“

19.11.2024 - 00:39 [ Fox News ]

Trump allies warn Biden risking ‚World War III‘ by authorizing long-range missiles for Ukraine

„​​No one anticipated that Joe Biden would ESCALATE the war in Ukraine during the transition period. This is as if he is launching a whole new war,“ Ric Grenell, Trump’s former acting director of national intelligence, wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

„Everything has changed now – all previous calculations are null and void. And all for politics.“

„The Military Industrial Complex seems to want to make sure they get World War 3 going before my father has a chance to create peace and save lives. Gotta lock in those $Trillions. Life be damned!!! Imbeciles!“ Donald Trump Jr., the president-elect’s son, wrote on X.

19.11.2024 - 00:00 [ theNation.com ]

Yes, Antony Blinken Should Resign. But He’s Not the Only One.

(September 27, 2024)

The day is dark, the forces arrayed are tenacious, but as the late Nation editorial board member Toni Morrison wrote “No! This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal.”

I urge you to stand with The Nation and donate today.

Onwards,

Katrina vanden Heuvel
Editorial Director and Publisher, The Nation