Sunday, June 15, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Gaetz withdraws – Trump nominates Pam Bondi for Attorney General

Donald Trump's USA

Published 23 November 2024
– By Editorial Staff
Bondi has extensive experience in fighting drug and human trafficking and is a committed friend of Israel.
3 minute read

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Pam Bondi for attorney general after his previous nominee, Matt Gaetz, was forced to withdraw in the face of strong opposition.

Bondi, a former Florida attorney general and loyal Trump ally, is seen as a more stable and established choice compared to the more controversial Gaetz.

Trump announced on November 13 that a former Florida congressman, Matt Gaetz, was his first choice for attorney general. Gaetz, a vocal and often controversial defender of Trump, immediately faced strong criticism during his nomination for attorney general. Officially, the opposition centered on past allegations of sexual assault and drug abuse – allegations that were the subject of a Congressional Ethics Committee investigation.

However, many observers believe that the real reason for the fierce opposition was Gaetz’s open criticism of US military and economic aid to Ukraine. His initiative for the “Ukraine Fatigue Resolution”, in which he proposed ending all aid to Ukraine and promoting a peaceful solution, was strongly criticized by Democrats and parts of the Republican establishment.

As a result, Gaetz lacked the support of several Republican senators, who questioned his suitability for the role. Under pressure from both political allies and opponents, Gaetz announced on November 21 that he was withdrawing his candidacy.

“It is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition”, he wrote in a statement.

Fighting the opioid crisis and human trafficking

Shortly after Gaetz’s resignation announcement, Trump chose Pam Bondi as his new nominee for attorney general. Bondi, who served as Florida’s attorney general between 2011 and 2019, was the state’s first female attorney general and distinguished herself by fighting the opioid crisis and strengthening the state’s anti-human trafficking laws.

Bondi also has experience as a lobbyist, working for both US and international clients, including a Christian anti-trafficking network and the Qatar government ahead of the 2022 World Cup.

Unlike Gaetz, whose political career has been marked by polarizing culture war issues and confrontational rhetoric, Bondi is seen as a more traditional and pragmatic Republican leader. Her time as Attorney General of Florida was marked by concrete results, and she is seen as having the ability to build broader support within the party.

Bondi has also been a loyal part of Trump’s political circle, supporting him during the 2016 presidential campaign, speaking at the Republican convention that year and working on his first transition team. She also defended Trump during his first impeachment trial in 2020 and has criticized the charges brought against him in the ongoing legal cases.

Israel “our greatest ally”

Bondi, who has been a strong advocate of US-Israeli relations, has described Israel as “one of, if not our greatest ally in the world”. She has participated in delegations to Israel to discuss security, cybercrime and counter-terrorism, and expressed support for the decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem.

Bondi’s commitment to Israel has strengthened her position within pro-Israel circles in the US, but also earned her criticism from those who believe these ties sometimes prioritize Israeli interests over American ones.

Gaetz has also expressed support for Israel, but his relationship with Jewish organizations has been more problematic. Controversy surrounding his vote against an anti-Semitism bill and links to individuals with allegedly anti-Semitic views have raised questions about his stance.

The road to Senate approval

Bondi’s nomination must now be approved by the Senate, where she is expected to face questions about both her past career and her close ties to Trump. Critics worry that her loyalty to Trump could affect her ability to lead the Justice Department independently.

If Bondi is approved, she will inherit a department that is expected to undergo significant changes under Trump’s new administration. She has previously criticized legal cases against Trump and could play a central role in making good on Trump’s promise to review and possibly pardon those convicted after the January 6, 2021 Capitol Hill riot.

Her broad legal experience and strong roots within the Republican Party mean that her confirmation process is expected to be relatively less controversial than Gaetz’s.

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Trump warns Iran: “The full might of the US will come down on you”

Donald Trump's USA

Published today 14:15
– By Editorial Staff
If Iran attacks US targets, the US will respond with full force, according to Donald Trump.
2 minute read

On Sunday, US President Donald Trump warned Iran against attacking American interests and promised a powerful military response if it did so.

If we are attacked in any way, shape or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the US armed forces will come down on you at levels never seen before”, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

On Saturday, Israel continued its bombing campaign, attacking Iran’s defense ministry headquarters in Tehran and a natural gas processing facility linked to the South Pars gas field in Bushehr province.

Trump continued to claim that the US was not involved in Israel’s attacks but asserted that he could “easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel and end this conflict”

At the same time, Iran announced that it was suspending the sixth round of nuclear negotiations with Washington with immediate effect.

Trump claims he can easily end the conflict. Photo: facsimile/Truth Social

29 children killed by Israeli missile

At least four people were killed and over 100 injured in the Israeli coastal city of Bat Yam after an Iranian missile attack during the night, according to the city’s mayor on Sunday morning as rescue efforts were still ongoing.

Israel’s ambulance service reported that at least seven people were killed in the country during the night, including a 10-year-old boy and a woman in her 20s. Over 140 people were injured in several attacks.

In Tehran, an Israeli missile struck a high-rise building, killing at least 60 people, including 29 children, according to Iranian authorities. In an earlier attack near a home in northern Israel, three women were reported killed and ten others injured.

In response to the attacks, Tehran fired another volley of missiles at Israel. Iranian missiles reached Israeli airspace in an attack that, according to Israeli emergency services, killed four people in an apartment building in the Galilee region. Waves of Iranian attacks began on Saturday and continued through the night and into the early morning hours, but it remains unclear how many buildings were hit in total.

Reports: Israel desperate to drag US into war against Iran

The escalation in the Middle East

Published today 13:49
– By Editorial Staff
So far, Donald Trump has chosen to distance himself from Israel's attacks on Iran.
2 minute read

Over the past 48 hours, Israel has asked the Trump administration to join the war against Iran in order to eliminate the country’s nuclear program. This has been reported by two Israeli officials.

Israel reportedly lacks the advanced bombs and heavy bombers needed to destroy Iran’s uranium enrichment facility in Fordow, which is built deep inside a mountain complex.

The US, on the other hand, has these resources available in the immediate area, but the Trump administration has so far publicly distanced itself from Israel’s operation, arguing that it would be illegitimate for Iran to retaliate by attacking US targets.

A direct US attack on Iran – even if limited to a single facility – would, according to analysts, definitely draw the US into the war.

Israel is determined to “eliminate” Iran’s nuclear program, and if the Fordow facility remains operational even after the ongoing bombing campaign, the operation will be considered at least a partial failure, according to analysts.

An Israeli official told Axios that the US may join the war and that President Trump, in a recent conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, even suggested that he would do so if deemed necessary.

“Cannot be prevented”

However, a White House spokesman denied these plans on Friday. Another US official confirmed on Saturday that Israel has urged the Trump administration to join the war, but said the administration is not currently considering it.

– Whatever happens today cannot be prevented, a senior official said on Saturday, referring to the Israeli bombings.

– But we have the ability to negotiate a successful peaceful resolution to this conflict if Iran is willing. The fastest way for Iran to accomplish peace is to give up its nuclear weapons program, he continued.

Israel’s ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, told Fox News on Friday that “the entire operation… really has to be completed with the elimination of Fordow”.

According to Israeli sources, the proposal for US participation in striking the Fordow facility has been discussed on several occasions with the US since the attacks began. An Israeli source says that the US is seriously considering this request and that Israel is now hoping for Trump’s approval.

Trump vows to defend Israel against Iranian retaliation

The escalation in the Middle East

Published 13 June 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Trump has been described as the most pro-Israel president in modern times.
2 minute read

Donald Trump promises that the US will “defend itself and Israel” if Iran retaliates after Israel’s latest “preemptive” attacks on Iranian targets.

The statement was made in a phone call with Fox News host Bret Baier on Friday morning, according to the television network.

During the night, Israel’s defense forces (IDF) carried out attacks on a large number of targets in Iran, including residential areas, military installations, and the nuclear facility in Natanz. According to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the purpose of the attack was to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Iranian media reports that at least five people were killed and 20 injured in Tehran.

Among the dead were Hossein Salami, a top general in Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard, army chief of staff Gholam Ali Rashid, and nuclear scientists Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi and Fereydoon Abbasi.

The attack occurred two days before planned nuclear talks between the US and Iran in Oman.

“Not involved militarily”

Trump said that he had spoken with Netanyahu several times in the days leading up to the attack and knew about the plans in advance. However, he emphasized that “the US was not involved militarily” and expressed hope for new talks in the future.

– Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb and we are hoping to get back to the negotiating table. We will see. There are several people in leadership that will not be coming back.

Iran’s army has warned that “a bitter lesson awaits Netanyahu”, and the country’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, said that Israel “should expect severe punishment”.

Trump added that the US Central Command (CENTCOM) is on high alert:

CENTCOM is on high alert, the US will defend itself and Israel if Iran retaliates”, according to Fox.

Trump comments on the attack on Truth Social. Photo: facsimile/Truth Social

Deeply aligned with Israel

Prior to the attack, Trump wrote on Truth Social that the US “remain committed to a diplomatic resolution to the Iran nuclear issue”, but that the country’s leadership “first must completely give up hopes of obtaining a Nuclear Weapon”.

Trump has previously been described as the most pro-Israel president in modern American history and has repeatedly been praised by Benjamin Netanyahu as an indispensable ally. Many Republicans in the president’s staff and inner circle are also staunch supporters of Israel, often for religious reasons.

Furthermore, the US provides billions of dollars in military and economic aid to Israel every year. The Israel lobby, led by influential organizations such as AIPAC, plays a significant role in US domestic and foreign policy and has for decades influenced the US position on issues relating to the Middle East.

Musk walks back Trump attacks: “Went too far”

Donald Trump's USA

Published 11 June 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The relationship between Musk and Trump is now said to be dead.
2 minute read

Elon Musk has now expressed regret over several of his posts about former US President Donald Trump, following a high-profile war of words on social media.

Among other things, the billionaire claimed that Trump’s name appears in classified documents linked to notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and that the US president should be impeached.

I regret some of my posts about President Donald Trump last week. They went too far”, Musk wrote on his platform X on Wednesday.

The conflict between the two escalated after the Tesla owner called Trump’s new tax bill a “disgusting abomination”. Musk also urged Americans to contact their political representatives in Washington to stop the bill, which he said would “cause a recession in the second half of the year”.

Trump responded with harsh criticism, claiming that his former advisor had “lost his mind”. He also threatened to withdraw government contracts worth an estimated $38 billion from Musk’s companies.

– I think it’s a very bad thing, because he’s very disrespectful. You could not disrespect the office of the president, Trump said in an interview with NBC on Sunday.

Took credit for the election victory

The conflict stems from Trump’s controversial budget proposal, which includes extensive tax cuts and increased defense spending. The proposal was approved by the House of Representatives in May and is now being considered by the Senate.

Musk, who was previously one of Trump’s biggest financiers and donated the most to the 2024 presidential campaign, recently left his position at the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) after only 129 days.

During the public feud, Musk accused Trump, without presenting any evidence, of appearing in unpublished government documents linked to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein – a claim that the White House has dismissed.

After Trump made it clear in the interview that their relationship was over and that he was not interested in reconciliation, Musk began deleting several of his most high-profile posts. Among those deleted were a post in which Musk called for the president to be impeached, and another in which he claimed that he himself had won the election for Trump.

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