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Articles / Government / White House Trump’s next battlefields: a NATO-snubbing Spain and a conflicted U.S. intel community Trump’s NATO victory could be undermined by two boiling pots: his own intel team’s differing takes on Iran strike’s success and a tightly fisted Spain that refuses to pony up its share of NATO costs. By: At the yearly North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in The Hague, Netherlands, President Donald Trump arrived victorious. The alliance of nations reached an agreement, at Trump’s urging, for all members to increase their defense spending to five percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) except for Spain. Despite the outlier, the victory is a “historic achievement” for Trump, says former Deputy National Security Advisor Victoria Coates. Coates also told Just The News that, “This has been the situation that’s been festering since the early 70s. My old boss, Donald Rumsfeld, was ambassador to NATO in 1974, and he was writing to then-Secretary Kissinger, saying, ‘we are creating this dangerous, dangerous culture of dependence, and the Europeans aren’t doing enough, and they need to do more.’ And that was allowed over the subsequent 50 years to just go on, and the only person who made a stink about it was President Trump.” From 2% to 5% of GDP Prior to the heightened target, most NATO members contributed just over 2% of their GDP on defense spending. The new target, which was proposed by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, allows flexibility to reach 5% by way of 3.5% allocated specifically for conventional defense capabilities and an additional 1.5% directed towards broader security-related investments, including domestic infrastructure and cybersecurity. Spain secured an exemption from the 5% spending target primarily due to what they claim are domestic political and economic constraints. Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, argued in a letter to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte that committing to 5% would be “unreasonable and counterproductive,” as it would undermine Spain’s welfare state and social spending priorities, such as pensions and green initiatives. Spain’s defense spending in 2024 was the lowest of all NATO members, only 1.28% of GDP. Sánchez maintained that 2.1% was sufficient to meet NATO’s updated capability targets for troops and equipment without necessitating drastic fiscal adjustments. Sánchez also argued that Spain’s geographic distance to Russia reduces its immediate security threat, and meeting the 5% target could hinder EU efforts to develop its own defense ecosystem. Trump: No free ride Speaking at a press conference at the summit, President Donald Trump told the press that Spain’s refusal to meet the 5% target was “terrible” because Spain’s economy “is doing very well. And that economy could be blown right out of the water with something bad happening.” “We’re negotiating with Spain on a trade deal, and we’re going to make them pay twice as much. I like Spain. It’s a great place and they are great people, but Spain is the only country out of all the countries that refuses to pay. So they want a little bit of a free ride, but they will have to pay it back to us on trade because I’m not going to let that happen. It’s unfair,” he continued. Another battlefront facing Trump is within his own intelligence community. The recent strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites have apparently produced conflicting intelligence on how much damage the fourteen GBU-57A/B MOP 30,000-pound “bunker buster” bombs inflicted. In the hours following the strike, Trump gave an address to the nation in which he characterized the strikes as “a spectacular military success” and that Iran’s three nuclear enrichment facilities were “completely and totally obliterated.” On Monday, Trump again said that the damage to the sites was “monumental.” Leaks, disinformation and damage An intelligence report leaked Tuesday claims the strikes did not completely destroy Iran’s nuclear program but likely set it back by only a few months. The classified report was produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and is reportedly based on a battle damage assessment conducted by US Central Command (CENTCOM) in the aftermath of the strikes. Also conflicting with the leak is the admission by Esmail Baghaei, spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, who told Al Jazeera that Iran’s nuclear installations “have been badly damaged, that’s for sure.” As of Wednesday, the Trump administration reportedly will begin limiting classified information it shares with Congress, suggesting the leak may have come from Capitol Hill. Further conflicts in messaging came to the surface because, prior to the U.S. strike on Iran, Trump’s Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard told Congress in March that “the IC continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme leader Khomeini [sic] has not authorized the nuclear weapons program that he suspended in 2003.” Since then, Trump said Gabbard “is wrong” and Gabbard said she and Trump “are on the same page.” Perhaps the most damning indictment of the intel assessment is the source of the leak, which calls into question its veracity. Coates, widely considered a genuine expert on security issues, told Just The News, “The way this early Defense Intelligence Agency assessment was leaked is the same way the Steele Dossier was leaked and the same way the “Hunter Biden’s laptop is Russian disinformation” was leaked.” Coates pointed out that “the same reporter, Natasha Bertrand, is the person who received those two leaks and then received this one.” It is now widely accepted that both the Steele Dossier and the notion that Hunter Biden’s laptop was Russian disinformation, were both proved to be false. TOP STORIES Trump’s next battlefields: a NATO-snubbing Spain and a conflicted U.S. intel community Trump bombed Iran into a ceasefire and sent a loud message to China and Russia Ten years after Trump’s golden escalator announcement, Republicans campaign on transformed agenda ‘Rubber stamp’ vaccine advisory board fired by RFK Jr. for conflicts of interest has revealing past Weekend of LA riots shows media hasn’t learned anything from America’s election of Trump LATEST EPISODES Trump’s precision strike on Iran sent a global message, Victoria Coates talks on restoring American deterrence Iranian threats, transgender ideology & the ‘Nimbus’ COVID variant: The

Articles / Government / White House Trump bombed Iran into a ceasefire and sent a loud message to China and Russia Trump hoping it is “out of their system”: The threat is not over for Israel or the United States, but Monday’s retaliation strikes on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar appear to have been of little effect, perhaps by design. By: In a historic sequence of events, the world went from watching Iranian nuclear sites obliterated, to witnessing Iran’s so-called retaliation, to then processing a ceasefire in just over 48 hours. The extraordinary display of U.S. soft and hard power by President Donald Trump should have impact far outside the Middle East, particularly with Russia and China, according to security expert Rebecca Grant. “This is the cornerstone of our deterrence and containment policy. So the success against Iran’s air defenses has really strengthened U.S. global military policy and stability around the world, and it should scare China and Russia quite a lot,” Grant, who serves as vice president of the Lexington Institute, told Just The News, Ret. USAF Colonel Rob Maness agreed. “President Trump is masterfully reestablishing conventional deterrence in the Middle East and establishing nuclear deterrence in the Middle East for the first time,” he said. “That same mental model and message is going into the brains of President Putin (of Russia) and President President Xi (of China), but especially to President Putin and his people.” The United States’ Al Udeid Air Base, situated just southwest of the Qatari capital of Doha reportedly endured little damage after an estimated 13 of 14 missiles from Iran were intercepted. That base is also home to other foreign air forces, including small detachments from the UK and Australia. It is claimed to be the largest air base in the Mideast. On Monday, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that Tehran conducted missile strikes on U.S. military bases in Qatar. Qatar-based Al Jazeera observed missiles in the skies above the Gulf state, which hosts the U.S. Al Udeid airbase and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). Initial reports indicated that Iran also fired missiles at a base in Iraq. However, Reuters reported that, per a U.S. military official, no such attack took place at any other bases. In a statement on X, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari posted: “We express the State of Qatar’s strong condemnation of the attack on Al Udeid Air Base by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, and consider it a flagrant violation of the State of Qatar’s sovereignty and airspace, as well as of international law and the United Nations Charter. We affirm that the State of Qatar reserves the right to respond directly in a manner proportional to the nature and scale of this blatant aggression and in accordance with international law.” Evacuated as precaution He also confirmed that the base had been evacuated prior to the attack and that there were no injuries or fatalities: “The base had been evacuated earlier, following established security and precautionary measures, given the tensions in the region. All necessary steps were taken to ensure the safety of personnel at the base, including Qatari Armed Forces members, friendly forces, and others. We confirm that no injuries or human casualties resulted from the attack.” Reuters reported that Iran informed the United States through two separate diplomatic channels hours ahead of the U.S. military base attacks in Qatar. The attack came hours after Qatar closed its airspace and the U.S. Embassy issued a shelter-in-place advisory for American citizens in the country, stating it was “out of an abundance of caution.” PBS is also reporting the Iraqis gave advance notice. As for Trump, he posted a statement to Truth Social Monday saying in part: “they’ve gotten it all out of their system,” Retaliation partly symbolic After Saturday’s attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, which Trump touted as “totally destroyed,” he posted: “Any retaliation by Iran against the United States of America will be met with far greater than what was witnessed tonight.” Following the United States’ strike in 2020 that killed Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds force division of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran vowed “harsh retaliation.” However, in what is generally considered a symbolic response five days later, Iran attacked two Iraqi air bases, Al-Asad and Erbil which produced no fatalities. Mirroring Monday’s events in Qatar, Iran reportedly informed Iraq in advance, allowing U.S. forces to take cover, resulting in no American deaths, though more than 100 U.S. personnel suffered traumatic brain injuries in 2020, according to NPR. The advance warning in both instances suggests that the retaliations are at least partly symbolic, aimed at satisfying domestic calls for a reaction while dodging a broader conflict or escalation. Amid a flurry of posts to his Truth Social account on Monday, Trump said, “Iran has officially responded to our Obliteration of their Nuclear Facilities with a very weak response, which we expected, and have very effectively countered. There have been 14 missiles fired — 13 were knocked down, and 1 was “set free,” because it was headed in a nonthreatening direction.” Confirming reports of no casualties of Americans, he stated, “I am pleased to report that NO Americans were harmed, and hardly any damage was done.” Reemphasizing his desire for peace after the tit-for-tat, Trump said, in part, “Perhaps, Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same.” Hours later, the ceasefire was announced. Trump used the Qataris as intermediaries with Tehran after Trump spoke with the country’s leader. That conversation occurred just hours after Iran launched a missile barrage at a U.S. Air Force base near Doha, an attack that was repelled by anti-ballistic missiles, multiple officials told Just the News. Trump had thanked the Iranians for giving Qatar a heads-up about the attack, and it led to unexpected negotiations for a ceasefire, the officials said. Trump called the Emir of Qatar, telling him he could get Israel to agree to a ceasefire, and asked the Emir’s help getting Iran to commit to the same, the officials said. Qatari Prime

Articles / Government / White House Weekend of LA riots shows media hasn’t learned anything from America’s election of Trump There are no riots, and if there are, it’s Trump’s fault: Evocative of the 1992 Rodney King riots and 2020 BLM riots, Los Angeles residents are bracing for more violence as tensions explode and the legacy media airbrushes reality. By: Over the weekend, parts of the city of Los Angeles once again became a riot hub, complete with structures and vehicles set on fire, cinder blocks and other dangerous objects thrown at law enforcement, and major thoroughfares intentionally blocked by thousands, impeding travel on LA’s critical freeway system. Despite the mainstream media’s promises to cover President Donald Trump and his actions more neutrally in his second term, coverage accompanied by images and videos of the violence was scant, a move that will surely shape public perception of what’s happening in the city. Protests erupted in the City of Angels on Friday, after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted raids targeting illegal aliens at multiple city locations, including the Fashion District in downtown LA and a Home Depot parking lot, arresting more than 100 people. The demonstrations turned violent when protesters clashed with ICE agents and the Los Angeles Police Department, hurling concrete chunks and prompting the use of tear gas and flash-bang grenades to disperse crowds. By evening, the unrest had escalated, leading to a citywide LAPD-issued tactical alert as approximately 200 rioters remained near the Westlake Home Depot, defying police orders to disperse. Protests grew from peaceful to violent and destructive Throughout the weekend, the riots against federal immigration raids escalated with more violent clashes in downtown, demonstrators setting Waymo self-driving taxis on fire and throwing objects at police, prompting the LAPD to declare an unlawful assembly. On Saturday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt released a statement saying, “In recent days, violent mobs have attacked ICE Officers and Federal Law Enforcement Agents carrying out basic deportation operations in Los Angeles, California. These operations are essential to halting and reversing the invasion of illegal criminals into the United States.” Leavitt announced that Trump was deploying 2,000 National Guard troops due to the inaction “California’s feckless Democrat leaders” to address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester. “The Trump Administration has a zero-tolerance policy for criminal behavior and violence, especially when that violence is aimed at law enforcement officers trying to do their jobs. These criminals will be arrested and swiftly brought to justice. The Commander-in-Chief will ensure the laws of the United States are executed fully and completely.” Soft-pedaling riots as “mostly peaceful” Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to the city, a move California Gov. Gavin Newsom has called unlawful, as tensions rose with 27 arrests reported and multiple injuries between protesters and law enforcement. The unrest saw rioters protesting against deportation to Mexico and other nations, waving Mexican flags and blocking the 101 Freeway. Authorities resorted to using tear gas and non-lethal munitions to disperse the crowds and to protect law enforcement officers. Few legacy news outfits prominently featured the shocking images, and instead gave the lion’s share of time to blaming President Trump for starting the riots by having ICE conduct a raid. The National Desk reported yesterday that Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said: “It’s an escalation that didn’t have to happen. Why were there raids? We had been told that he was going to go after violent criminals. It wasn’t a drug den. It was a Home Depot. It was places where people are working. So what was the point of doing this?” NPR in a Monday article, referred to the riots as “mostly peaceful.” In a Los Angles Times article on Sunday, Mayor Bass was quoted describing the protests as “relatively minor” and said “to say that the city is out of control, I don’t know what city they are talking about.” The Guardian‘s coverage describes the protests as “mostly peaceful” but escalating only after the National Guard’s deployment. CNN‘s Dana Bash said of the arson, rocks thrown at vehicles, and attacks on law enforcement, that this was not a “real riot.” Who was actually arrested? Bass continued her downplaying of the violent protests in a joint statement with L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis, where Bass supported Solis’ comment that “The individuals detained are hardworking Angelenos who contribute to our local economy and labor force every day.” However, Just The News on Sunday published the details surrounding some of those arrested. They include: Cuong Chanh Phan from Vietnam, whose criminal history includes a conviction for second-degree murder. From Mexico, Lionel Sanchez-Laguna’s criminal history includes discharging a firearm at an inhabited dwelling and vehicle, battery on spouse, or cohabitant, driving under the influence and willful cruelty to a child. Also from Mexico, Delfino Aguilar-Martines, whose criminal record includes assault with a deadly weapon that caused “great bodily injury.” Another Mexican citizen arrested was Armando Ordaz, whose criminal record includes sexual battery, receiving known or stolen property, and petty theft. At least one of the “hardworking Angelenos” hails from Peru: Jose Cristobal Hernandez-Buiron’s record includes robbery with a 10-year prison sentence. TOP STORIES Weekend of LA riots shows media hasn’t learned anything from America’s election of Trump Second Lady Vance launches reading initiative to combat abysmal literacy rates Weaponized sugar pill? Homeland ends controversial and costly Quiet Skies domestic spying program Trump moves on from Musk rift, touts agenda victories Culture, sports and business worlds all dialing back support of ‘Pride Month’ LATEST EPISODES California In Crisis: Gov. Newsom, Mayor Bass blasted over illegal immigration & public safety failures Mom-Turned-Activist takes on California’s vaccine laws in explosive court battle Tariffs, Treachery & the CCP: Rep. Moore puts his foot down to loosen China’s strategic grip on America Phil Kerpen on the clash up on Capitol Hill: Will Trump’s ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ survive the Senate? Fight Club-Secret Service Edition: What went down at Obama’s home? Susan Crabtree’s reporting tells all RELATED ARTICLES Weekend of LA riots shows media hasn’t learned anything from America’s election of Trump Second Lady Vance launches reading initiative

Articles / Government / White House Trump moves on from Musk rift, touts agenda victories Leaving the distraction of Thursday’s highly public sparring with former DOGE chief Elon Musk behind, Trump is touting thus-far accomplishments that he campaigned on. By: President Trump appeared Friday to try to refocus Americans’ attention on his administration – away from his feud with Elon Musk to the economy. “Prices are down, income is up, our Border is closed, gasoline is CHEAP, inflation is DEAD — Our Country is BOOMING! Companies are pouring into America like never before,” he posted Friday on Truth Social. An hour later, Trump posted again saying, “AMERICA IS HOT! SIX MONTHS AGO IT WAS COLD AS ICE! BORDER IS CLOSED, PRICES ARE DOWN. WAGES ARE UP!” The posts come one day after a mix of public insults and social media posts by both Trump and Musk, who backed Trump’s winning 2024 presidential campaign, then joined his administration to lead its Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Trump also told ABC News and CNN on Friday that he was not interested in making up with Musk. On Thursday, during a state visit by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump spoke about the budget reconciliation package which the House passed, then sent to the Senate. Trump responded to a question about Elon Musk’s criticism of the budget reconciliation bill, referred to as the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” Trump expressed surprise and disappointment, stating, “Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore.” He stated that Musk was aware of the bill’s details and said, “Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody and he had no problem with it” until after leaving his role in the administration. Trump suggested Musk’s criticism stemmed from the bill’s revocation of electric vehicle mandates, noting, “He’s upset because we took away the EV mandate.” He also mentioned rejecting Musk’s pick to lead NASA. Trump defended the bill, calling it “one of the greatest bills ever presented to Congress” and emphasizing his intent to “fix” the issues raised, as stated on Truth Social. Musk responds in a series of X posts including one in which he said Trump is in the Jeffrey Epstein files “that is the real reason they have not been made public.” Musk also briefly threatened to decommission SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft before retracting the statement. TOP STORIES Trump moves on from Musk rift, touts agenda victories Culture, sports and business worlds all dialing back support of ‘Pride Month’ Amanda Head presses White House on antisemitic terrorism, vaccine religious exemptions in ‘new media’ seat White House to Jewish Americans: ‘This president has your back’ Energy group says Biden had no knowledge of climate change EOs, doubt validity of autopen use LATEST EPISODES Mom-Turned-Activist takes on California’s vaccine laws in explosive court battle Tariffs, Treachery & the CCP: Rep. Moore puts his foot down to loosen China’s strategic grip on America Phil Kerpen on the clash up on Capitol Hill: Will Trump’s ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ survive the Senate? Fight Club-Secret Service Edition: What went down at Obama’s home? Susan Crabtree’s reporting tells all Ghost-Signed Green Agenda? Watchdog Exec says Biden may not have authorized key executive orders RELATED ARTICLES Trump moves on from Musk rift, touts agenda victories Culture, sports and business worlds all dialing back support of ‘Pride Month’ Amanda Head presses White House on antisemitic terrorism, vaccine religious exemptions in ‘new media’ seat White House to Jewish Americans: ‘This president has your back’ Energy group says Biden had no knowledge of climate change EOs, doubt validity of autopen use Trump accuses China of violating ‘fast’ trade deal he made to save country’s economy White House to send DOGE rescissions package to Capitol Hill: Report Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ major step in dismantling the regulatory state with REINS Act Despite decades of Democrat health initiatives, Americans are sicker than ever Trump‘s ‘big, beautiful bill’ delivers decades-long conservative wish list, if it outlasts bickering