German Ambassador to the US Attacks Trump
Deutsche Welle wrote on January 19:
“[Germany’s] ambassador to the US, Andreas Michaelis… penned a diplomatic write-up [and] sent [it] to the German Foreign Ministry [under Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock] and the office of Chancellor Olaf Scholz last week, [stating] that a second Trump term represents serious threats to the system of democratic checks and balances outlined in the US constitution… [He wrote:] ‘Fundamental democratic principles, along with checks and balances, will be undermined as far as possible, the legislature, law enforcement and media robbed of their independence and misused as political arms, and big tech will gain co-governing authority.’…
“Michaelis wrote that he expects Trump to affect a ‘maximum concentration of power in the hands of the president at the expense of Congress and the states.’ Michaelis went on to write that Trump’s policy ‘of maximum disruption, the breaking up of the established political order and bureaucratic structures as well as his plans for revenge ultimately mean a redefinition of the constitutional order.’… Michaelis, who will represent Germany at Trump’s inauguration on Monday, said he sees the incoming president as a man driven by a ‘desire for vengeance,’ musing that he will ‘largely sap’ the US of its democratic principles.”
Bild Online published a castigating editorial about Michaelis. It also stated that Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock defended the report of her ambassador. The incredible truth is that Michaelis’ left-wing accusations against Trump apply in fact to Biden’s actions.
Scholz: Elon Musk a Danger to European Democracy
Politico wrote on January 17:
“Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s friendliness with the far right ‘endangers’ democracy in Europe, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Friday. ‘He supports the far right everywhere in Europe — in the U.K., in Germany, in many, many other countries — and that is something that is completely unacceptable,’ Scholz said at a press conference in Berlin. ‘It endangers the democratic development of Europe, it endangers our community and it must be criticized,’ the [present] German leader added.
“The social media mogul is also one of Donald Trump’s most vociferous supporters, earning himself a spot in the U.S. president-elect’s inner circle, and has backed Britain’s right-wing Reform UK…
“Scholz said he wasn’t against Musk expressing his freedom of speech, but: ‘His siding with the far right, whether for business interests or for reasons to do with his own political stance, is unacceptable.’ The Socialist chancellor’s comments are the latest in an ongoing feud with Musk, who has in turn called Scholz ‘a fool’ and claimed he will ‘lose’ the German federal election.”
Of course he will. Why are the “established” parties so afraid of the AfD? Note the next article as an example.
Holding People Accountable Who Caused “Many Covid Vaccine Deaths”
LifeSiteNews wrote on January 17:
“AfD (Alternative for German) co-head Alice Weidel has vowed to ‘hold accountable’ the people who enforced the draconian COVID regime and have caused ‘many vaccine death’” and serious side effects. Weidel recently spoke on X Spaces with Elon Musk, who endorsed her party, stating that ‘only AfD can save Germany’…
“Weidel said that the mRNA shots were suddenly presented as the only alternative even though they were ‘highly experimental.’ The politician also stated that the government did not just make ‘mistakes’ but purposefully lied about COVID and the jabs, as leaked documents from the top German health agency, the Robert Koch Institute, have showed.
“She announced that the AfD would initiate a parliamentary COVID investigation committee if her party reached the required 25 percent of the vote at the upcoming election. The AfD leader said that police are still carrying out house searches of doctors who were critical of the mainstream COVID narrative. She compared the current German state, along with near-total conformity of all mainstream media outlets, to socialist East Germany.
“Weidel thanked the people who took to the streets to protest the government’s draconian COVID policies and all the doctors and medical professionals who opposed the regime. During the time of COVID, the AfD was the only party in Germany that unanimously opposed the government’s draconian policies, including an attempt to introduce a COVID shot mandate for people over the age of 60.”
No wonder Germany’s “established” parties want to silence the AfD (and Musk), since they are all guilty of violating people’s constitutional rights during the coronavirus debacle.
Europeans Attack Musk Over Alleged Nazi Salute
Politico wrote on January 20:
“Europe’s left-wingers on Tuesday raced to condemn Elon Musk after the world’s richest man performed a stiff-armed salute at an event to celebrate new United States President Donald Trump. ‘My heart goes out to you,’ Musk said on stage at Washington’s Capital One Arena, as he thanked Trump’s supporters. He then put his hand to his chest and extended a rigid right arm with his palm down, resembling the salute made infamous by Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Europe’s fascists in the first half of the 20th century. Musk then repeated the gesture a second time facing the crowd on the opposite side…
“‘I will start by talking about the response, or perhaps the lack of responses of the EU to Trump’s inauguration. It represents a threat to the whole of the European Union,’ said French member of the European Parliament Manon Aubry, co-chair of The Left group, at a press conference Tuesday morning. ‘Let’s start by keeping things simple, I am sure everyone saw the Nazi salute, I select these words carefully, the Nazi salute of Elon Musk.’
“In Germany, where Musk’s political backing for the far-right Alternative for Germany has already caused issues ahead of a snap election on Feb. 23, the government hit out over the controversial salute. ‘I definitely don’t think highly of Elon Musk as a politician, from what we know so far. But such a gesture, given his already known proximity to right-wing populists in the fascist tradition, must worry every democrat,’ said German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach from the center-left Social Democratic Party. [Lauterbach has been nicknamed the German Fauci, due to his terrible governmental measures during the Coronavirus epidemic.]
“In Italy, popular journalist Roberto Saviano… rained down invective on {Musk]. ‘May you be cursed,’ Saviano said. ‘The end of all this will be violent. His fall will be equal to that of those to whom it historically refers with this gesture. Musk will fall at the hands of those he now incites fueled by the same violence he practices.’
“In Spain… Yolanda Díaz, the minister of labor and social economy from the left-wing Sumar party, said: ‘Last night, the whole planet could see Elon Musk emulating the Nazi salute in the context of Donald Trump’s inauguration… She then accused Musk of having transformed X into ‘a propaganda mechanism that uses its algorithm to favor certain ideas over others and, in doing so, influence public opinion… From now on, I will no longer use my account,’ she said.
“Musk defended himself online, denouncing the attacks as ‘dirty tricks’ from his opponents. ‘The “everyone is Hitler” attack is sooo tired,’ he said. His supporters also defended the gesture, blaming it on the billionaire entrepreneur being ‘autistic.’
“‘The Roman Empire is back, starting with the Roman salute,’ wrote Andrea Stroppa, a key adviser to Musk in Italy, sharing the video on X. Stroppa later deleted the post, however, and replaced it with a new one saying: ‘That gesture, which some mistook for a Nazi salute, is simply Elon, who has autism, expressing his feelings by saying “I want to give my heart to you,” and that is exactly what he communicated into the microphone,’ he said, adding: ‘Elon dislikes extremists!’”
The Sun wrote on January 21:
“The Nazi salute, also known as the Hitler or Sieg Heil salute, was used as a common greeting in Germany under the Third Reich. It was originally based on the so-called Roman salute and was adopted by the Italian Fascist Party, whose leadership under Benito Mussolini was a major inspiration to Adolf Hitler. Its use is illegal in several countries today, including Germany, Austria, and Slovakia.”
Left-Wing Jewish Jerry Nadler Attacks Musk
Jewish Telegraph Agency (JTA) wrote on January 20:
“Jerry Nadler, the Jewish Democratic congressman from Manhattan, called the gesture antisemitic and said other officials should condemn it. ‘I never imagined we would see the day when what appears to be a Heil Hitler salute would be made behind the Presidential seal,’ Nadler tweeted. ‘This abhorrent gesture has no place in our society and belongs in the darkest chapters of human history. I urge all of my colleagues to unite in condemning this hateful gesture for what it is: antisemitism.’
“Around the same time as Nadler’s tweet, the Anti-Defamation League, the antisemitism watchdog group, issued its own ruling: ‘not a Nazi salute’…
“The Nazi salute was itself borrowed from Italian fascists, who adapted it from the ancient Romans. Musk has venerated (and shared imagery of himself in) ancient Rome and has suggested America faces problems like those that led to the end of the Roman Empire…”
Nadler himself had become the subject of a controversy in 2023 when he refused to vote for a Republican bill condemning anti-Semitism, stating that not “all forms of anti-Semitism” should be denounced, as “anti-Zionism” is “expressly not antisemitic.”
Breitbart Clears It All Up
Breitbart wrote on January 21:
“The regime media wasted no time launching its Hoax Machine. Within hours of Donald Trump being sworn in as our 47th president, these disgraced and increasingly irrelevant serial liars tried to fool America into believing Elon Musk threw out a couple of Nazi salutes.
“What Musk did was not at all confusing to decent people. Speaking to a crowd of Trump supporters Monday at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, he said, ‘I just want to say thank you for making it happen. Thank you.’ Then he touches his heart and makes a gesture throwing his heart out to the crowd. Then he literally says, ‘Thank you. My heart goes out to you. It is thanks to you that the future of civilization is assured, thanks to you.’…
“People make this gesture all the time. That might be a surprise to some of you, but the fact it’s surprising is not your fault because when the people… do it, no one on the right makes a big deal of it…
“Normal People understand the difference between ‘Sieg Heil!’ and ‘My heart goes out to you.’ Normal People understand that as thousands of leftist students and academics marched across America’s elite campuses in solidarity with Hamas, this same media worked overtime to spin this antisemitic hate as free speech. Normal People understand the difference between calling for an ‘intifada revolution’ during Passover and ‘My heart goes out to you.’”
Hamas to Expel Israel as Soon as Possible
Israel Today wrote on January 16:
Senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya repeated the terrorist organization’s commitment to the destruction of Israel in his first public remarks since green-lighting the truce deal with the Jewish state on Wednesday night… Al-Hayya described the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre of 1,200 people in Israel as a ‘miraculous’ achievement, declaring the atrocities would ‘remain a source of pride’ for Palestinians, ‘passed down through generations….
“Hamas terrorists ‘will expel the occupation from our land and from Al Quds [Jerusalem] at the earliest time possible… We also recall the illuminating stances of many countries that stood with us across various fields,’ said the terrorist leader, praising the support from Turkey, South Africa, Algeria, Russia, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Belgium, Spain and Ireland…
“Posting to social media in Hebrew, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claimed the Tehran-backed ‘resistance’ had succeeded in forcing the Jewish state to ‘retreat’… Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps likewise hailed the deal as ‘a clear victory and a great victory for Palestine and a bigger defeat for the monstrous Zionist regime.’”
This was so predictable.
Hostage Deal Approved
The Associated Press reported on January 17:
“Israel’s [full] Cabinet approved a deal early Saturday for a ceasefire in Gaza that would release dozens of hostages held there and pause the 15-month war with Hamas, bringing the sides a step closer to ending their deadliest and most destructive fighting ever.
“The government announced the approval after 1 a.m. Jerusalem time Saturday, following a [seven hour long meeting of deliberation and debate] of the full Cabinet that went well past the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath, in a reflection of the moment’s importance. In line with Jewish law, the Israeli government usually halts all business for the Sabbath except in emergency cases of life or death…
“The ceasefire — just the second achieved during the war — will go into effect Sunday, though key questions remain, including the names of the 33 hostages to be released during the six-week first phase of the ceasefire and who among them is still alive….”
Twenty-four ministers voted in favor, and eight ministers voted against the deal. Especially National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich voted against the deal, and so did ministers from the Religious Zionists Party and Otzma Yehudit, as well as Likud Ministers David Amsalem and Amichai Chikli.
Prime Minister Netanyahu told the cabinet that President-elect Donald Trump had given his full backing for Israel to restart the war should Hamas violate the agreement before phase two of the deal.
In an interview with Fox News, Mike Huckabee, the new U.S. ambassador to Israel, supported this statement regarding violations before and after phase two and added that he is also totally opposed to a two-state solution. It’s still a long way to Tipperary…
Hostage Deal—“Murdering Jews Pays!”
Israel 365 News reported on January 19:
“The list of terrorists being released as part of this so-called ceasefire deal is out, and I am furious. Among them is the murderer of my dear friend, Ari Fuld hy”d. Ari was a proud, passionate Jew, brutally murdered simply for the ‘crime’ of living as a Jew in our ancestral homeland. His murderer, like so many others on this list, is being set free—not because of justice but as a reward for Hamas’s inhumane hostage-taking.
“This isn’t just about Ari, though his loss is deeply personal to me and countless others. Ari’s story is one of many. These terrorists have brutally murdered Jews—children, mothers, fathers—just for daring to live proud, Jewish lives in the land of Israel. And now, their release sends a chilling message: killing Jews pays.
“This isn’t just about releasing convicted killers. It’s about empowering future ones. These released terrorists will almost certainly return to terrorism, as history has shown us time and again. Their release is a clear death sentence for hundreds, if not thousands, of Jews in the future. Even worse: their release inspires others to follow in their footsteps, knowing that murdering Jews not only leads to hero status but to eventual freedom, even after a horrific invasion and massacre like Oct. 7th, 2023.
“The immorality of Western leaders—those who pushed Israel into this abhorrent deal—screams to the heavens. Why is Israel being pressured to release murderous terrorists instead of Hamas being convinced to release innocent hostages unconditionally?
“The Biden and Trump teams have chosen to treat Qatar and Egypt as ‘neutral mediators,’ when in reality, both are complicit in Hamas’s terror. Qatar is a state sponsor of Hamas, funneling money and political support to the very organization that orchestrated the October 7th massacre. Egypt knowingly allowed weapons to flow into Gaza, aiding Hamas’s buildup. Yet, instead of holding Qatar and Egypt accountable, these Western leaders have handed them the reins of diplomacy.
“If the U.S. and others were truly committed to justice and morality, they would pressure Qatar and Egypt to force Hamas to release all hostages without preconditions. Qatar could cut Hamas off in a second, but instead, it enjoys playing the middleman, gaining international legitimacy while funding terror…
“Of course, we rejoice in the return of hostages! But it’s impossible to ignore the immense price we are paying both in the short-term release of terrorists and the long-term consequences. This is not just about the lives these terrorists will take in the future but the treacherous message for which all of humanity will suffer: that terrorism pays…”
AFP reported on January 18 that more than 1,890 imprisoned Palestinian criminals [Bild called them “Hamas criminals”] in exchange for 33 hostages held by Hamas are to be set free under the deal.
Please view our recent StandingWatch program, titled, “The Hostage Deal—Peace in the Middle East?”
Far-Right Ministers Resign in Protest
Times of Israel wrote on January 19:
“National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s far-right Otzma Yehudit party quit the coalition on Sunday morning, following through on its threat to exit if the government agreed to a ceasefire agreement with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
“In a statement, the party said that its three cabinet members — Ben Gvir, Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, and Negev, Galilee and National Resilience Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf — submitted resignation letters to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In addition, MKs Zvika Fogel, Limor Son Har-Melech and Yitzhak Kroizer resigned their spots on the various committees they were members of. ‘From this time onwards the Otzma Yehudit party is not a member of the coalition,’ the party declared…
“Writing to Netanyahu, Ben Gvir… complained of what he says was the prime minister’s ‘surrender-to-terror deal, which crosses all ideological red lines.’ The ceasefire constitutes ‘a complete victory for terrorism,’ Ben Gvir declared… ‘We will not return to the government table without a complete victory against Hamas and the full realization of the war’s goals,’ he added.”
Hamas Terrorist Rejoice
The U.S. Sun wrote on January 19:
“HAMAS terrorists have come out of hiding to celebrate the new ceasefire agreed with Israel. Shock pictures show the shameless, gun-wielding fighters waving the green banner of the terror group and the crest of its armed militia. Pictures show men in balaclavas and camo fatigues waving their guns as they travelled through various towns in the Gaza Strip.
“… And it has been warned the group has managed to retain much of its strength. Slain terror boss Yahya Sinwar’s brother Mohammed is understood to be rebuilding the shattered remains of Hamas.”
Europe to Get Involved
Deutsche Welle wrote on January 16:
“The EU watched from the sidelines as the US, Egypt and Qatar mediated a three-phase ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas… The 27 countries of the EU… may now have an important role to play. ‘The EU is ready to support the implementation of the ceasefire,’ EU foreign affairs spokesman Anouar El-Anouni told reporters at a briefing… On Thursday, the EU indicated it was on standby to work with international partners, particularly the Gulf states, when the time came. ‘Now we need to see what the future holds,’ El-Anouni said…
“[A] crucial question is how much the EU will be able to influence developments after the ceasefire… figures in [Trump’s] incoming administration have voiced support for the current Israeli government’s more extreme nationalist positions, for example in favor of more of the settlements deemed illegal by the EU and UN…”
And so, Europe will get involved more and more in the affairs of the Middle East… turning AGAINST Israel AND the USA.
Germany to Send Troops to Ukraine?
AFP wrote on January 18:
“Germany’s defence minister said he was open to sending German soldiers to Ukraine to help secure a demilitarised zone there if a ceasefire were agreed with Russia… Boris Pistorius also said Germany should aim to spend around three percent of GDP [rather than currently 2 percent] on defence.
“US President-elect Donald Trump wants members of the NATO military alliance to devote five percent of their national output on defence, a demand that has already been rejected as too high by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz [‘For Germany, that would mean finding an additional 150 billion euros every year,’ Scholz said on January 6].
“Asked about a possible deployment of German troops to help secure a buffer zone between Russia and Ukraine if one were agreed, Pistorius said: ‘We’re the largest NATO partner in Europe. We’ll obviously have a role to play.’ He said the issue would ‘be discussed in due time.’”
Ending the Russia-Ukraine War in 24 Hours?
NBC News wrote on January 18:
“On the campaign trail, Donald Trump vowed to quickly end the war in Ukraine. He’d do it in ‘24 hours’ after taking the oath, he said, or even before his inauguration. But as he prepares to return to the White House, it’s clear that promise will go unfulfilled…
“Since Trump’s election victory, his team has not outlined a peace proposal to Ukraine’s leadership… Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Trump’s choice for secretary of state, told senators at his confirmation hearing on Wednesday that forging a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia will be ‘very difficult.’
“Trump’s… chosen envoy to Ukraine says the new administration’s goal is a peace deal within 100 days.” [That would be on or about April 30.]
Breitbart wrote on January 22:
“President Donald Trump… demanded the Russian president end the war. If Putin does not, Trump said [on Wednesday], the United States would place ‘taxes, tariffs, and sanctions’ on Russia… ‘We can do it the easy way, or the hard way — and the easy way is always better,’ he added…”
Guttenberg’s Dark Intentions
Report 24 wrote on January 21, 2025:
“Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, former German Minister of Economics and Defense, who failed due to a plagiarism scandal, is now working as a lobbyist. As such, he appeared at the Oberbank’s business gala – and made astonishing noise in front of 1,500 guests. Europe must become more militarily capable in order to stand up to ‘Bully Trump’. It sounds like a secret longing for a two-front war that didn’t end particularly well last time [in World War II].”
Guttenberg also claimed that it will take a long time for Europe to achieve a level of military resilience that no longer requires the United States to withstand an attack. He is very wrong about this.
Karl Habsburg Against Russia
Report 24 wrote on January 21:
“Every year the grandson of the last emperor, Karl Habsburg, gives a ‘speech on the future of Europe’ as part of the Pan-European movement. Habsburg has been noticed as an enemy of Russia for a very long time…
“In his speech, Habsburg declared that Russia was a traditional colonial empire that exploited its colonies and used the people of the colonies as cannon fodder in war…. In his opinion, a Europe that cares about the security of its citizens should design scenarios that lead to the disintegration of Russia…
“Towards the end of the speech, Habsburg then called for… direct attacks on Russian territory… Hatred of Russia obviously has a long tradition in the Habsburg family. Otto Habsburg, father of Karl Habsburg, also regularly agitated against Russia and Putin.”
Pope Francis’ Moral Blindness
Israel 365 News wrote on January 14:
“Pope Francis lied once more about Israel’s efforts to defend itself against Islamist entities attacking its citizens, entirely adopting the Hamas-run Health Ministry’s narrative. He called for… the establishment of a Palestinian state inside the borders of Israel…
“The pope also called for a return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) deal with Iran that would allow the Islamist regime to initiate a nuclear weapons program. ‘More recently, I think of the positive signs of a resumption of negotiations to return to the framework of the Iran nuclear deal, with the aim of ensuring a safer world for all,’ the Pope’s statement read…
“In his letter to the pope, Rabbi Eliezer Simcha Weisz, a member of the Council of the Israeli Chief Rabbinate, criticized the Pope’s statements, saying that Pope Francis’ statements ‘are not merely disappointing, they represent a historic danger’ and ‘revived the darkest patterns of Catholic Church history—patterns that for centuries transformed false accusations into violence against the Jewish people… Your portrayal of this conflict deliberately ignores the tragic reality that Hamas deliberately embeds its terrorist infrastructure within civilian areas using hospitals, schools, mosques, and churches as military installations and weapons depots. They cynically use Palestinian children and civilians as human shields, forcing Israel to make impossible choices in its legitimate fight for survival.
“‘Your failure to acknowledge this cruel exploitation of innocent lives, while condemning Israel’s efforts to defend itself, reveals a profound moral blindness. Every casualty in this war is a tragedy, but the responsibility lies squarely with Hamas, who intentionally maximize civilian casualties for propaganda purposes. Your silence on these tactics, coupled with your persistent portrayal of Israel as an aggressor, sends destructive ripples across the global consciousness at a speed and scale unimaginable to your predecessors.’
“… Pope Francis [had] called for an investigation into claims that Israel is carrying out a ‘genocide’ in Gaza… Pope Francis has a history of being myopic regarding Palestinians and Arabs bent on destroying the Jewish state. In 2015, just a few days after the Vatican officially recognized the Palestinian state, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was granted an audience in the Apostolic Palace. After the meeting, Francis gave Abbas a special medallion, representing the angel of peace ‘destroying the bad spirit of war.’ The Pope explained to Abbas that the gift was appropriate since ‘you are an angel of peace.’”
You just can’t make this up. How more ridiculous can it get?
Sharp Rebuke For Pope Over Criticism of Israel
The Kronenzeitung wrote on January 17:
“Pope Francis has been sharply reprimanded by Italy’s chief rabbi for repeatedly criticizing Israel’s military action in the Gaza Strip. Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni accuses the Argentinian of ‘selective indignation’ and ‘reviving anti-Jewish sentiment’.
“Francis has unfairly focused his attention on Israel compared to other ongoing conflicts in the world, including those in Sudan, Yemen, Syria and Ethiopia, Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni, spiritual leader of the Jewish community in Rome since 2001, said on Thursday at a meeting on the theme ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ on the occasion of the 36th Day of Dialogue between Catholics and Jews in Rome. ‘This is a moment in which it seems that the Church, or at least a part of it, is once again giving in to the temptation to burn bridges with Judaism. The war that has been raging since October 7, 2023, also has Jewish-Christian dialogue among its collateral victims,’ lamented the rabbi, who also spoke of the ‘revival’ and ‘strengthening of anti-Jewish sentiments’.
“Francis, the head of the 1.4 billion-member Roman Catholic Church, has recently spoken out increasingly about Israel’s military action against the militant Palestinian group Hamas. Last week, he described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as ‘very serious and shameful’.”
The Pope clearly turns out to be antisemitic.
The Pope’s Grave Sin Hypocrisy
Breitbart wrote on January 16:
“The Vatican City State has enacted stiffer penalties on anyone entering its territory or violating its airspace without permission, threatening offenders with fines and jail time. The Vatican has hiked both monetary sanctions and prison sentences for those who violate its tight security regulations… violators will face monetary fines ranging from 10,000 to 25,000 euros and prison sentences from one to four years.
“The Vatican City State, the world’s only completely walled-in sovereign territory, has several entry points, all but one of which — the Saint Anna gate — are locked tight from dusk until dawn. The gates are manned by the Swiss Guard, with gendarmes carrying firearms not far off…
“The new decree also introduces new provisions concerning unauthorized overflight of Vatican airspace, including with the use of drones, with penalties of up to three years in prison.
“Last August, Pope Francis suggested that immigration laws should not be made stricter but rather looser, to allow more immigrants to cross international borders, adding that turning away migrants is a ‘grave sin’… The push for more streamlined international migration has been a hallmark of the Francis papacy, while he has demonized as ‘xenophobic’ those who call for strong… borders. The pontiff has also insisted that the safety of migrants — legal or illegal — should take precedence over national security concerns and that they should not be subjected to collective deportations.”
MSN wrote on January 20:
“Pope Francis said Donald Trump’s plans to impose mass deportations of immigrants would be a ‘disgrace,’ as he weighed in on the incoming U.S. president’s pledges nearly a decade after calling him ‘not Christian’ for wanting to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border. Francis made the comments during an appearance at an evening talk show, and then followed up Monday with an official telegram of congratulations to Trump on the day of his inauguration…”
Such hypocrisy by a “Marxist” pope is difficult to swallow.
Norway Prepares for War
vg wrote on January 11:
“The Norwegian people… must be prepared for war. We cannot rule out war… the truth is that Norway is not well equipped to deal with a real crisis, and certainly not a war…
“There are not enough shelters today that can keep the population safe during attacks… It has already been decided that 4,500 more young people will have to enter their first-time service. Now 4,000 more will have to serve civilian service…”
“We Must Protect Ourselves Against Trump”
vg wrote on January 12:
“Donald Trump’s statements about making the United States bigger, this time in actual size, are frightening. The events of recent days have made the question of Norwegian EU membership even more relevant. The incoming US president has opened up about buying Greenland from Denmark, taking over the Panama Canal, and making Canada part of the US. Trump is threatening the Danes with particularly high tariff walls if they don’t give in. He doesn’t even rule out the use of military means, either in the case of Greenland or Panama. It’s unbelievable.
“It’s time to have the big conversation about where Norway belongs in the world. Who we should be with in the years ahead. How we should stay as safe as possible in turbulent times. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine almost three years ago caused our two close neighbors, Sweden and Finland, to completely change their foreign policy. Almost overnight. They both applied for membership in NATO, the alliance they had been outside of throughout the Cold War, in the decades after World War II…
“With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the world had become more dangerous, including for Norway… The United States has always been the guarantor of our security. Hopefully, it will continue to be so… The cooperation between Norway and the United States on defense and intelligence is strong and deep. Especially in the high north, where Russia has a large part of its nuclear weapons, just across the border from Norway.
“Our geographical location means that the United States will always want to be close to Norway. This will not change even if the United States gets an unpredictable president, with a completely different view of international law and justice than any American president before him. But there is still every reason to ensure that Norway has more people to lean on if we get into serious trouble. In the worst case, in the form of war…
“We will be much better equipped to face such threats if we are part of the EU. Security policy cooperation within the union is becoming increasingly stronger… With Trump’s announced tariff walls and possible trade war, we risk ending up in a pinch between two blocs, with the US on one side and the EU on the other… For Norway, the safest thing is to stand together with Europe. Fully and completely.”
But it may not work out that way. In fact, there is strong support for the idea that Scandinavian countries—Norway, Sweden and Finland, and perhaps even The Netherlands—will not end up being part of the EU… or most certainly not of “core Europe.”
Trump’s Litmus Test
The Ron Paul Institute wrote on January 17:
“Trump’s litmus test awaits him on the Oval Office desk. The litmus test is the pardon for every one of the wrongly indicted and wrongly prosecuted January 6 Trump supporters–which means all of them–who attended the rally and were persecuted for doing so. If Trump fails to immediately issue a full and unconditional pardon to all, he will lose the support of MAGA Americans…
“In my view, full pardon for all is just one-third of what needs to be done. Another one-third is restitution for all expenses, lost income, and stress from being wrongly prosecuted and locked away from family, friends, and career in prison. In some cases the… Democrats imprisoned the wrongly convicted great distances from their communities, thus depriving them of support from visits from family and friends. Some were kept in solitary confinement…
“The remaining one-third is actually the most important one-third. The DOJ, FBI, and White House officials responsible for the indictments, prosecutions, and imprisonments must be indicted, prosecuted and sentenced. By weaponizing law for propaganda and political purposes and by using false indictments for the purpose of suppressing the powerful evidence of massive vote fraud in the 2020 presidential election, high law enforcement officials committed felonies. They must be held accountable for their crimes. Otherwise, legal precedents are created that are fateful for democracy, the rule of law, and accountable government…
“How can Trump permit the government officials who intentionally framed innocent people for political and propaganda purposes to walk away unpunished?”
If Trump’s past is a guide for his future conduct, then it is not to be expected that most of these recommendations will be carried out. But notice the next article:
CNN wrote on January 20:
“President Donald Trump on Monday pardoned US Capitol rioters, saying the pardon would cover 1,500 people, which would appear to cover nearly everyone charged since the attack on January 6, 2021. ‘These are the hostages,’ Trump said…
“By pardoning the defendants, Trump has granted full clemency to hundreds of people already convicted of felony crimes like assaulting police and destroying property.”
Trump Defends TikTok
Deutsche Welle wrote on January 19:
“On Sunday, incoming US President Donald Trump said he would issue an executive order delaying a ban on TikTok… Trump’s comments came after the app went dark in the US ahead of a federal ban recently upheld by the US Supreme Court. ‘I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark,’ Trump wrote on his own social media platform Truth Social. ‘Americans deserve to see our exciting inauguration on Monday as well as other events and conversations.’
“In response to Trump’s comments, TikTok said it would restore service in the US, and thanked the president-elect for ‘providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive.’
“Trump, who called for a similar ban in the past, also floated the idea of a US-China joint venture ownership deal [He wrote: ‘I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture.’] The president-elect reportedly said he would not be opposed to continued Chinese ownership of the app as long as steps were taken to ensure US user used data was protected and stored in the US, according to incoming National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.”
Trump’s flip-flop seems to be in recognition that many TikTok users voted for him.
Trump’s Liberal LGBT Agenda
NYP reported on January 18:
“President Trump is assembling an administration stocked with prominent gay and lesbian Americans… Among the picks:
“Scott Bessent, 62, treasury secretary. If confirmed, the hedge fund manager would be the highest-ranking openly gay official in US history. Ric Grenell, 58, presidential envoy for special missions. He was Trump’s director of national intelligence during his first term [and US ambassador to Germany]. Tammy Bruce, 62, the new State Department spokesperson was a Fox News contributor. Jacob Helberg, 35, undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy, and the environment. Bill White, 57, ambassador to Belgium. Art Fisher, 49, ambassador to Austria.
“And at least 10 other prominent LGBT Americans are slated for major administration posts, one Trump insider said.”
Imam Ousted
Jewish Insider wrote on January 20:
“An imam who refused to acknowledge Hezbollah as a terrorist organization was removed as a speaker at President Donald Trump’s inauguration after previously being slated to deliver a benediction…
“A spokesperson for the newly inaugurated 47th president did not immediately respond to an inquiry from JI asking why Al-Husainy was removed from the lineup. Trump did not include an imam in his inauguration ceremony when he first took office in 2017.”
Trump’s Inauguration Speech
ABC News wrote on January 20:
“President Donald Trump offered a scathing rebuke of his predecessor’s term while laying out the immediate actions he plans to take on the first day of his second term in office, saying in his inauguration remarks, ‘America’s decline is over.’…
“Trump continued to lay out his expansionist vision for the U.S., including a plan to gain control of the Panama Canal. ‘American ships are being severely overcharged and not treated fairly in any way, shape or form, and that includes the United States Navy,’ he said. ‘Above all, China is operating the Panama Canal. And we didn’t give it to China. We gave it to Panama. And we’re taking it back.’…
“He also referred to the assassination attempt against him in Pennsylvania last year. ‘Those who wish to stop our cause have tried to take my freedom and indeed, to take my life. Just a few months ago in a beautiful Pennsylvania field, an assassin’s bullet ripped through my ear, but I felt then, and believe even more so now that my life was saved for a reason. I was saved by God to Make America Great Again.’
“Trump celebrated his historic comeback throughout his speech. He is only the second president in U.S. history, after Grover Cleveland in 1892, to win election to a non-consecutive second term, and is the first convicted felon to take the office. ‘Many people thought it was impossible for me to stage such a historic political comeback. But as you see today, here I am, the American people have spoken,’ Trump said.”
Trump also said subsequently that Denmark would come along to sell Greenland. Regarding the Panama Canal, please see our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Will the USA Take the Panama Canal Back?”
Trump’s Executive Orders
Daily Mail wrote on January 20:
“Trump is signing approximately 200 executive orders on Monday in a massive crackdown on Day One of his second term… One of his more interesting proposals is to rename or restore previous titles to landmarks and bodies of water bordering the U.S., including the new ‘Gulf of America.’…
“Trump vowed that he would keep TikTok working in the U.S. – even after the Supreme Court ruled last week that it could not operate in the country… Trump’s order extends the time period for when the law prohibiting TikTok’s U.S. operations takes effect so he can work towards a deal to protect national security from Beijing…
“Trump is declaring that the federal government will only recognize two sexes – male and female…
“Trump is also putting a stop to all issuance of new foreign aid… The order is likely to immediately halt the distribution of U.S. money from going to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which distributes aid in Gaza and is accused of close ties to the terror group Hamas…
“Trump is ending birthright citizenship for illegal immigrants. This means anyone born on U.S. soil, but whose parents are undocumented aliens will no longer be a de facto citizen of the United States of America. Advocates for asylum seekers and undocumented immigrants claim this is against the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, which created the unique birthright citizenship rule for anyone born in the U.S…
“Trump is also directing the Department of Defense to send troops to assist with securing America’s borders… He is declaring a national emergency at the southern border… Trump is also ending catch-and-release, a policy that allowed illegal border crossers seeking asylum to be detained and then released within the country as they awaited a court date. He is reinstating the Remain in Mexico policy that makes illegal border hoppers wait in the last country where they crossed from, which is most often Mexico, as they wait for a court date to make their asylum claims. And Trump is requiring that his promised and famed southern border wall is finally completed.
“Trump is designating cartels as terrorist organizations, which will change the way that they are handled when it comes to foreign affairs and defense regarding attacks by these cartel members…
“The president will withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accords and end the so-called Green New Deal. Trump is ordering that Alaska’s Denali mountain go by its original moniker Mount McKinley…
“Trump is creating a complimentary agency to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to deal with external taxes and tariffs. Like the IRS, the External Revenue Service (ERS) will collect and uphold laws related to taxes on foreign countries. It comes after Trump said in November that he will impose a 25 percent tariff on Canada and Mexico. He also wants to put an additional 10 percent tax on goods from China – on top of other existing tariffs…”
Trump also signed an executive order withdrawing from the World Health Organization. He announced that he would sign executive orders by February 1 to impose 25 percent tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada.
In another executive order, Trump “pardoned 23 anti-abortion protesters imprisoned under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which was enacted in 1994 in large part to protect people entering abortion clinics” (Deutsche Welle, dated January 23).
Regarding ending birthright citizenship, the New York Post wrote on January 20:
“The federal government will no longer recognize the immediate citizenship of children of illegal immigrants born in the US ‘on a prospective basis’… the action could raise legal questions, since the 14th Amendment states, ‘All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.’”
Fox News added on January 20:
“Officials told reporters in a press call that Trump will sign an order clarifying language in the 14th Amendment and stating that the federal government ‘will not recognize automatic birthright citizenship for children of illegal aliens born in the United States’…
“Trump advisers and some conservative legal scholars have previously argued that the idea of giving birthright citizenship to children of illegal immigrants is based on a misreading of the amendment…”
This executive order is already being challenged in court, and a decision on this issue is anything but certain, even though most legal scholars feel Trump’s argument will not prevail in light of the clear language of the 14th Amendment. Read about the further developments below:
Restriction of Birthright Citizenship Blocked
Breitbart wrote on January 23:
“A federal judge on Thursday put a temporary block on US President Donald Trump’s attempt to restrict birthright citizenship. The ruling imposes a 14-day halt on the enforcement of one of the most controversial executive orders Trump signed in the hours after he was sworn into office for a second term. ‘This is a blatantly unconstitutional order,’ US District Judge John Coughenour was reported as saying during the hearing in Washington state. ‘I’ve been on the bench for over four decades, I can’t remember another case where the question presented is as clear as this one is,’ said Coughenour, who was appointed by a Republican president, Ronald Reagan…
“Trump’s order was premised on the idea that anyone in the US illegally, or on a visa, was not ‘subject to the jurisdiction’ of the country, and therefore excluded from this category. An incredulous Coughenour chided Justice Department attorney Brett Shumate over his assertion that Trump’s order was constitutional. ‘Frankly, I have difficulty understanding how a member of the Bar could state unequivocally that this is a constitutional order,’ Coughenour said. ‘It just boggles my mind.’
“Trump’s opponents have argued that the 14th Amendment, which was ratified in 1868 as the United States sought to knit itself back together after the Civil War, has been settled law for over a century. They have cited an 1898 US Supreme Court ruling in the case of a San Francisco-born Chinese American man called Wong Kim Ark. Wong was denied entry back into the United States after visiting relatives in China on the grounds that he was not a citizen. The court affirmed that children born in the United States, including those born to immigrants, could not be denied citizenship.”
The Associated Press added on January 23:
“Trump quickly responded by saying his administration will appeal the decision, a cornerstone of his planned efforts to rein in illegal immigration… The U.S. is among about 30 countries where birthright citizenship… is applied. Most are in the Americas, and Canada and Mexico are among them…
“Trump’s order asserts that the children of noncitizens are not subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, and orders federal agencies to not recognize citizenship for children who don’t have at least one parent who is a citizen… some advocates of immigration restrictions have argued that [the Wong] case clearly applied to children born to parents who were both legal immigrants. They say it’s less clear whether it applies to children born to parents living in the country illegally…
“One of the lawsuits aimed at blocking the executive order includes the case of a pregnant woman… who is not a citizen but has lived in the United States for more than 15 years and has a pending visa application that could lead to permanent residency status…”
To be clear, on January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order titled, “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” which asserts that citizenship may only be conferred to children with one or more parents who hold U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent resident (LPR) status (i.e., a “green card”). It encompasses all children born on or after February 19, 2025, on U.S. soil who do not have at least one U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident parent. Encompassed are all nonimmigrant visa holders, including but not limited to participants in the Visa Waiver Program, F-1 students, and B-1, B-2, H-1B, H-4, L-1, L-2, E-1, E-2, E-3, TN, and O-1 visa holders. This order applies regardless of whether the parents have been maintaining status as a nonimmigrants. This change in longstanding interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment will not apply retroactively and will only impact individuals born thirty days after the date of the order.
If allowed the stand, the order would mean children born after February 19 to mothers or fathers who are not citizens or lawful permanent residents could be deported and would not be allowed to receive Social Security numbers, government benefits or the right to work lawfully when they are older (compare Deutsche Welle, January 23).
Declassifying Files on JFK, RFK, MLK Assassinations
The New York Post wrote on January 23:
“President Trump on Thursday ordered the declassification and release of long-secret files on the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
“Trump, 78, announced the actions in the Oval Office — after decades of speculation and conspiracy theories about each of the slayings. President Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963 in Dallas — with Lee Harvey Oswald, the primary suspect, himself being shot dead two days later by Jack Ruby… RFK was shot dead by Sirhan Sirhan, a Palestinian Christian, in June 1968 — shortly after winning California’s Democratic presidential contest. King was fatally shot in April 1968 by James Earl Ray after federal authorities worked to undermine his anti-racial discrimination advocacy.”
Biden’s Disgraceful Preemptive Pardons
Deutsche Welle reported on January 20:
“In his final hours in office, US President Joe Biden has pardoned Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired General Mark Milley and members of the House committee members [including Liz Cheney] that investigated the January 6 attack on the Capitol.”
The New York Post wrote on January 20:
“Outgoing President Biden on Monday issued a slew of pardons for more kin, including a broad, 11-year granting of clemency for his brother James — effectively killing any chance of repercussions for the first family’s influence-peddling. The 11th-hour move — on the heels of Biden’s previous unprecedented sweeping pardon of son Hunter — brought widespread condemnation, even from hardcore liberals.”
CNN added on January 20:
“The pardons, coming in the final hours of Biden’s presidency, amount to a stunning flex of presidential power that is unprecedented in recent presidential history…”
Biden must have felt preemptive pardons were necessary to protect his brother and other Biden family members from prosecution, (as well as Cheney, Fauci and Milley), based on their alleged criminal conduct.
Fauci’s Pardon!
The Washington Examiner wrote on January 20:
“President Joe Biden, in an extraordinary move, granted former federal health official Anthony Fauci a preemptive pardon. While Fauci faces criticism for all sorts of things — mostly pushing localities and institutions into overly strict lockdowns and unending mask mandates — he might have been in legal trouble because it looks like [he] tried to cover up the origins of COVID-19, and his own agency’s involvement with the Chinese research on coronaviruses.
“Specifically, Fauci, who ran the infectious-disease operation of the National Institutes of Health, could have faced prosecution for lying to Congress, which is a federal crime…”
Obviously, Fauci would have been in legal trouble… otherwise, why a pardon? In addition, he should be in all kinds of trouble for his terrible and unconscionable conduct in regard to the governmental coronavirus measures.
Putin Slaughters Deer to Bathe in Their Blood
Daily Mail wrote on January 18:
“Vladimir Putin is rumoured to have taken a secret break this week at his bolthole mountain palace where he ‘bathes in the blood of young deer’ ahead of anticipated talks with incoming U.S. president Trump. The 72-year-old dictator is fanatical about using ancient remedies to prolong his life and give him strength, say reports.
“His ‘Flying Kremlin’ Ilyushin 96-300 – equivalent to Air Force One – disappeared from radar screens over the remote Altai region in Siberia… Telegram channel ‘More Than Fact’ suggested Putin may have spent time at his sprawling Altai Courtyard retreat in neighbouring region Altai Republic. This Siberian palace is reported to have a vast underground hi-tech bunker with its own power station…
“It was reported last year that sufficient quantities of food had been stashed here to feed up to 300 people ‘for several years’. The eerie complex includes a maral deer farm where antlers are sawn off terrified Siberian stags so Putin and his inner circle can take blood baths, according to previous investigative reports. The ancient tradition is seen as a testosterone-driven elixir to improve male potency, but also as bringing multiple health benefits and slowing the ageing process….”
This is just SICK. For more on animal cruelty, please view our recent sermon, titled, “Does the Bible Condemn Animal Cruelty?”
Acknowledgement and Disclaimer:
These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.
