Tag Archives: Donald Trump

Donald Trump Issues H-1B Visa Update

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President Donald Trump has defended his recent support for H-1B visas, arguing that the United States needs to bring in skilled foreign workers to bolster key industries, despite backlash from within his base. Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office on Monday, Trump said America no longer had enough trained workers in specialized areas like semiconductor manufacturing, and that importing talent was necessary until domestic workers could be trained. “We don’t make chips too much here anymore, but we are going to be in a period of a year, we’re going to have a big portion of the chip market. But we have to train our people to make chips,” he said. Why It Matters Trump’s renewed defense of the H-1B program puts him directly at odds with some of the most vocal figures in the MAGA movement, who view the visas as harmful to American workers and a betrayal of his immigration stance. His comments expose a growing tension inside the Republican Party, as the party’s populist wing seeks to curb high-skilled immigration, while the tech and manufacturing sectors warn that foreign workers are essential to fill gaps in domestic expertise. What To Know Trump recently sparked backlash from his supporters when he defended the H-1B visa program while speaking to Fox News’ Laura Ingraham. “You also do have to bring in talent,” he told her. When Ingraham contended that the U. S. had “plenty of talented people,” Trump responded: “No, you don’t, no you don’t. “You don’t have certain talents, and people have to learn. You can’t take people off an unemployment line and say ‘I’m gonna put you into a factory and we’re going to make missiles,'” he said. On Monday, the president doubled down, arguing that American workers did not have the skills needed to produce semiconductors, an industry he said the U. S. had “foolishly” allowed to move largely to Taiwan, and which he now planned to grow domestically. Many prominent Republicans have advocated for limiting or abolishing the H-1B visa program entirely. The Trump administration earlier this year introduced a $100,000 fee for companies seeking H-1B visas for their workers. What People Are Saying Conservative podcaster Steven Crowder wrote on X in response to Trump’s comments: “There’s no shortage of talent in America. If H-1B visas were really about ‘the best and brightest,’ they wouldn’t all go to the cheapest bidder.” Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said on X last week: “I am introducing a bill to END the mass replacement of American workers by aggressively phasing out the H-1B program. Big Tech, AI giants, hospitals, and industries across the board have abused the H-1B system to cut out our own people.” Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis said on X last week: “Republicans have a majority in Congress and could legislate elimination of H-1B (and any programs designed to import cheap foreign labor). Deeds, not words, are what matter.” What Happens Next Trump’s support for H-1B visas is likely to continue to put him at odds with conservatives who want to curb foreign labor.
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-h1b-visa-update-11063913

House expected to vote on bill forcing release of Jeffrey Epstein files

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WASHINGTON (AP) The House is expected to vote Tuesday on legislation to force the Justice Department to publicly release its files on the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, the culmination of a monthslong effort that has overcome opposition from President Donald Trump and Republican leadership. When a small bipartisan group of House lawmakers introduced a petition in July to maneuver around House Speaker Mike Johnson’s control of which bills see the House floor, it appeared a longshot effort, especially as Trump urged his supporters to dismiss the matter as a “hoax.” But both Trump and Johnson failed in their efforts to prevent the vote. Now the president has bowed to the growing momentum behind the bill and even said Republicans should vote for it. His blessing all but ensures that the House will pass the bill with an overwhelming margin, putting further pressure on the Senate to take it up. Trump on Monday said he would sign the bill if it passes both chambers of Congress, adding, “Let the Senate look at it.” Tuesday’s vote also provides a further boost to the demands that the Justice Department release its case files on Epstein, a well-connected financier who killed himself in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial in 2019 on charges he sexually abused and trafficked underage girls. A separate investigation conducted by the House Oversight Committee has released thousands of pages of emails and other documents from Epstein’s estate, showing his connections to global leaders, Wall Street powerbrokers, influential political figures and Trump himself. Trump’s reversal on the Epstein files Trump has said he cut ties with Epstein years ago, but tried for months to move past the demands for disclosure. On Monday, he told reporters that Epstein was connected to more Democrats and that he didn’t want the Epstein files to “detract from the great success of the Republican Party.” Still, many in the Republican base have continued to demand the release of the files. Adding to that pressure, several survivors of Epstein’s abuse will appear on Capitol Hill Tuesday morning to push for release of the files. They also met with Johnson and rallied outside the Capitol in September, but have had to wait two months for the vote. That’s because Johnson kept the House closed for legislative business for nearly two months and also refused to swear-in Democratic Rep. Adelita Grijalva of Arizona during the government shutdown. After winning a special election on Sept. 23, Grijalva had pledged to provide the crucial 218th vote to the petition for the Epstein files bill. But only after she was sworn into office last week could she sign her name to the discharge petition to give it majority support in the 435-member House. It quickly became apparent the bill would pass, and both Johnson and Trump began to fold. Trump on Sunday said Republicans should vote for the bill. Rep. Thomas Massie, the Kentucky Republican who sponsored the bill alongside Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, said Trump “got tired of me winning. He wanted to join.” How Johnson is handling the bill Rather than waiting until next week for the discharge position to officially take effect, Johnson is moving to hold the vote this week. He indicated the legislation will be brought to the House floor under a procedure that requires a two-thirds majority. “I think it’s going to be an important vote to continue to show the transparency that we’ve delivered,” House Republican leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said Monday night. House Democrats celebrated the vote as a rare win for the minority. “It’s a complete and total surrender, because as Democrats we made clear from the very beginning, the survivors and the American people deserve full and complete transparency as it relates to the lives that were ruined by Jeffrey Epstein,” said House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries. What will the Senate do? Still, it’s not clear how the Senate will handle the bill. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S. D., has previously been circumspect when asked about the legislation and instead said he trusted the Justice Department to release information on the Epstein investigation. But what the Justice Department has released so far under Trump was mostly already public. The bill would go further, forcing the release within 30 days of all files and communications related to Epstein, as well as any information about the investigation into his death in federal prison. Information about Epstein’s victims or continuing federal investigations would be allowed to be redacted, but not information due to “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary.” Johnson also suggested that he would like to see the Senate amend the bill to protect the information of “victims and whistleblowers.” But Massie said the Senate should take into account the public clamor that forced both Trump and Johnson to back down. “If it’s anything but a genuine effort to make it better and stronger, it’ll backfire on the senators if they muck it up,” Massie said. ___ Associated Press writers Kevin Freking and Matt Brown contributed to this report.
https://ktar.com/national-news/house-expected-to-vote-on-bill-forcing-release-of-jeffrey-epstein-files/5778254/

Trump: U.S. is open to ‘having some discussions with Maduro’ amid military activity surrounding Venezuela

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OAN Staff Blake Wolf 11: 16 AM Monday, November 17, 2025 President Donald Trump has indicated openness to discussions with socialist Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as the United States continues its military buildup in the Caribbean. While speaking to reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida, ahead of boarding Air Force One. He indicated openness to diplomatic engagement with the Venezuelan president amid heightened U. S. military deployments in the Caribbean, including the arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and ongoing strikes against suspected drug-trafficking vessels linked to Venezuelan cartels. President Trump left the door open for diplomacy, while also keeping the option of military force on the table. In addition, the GOP Commander-in-Chief noted that his administration is set to designate the “Cartel de los Soles” as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO), explaining that the U. S. believes it is run by Maduro-an action that allows the United States to target his assets or infrastructure legally. The U. S. State Department stated it “intends to designate Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), effective November 24, 2025.” This action, under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, enables the U. S. to use military force against the group’s assets without a formal declaration of war, including targeting infrastructure linked to drug trafficking or terrorism. “It allows us to do that,” Trump stated, referencing the Venezuelan FTO designation. “But we haven’t said we’re going to do that blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. What do YOU think? Click here to jump to the comments! Sponsored Content Below Share this post!.
https://www.oann.com/newsroom/trump-u-s-is-open-to-having-some-discussions-with-maduro-amid-military-activity-surrounding-venezuela/

Bitcoin Erases Year’s Gain as Crypto Bear Market Deepens

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Just a little more than a month after reaching an all-time high, Bitcoin has erased the more than 30% gain it registered since the start of the year. This decline comes as enthusiasm over the pro-crypto stance of the Trump administration fades, coupled with a recent cooling of high-flying technology stocks that has dampened overall risk appetite.

The dominant cryptocurrency fell below $93,714 on Sunday, pushing its price beneath the closing level seen at the end of last year. That period marked a rally in financial markets following President Donald Trump’s election victory.

Bitcoin had soared to a record $126,251 on October 6. However, it began tumbling just four days later after unexpected comments on tariffs by President Trump sent markets worldwide into a tailspin.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-11-16/bitcoin-erases-this-year-s-gain-as-crypto-bear-market-deepens

Trump-backed American Bitcoin received $100M investment from political critic

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The Scaramuccis have revealed that they committed a $100 million investment to American Bitcoin, a Trump family-linked mining company, despite their sour relationship with President Donald Trump. American Bitcoin is a mining company backed by the Trump family and has big ambitions in the crypto industry, specifically focusing its business on Bitcoin.

Fortune reported that the $220 million funding round was led by Solari Capital. Other notable backers include Tony Robbins, Charles Hoskinson (the co-founder of Cardano), Grant Cardone, and Peter Diamandis.

Solari Capital, an investment firm led by AJ and Anthony Scaramucci, reportedly contributed more than $100 million in the July funding round for American Bitcoin. This is significant due to the Bitcoin mining company’s ties to Donald Trump’s sons.

Anthony Scaramucci, AJ’s father and the founder of SkyBridge Capital, also made a smaller personal investment, though he did not disclose the exact amount. Anthony is well-known for his brief tenure as White House Communications Director under Donald Trump and for being openly critical of the former president afterward. However, both he and his son have invested in American Bitcoin, citing their belief in Bitcoin’s power despite their dissatisfaction with Trump.

AJ Scaramucci has even closer ties with American Bitcoin’s president, Matt Prusak, who was his roommate at Stanford Business School. According to Fortune, Prusak informed AJ that American Bitcoin was being spun off from Hut 8, prompting AJ to seize the opportunity.

### American Bitcoin’s Operations

American Bitcoin was launched by Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., in partnership with Hut 8. Under the deal, Hut 8 contributed “substantially all” of its Bitcoin mining equipment in exchange for 80% of the company’s shares, while the Trump family reportedly holds the remaining stake.

Following a reverse merger in September, American Bitcoin began trading on the Nasdaq. According to its filings, the company operates mining facilities in locations such as Niagara Falls, Canada, and Texas, housing tens of thousands of mining rigs.

As of mid-November 2025, American Bitcoin reported holding 4,004 BTC, worth roughly $415 million at that time.

### Funding Details and Future Plans

A regulatory filing cited by Cryptopolitan revealed that American Bitcoin raised the full $220 million through a private share placement. Approximately $10 million of that amount was paid in Bitcoin instead of cash. The reported average “cost” per share was about $104,000 per Bitcoin equivalent, according to the same filing.

American Bitcoin stated that it plans to use a portion of the capital to acquire additional mining equipment and to build up its Bitcoin treasury. Eric Trump described American Bitcoin as a means to profit from Bitcoin without purchasing it directly, calling it a “proxy play.” This strategy is similar to that of Michael Saylor’s company, which buys massive amounts of Bitcoin and allows investors to gain exposure by owning the company’s stock.

Additionally, the Trump family’s publicly traded media business has announced plans to raise $2.5 billion to build a Bitcoin treasury.

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https://bitcoinethereumnews.com/bitcoin/trump-backed-american-bitcoin-received-100m-investment-from-political-critic/

Trump vs. the BBC

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Now that President Donald Trump has launched a billion-dollar lawsuit against the BBC—accusing the broadcaster of splicing two sections of his January 6, 2021 speech to make it appear more incendiary than it actually was—perhaps it’s worth explaining a bit about how the Corporation operates.

One of the most bizarre things about the BBC is that it is funded by a tax on every TV set, known as the “license fee.” Long familiarity has habituated Brits to this absurdity, which dates back to the early twentieth century when the BBC was the only broadcaster in the country.

Imagine if there were an annual $230 tax on every machine capable of playing music—your car stereo, your smartphone, your hidden speakers—with the revenue going to a single state-backed record label. Or imagine a tax on every newspaper sold… and, hang on, you actually did have one of those. It was called the Stamp Act, and as far as I recall, it went down badly.

Being state-funded, the BBC is subject to various public service broadcasting regulations, one of which is that it must remain politically impartial. When it comes to straightforward British party politics, the BBC generally meets this obligation, following clear rules on allocating each party proportionate airtime, offering politicians a right of reply, and so on.

However, as soon as it moves into the cultural space, any pretense of neutrality tends to disappear, and the BBC’s soft-left biases come to the fore: immigrants good, Israelis bad, trans good, guns bad. Naturally, as an organization funded by public money, it tends to see politicians who favor higher government spending as compassionate, and those who oppose it as mean—an attitude that goes a long way to explaining the fiscal mess Britain is currently in.

Many of these structural biases were highlighted in a leaked internal memo earlier this month, which sparked the letter from Trump’s law firm. The editing of his speech was only a minor part of the report.

The memo also detailed how US election coverage had been slanted toward the Democrats—not by giving them more airtime directly, but through focusing on their issues (such as abortion rather than immigration or the economy) and using their language (like “reproductive rights”).

The report pointed out persistently slanted reporting on race issues in Britain as well: a false claim that there was an “ethnic premium” on car insurance, for example, and a tendentious story about minorities having more insecure jobs.

What was perhaps most striking, though, was the bellicose manner in which the BBC reported on the Gaza conflict, uncritically repeating Hamas propaganda claims, and even airing a clip about life in the Gaza Strip by the son of a Hamas minister.

Any doubt about the BBC’s partiality has been removed by the reaction to this report. Conservatives have called for root-and-branch reforms to ensure objectivity, or else for scrapping the license fee altogether. A commercially funded BBC, they argue, could be as one-sided as it pleased—and it would be no one’s business but its viewers.

Labour and Liberal Democrat politicians, by contrast, have lined up to defend what they insist is a completely impartial broadcaster. QED, you might say. The last thing Britain’s Labour administration will do is weaken an organization that promotes its worldview.

Trump’s lawsuit may actually help the BBC. Just as we criticize our own countries or families but bristle when outsiders do the same, many British people will resent what they see as bullying from overseas, dismissing Trump’s claim as bombastic and unfounded.

Given that Trump won the presidency, and that he has since spoken warmly in favor of the January 6 rioters, it is quite a stretch to argue that he has suffered a billion dollars’ worth of damage. Yet that is his lawyers’ assertion: “Due to their salacious nature, the fabricated statements that were aired by the BBC have been widely disseminated throughout various digital mediums, which have reached tens of millions of people worldwide.”

Unless “salacious” has a different meaning in Florida, that strikes me as quite the claim.

Even so, the BBC has been fatally weakened. It is unlikely to survive a change of government.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/magazine-columnists/3886863/trump-vs-the-bbc/

Democrats Shift Media Focus Back To Jeffrey Epstein With Email Release Of Claim Trump “Knew About The Girls”; White House Calls It A “Fake Narrative”

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House Democrats shifted media attention back to the Jeffrey Epstein files on Wednesday with the release of a series of emails claiming that Donald Trump had more knowledge of the convicted sex offender’s conduct than previously disclosed.

In one of the emails released, Epstein wrote to Ghislaine Maxwell on April 2, 2011: “I want you to realize that that dog that hasn’t barked is trump.. [Victim] spent hours at my house with him ,, he has never once been mentioned. Police chief. etc. im 75 % there.” Maxwell replied, “I have been thinking about that.”

In another email, dated January 31, 2019, Epstein wrote to journalist Michael Wolff, “[Victim] mara lago. [identifier]. Trump said he asked me to resign, never a member ever. Of course he knew about the girls as he asked ghislaine to stop.”

CNN and MSNBC gave extensive coverage to the email release this morning, while Fox News provided less focus on the story. However, Democrats appear to have timed the release around the pending swearing-in of a newly elected House member, Democrat Adelita Grijalva of Arizona. She will provide the crucial 218th signature on a petition to force a vote on the release of the Epstein files.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has declined to seat Grijalva while the House has been out of session during the shutdown, but representatives are scheduled to vote later today on a resolution to reopen the government.

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), the ranking member of the Oversight Committee, said in a statement: “These latest emails and correspondence raise glaring questions about what else the White House is hiding and the nature of the relationship between Epstein and the President.”

Republicans on the Oversight Committee responded with a statement saying, “Democrats whine about ‘releasing the files,’ but they only cherry-pick when they have them to generate clickbait.”

The GOP also revealed that the redacted name of the victim referenced in the emails is Virginia Giuffre. According to CNN, Giuffre said in a 2016 deposition that she “never saw or witnessed Donald Trump participate in those acts, but was he in the house of Jeffrey Epstein? I’ve heard he has been, but I haven’t seen him myself, so I don’t know.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a statement saying, “The Democrats selectively leaked emails to the liberal media to create a fake narrative to smear President Trump.” She also noted that the ‘unnamed victim’ referenced in the emails is Virginia Giuffre, “who repeatedly said President Trump was not involved in any wrongdoing whatsoever and ‘couldn’t have been friendlier’ to her in their limited interactions.”

Trump himself has acknowledged his relationship with Epstein but said they fell out of favor. “The fact remains that President Trump kicked Jeffrey Epstein out of his club decades ago for being a creep to his female employees, including Giuffre. These stories are nothing more than bad-faith efforts to distract from President Trump’s historic accomplishments, and any American with common sense sees right through this hoax and clear distraction from the government opening back up again.”

Another email released on Wednesday, dated December 16, 2015, shows an exchange between Wolff and Epstein regarding Trump’s pending appearance on CNN.

“I hear CNN planning to ask Trump tonight about his relationship with you—either on air or in scrum afterwards,” Wolff wrote.

Epstein replied, “if we were able to craft an answer for him, what do you think it should be?”

Wolff responded, “I think you should let him hang himself. If he says he hasn’t been on the plane or to the house, then that gives you a valuable PR and political currency. You can hang him in a way that potentially generates a positive benefit for you, or, if it really looks like he could win, you could save him, generating a debt. Of course, it is possible that, when asked, he’ll say Jeffrey is a great guy and has gotten a raw deal and is a victim of political correctness, which is to be outlawed in a Trump regime.”
https://deadline.com/2025/11/trump-jeffrey-epstein-emails-1236615036/

South Korea Says Nuclear Submarine Will Scare Kim Jong Un’s North

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A South Korean official has stated that the country’s future nuclear-powered submarines—being developed with the assistance of the United States—will pose a significant threat to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

### Why It Matters

In response to North Korea’s ongoing development of nuclear weapons and missiles, South Korea has been bolstering its preemptive and retaliatory strike capabilities. Diesel-electric attack submarines play a crucial role in Seoul’s “three-axis system” strategy.

During his visit to South Korea last month, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he had approved South Korea’s plan to develop nuclear-powered submarines. This move aims to enhance the endurance of Seoul’s underwater fleet. Trump mentioned that these submarines would be built in Philadelphia.

Upgrading South Korea’s submarine fleet, which will remain conventionally armed, is expected to help ease the operational burden on the U.S. military in the Indo-Pacific region. The United States currently deploys nuclear-powered submarines there largely to counter China, its main military rival.

### What to Know

Speaking on a program of South Korean broadcaster KBS on Sunday, South Korea’s Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back emphasized that the endurance and stealth capabilities of the proposed nuclear-powered submarines would make North Korean leader Kim Jong Un unable to “sleep well.”

“Theoretically, as long as food supplies are maintained, [a nuclear-powered submarine] does not need to surface,” the minister explained. He added that these vessels could be deployed undetected to various locations around the Korean Peninsula to intimidate Pyongyang.

Following the announcement of the submarine deal, questions arose about the Philadelphia Shipyard, which Trump said would be responsible for building the submarines for South Korea. The shipyard was acquired last year by South Korean conglomerate Hanwha.

Ahn stated that building submarines in South Korea is “the most rational approach” because Philly Shipyard (the new name of Philadelphia Shipyard) currently lacks the necessary facilities. The defense minister also recalled his meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who noted that “Trump’s will” to support the South Korean submarine project is strong.

“They have pledged active support,” Ahn said.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Ahn mentioned on October 30 that South Korea should acquire a fleet of at least four nuclear-powered submarines using enriched uranium supplied by the U.S. The country’s navy estimates it will take about 10 years to receive the first vessel.

On the Sunday television program, the minister highlighted that South Korea’s military has prepared relentlessly for building nuclear-powered submarines for over 30 years.

“We assess that we have reached a significant level, nearing completion as long as fuel is available,” he added.

### What People Are Saying

South Korea’s Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back stated on Sunday:
“Core technologies such as reactor assembly completion and power conversion device technology have advanced considerably. While it typically takes over 10 years, we can achieve this in a shorter time frame.”

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said during a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump on October 29:
“If [nuclear] fuel supply is permitted, we can build several submarines equipped with conventional weapons using our own technology to defend the waters around the Korean Peninsula, ultimately reducing the burden on U.S. forces.”

U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on October 30:
“Our Military Alliance is stronger than ever before and, based on that, I have given them approval to build a Nuclear Powered Submarine, rather than the old fashioned, and far less nimble, diesel powered Submarines that they have now.”

### What Happens Next

It remains to be seen whether the U.S. and South Korea will release additional details about their nuclear-powered submarine deal, including information about shipbuilding locations and specific capabilities.
https://www.newsweek.com/south-korea-says-nuclear-submarine-will-scare-kim-jong-uns-north-11027544

President Trump Participates in Swearing-In Ceremony for Ambassador Sergio Gor – Media Q&A

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Earlier today, President Donald Trump participated in a swearing-in ceremony for the new U.S. Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor. The event took place in the Oval Office, underscoring the significance of the diplomatic appointment.

Ambassador Gor was officially sworn in by Vice President JD Vance, who administered the oath in a prompt and formal ceremony. Following the swearing-in, President Trump addressed the assembled press pool and took questions.

For those interested, the full ceremony and press interaction can be viewed here.
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2025/11/10/president-trump-participates-in-swearing-in-ceremony-for-ambassador-sergio-gor-media-qa/

Trump Is Bullying Air Traffic Controllers to Get Back to Work While They’re Still Going Unpaid

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Air traffic controllers aren’t being paid right now, forcing many to call out sick as they scramble to scrape together enough money from second jobs to feed their families. But President Donald Trump is not happy about it, given all the delays that are happening at the nation’s airports. The president seems convinced he can just bully his way into getting air traffic controllers to keep working for no pay.

“All Air Traffic Controllers must get back to work, NOW!!! Anyone who doesn’t will be substantially ‘docked,’” Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday morning.

Trump went on to claim that air traffic controllers who were “GREAT PATRIOTS” and “didn’t take ANY TIME OFF” will potentially be getting a bonus of $10,000. To be more precise, Trump said he would be “recommending” a bonus, which doesn’t guarantee that anyone will actually receive it.

He referred to the government shutdown, which is currently on its 41st day, as the “Democrat Shutdown Hoax.”

The U.S. Senate made some movement on Sunday toward ending the shutdown, with eight Democrats voting in an early procedural step to push forward a final vote. However, ending the shutdown still faces several hurdles, including passage in the House. Democrats received no real concessions despite originally claiming they wanted Republicans to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits.

Trump stressed his disappointment in the air traffic controllers who had not been showing up for work. They were supposed to be paid last Tuesday but instead received notices that they would be paid $0, forcing many to work jobs like driving for Uber and DoorDash.

“For those that did nothing but complain, and took time off, even though everyone knew they would be paid, IN FULL, shortly into the future, I am NOT HAPPY WITH YOU. You didn’t step up to help the U.S.A. against the FAKE DEMOCRAT ATTACK that was only meant to hurt our Country. You will have a negative mark, at least in my mind, against your record,” Trump continued.

He also said that if air traffic controllers wanted to “leave service in the near future,” they shouldn’t hesitate to do so, but they would be getting no payment or severance.

Trump’s use of the phrase “near future” is noteworthy because he seems aware that telling people to quit immediately is the opposite of what he wants. Essentially, the president is telling those he views as disloyal to come back temporarily and then quit when it’s convenient for him.

This is troubling given the current shortage of somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 air traffic controllers, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. Losing more personnel would be devastating to the goal of getting more trained and hired, even if the government shutdown ends soon.

More than 2,600 flights were canceled Sunday, and at least 1,400 flights were canceled already on Monday — roughly 5.5% of all flights nationwide, according to USA Today. That’s more than the 4% threshold ordered by the FAA as the agency phases in more cancellations, which are expected to reach 10% this week. Not all the cancellations are due to FAA-mandated slowdowns; some winter weather in the Chicago area also disrupted flights.

Duffy appeared on CNN on Sunday to emphasize the real dangers caused by being short-staffed, including incidents described as “loss of separation in the airspace,” meaning that planes are flying too close together.

The president also claimed on Monday that his administration was acquiring new equipment for air traffic controllers, describing it as “in process.”

“You will be quickly replaced by true Patriots, who will do a better job on the Brand New State of the Art Equipment, the best in the World, that we are in the process of ordering. The last ‘Administration’ wasted Billions of Dollars trying to fix antiquated ‘junk.’ They had no idea what they were doing!” Trump wrote.

He concluded with a message to those still working and those not reporting:

“Again, to our great American Patriots, GOD BLESS YOU I won’t be able to send your money fast enough! To all others, REPORT TO WORK IMMEDIATELY. GOD BLESS AMERICA! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP.”

It remains to be seen how Trump’s coercive approach will be received by air traffic controllers, who are already exhausted from trying to support their families, taking on second jobs, and doing their best during incredibly difficult times.

“I’m broken down. I’m sore. I’m mentally drained,” one controller based in the southeast U.S. told the New York Times. The controller said they had been using all their free time hanging Christmas lights to earn extra money.

“There’s some times where I felt like just going into the corner and crying because it’s been pretty tough to push through the physical pain, the tiredness and waking up the next day having to do it all over again,” the controller said.
https://gizmodo.com/trump-is-bullying-air-traffic-controllers-to-get-back-to-work-while-theyre-still-going-unpaid-2000683701