Trump’s Team Didn’t Care That Deadly Boat Strikes Could Be Illegal

The Trump administration repeatedly overlooked and pushed past lawyers who questioned the legality of its deadly strikes on alleged “drug” boats, according to a new report.

On Saturday, The Washington Post released an investigation that sheds new light on the process behind the controversial attacks that have left more than 80 people dead and angered Americans across the political spectrum, including some of President Donald Trump’s base.

According to government officials who were familiar with the situation, the administration initially planned for the CIA to conduct the strikes—but when CIA lawyers pushed back, they pivoted to using the U.S. military. The Trump administration’s justification for the lethal attacks is that the U.S. is engaged in an armed conflict with “designated terrorist organizations.”

But many national security experts, both inside and outside of the administration, told the Post that this justification “does not stand up to facts.”

What’s more, many of the lawyers who raised concerns or attempted to institute guardrails had either left the government, or had been reassigned or removed from their positions. The National Security Council’s full-time legal staff was completely gutted by this summer, including former Pentagon general counsel Paul Ney, who had raised concerns about the legality of the strikes, according to former officials.

Meanwhile, over at the CIA, some people are worried about blowback from these covert operations, like with the Iran-Contra scandal of the 1980s.

“The question is, is it legal just to kill the guy if he’s not threatening to kill you and you’re outside an armed conflict? There are people who are simply uncomfortable with the president just declaring we’re at war with drug traffickers,” one former senior official told the Post.

The new report confirms what other top military lawyers have been saying: that Trump’s strikes against alleged drug boats could be considered extrajudicial killings.

Self-described “proud Islamophobe” Laura Loomer could barely conceal her rage about President Donald Trump’s meeting with NYC mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani Friday, which, by all appearances, went shockingly well.

“Not condemning Trump,” Loomer disclaimed, before launching into her tirade. “However, I think we can all agree its a bad look to let a foreign born jihadist who said he wants to implement ANTI WHITE policies like taxing white people more money to stand behind the desk in the Oval Office.”

It seems like Trump himself would disagree with Loomer’s characterization: In the meeting, when asked if he “thought he was standing next to a jihadist,” Trump said, “No, I don’t.”

When a reporter asked whether Mamdani still believed the president was a fascist, Trump said,“You can just say yes. It’s easier than explaining it. I don’t mind,” while patting the mayor-elect on the arm.

Loomer, who has repeatedly accused Mamdani of supporting terrorism, must have been watching this with smoke pouring out of her ears.

“What are we doing?” Loomer asked multiple times in her post. “I’m stunned.”

Later, she wrote, “I had to drink a bottle of ginger ale today after seeing Mamdani in the Oval Office because it physically nauseates me seeing Islamic jihadists infiltrate our government.”

To be fair, you can’t blame Loomer for being surprised.

No one expected President Trump, who recently referred to Mamdani as a communist and threatened to revoke New York City’s federal funding, to defend the politician from “gotcha” questions about taking a plane instead of a bus (“It’s a lot quicker,” Trump mused), or dismiss that time Mamdani called him a despot (“I’ve been called much worse,” Trump affirmed).

Maybe next time she has the president’s ear, Loomer can ask for more ginger ale.

Former die-hard Trump supporter Marjorie Taylor Greene announced her resignation from the House of Representatives on Friday night, saying that neither party is focused on helping everyday Americans.

Greene, a representative from Georgia, has recently been at odds with many of her MAGA compatriots over her support for the release of the Epstein files, among other issues. Last week, she ended up in a public fight with the president, who called her a “raving lunatic” and a “traitor.”

In her resignation video and accompanying statement, MTG railed against the “political industrial complex”, saying: “When the common American people finally realize … that not one elected leader like me is able to stop Washington’s machine from gradually destroying our country, and instead the reality is that they, common Americans, The People, possess real power over Washington, then I’ll be here by their side to rebuild it.”

Greene also responded to Trump’s increasing attacks against her, writing, “Standing up for American women who were raped at 14, trafficked and used by rich powerful men, should not result in me being called a traitor and threatened by the President of the United States, whom I fought for,” she wrote.

She later wrote, “It’s all so absurd and completely unserious. I refuse to be a ‘battered wife’ hoping it all goes away and gets better.”

Greene’s resignation came as a surprise to Republican leadership, according to Politico. Trump responded Saturday morning on Truth Social, calling her “Marjorie ‘Traitor’ Brown” (Trump has taken to calling her “Brown” instead of “Greene,” because, by his logic, green turns brown when it rots) and went on to criticize her at length, then concluded by thanking her for her service.

According to MTG’s statement, because of political drama, she was unable to get her bills passed, which included, apparently, legislation to make English the official U.S. language, eliminate H1-B visas, and legislation “making it a felony to medically trans a minor.”

Though her resignation letter gives no hint as to where she’s headed next—just that she “look[s] forward to a new path ahead”—rumors have swirled recently that she may be considering a presidential run. Greene has denied this.

Either way, we hope she doesn’t let the door hit her on her way out.

President Donald Trump’s fawning over Zohran Mamdani Friday may have just detonated Republicans’ strategy for the 2026 midterm elections. 

Since Mamdani’s stunning success in the New York mayoral primary in June, Republicans have rushed to paint him as the face of a more “radical left” Democratic Party. After former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced her retirement earlier this month, House Republicans moved to officially cast Mamdani as their boogeyman ahead of the 2026 midterms. 

But on Friday, Trump appeared happier than ever as he fawned over their foil—and blew up some of Republicans’ major complaints about Mamdani.

Trump (once again) screwed over Republican Representative Elise Stefanik, who launched her own botched gubernatorial campaign shortly after Mamdani won his own election in order to “save New York.” 

One reporter asked Trump whether he agreed with one of Stefanik’s many racist attacks against Mamdani after meeting with the mayor-elect. “Do you think you’re standing next to a jihadist right now, in the Oval Office?” the reporter asked.

“No I don’t. But she’s out there campaigning, and uh, you say things sometimes in a campaign. She’s a very capable person, but you’d really have to ask her about that,” Trump replied, calling Mamdani a “very rational person.” The president had previously called Mamdani a “100 percent lunatic communist.” 

Trump also dismissed Republicans’ outlandish claims that Mamdani’s progressive policies would send New York City’s highest earners leaving in droves. 

“Would you feel comfortable living in New York City under a Mamdani administration?” asked another reporter.

“Yeah I would, I really would. Especially after the meeting. Absolutely,” Trump replied, adding:  “We agree on a lot more than I would’ve thought. I want him to do a great job, and we’ll help him do a great job.”

As a man running multiple plots to ensure Republican victory in the 2026 midterms, Trump seemed entirely unaware of the political leverage he was forfeiting as he fell for Mamdani’s charm offensive. Rather, Trump seemed to be convinced that some of Mamdani’s broad antiestablishment appeal could also apply to him—either that or he was just excited to meet another celebrity. 

Mamdani didn’t seem too unhappy, either, while standing beside the man he called a despot—though he refused to back down from his strong criticisms of the president’s administration. 

Zohran Mamdani appears to have charmed Donald Trump.

The president was nearly unrecognizable beside the mayor-elect of New York City, who traveled to the White House Friday for their first meeting.

After privately discussing the Big Apple’s affordability crisis, the duo answered questions from behind the Resolute Desk with a remarkably buddy-buddy attitude.

“I think you’re going to have hopefully a really great mayor. The better he does, the happier I am, I will say,” Trump told reporters.

The democratic socialist apparently excelled at speaking the president’s language in their tête-à-tête. Trump noted that he was surprised to hear that Mamdani does not want high crime rates in New York and wants to build affordable housing—two areas that the real estate mogul has focused on for years.

“I have very little doubt that we’re not going to get along on that issue,” Trump said.

One in 10 Trump supporters voted for Mamdani during the New York City mayoral election earlier this month—and Trump could have been one of them, based on the incredibly warm atmosphere in the room. Trump noted that he believed Mamdani could “surprise” conservatives.

“I expect to be helping him, not hurting him,” Trump continued. “We agree on a lot more than I would have thought.”

It was a near-miraculous change in opinion for a man who spent months trying to tear down Mamdani’s campaign. Trump has openly browbeaten the 34-year-old since he won New York City’s Democratic primary in a shocking upset in June. The president has accused the local lawmaker of being a “Communist” and living in the country “illegally” and has even threatened his arrest. Trump also pledged to send the National Guard to New York City if Mamdani enters Gracie Mansion—though it’s not so clear if Trump feels the same way now.

When asked by a reporter if he would feel safe living in New York City when Mamdani’s term begins, Trump said he would.

No component of the pair’s brutal history seemed immune to Mamdani’s pervasive charm as the two politicians laughed and smiled at each other in the White House Friday. At one point, when a reporter asked Mamdani if he stood by calling Trump a “fascist,” Trump patted the Democratic New Yorker’s arm.

“That’s OK, you can just say yes. It’s easier. I don’t mind,” Trump said. At another point, Trump laughed off Mamdani’s accusation that he was a “despot,” telling reporters that he had “been called much worse.”

What buttered him up, Trump said, was the fact that Mamdani was “different than your average candidate.”

“I think you really have a chance to make it,” Trump said, giving Mamdani’s hand a firm shake.

Mamdani, however, was less effusive, keeping his answers strikingly diplomatic.

“Does New York City love Donald Trump?” asked one reporter.

“New York City loves a future that is affordable,” Mamdani said, underscoring that more New Yorkers voted for the president during the 2024 election due to the cost of living crisis.