Politics

It looks like Donald Trump's beefing up his aggressive approach to Venezuela ... because he confirmed Wednesday he's authorized covert CIA activity in the country.

Trump is reportedly dedicated to ousting Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela's longtime president, from power, according to The New York Times.

Trump also admitted his administration is looking into the feasibility of conducting land strikes inside Venezuelan borders.

ICYMI ... 47 has bragged about bombing small boats allegedly transporting drugs from the country in the Caribbean in recent weeks. His administration claimed the strikes all went down in international waters ... killing everyone on board -- though legal observers note little evidence has been presented about the boats' cargo, and no details have been released about the supposed suspects, or why they've been attacked instead of intercepted and seized.

Trump claims he's authorized Central Intelligence Agency -- the nation's foreign intelligence service -- personnel to operate in Venezuela because the country's leaders have "emptied their prisons" into the United States. The agency is reportedly authorized to carry out secret actions either by itself or as part of a bigger military operation.

That authorization doesn't sit well in the capital, Caracas, and the Venezuelan government issued a statement accusing Trump of trying to appropriate the country's petroleum resources.

Donald Trump's really proving he's a Baby Boomer ... because he just announced he's going to be making IVF treatment easier to access nationwide.

The president revealed his administration had cut a deal with pharmaceutical company EMD Serono, the biggest fertility drug manufacturer in the world, to reduce the price of its medications, according to CBS News.

Trump claimed the per-cycle cost of fertility drugs would drop by an estimated 73%, which would mean a pretty big markdown from current cost of a cycle, which can end up being north of $25,000.

Musician and comedian Robby Roadsteamer was arrested outside an ICE facility during a protest in Portland, Oregon -- while dressed as a giraffe -- and the feds are explaining what led up to the bust.

Video of Robby's Wednesday arrest went viral ... it shows him singing outside a federal building in the city, alongside a bunch of protesters ... when federal agents come out and grab him and take him inside.

Honchos at the Department of Homeland Security tell TMZ ... "This deceptively clipped video features this attention-starved influencer who flew all the way from Massachusetts to trespass on federal property."

10:37 AM PT -- A rep for McConnell tells TMZ ... "He’s all good -- went on to vote and ready to do this next vote… to see if Dems decide to fund our nation’s defense priorities or not…"

Mitch McConnell tripped and hit the ground hard while walking through the Russell Senate Office Building basement ... and the tumble was caught on video.

The 83-year-old Republican Senator from Kentucky -- who has served in Congress for more than 40 years -- was listening to a question about ICE when he fell to the ground ... slamming hard against the unforgiving stone.

Mitch has had his fair share of health concerns in the past ... including abruptly freezing in front of the camera multiple times like he did in this video from July 2023.

Stephen A. Smith made his name on breaking down sports ... but, he's not playing games when it comes to this government shutdown -- melting down onstage in a wild video.

The ESPN host took part in a NewsNation debate, hosted by Chris Cuomo, Wednesday night ... along with Republican Jim Jordan, Democrat Ro Khanna and Democrat Madeleine Dean.

During the discussion, a man walked up to the microphone and told the panel he started driving for DoorDash to pay his bills ... but, he's actually a professional air traffic controller -- who's not getting paid because of the government shutdown.

An altered American flag featuring the image of a swastika was found in the Washington, D.C. office of U.S. Representative from Ohio Dave Taylor on Wednesday ... and Capitol Police are investigating.

Politico was first to report the incident ... the flag was reportedly pinned to a bulletin board on a wall next to where one of Taylor's staffers sits ... the flag was noticed during a virtual meeting.

The Republican rep issued a statement confirming he'd seen the image, which he described as featuring a "vile and deeply inappropriate symbol" ... Taylor told Politico he's ordered an investigation alongside the police looking into how the flag ended up in his office.

Taylor condemned the Nazi image "in the strongest terms" and said it's not reflective of the "values or standards" expected of his staff.

Donald Trump could end up ticking off a whole lot of New England-based soccer fans in the near future ... because he just floated the idea of moving 2026 FIFA World Cup matches out of Boston.

The president made his comments about the potential change-up in the tournament's schedule during a press event on Tuesday ... his remarks were prompted by a reporter asking about a "street takeover" by a crowd of more than 100 people, during which a Boston police vehicle was set on fire, according to local station WBZ-TV. Two people were arrested in the incident.

47 said when the time comes, if he thinks there are "unsafe conditions" in Boston, he could call FIFA President Gianni Infantino and have the games moved out of Beantown if he really felt like it.

Trump also took a shot at Boston's mayor, Michelle Wu, whom he described as "radical left." He said ... "I know the games are sold out, but your mayor is not good."

FYI ... the 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to take place at several venues throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. There are currently seven matches scheduled for Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, roughly 22 miles outside of Boston.

Boston's not the first city to receive this kind of treatment from Trump, because he threatened to pull World Cup games out of San Francisco and Seattle last month.

Florida Congressman Cory Mills has been hit with a restraining order after his ex-girlfriend, Lindsey Langston, claimed he'd threatened to release her sex tapes.

A judge said evidence of the Republican representative's activities supported Langston's claims about Mills' actions causing her "emotional distress," according to Politico.

The judge's restraining order expires in January 2026. Mills represents a district northeast of Orlando, according to The New York Times.

Mills and Langston, who was crowned Miss United States in 2024, reportedly started seeing each other in 2021, and he claimed she'd later sent him explicit videos of herself.

The pair's relationship apparently ended in February this year, after police responded to a report of an alleged assault against an unnamed woman in Washington -- Politico reports Mills and the woman both denied an assault took place. He was not charged.

Langston filed a police report in July claiming Mills had repeatedly contacted her after their split. He'd allegedly threatened to release explicit content she'd made, and ignored her requests to cease contact, according to the New York Post.

Vice President JD Vance is not very bothered by a report detailing a recently revealed group chat featuring vicious racist and misogynistic comments exchanged by young Republican leaders from across the country

Here's what went down ... messages from a Telegram chat written by various individuals associated with Young Republican clubs and groups were leaked to Politico and published Tuesday.

The chat was filled to the brim with racial slurs, comments admiring Adolf Hitler and the use of gas chambers, threats of violence against political opponents, and jokes about sexual assault.

The backlash to the leaked chat was immediate, and the National Young Republicans board of directors called for everyone in the chat to "immediately resign" from the organization, according to Politico.

Vance downplayed the content of the chat on X later Tuesday, and said the comments aren't as bad as texts allegedly sent by Jay Jones -- currently the Democratic nominee for state attorney general in Virginia -- in 2022.

Charlie Kirk was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Donald Trump on Tuesday.

The POTUS gave the award to Kirk's widow, Erika, who accepted the award on her husband's behalf.

The ceremony took place at the White House Rose Garden on what would have been the media figure's 32nd birthday, according to Newsweek.

Trump addressed the crowd at the event -- which included Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha -- before giving Erika the award, and he described Kirk as a "martyr for truth and for freedom" and compared him to figures like Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr.

He also spoke about Kirk's death in Orem, Utah last month, and characterized the conservative activist's murder as "demonic."

47's speech turned topical, and he touched on recent events, including his work in the Middle East and ICE activities in Chicago, in his speech.

Erika also addressed the crowd, and tearfully claimed the Presidential Medal of Freedom would have been "the best birthday gift" her late husband could have received.

Kirk's widow -- who's since taken over as the CEO of Turning Point USA -- sent a shout-out to the various chapters of the organization, whom she called the "heartbeat of this movement."

Alyssa Farah might have some explaining to do ... 'cause Donald Trump is calling her out after she seemingly bluffed on live television.

ICYMI ... the 'View' co-host promised back in January she'd put on a MAGA hat if the prez was able to reach a Gaza peace deal -- specifically if he was able to free Israeli prisoners. Now that he's accomplished that, she has yet to hold up her end of the deal.

Now, Trump ripped into her while speaking to the press Tuesday. Just check out the clip -- he calls "The View" a "fraud" and Alyssa "a joke" ... and says she never thought she'd "make it" after she worked for him. She formerly served as his White House Communications Director.

President Trump is picking off alleged Venezuelan drug traffickers one by one ... with six of the purported Narcos getting blown to pieces today on dramatic video.

47 announced Tuesday on Truth Social, his Secretary of War ordered this morning's lethal strike against the 6 narcotics dealers, who were cruising in a boat through International waters just off the coast of Venezuela.

Check out video ... which shows the precise moment bombs rained down on the alleged bad guys, sending them and their boat straight to Trump hell.

Everyone knows politicians love to schmooze around a little bit ... Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto took it to a new level on Monday when he got caught asking Donald Trump for a favor during a hot-mic moment.

The pair's meeting took place during a summit in Egypt, which was centered on trying to bring lasting peace to Gaza ... and Subianto apparently didn't notice he could be heard publicly when he asked 47 if he could introduce PS to his son Eric, according to The Guardian.

Trump was apparently pleased with the request and referred to his second son as "such a good boy," saying he'd have Eric give Subianto a call ... the Indonesian president clarified he'd be okay speaking with either Eric or firstborn son Donald Jr.

Subianto was heard speaking about an area which wasn't "safe, security-wise" and claiming he'd "look for a better place."

It's worth noting both Eric and Donald Jr. are executive vice presidents of the Trump Organization, which manages POTUS' various private business interests.

What's also interesting is the Trump Organization officially opened its first golf club in Indonesia this past March -- and everyone knows Trump is pretty big about practicing his swing.

Alex Jones' control over InfoWars might end up becoming a thing of the past ... because the U.S. Supreme Court just rejected his appeal to avoid paying more than $1.4 billion in damages to the families affected by the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

The court did not issue any comment about the decision, according to NBC News.

Here's what went down ... Jones has made many comments about the Sandy Hook shooting -- in which 20 children and six adults were killed in a mass shooting at a Connecticut school -- and court papers show he's declared the tragic incident was a "staged event" more than once.

The right-wing media figure was subsequently sued by the victims' families in Connecticut state court for defamation and other violations.

Jones -- who owns InfoWars through his company Free Speech Systems -- was found liable for damages in 2021, and he was ordered to pay more than $1.4 billion the following year, according to CBS News. He's currently looking for bankruptcy protection.

One more thing ... the higher-ups at the satirical news site The Onion won the bid to acquire InfoWars in a bankruptcy auction, but a federal judge in Texas blocked the sale last year. A bankruptcy court rejected a second attempt in February this year.

9:23 AM PT -- In a press conference Tuesday, Governor Shapiro admitted to battling feelings of guilt following the attack, saying, "The hardest part has been trying to explain it to our children and to our nieces and nephews. I've carried with me this enormous sense of guilt -- guilt that doing this job that I love so much has put our children's lives at risk." He went on to urge that as political violence rises in this country, it's important that none of us grows numb to it. "We need real accountability for acts of political violence, and today is real accountability."

The man who set the Pennsylvania Governor's Mansion ablaze in April pleaded guilty today to arson and other charges ... and new video released shows the crime -- and inferno -- in progress.

Watch the video ... you can see Cody Balmer break a window of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's home from the outside, light a Molotov cocktail, and toss it in, starting a blaze.

Balmer, a mechanic, enters the residence through another broken window ... you can see him roaming around inside the home trying to enter various rooms by kicking the doors in. When that fails, he just starts throwing down more explosives in what appears to be the dining room ... before casually exiting through a front door and strolling away across the lawn.

10:45 AM PT -- Hours after the Time cover -- and Trump's complaint -- dropped, California Governor Gavin Newsom's Press Office issued an official statement on X, tongue firmly in cheek … check it out below.

The NSFW edit continues the governor's ongoing mockery of the president and his peculiar social media style of posting.

Donald Trump ain't happy with TIME magazine ... 'cause he says the cover photo they used of him to celebrate his Gaza peace deal is the worst one ever!

Check out his late-night Truth Social rant ... he gives the image of him splashed across the mag's cover a proper noun name, dubbing it "the Worst of All Time."

As you can see, it's a low-angle shot of 47 ... and makes him appear stern and heroic. However, there's no question it highlights his thin hairline and sagging skin.