Trump Shifts Focus Of ICE Defense As Approval Drops

PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF (PDB) – Trump abandons attack mode as Minneapolis shooting backlash grows. The Trump administration has dropped its familiar “deny and attack” playbook after initially using it when federal agents killed anti-ICE activist Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.

Within 24 hours, as various videos of the shooting circulated online, it became clear that the White House was out of step with public opinion. 

Since then, the administration — and the president himself — have changed tack, correctly blaming Democrats for what happened and focusing less on the actions of the man who was killed.

President Trump Job Approval. Bedeviled by the appearance of failed policies and the chaos of ICE agents shooting and killing citizens on the streets — is seeing Trump’s approval numbers tumble.

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here’s a roundup of today’s other top defense news from conservative national security expert PAUL CRESPO.

THE PDB – Not the President’s Daily Briefing, but almost as good – PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF:    

HOMELAND SECURITY

The killing of VA nurse and anti-ICE activist Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by Border Patrol officers during a confrontation has drawn a strong response from veterans, with many denouncing the slaying and others calling for a political audit of personnel working at the VA to weed out militant activists.

DEFENSE POLITICS

Critics see a “chilling effect” of the DOD crackdown on 8(a) small-biz deals. War Secretary Pete Hegseth lambasted the decades-old contracting program that provides business opportunities for small and “disadvantaged” businesses, calling it a DEI effort breeding ground for fraud that often just funnels money to huge contractors.

Hegseth’s Pentagon stood up a new operation to focus solely on permanent fixes for decades-old problems of damaged and lost household goods encountered by service members and families moving to new duty stations.

US POWER OVERSEAS

Space Force officially stood up a new element at SOUTHCOM focused on Latin America, nearly three weeks after Guardians took part in a major combat operation in Venezuela.

Four decommissioned U.S. Navy Avenger-class mine countermeasures ships have left Bahrain on what may be their final voyage aboard a larger heavy-lift vessel.

VENEZUELA THREAT

Venezuela’s acting leader, and hard-core communist, Delcy Rodríguez, said she has had “enough” of Washington’s orders, as she works to consolidate power after the U.S. capture of its former narco dictator Nicolás Maduro.

ARCTIC THREATS

Unmanned vehicles that can withstand harsh weather for prolonged periods at sea are critical to maintain NATO’s strategic dominance in the Arctic.

IRAN THREAT

Aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and three accompanying warships have arrived in the Middle East, bringing renewed potential that President Trump could order airstrikes on Iran over its deadly crackdown on protesters.

Iran is fueling the Myanmar junta’s air war. Iran has secretly shipped vast amounts of jet fuel to Myanmar’s military via an Iranian shadow fleet, violating Western sanctions on both countries.

MIDDLE EAST THREATS

Israel to reopen Gaza crossing after search for the last dead hostage’s body ends. Israel’s military says its troops are searching for the remains of Ran Gvili, reportedly at a cemetery in northern Gaza.

Israel recovers the remains of the last hostage in Gaza.

CHINA THREAT

Strategic mistake? Pentagon declared that the military’s top priority is to defend the homeland and Western Hemisphere, supplanting its longstanding goal of countering China.

Why is Trump cozying up to China? As Trump charged into conflict with allies over Greenland in recent weeks, he has also been pursuing an unlikely new friend: Communist China.

The fate of China’s top general is more likely to be due to a power struggle than corruption. Experts suggest Xi Jinping is asserting his authority by sidelining a top officer who reportedly betrayed his trust.

Chinese drills near Taiwan aren’t a signal — they’re a rehearsal for invasion or blockade. What has triggered it?

RUSSIA THREAT/UKRAINE WAR

Negotiations in Abu Dhabi aimed at ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are yielding apparent signs of progress, but major challenges remain to final settlement, says a Kremlin official.

UN reported Russia has killed 14,383 civilians in Ukraine, 673 of them children. Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine’s power grid in efforts to disrupt electricity, heat, and water services — especially in winter, evidence that it is targeting Ukraine’s civilians.

U.K. Royal Navy shadowed a Russian Navy corvette and an oil tanker through the English Channel in a two-day operation alongside NATO allies.

NORTH KOREA THREAT

Pentagon official praised South Korea as a model ally ready to take greater responsibility for its own security after the new U.S. defense strategy signaled a reduction in U.S. military support for allies.

South Korean conglomerate Hanwha Systems is partnering with Canada’s MDA Space to explore collaboration on the development of a defense satellite constellation for the Asian nation.

When you don’t have a Second Amendment. To reduce accidents and suicides in the ranks, a special civil-military committee has recommended that South Korea’s military adopt wireless technology to tag and track its firearms. Orwell would be proud.

EUROPEAN DEFENSE

NATO chief wishes “good luck” to those who think Europe can defend itself without U.S. help, saying Europe is incapable of defending itself without U.S. military support and would have to more than double current military spending to do so.

Elbit Systems bets on the U.K. as its European drone sales hub. Elbit completed the acquisition of drone maker UAV Tactical Systems in the U.K., with plans to produce models for customers across Europe.

Estonia to acquire missile defense system, part of broader efforts by Baltic States to expand their air-defense network.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

Nigeria will charge several officers over an alleged plot to overthrow the president after the military acknowledged for the first time that 16 soldiers arrested in October were suspected of planning a coup.

India publicly unveiled what it claims to be its first long-range hypersonic missile during the country’s 77th Republic Day parade in New Delhi.

US MILITARY

Air Force is launching a new version of its deployment concept later this year, dubbed Air Expeditionary Wing 2.0, in an effort to improve readiness and allow units’ components to train 18 months before deployment.

Special daylight lamps to combat winter blues can have a dramatic impact on exhaustion levels and overall mood. Can they also work for sailors standing watches at all hours in dark ship corridors and compartments?

Leonardo DRS announced the opening of a new naval power and propulsion facility in Charleston, South Carolina, to support the Navy’s drive for shipbuilding and its nuclear-powered Columbia-class submarine program — which is delayed by 17 months.

END of PDB

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

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