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FBI investigating Florida incident as ‘assassination attempt on Trump’

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Federal authorities are investigating an incident at Donald Trump’s golf club in Florida on Sunday that ‘appears to be an assassination attempt’.

Rafael Barros, the special agent in charge of Miami, told a news conference that Secret Service agents ‘opened fire on an armed individual who was near the property line’ of the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, adding that the agency was ‘not sure if the person in custody fired at our agents’.

Trump, who was golfing at the club at the time, was unharmed.

According to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, a Secret Service agent saw the suspect enter the golf course through the fence with a rifle and immediately fired at the man before he fled the scene. Bradshaw said Trump was 300 to 500 yards away from the suspect.

Bradshaw said law enforcement later found an AK-47-style rifle with a scope in the bushes. Two backpacks containing ceramic tiles and a GoPro camera were also found hanging from a chain-link fence. Bradshaw said the suspect was ‘intent on filming the whole thing’.

Bradshaw said a witness saw the suspect flee in a black Nissan and took photos of the vehicle and the number plate. The suspect was later stopped in the vehicle and taken into custody by authorities on Interstate 95 in neighbouring Martin County.

The FBI said in a statement that it was ‘investigating what appears to be an assassination attempt on former President Trump’. According to Bradshaw, the incident occurred around 1:30 p.m. The Palm Beach County State Attorney said prosecutors had issued a warrant for the suspect’s arrest.

Steven Cheung, the Trump campaign’s communications director, said in a statement less than an hour after the incident that the former president ‘was safe after shots were heard in his vicinity’. Trump was taken inside the golf club.

Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, senior advisers to the Trump campaign, sent an email to campaign staff urging them to be ‘vigilant’ in their ‘daily comings and goings’.

President Trump and all of his entourage are safe thanks to the great work of the United States Secret Service,’ the email said.

Asked how the breach had occurred, Bradshaw said Trump was ‘not a sitting president’ and that security was not as tight as it would be for a sitting president.

If he were, we’d have the entire golf course surrounded, but he’s not, so security is limited to areas the Secret Service deems possible,’ Bradshaw said.

Kamala Harris, Trump’s rival in the election, said in a statement that she was ‘deeply troubled by the possible assassination attempt on former President Trump today’.

“As the facts unfold, I will be clear: I condemn political violence, and we must all do our part to ensure that this incident does not lead to further violence,” Harris said.

On the other hand, Republicans took action against the rhetoric against Trump, who has reportedly been attacked twice in two months.

Republican Representative Mike Waltz told Fox News on Sunday: “This rhetoric about President Trump, this rhetoric about him being the next dictator, the next Hitler, has got to stop. Enough is enough. When you get rhetoric from the left, from the media, even from elected officials that Trump has to be stopped at all costs, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that these people are radicalised and mobilised in this way,” he said.

Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk X said: “They’re going to keep trying to kill Trump. This is just the beginning. This will only end if we win in November,” he wrote.

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Susie Wiles appointed as Trump’s chief of staff

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Following Donald Trump’s election as President of the United States, he began appointing key figures to new positions within his administration.

For the first time, a woman has been appointed as White House Chief of Staff. Susie Wiles, a prominent figure in Florida politics, rose from her role as Trump’s 2016 Florida campaign director to becoming a senior advisor for his 2024 candidacy.

According to Politico, Wiles was instrumental in helping Trump secure the presidency by running a disciplined and professional campaign operation. Wiles demonstrated a unique ability to manage Trump’s impulses, an accomplishment few others have achieved. In a statement, Trump described Wiles as “tough, smart, innovative, and universally admired and respected.”

One of Wiles’ defining characteristics, as noted by Politico, is her preference for working behind the scenes rather than making public speeches. She has a history with major lobbying firms, previously managing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ campaign and working with Republicans such as Mitt Romney and Rick Scott.

Wiles’ role in Trump’s campaign strategy

Politico highlighted Wiles’ impact on transforming Trump’s once-chaotic political landscape into a more organized operation. This reorganization was particularly critical after Trump’s 2020 loss and the numerous legal challenges he faced in 2021. With Wiles’ involvement, Trump re-emerged as a presidential contender.

In addition to her work on Trump’s campaign, Wiles also lobbied for tobacco company Swisher International. She currently heads Mercury, a major lobbying firm whose clients include SpaceX, AT&T, and the Embassy of Qatar. However, Wiles herself is not registered as a lobbyist for these clients.

Since joining Trump’s campaign in 2022, Wiles has lobbied Congress on FDA regulations from 2023 to early 2024. Public disclosures indicate that Mercury received $120,000 for its work with Swisher International during this time, although Mercury ended its relationship with Swisher earlier this year.

Mercury CEO Kieran Mahoney congratulated Wiles on her appointment, stating, “This is great news for the country. Susie has been a valued colleague. We are all proud of her and wish her well.”

Trump’s 75-day transition team

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Trump’s 75-day transition team

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With the United States presidential election now concluded, President-elect Donald Trump has a 75-day transition period to assemble his team before the inauguration on January 20.

One of the most critical tasks for the transition team will be to fill nearly 4,000 federal government positions. However, the transition involves more than just appointments. Most presidents-elect receive daily or near-daily intelligence briefings throughout this period.

Trump’s transition team includes close friends and family members, such as John F. Kennedy Jr. and former Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard, alongside the president-elect’s sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, as well as Vice President-elect JD Vance.

The transition co-chairs are Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick and former professional wrestling executive Linda McMahon, who previously led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term.

Lutnick described this year’s operation as “about as different as you can get” from the 2016 transition, which was initially led by Chris Christie. Eight years ago, Trump dismissed Christie’s plans, putting then-Vice President Mike Pence in charge of the transition instead.

In 2016, Trump assembled a Cabinet of more mainstream Republicans and business leaders, though many have since distanced themselves. This time, Trump has emphasized that loyalty will be highly valued in his appointments.

Unlike the campaign of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, Trump’s team did not sign a transition agreement with the General Services Administration (GSA)—which acts as the federal government’s landlord—before Election Day. Consequently, it missed deadlines to secure logistical agreements with the GSA on office space, technical support, and agency access for documents, staff, and facilities.

Uncertainty remains around Trump’s potential Cabinet picks. For example, Trump campaign co-chair Susie Wiles, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and former White House domestic policy adviser Brooke Rollins have been mentioned for White House Chief of Staff. Possible candidates for Attorney General include Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry and Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt, while Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, former Deputy Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell, and Florida Representative Mike Waltz are being considered for National Security and CIA roles.

For a high-profile role like Secretary of State, the names of Florida Senator Marco Rubio and Tennessee Senator Bill Hagerty are circulating among Washington circles.

Additionally, figures like Elon Musk and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are expected to provide advice to President Trump.

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The rise of BRICS: The end of dollar dominance in global economic arena

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In the current changing world, the BRICS group has emerged as a new player in the global political and economic arena. The key players in this group are Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, and other countries have recently joined this group, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Ethiopia.

This variety of countries has increased the strength of this group in terms of politics, economy and geography. These countries, which account for more than 45pc of the world’s population and 26.98pc of the world’s gross domestic product, play an important role in global political and economic developments. In this sense, BRICS is considered as an influential factor in economic and political developments.

The tendency of new countries to join this platform shows their desire to reduce their dependence on the US dollar and western markets. Thus, BRICS seeks to create a common currency to strengthen economic cooperation and facilitate trade between member countries, which can replace the dollar in economic exchanges in the future.

Reducing dependence on the dollar:

The dominance of the US dollar over the world economy began after the end of World War II and the establishment of the Bretton Woods system in 1944, in which the dollar was introduced as the main currency for international trade, but this dominance ended with the abandonment of the gold standard in 1971.

Therefore, one of the main goals of the BRICS countries to create a common currency is to reduce dependence on the US dollar as a global currency and its dominance in international trade. BRICS member countries seek to remain immune from currency fluctuations and US economic sanctions.

The strength of economic cooperation: 

The creation of a common currency can help facilitate trade between BRICS countries and prevent additional costs related to currency conversion.

This issue can increase the competitiveness of the goods and services of member countries in domestic and foreign markets and promote regional trade in a faster and cheaper way. Increasing trade between member countries directly contributes to economic growth.

Strengthening the political position:

The BRICS countries seek to strengthen their position in the international arena and reduce the influence of Western powers and challenge the dominance of the dollar. A common currency can help strengthen international cooperation and representation of these countries in the global financial system. Building stronger ties between member states can also help strengthen them on the world stage.

Attracting and facilitating investment:

By creating a common currency and ensuring financial stability, the attraction of foreign investment will be boosted. Foreign investors can easily cooperate in many projects both independently and jointly because challenges related to costs and other currency conversion problems have been resolved, this will help facilitate trade and investment for BRICS members.

An introduction to the prerequisites for creating a new currency for BRICS members

Creating a common currency for BRICS members can help strengthen economic cooperation and reduce dependence on traditional currencies such as the US dollar.

However, certain prerequisites are necessary for this initiative to succeed. These prerequisites include strong economic cooperation among the member countries, political stability, creating a coherent financial system and suitable legal arrangements for the diverse economy of the members.

Providing these above conditions can pave the way for the adoption and effective use of the new currency and help to strengthen the position of BRICS in the global financial system.

Prerequisites:

To create a common currency, the BRICS countries need certain conditions, including providing a suitable platform for strong economic cooperation among the member countries, economic diversity, cohesion to create a financial system, and political stability, which is the most important pillar of this prerequisite. In order for the new currency to be implemented, the member countries must reach full economic convergence. This convergence includes common understanding and agreement on financial, commercial and economic policies.

Political support:

Creating a common currency requires strong political support from the BRICS leaders. Despite the symbolic support for the new currency at the meeting of the BRICS members in Russia, the members of the group must remain steadfast on the political support of this issue, otherwise it can cause difficulties in the process of this joint project.

Challenges: Major differences in size and economic structure

One of the main challenges in creating a BRICS common currency is the economic and financial differences between member countries.

BRICS countries have different economic structures and these differences can lead to conflicts in financial and currency policies.

For example, China and India as larger and faster growing economies in BRICS will have a high capacity to influence common policies, while the economies of Russia, Saudi Arabia and Iran are dependent on natural gas and oil resources.

Brazil and South Africa both have smaller economies and are relatively dependent on certain industries such as agriculture, mining and raw materials.

Ethiopia is a country that has one of the highest economic growth rates in Africa, and agriculture plays an important role in the Ethiopian economy, and this country is recently trying to become a commercial and industrial center in East Africa.

As the second largest economy in the world, China is considered the largest and most industrialized economy and the driving force of BRICS, which undoubtedly plays a dominant role in the economy of this group.

This situation can lead to more dependence of member countries on China and economic differences between members; Because smaller countries may not be able to keep up with the speed of growth and economic complexity of China.

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