Strange Bedfellows & Breakups

1. Trump’s meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reignited questions about human rights, U.S. intelligence findings on Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, and Trump’s financial ties to the kingdom. Later, one lawmaker called on the White House to release the transcript of a 2019 call between the two that will "shock people." More in Top Story.
2. After six Democratic lawmakers released a video reminding military service members that they are required to follow legal orders — not illegal ones — Trump said they should be tried for sedition, which he claims is punishable by death. He also shared a Truth Social user’s call for the six to be hanged. In the video, the lawmakers — all former service members or intelligence officers — were echoing the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the same oath every service member already swears to uphold.
   1. Republicans called the video irresponsible and provocative, arguing it didn’t point to any specific illegal order Trump has issued. But last month, Senate Democrats on the Judiciary Committee sent a letter to the Department of Justice warning that service members are raising questions about Trump’s recent Caribbean strikes, which may be illegal. Trump claims at least 80 people killed in those strikes were narco-terrorists, but no evidence has been made public.
   2. Trump may be immune from prosecution for actions taken in office — service members are not. They must decide in real time whether to obey an order they believe is illegal. If they’re wrong, they bear the consequences. The video may be a reminder to service members to seek advice in advance if they have any concerns.
1. Rep. Elise Slotkin — a former CIA officer who served in Iraq — organized the campaign. She said she immediately received death threats, including a bomb threat targeting her home, and now has security.
2. Later, Trump tried to walk back his comments, saying the lawmakers are in “serious trouble.” He also said he directed the DOD to investigate them and explore what crimes they can be charged with.
3. Was there a better way to remind worried service members that their oath is to the Constitution — not the president? Possibly. But the president should be capable of leadership that avoids partisan attacks and threats.
3. Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act after the House and Senate passed it in an almost unanimous vote — a rare bipartisan push led by Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY). Only one lawmaker, Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA), voted against it.
   1. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced she was reopening the investigation after “new information” had come to light — just days after Trump demanded she investigate Democrats named in the files released by Epstein’s estate. Reporters asked what this “new information” was. Bondi refused to answer. She had previously said the case was closed and there were no pending investigations. She has now appointed a special prosecutor.
   2. The DOJ has 30 days to publish all unclassified documents related to the Epstein investigation. They are allowed to withhold identifying information about victims and any material connected to an ongoing investigation — but only for a limited period.
   3. Trump later threatened to revoke ABC’s broadcast license after a reporter asked why he hadn’t released the files himself. And on Air Force One last Friday, he pointed at a Bloomberg reporter and said, “Quiet, Piggy,” after she asked about the Epstein emails.
4. New York City’s Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani met with Trump at the White House on Friday — and the encounter turned bizarre. Trump acted giddy and overly affectionate, praising Mamdani as he stood beside the seated president. When a reporter asked if Mamdani still considered Trump a fascist, Trump laughed and said, “You can just say yes. It’s easier.” Trump insisted the two were very much alike, adding, “I’ll be cheering for him.” Mamdani remained polite, earning praise from observers for staying grounded. Trump loves a winner — which Mamdani is right now — but he’s mercurial, and his approval can evaporate overnight.
5. After five years in Congress, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) announced she is resigning effective January 5, 2026. Greene — the first MAGA hardliner to call Israel’s assault on Palestinians a genocide — has recently broken with Trump and other Republicans on healthcare, political rhetoric, and the release of the Epstein files. Greene supported the files’ release; Trump retaliated by calling her a “traitor.” In her video announcement, Greene said she didn’t want to face a brutal election after “all she has done for Trump.” “Loyalty is a two way street,” she said.

On Tuesday, Trump met with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) at the White House — their first meeting in seven years — and it immediately revived questions about human rights and Trump’s own financial entanglements.

When reporters entered the Oval Office after the meeting, ABC’s Mary Bruce asked how Americans could trust the crown prince — given that U.S. intelligence, under Trump’s own administration, concluded that MBS ordered the 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist and U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi. Trump attacked her, dismissed the question, and called ABC “fake.”

A DNI assessment cited concluding that MBS had likely ordered the killing, pointed to his absolute control over Saudi decision-making, his pattern of using violence to silence critics, and the involvement of his personal security detail in the killing as evidence of his role. Still, Trump defended MBS, saying “things happen” and claiming Khashoggi wasn’t “liked much.”

Khashoggi’s murder is part of a broader pattern. Under MBS, Saudi Arabia has carried out skyrocketing executions, mass arrests of activists and minority advocates, death sentences for social-media posts, repression of Shi’a communities, and the torture and deportation of migrant workers. Should the U.S. be expanding partnerships with a government responsible for such abuses — even as we lecture others about human rights?

Trump, however, has every incentive to defend MBS. His family has deep financial ties to Saudi Arabia: Saudi-funded golf tournaments at Trump properties, a $2 billion Saudi investment in son-in law Jared Kushner’s firm, and Trump-branded real estate ventures backed by Gulf money.

And Saudi Arabia wants more. The kingdom is seeking U.S. weapons, a stronger defense pact, nuclear and AI cooperation, and access to advanced technology. The Trump Administration also granted Saudi Arabia Major Non-NATO Ally status, a designation offering “military and economic privileges,” though not security commitments, according to the State Department. Trump also approved the sale of 35 F-35s and 300 American tanks. Israel is currently the only Middle Eastern country with F-35s — stealth aircraft capable of intelligence gathering, surveillance, and advanced combat missions. “The move is seen as a significant policy shift by Washington that could alter the military balance of power in the Middle East, where U.S. law states that Israel must maintain a ‘qualitative military edge.’”

So the real question is: Whose interests were represented in this meeting — America’s, or the Trump family’s?

There was another development. After Trump defended MBS, Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-VA) called on the White House to release the transcript of a 2019 call — made after Khashoggi was murdered — between Trump and MBS. Vindman says the call included something that “would shock people if they knew what was said,” implying it related to Khashoggi’s killing. At the time, Vindman served at the National Security Council and had also reviewed the Trump–Zelensky call in which Trump pressured Ukraine for political favors. Trump was later impeached for abusing his power.

In a speech on the House floor this week, Vindman said: “I reviewed many of Trump’s calls with foreign leaders. Of all the calls I reviewed, two stood out as the most problematic: The first, we all know, it was between President Trump and President Zelensky, which resulted in President Trump’s first impeachment.” The second, he said, was Trump’s call with MBS.

EXECUTIVE

• Trump has given Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday to respond to a 28-point peace plan that U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll presented to him this week, according to multiple news outlets. The administration has not confirmed it. One source tells Axios the proposal “would grant Russia parts of eastern Ukraine it does not currently control, in exchange for a U.S. security guarantee for Ukraine and Europe against future Russian aggression.”
• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says he plans to designate a drug cartel allegedly controlled by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as a terrorist organization on Monday. The move would give the administration “more tools” to curb alleged drug trafficking to the U.S. Trump has also ordered 20 strikes on vessels in international waters, killing at least 80 people they claimed were narco terrorists — without providing evidence. The Defense Department has been increasing its military presence in the region and conducted exercises on Friday. The FAA also warned airlines to avoid flying over the region due to “worsening security” and alleged satellite interference. Several major airlines say they had already stopped flying over the area.
• The Coast Guard was preparing to downgrade swastikas and nooses from “hate symbols” to merely “potentially divisive” — until the story leaked, triggering national outrage. “The abrupt policy change occurred hours after The Washington Post first reported that the service was about to enact new harassment guidelines,” the paper wrote. One Coast Guard official, speaking anonymously due to fear of reprisal, said: “We don’t deserve the trust of the nation if we’re unclear about the divisiveness of swastikas.”
• U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee secretly met with an American who served 30 years in prison for spying for Israel, according to three sources speaking to The New York Times (🎁 link). The spy, Jonathan Pollard, confirmed he met with Huckabee. The meeting was left off Huckabee’s official schedule and alarmed even the CIA station chief in Israel. The White House said it was not aware of the meeting but “stands by” Huckabee, who claimed the Times story had “inaccuracies.”
• FEMA chief David Richardson resigned after a tenure marked by controversy, including being missing during critical moments. Richardson, who had little emergency-management experience, was widely criticized for being absent during this summer’s catastrophic Texas floods that killed more than 100 people, including many children at a local camp. CNN reports he resigned before being fired. The agency’s chief of staff, Karen Evans, will take over December 1.
• Trump is moving forward with a plan to dismantle the Education Department, shifting most of its core responsibilities to other federal agencies. The proposal does not make clear how the restructuring would reduce the government’s footprint, though. (Politico)
• Trump says he’ll send $2,000 checks to eligible Americans next summer — just before the midterms — funded by tariff revenue he claims the U.S. has collected. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent acknowledges Congress must pass a law to authorize the payments. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is weighing whether Trump even has the authority to impose those tariffs, which could impact future revenue.
• MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) reports that FBI Director Kash Patel’s girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, has been assigned a protective detail after receiving threats. Her security team is composed of elite FBI SWAT agents based in Memphis, raising concerns. “SWAT team agents on a detail with Wilkins would presumably be unable to respond or delayed in responding to crises that might develop in their territory, such as mass shootings or terror attacks,” one source said.
• A man charged with illegally entering the Capitol on January 6 has been rearrested for allegedly molesting a child under 12 and committing lewd acts with a 16-year-old. On his first day in office, Trump pardoned everyone convicted of crimes linked to the insurrection and commuted additional sentences to time served.
• The White House allegedly intervened after Customs and Border Protection seized the phones of Trump ally Andrew Tate — accused of rape and sex trafficking in the U.S., Britain, and Romania — and his brother Tristan upon their arrival in the U.S. in February. ProPublica reports that Paul Ingrassia — the same White House official who admitted to having a “Nazi streak” in leaked texts — called CBP and told them to return the devices. The White House declined to comment. Ingrassia – who once worked at the same law firm as the current lawyer for the Tate brothers – denied the claim.
• “It feels like we’re on a hijacked plane.” That’s how one CDC source described learning that the agency’s website had been updated to claim that “The claim ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism.” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — who has no medical background — later admitted to The New York Times that he ordered the change. CDC staff say the update blurs the line between scientific guidance and political messaging and will mislead parents. “People will be harmed by this,” another CDC source said. “Parents will decide not to vaccinate their kids because of false information, and kids will get sick and die as a result.” Experts note that while some specific studies haven’t been conducted, Kennedy is demanding a level of proof that is virtually impossible to produce. As Dr. Arthur Caplan of NYU has said: “You can’t prove that Coca-Cola doesn’t cause autism either.” The American Medical Association responded that vaccines are safe and that decades of scientific research show no link between vaccines and autism.

IMMIGRATION

• ICE is placing new recruits into the field before completing their vetting, NBC reports. Some recruits have failed drug tests or have “disqualifying criminal backgrounds,” while others haven’t been vetted at all. The agency has received millions in new funding to hire more agents to meet Trump’s demands for increased immigration arrests.
  • ICE’s latest operation targeted Charlotte, North Carolina (“Operation Charlotte’s Web”), where agents arrested more than 250 people. As that winds down, the agency is preparing a two-month operation in New Orleans called “Swamp Sweep.”
  • Louisiana’s Republican governor, Jeff Landry — a close Trump ally — says he welcomes it. But the city’s Mexican American mayor-elect, Helena Morena, is warning residents to know their rights after reports of civil-rights violations and abuse in other cities.
• Gregory Bovino, the ICE official overseeing these citywide operations, also led an operation in Chicago where agents raided an apartment building in the middle of the night, repelled to the roof from Black Hawk helicopters, and detained children and families for hours. After reports of potential civil-rights violations, a federal judge ordered Bovino and other agents to wear body cameras. This week, Judge Sara Ellis issued a blistering report after reviewing the footage and concluded that federal agents engaged in an “officially sanctioned common practice of violating the First and Fourth Amendment rights” of peaceful individuals, journalists, and religious practitioners — and that Bovino lied about certain events. Ellis said the agents had no legal justification for many of their actions, which she described as behavior that “shocks the conscience.”
• A federal judge ruled that Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., was illegal because the president lacks the authority to do so “for the deterrence of crime.” The government may appeal.

CONGRESS

• As promised, the House voted unanimously to repeal a provision that allowed senators to sue the federal government for millions if their personal data was accessed without their knowledge. Senate Majority Leader John Thune is less likely to bring this up for a vote since he’s the one that added the language. Republican lawmakers claim the Biden Administration “tapped” their phones during an investigation into the insurrection January 6th. However, the FBI legally accessed their phone logs — a common practice. Some Republican senators say they’re not going to get rid of it but may consider changing it to cover House members as well.
• The House Ethics Committee is investigating Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) under pressure from Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) and after the Office of Congressional Conduct determined there was “substantial reason” that Mill lied or omitted financial disclosure information. Mills has also been accused of domestic violence and lying about his military record. Mace wants Mills stripped of his seats on the Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees. Mills denies any wrongdoing. NOTUS reports this weekend that Mills was also caught with sex workers during a 2021 trip to Afghanistan and that he once threatened an ex with revenge porn.
• The House voted 209-213-3 to not censure Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI) after the latest Epstein document tranche exposed the lawmaker’s relationship with the disgraced financier. Emails show that Plaskett texted with Epstein during a 2019 congressional hearing — after his first conviction for sex trafficking — during which she asked him for advice on questions given his intimate knowledge with the focus of the hearing. Plaskett said she thought Epstein had information and that she wanted to “get at the truth." Epstein also owned an island in the US Virgin Islands.
• Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) was indicted for allegedly stealing and laundering $5 million in funds from FEMA. The DOJ claims that along with her brother, she funneled the money into a health company — with ties to her family. Her office says they will “fight to clear her good name.”
• Rep. Eric Swalwell (D) announced he’s running for governor in California.

COURTS

• In a surprising development, U.S. attorney Lindsay Halligan — who is prosecuting former FBI Director James Comey, a longtime Trump enemy, for allegedly lying to Congress — admitted in court that the final version of the indictment was only reviewed by the jury foreperson and one other juror, not the full panel. That is a major procedural breach and may rise to prosecutorial misconduct. If the case is dismissed, prosecutors may not be able to refile because the statute of limitations expired shortly after the first case was brought.
• The Supreme Court may announce as early as Monday whether it will hear the administration’s appeal of lower-court rulings blocking Trump’s ban on birthright citizenship. The justices met Friday to consider the petition.
• The Supreme Court says Texas can use its newly redrawn congressional maps — which add five more Republican seats — while lawsuits proceed. A lower court had blocked the maps, finding they likely discriminated on the basis of race.
• In North Carolina, an appeals court ruled the state can continue using a Republican-drawn congressional map passed earlier this year that nets the GOP one additional House seat. Civil rights groups say the map dilutes the political power of Black and Hispanic voters.
• Judge James Boasberg — long reviled by Trump allies — is picking up where he left off, launching contempt hearings for Trump officials who allegedly defied his orders to pause deportation flights sending hundreds of Venezuelans to a notorious prison in El Salvador earlier this year.

GAZA

• As of Saturday night, Israel has killed 342 people since the “ceasefire” went into effect on October 10 — most of them women and children, according to Al Jazeera. Israel has allowed only a quarter of the agreed number of humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza and continues to falsely claim it has honored the ceasefire.
• The UN Security Council voted to approve the deployment of an International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza as part of the proposed ceasefire deal — a deal Israel has violated more than a hundred times. “Ralph Wilde, a leading international law academic and practitioner, told MEE that the resolution attempts to codify ‘trusteeship’ over Gaza, a colonial arrangement that breaches the Palestinians’ right to self-determination.” (Middle East Eye)
• The Israeli military continues to breach the so-called “yellow line,” which demarcates Israel’s area of control from Hamas-controlled Gaza. Israel has advanced nearly 1,000 feet beyond the line. Dozens of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces for allegedly crossing the “line,” though in many cases it is invisible or impossible to identify. (Al Jazeera)

OCCUPIED WEST BANK

• Mohammed Ibrahim — a 16-year-old American citizen held in an Israeli prison since February — is growing increasingly frail, his family says. A U.S. embassy official who met with him reported the boy had lost significant weight. His family says he has also contracted scabies — a common condition in Israeli prisons due to unsanitary conditions. Israel has refused to release him, and the U.S. is doing little to help secure his freedom. Ways to help are listed here.
• Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) reports that at least 94 Palestinian prisoners have died in Israeli detention since October 2023. (Al Jazeera)
• Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank is escalating sharply. This week alone, dozens of attacks were reported, including settlers setting property on fire as families slept, raiding and vandalizing homes, and assaulting Palestinians. No arrests have been made — which is typical. Israeli sources claim Netanyahu convened security officials to discuss curbing the violence.

ISRAEL
In an ironic twist, Germany says it will lift its suspension on some weapons sales to Israel following last month’s ceasefire agreement.

BRAZIL

• Global leaders reached a climate agreement at COP30 in Brazil after weeks of negotiations. Under the deal, wealthy nations will triple the money they provide to help developing countries — which are disproportionately affected by climate change — adapt to its impacts by 2035. In exchange, the final agreement will not explicitly name fossil fuels as the cause of global warming.
  
  “A climate decision that cannot even say fossil fuels is not neutrality, it is complicity. And what is happening here transcends incompetence,” said Juan Carlos Monterrey, Panama’s negotiator. Scientists warn that while existing national commitments have lowered projected warming, they still fall short of keeping temperatures below 1.5°C — the threshold beyond which the worst impacts of climate change become unavoidable. The U.S. refused to send a representative. (Reuters)
• Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro — convicted and sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempting a coup — was arrested after authorities suspected he planned to flee the country before beginning his sentence. (AP)

NIGERIA: At least 303 children and 12 teachers were abducted from a Catholic school in Nigeria amid worsening internal conflicts between Christians and Muslims — tensions fueled in part by climate pressures and economic instability. Trump has threatened to send U.S. troops to rescue Christians he claims are facing genocide by Muslims, despite data showing that both groups are being targeted. “Security experts say such attacks and kidnappings are motivated by money, and schools are easy targets as they lack adequate security. Also, parents are more prepared to raise ransoms to bring back their children.” (BBC)

• Former presidents George W. Bush and Joe Biden attended former Vice President Dick Cheney’s funeral this week — where Trump and Vance were not invited. (CNN)
• An elderly Seattle man with preexisting conditions has become the first person to die from the H5N5 strain of the bird flu. Health experts say the risk to others is low, and no close contacts have tested positive. (Seattle Times)
• Elon Musk’s AI chatbot “Grok” appears to have been trained to lavish praise on Musk — calling him “strikingly handsome” and in better shape than LeBron James. Musk claims an “adversarial” party tampered with the model. Grok previously denied the Holocaust. (Washington Post)
• A Reuters investigation found that 600 Americans were fired for comments they made about slain commentator Charlie Kirk following his September death. (Reuters)
• One of the country’s most restrictive abortion bills failed to advance in South Carolina after Republicans declined to vote on it. The proposal would have imposed harsh prison sentences on women who obtained abortions and restricted access to IUDs and IVF. (AP)

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