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‘Considering What We Are Facing’: US Cyber Defense Halt Against Russia Stuns Republican

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A prominent Republican congressman, the former House Intelligence Committee chair, appeared shocked on national television when he learned that U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has ordered a top Pentagon agency, U.S. Cyber Command, to suspend operations and planning against Russia’s cyber offensives.

Secretary Hegseth’s “stand down” order, while allegedly temporary, is expected to “last for the foreseeable future,” according to The Record, a cybersecurity news site which first reported the news.

CNN reported that a senior U.S. official called Hegseth’s order “a major blow.”

According to the network, “planning for such operations takes time and research to carry out. The concern, the official said, is that the pause on offensive cyber operations against Russia will make the U.S. more vulnerable to potential cyberattacks from Moscow, which has a formidable cadre of hackers capable of disrupting U.S. critical infrastructure and collecting sensitive intelligence.”

READ MORE: World Leaders Rush to Support Zelenskyy as Americans Debate Trump’s Allegiance

The development has received widespread coverage over the weekend.

“Russia is not a significant cyber threat to the U.S. anymore, Trump’s new Defense Secretary says,” the science and technology website Gizmodo reported. “The policy shift represents a complete 180-degree turn from America’s posture over the past decade, which has consistently considered Russia one of the top cybersecurity threats. Credible reporting and government investigations have shown that Russia has hacked into U.S. systems countless times.”

Experts were also stunned.

Veteran cyber expert James Lewis, formerly of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said “it’s delusional to think” the stand down order “will turn Russia and the FSB [the Russian security agency] into our friends,” The Guardian reported. “They hate the U.S. and are still mad about losing the cold war. Pretending otherwise won’t change this.”

The order appears to extend past the Department of Defense, suggesting it may have originated at the highest levels of the executive branch.

Analysts at the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) received a new priorities directive that included China, but not Russia, The Guardian also reported. One source “said analysts at the agency were verbally informed that they were not to follow or report on Russian threats, even though this had previously been a main focus for the agency.”

“Russia and China are our biggest adversaries,” that source said. “With all the cuts being made to different agencies, a lot of cybersecurity personnel have been fired. Our systems are not going to be protected and our adversaries know this.”

READ MORE: ‘What the Hell Is This?’: GOP Group’s Andrew Tate Invitation Draws Bipartisan Outrage

“People are saying Russia is winning,” they added. “Putin is on the inside now.”

U.S. Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) has decades of defense experience in Congress, having served on several committees on the armed forces and veterans affairs, and as Chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence until January—when Speaker Mike Johnson unexpectedly removed him from that critical position. He is a strong supporter of Ukraine and opposes Russia.

At the time of his removal, The Bulwark’s Bill Kristol remarked, “If you’re going to sell out Ukraine to Putin, makes sense to get Turner out of the way first.”

Last year, Turner was also one of a few House Republicans who “were warning about how elements of their party had been infected by Russian propaganda,” The Washington Post’s Aaron Blake noted on Monday. (Video of Turner from last year here.) Turner, he added, “was removed 7 months later as chair of the House intel committee.”

In February 2024, Turner issued a “national security threat” warning on Russia’s activities in space so dire that President Biden’s National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby was forced to deliver a statement from the White House press briefing room.

On Sunday’s “Face the Nation,” CBS News’ Margaret Brennan told Congressman Turner (video below), that “CBS has confirmed these reports that Defense Secretary Hegseth has ordered U.S. Cyber Command to temporarily halt cyber operations and planning against Russia. The Washington Post reports that that’s as long as the negotiations continue. There are no negotiations under way. Does this concern you? Have you been briefed on this?”

A stunned and stammering Rep. Turner delivered his response.

“I can’t – I don’t – no, I’m not – unaware of that. And I don’t believe that that would be – there are too many, I’m certain, considerations there for that to be an accurate statement, so blanket,” he said, according to the official CBS transcript.

“But they have ordered Cyber Command to halt cyber operations,” Brennan reiterated.

“Considering what I know that – that – considering what I know what – what Russia is currently doing against the United States, that would, I’m certain, not be an accurate statement of the current status of the United States’ operations,” Turner insisted, despite multiple news reports confirming the stand down order.

“I’m confident, considering what Russia is currently doing against the United States, that the United States, the status against Russia would not be that, considering what we are facing from Russia operations,” Turner added.

Watch the video below or at this link.

READ MORE: ‘Did I Say That? I Can’t Believe I Said That’: Trump’s Remarks Again Fuel Memory Questions

 

 

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‘Out of Order!’: Marjorie Taylor Greene Triggers Shouting Match Between Comer and Top Dem

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April 30, 2025

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Republican U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene ignited a heated confrontation during a budget bill hearing Wednesday by claiming that budgets have nothing to do with policy — a stance that top Democrats have long argued contradicts core American values. Her assertion drew an immediate rebuttal from one of the committee’s top Democrats, but Oversight Chairman James Comer jumped to Greene’s defense, attempting to cut off the correction and escalating the exchange into a shouting match, while mocking Democrats’ efforts to preserve and honor American values.

After U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) made an impassioned plea to not cut the budget of the Veterans Administration, or Social Security, or Medicare in order to produce a $4 trillion tax cut largely for the wealthy — a top Trump priority — Congresswoman Greene lashed out.

“I’d like to point something out that our Democrat colleagues know this, because they did reconciliation before when they are they were in charge and, you know, it may be hard for some of the freshman Dems to understand, but this is not a policy debate,” the Georgia Republican alleged. “That’s not what reconciliation is. This is a budget process.”

“And so for the American people watching at home, our Democrat colleagues are sitting here trying to score points and spread more lies and divisiveness about Republicans in order to spread more garbage across the country,” she charged, calling Democrats’ pleas “entertainment.”

READ MORE: ‘Please Chill This Is Going Great’: Trump Mocked for Blaming Biden Amid Poor Economic Data

That’s when U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch, a Massachusetts Democrat in Congress for nearly a quarter century and possibly next in line for Ranking Member of the Oversight Committee, slammed Greene’s interpretation of the Committee’s work.

“Mr. Chairman, I just want to say, our federal budget reflects our values,” Lynch declared, a statement many budget experts would affirm, and one that has been by President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

“When we fund the VA,” Lynch continued, “it’s not just about numbers. It’s about, it’s about the mission, and the purpose of our budget.”

Chairman Comer appeared to grow angry.

“You do understand our federal budget is $2.5 trillion?” Comer declared, appearing to suggest details like how much spent on veterans was not worth the Committee’s time. “We can’t have ‘values’,” Comer insisted, with the amount of debt the federal government is carrying.

“Reclaiming my time — you don’t get to just interject, Mr. Chairman,” Lynch charged.

You know what? I think you’ve already spoken, so you’re out of order,” Comer declared, hitting his desk with his gavel.

“I will speak,” Lynch, now heated, told the Chair. “You’re about to put our country $4 trillion more than debt.”

“I don’t think you all could find a billion dollars in savings,” Comer alleged.

“Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time. Reclaiming my time,” Lynch again declared.

“You can talk all you want. I want everyone in America to see how much — ” Comer snapped.

“Mr. Chairman. You’re out of order. You’re out of order. You’re the chairman, you’re out of order,” Lynch again charged.

READ MORE: ‘Prices Go Up’: Economist Mocks Treasury Secretary’s ‘Empty Shelves’ Position

“Now, without interruption,” Lynch continued, “what we decide here in the budget is what I’m the point I’m trying to make is it’s not just dollars and cents. It’s about where, where that money goes, and what, what purposes and what, what priorities it reflects. And those, you know, governing is about making decisions, and we we choose to fund things that in this country, we have honored for a very long time, and that, you know, I have to say, in my 25 years in Congress, we have had very little disagreement on funding veteran benefits.”

Lynch went on to lament that “now we’re fighting tooth and tongs — and nail — about whether we’re gonna lay off 80,000 employees at the VA. What I’m saying is that, sure, it’s about the budget, but underlying that budget is is our priorities as a country. What we consider to be worthwhile . And I feel that veterans’ benefits are worthwhile. Veterans, healthcare is worthwhile. The way we treat our federal employees is important. It is intrinsic to be the work of the federal government and how we help the most vulnerable, as well as, you, average everyday Americans on Social Security, on Medicaid.”

Watch the videos below or at this link.


RELATED: As US Economy Shrinks Trump Appears Unaware of Crisis: ‘This Is Biden’s Stock Market’

 

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‘Please Chill This Is Going Great’: Trump Mocked for Blaming Biden Amid Poor Economic Data

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9 hours ago

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April 30, 2025

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President Donald Trump, the Trump White House, and top administration officials are insisting Wednesday’s first quarter negative GDP numbers — showing a contracting economy for the first time in almost three years, since COVID — are actually good news but also the fault of President Joe Biden.

The New York Times characterized President Trump’s first quarter results as “a stunning reversal from the strong growth at the end of last year.”

Speaking at a televised Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, President Trump, reading from notes on the GDP results, said, “you know, you probably saw some numbers today. And I have to start off by saying, that’s Biden. That’s not Trump, because we came in on January just the quarterly numbers, and we came in and I was very against everything that Biden was doing in terms of the economy destroying our country.”

Later, at that same meeting, Trump continued.

The stock market, Trump insisted “in this case is it says how bad a situation we inherited.”

READ MORE: ‘Prices Go Up’: Economist Mocks Treasury Secretary’s ‘Empty Shelves’ Position

Leading economists say President Biden handed President Trump a robust economy — which is now in crisis, much like when President Barack Obama handed Trump a robust economy, which Trump reportedly handed over to Biden in “shambles.”

“I took place, this is a quarter that we looked at today. And I took place, we took, all of us together, we came in on January 20th,” said, Trump, appearing to stumble over his words. “So this is Biden, and you can even say the next quarter is sort of Biden, because it doesn’t just happen on a daily or even hourly basis.”

The Independent’s Andrew Feinberg challenged Trump on those points.

“You frequently took credit for the stock market highs. You said it was a reflection of how well you were doing in the polls, and then after you were elected, you said the stock market highs were a reflection of how well the transition’s going and the American people’s confidence in your incoming administration,” Feinberg declared. “Now, the stock market’s not doing so well, and you’re saying that’s the Biden stock market, yet you are the president. Can you explain that?”

“No,” Trump replied. “I’m not taking credit or discredit for the stock market.”

The negative GDP numbers are for the full months of January, February, and March, so about 20 days short of the full three months took place on President Trump’s watch.

RELATED: As US Economy Shrinks Trump Appears Unaware of Crisis: ‘This Is Biden’s Stock Market’

But even Trump claimed credit for strong stock market numbers before he was sworn in to office — nearly one full year before he was sworn in to office, as political scientist Ian Bremmer noted:

Trump earlier on Wednesday had posted to his Truth Social account, “This is Biden’s Stock Market, not Trump’s. I didn’t take over until January 20th. Tariffs will soon start kicking in, and companies are starting to move into the USA in record numbers. Our Country will boom, but we have to get rid of the Biden ‘Overhang.’ This will take a while, has NOTHING TO DO WITH TARIFFS, only that he left us with bad numbers, but when the boom begins, it will be like no other. BE PATIENT!!!”

As the Times noted, Peter Navarro, Senior Counselor to the President for Trade and Manufacturing, and a convicted felon who served in the first Trump administration, claimed that the G.D.P. figures “really should be very positive news for America.”

The Times remarked, “Few economists agree.”

It is not just President Trump and his trade architect Peter Navarro, attempting to “spin” the negative numbers.

“Well, look,” Trump White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly told C-SPAN on Wednesday, “if you break it down, there is an outsized influence of January in that [GDP] report. Remember, this president wasn’t elected until January 20th. The GDP is a backward looking indicator, but all the other indicators that what we do have from that report and others show that there is a really positive trend for this president’s new golden age that he is unleashing.”

At President Trump’s Cabinet meeting, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent praised the president’s “momentous” first 100 days and asserted that “American families are finding their financial footing again”—a claim at odds with recent consumer confidence reports, which have fallen to their lowest levels since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bessent also stated that “energy costs are down, mortgage rates have plummeted, and food costs are moving lower.” However, each of those claims is subject to challenge, with data and examples that suggest the opposite in many cases.

In a statement, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed “New Data Reveals Strong Economic Momentum.”

“It’s no surprise the leftovers of Biden’s economic disaster have been a drag on economic growth, but the underlying numbers tell the real story of the strong momentum President Trump is delivering. Robust core GDP, the highest gross domestic investment in four years, job growth, and trillions of dollars in new investments secured by President Trump are fueling an economic boom and setting the stage for unprecedented growth as President Trump ushers in the new Golden Age.”

Aaron Fritschner, Deputy Chief of Staff for U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), observed, “The White House statement on the GDP report simultaneously takes the positions that the economy contracting in the first quarter is both a good thing and Biden’s fault.”

Meanwhile, critics are blasting Trump and his administration.

“If you’re keeping track, Candidate Trump claimed credit for a booming stock market a year before he would ultimately take office, but here President Trump blames his predecessor after 100 days of his stewardship of the economy,” wrote NBC News senior White House correspondent Garrett Haake.

And in an all-caps post, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI), the Democrats’ Chief Deputy Whip, appeared to mock Trump: “Last year when the stock market was booming that was because of me but now that I am president the problems are Bidens fault please chill this is going great I’m making deals be patient shortages are fine aaaaahhhhhh.”

Watch the videos above or at this link.

READ MORE: ‘Great Jobs of the Future’ Are Generations of Family Factory Work Says Commerce Secretary

 

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‘Prices Go Up’: Economist Mocks Treasury Secretary’s ‘Empty Shelves’ Position

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1 day ago

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April 29, 2025

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A prominent economist is challenging U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s claims about the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariff war on Americans’ ability to access goods in stores and online.

Bessent, a hedge fund manager and Trump donor and fundraiser, was asked on Monday if he’s worried about the possibility of empty shelves.

“Not at present,” Bessent told Fox News. “We have some great retailers. I assume they preordered.”

Appearing to mock Bessent, Wolfers paraphrased the Treasury Secretary: “If I hurt the American consumer enough, we’ll see how quickly the Chinese want to deescalate.”

READ MORE: ‘Great Jobs of the Future’ Are Generations of Family Factory Work Says Commerce Secretary

“Well,” Wolfers continued, “I’m not sure which side’s meant to be looking out for us right now,” he told MSNBC’s Katy Tur.

“Bessent might be right to say that shelves aren’t going to be empty,” Wolfers explained, “but the reason that would be is, if we have less stuff coming into the country and we’re not making more stuff, the only way that the shelves don’t empty is if the prices go up.”

“So, I think at this point, any economist is forecasting, either the shelves empty or the prices go up a lot. I’m actually in camp prices go up, but these are two pretty terrible flavors.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Wolfers appeared to mock several top members of the Trump administration.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick “says he’s relying on Bessent to get a deal done with China, but on Sunday Bessent said he didn’t know whether or how often Trump has been calling Chinese President Xi, and Trump said he’s calling, but Xi said he’s not getting through,” Wolfers explained before asking, “Is anyone working on this?”

Watch the video below or at this link.

READ MORE: ‘Lying Again’: Hegseth Ripped for Ending ‘Woke Biden Initiative’ Trump Signed Into Law

 

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