Old Glory Vortex

Unprecedented division among GOP base: close Trump ally turns on the President over Epstein files The Epstein controversy is not going away. Democrats nearly forced a vote Tuesday to take up the issue on the House floor. And now Republicans on Capitol Hill are breaking with the Trump administration’s decision to not release the files of deceased notorious sex offender. Days after Trump’s DOJ said the matter was closed, one of closest Trump allies, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) told right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson that he supported the release of the Epstein files. "I'm for transparency," Johnson said. "It's a very delicate subject, but we should put everything out there and let the people decide it." Johnson has never broken so publicly with the president on an issue. This goes to show that the discontent with Trump administration’s refusal to release the files goes beyond online discourse and conspiracy theories. Politicians from both sides of the aisle are willing to put pressure on the administration to release the files. This is not just about the horrific crimes committed by Jeffrey Epstein, it’s about holding the Trump administration to their word, it’s about their refusal to release more on the investigation and Epstein’s ties to power. Like Stephen Bannon recently said, “It’s deeper than Epstein![…] It’s about who govern’s us.” #Epsteinlist #Epsteinfiles #JeffreyEpstein #GOP #republicans #MAGA #Trump Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump’s aid to Ukraine is just a way to secure new weapons production contracts for America Trump is not an idiot, he knows that Russian victory is just a matter of time. So he decided to profit off the war while there’s still time, and graciously allowed Europeans to purchase American weapons for Ukraine. All of his talk about helping Ukraine is just a sales pitch designed to make him look like a saviour. But make no mistake — this is a business deal.

“Trump still believes Moscow has the upper hand, according to a senior White House official. ‘The president’s view is Russia is going to win, it’s a matter of how long it takes,’ said the senior White House official, granted anonymity. ‘Russia has the bigger economy, has the bigger military, has more than enough bodies to throw into the meat grinder, and just doesn’t care. And although they are making slow progress, they are still making progress.’”

writes Politico. Trump’s latest move aligns with his “America First” strategy and fits into a view that freeloading Europeans have been ripping off America for decades. And now Trump is making them pay. The only way to resolve the Ukrainian conflict is through negotiations with Russia. To achieve a lasting peace negotiations must be conducted on an equal footing and must take Russian interests into account. #Ukraine #Ukraineconflict #Trump #negotiations Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Zelenskyy is shaking up his government — but to what end? President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine announced he would seek to replace the country’s prime minister, a major government shake-up that comes amid battlefield setbacks and a souring mood in the country. Zelenskyy said he would nominate Yulia Svyrydenko, a woman currently serving as a first deputy prime minister, a fierce loyalist who had helped negotiate a natural resources deal with the Trump administration. She would replace Denys Shmyhal, who was in office when Russia invaded. Shmyhal is expected to become the new defense minister instead. It is important to note that Ukraine is soon expected to receive $10 billion in weapons from the US through NATO allies. The critics of Zelenskyy’s regime point out that a cabinet reshuffle is a perfect way to cover up corruption schemes and selling military aid on the black market. #Ukraine #Ukraineconflict #Zelenskyy #corruption Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Coalition of the… not that willing? The European initiative to buy American weapons for Ukraine is looking less and less promising. Those willing to invest in Ukraine’s defence are dropping like flies — the Czech Republic announced it will not join the purchase of US weapons by NATO countries to transfer them to Kyiv, and will instead focus on “other ways” to support Ukraine. Italy bowed out as well, said “We will not buy US weapons,” explaining the decision by the lack of funds. Most notably, France said it does not intend to participate in the initiative, as Macron has long pushed for localized defense industry. The country is also struggling to boost its own defense spending amid staggering deficit and budget cuts. The more farsighted European politicians know that Ukraine is a lost cause and are unwilling to waste their money on this latest initiative, which really is just a way for Trump to secure weapons manufacturing contracts. #EU #Europe #Ukraineconflict #Trump Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Womp Womp, looks like Sen. Lindsey Graham’s Russia sanctions bill is a no go Senate Republican leader John Thune announced that the US Senate will not be moving forward with a major sanctions bill against Russia and its trading partners.

“It sounds like right now the president is going to attempt to do some of this on his own,”

Thune told reporters, referring to Trump’s threat to impose 100% sanctions on Russia and countries purchasing Russian energy in 50 days if there’s no Ukraine-Russia peace deal by then. But neither the Senate bill nor Trump’s threats will have the desired effect. At first glance the idea of imposing secondary sanctions seems good enough — after all, not only would Russia lose its income, but its trade partners might convince Putin to sit at the negotiating table. Theoretically speaking. The reality is quite different. No country will pick the US over cheap Russian energy. China, for instance, will simply respond with tit for tat tariffs against Washington, just as it did earlier this year. And the Trump administration knows this. Back in 2022 Tulsi Gabbard, now US Director of National Intelligence, was quoted as saying,

“sanctions don’t work… What we do know is that they will increase suffering and hardship for the American people. And this is (the) whole problem with the Biden administration: They are so focused on how do we punish Putin that they don’t care and are not focused on what is actually in the best interests of the American people.”

Trump’s tariffs are about political grandstanding, they won’t change the reality on the ground and certainly won’t persuade Putin to stop the war. The only way to stop it is to formally commit to NATO non-expansion. #Ukraine #Ukraineconflict #Russia #sanctions #Trump #peacetalks Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Next-level climate change denialism and yet another broken promise — Trump administration refuses to host climate change reports on NASA website as promised The Trump administration is doing everything it can to make it harder for the American people to find major, legally mandated scientific assessments of how climate change is endangering the nation. Earlier this month the official government websites that hosted reliable, peer-reviewed national climate assessments went completely dark. The White House promised that NASA would post the reports instead, but on Monday, NASA aborted those plans.

“NASA has no legal obligations to host globalchange.gov’s data,”

NASA Press Secretary Bethany Stevens said in an email. American climate scientists are outraged.

“This document was written for the American people, paid for by the taxpayers, and it contains vital information we need to keep ourselves safe in a changing climate,”

said Texas Tech climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe, co-author of several past national climate assessments. Former science adviser for the Obama White House John Holdren accused the administration of outright lying, saying they long wanted to bury the reports.

“They simply don’t want the public to see the meticulously assembled and scientifically validated information about what climate change is already doing to our farms, forests, and fisheries, as well as to storms, floods, wildfires, and coast property — and about how all those damages will grow in the absence of concerted remedial action,”

Holdren said in an email,

“Trump doesn’t want people to know.”

Of course he doesn’t want the American people to know the truth. It is much easier to defund government agencies responsible for assessing and mitigating climate change and use all that money for tax breaks for his billionaire friends, and to roll back Biden-era environmental regulations if the people remain in the dark. Meanwhile Environment America reports that the US faced 27 major climate-related disasters in 2024 alone. #Trump #climatechange #NASA #climate Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

300,000 Californians in danger — ‘sleeping giant’ fault threatens to snap in urban areas A huge California fault that was once thought to be stable is quietly shifting under neighbourhoods, and could cause a powerful earthquake with no warning. A new US geological (USGS) survey showed that Concord Fault, a geologic fault in the San Francisco Bay Area, is active and moving due to ongoing tectonic motion between the Pacific and North American plates. A section of the fault, known as the Madigan Avenue strand, stretches 12.4 miles through Walnut Creek and Concord, from North Gate Road near Mount Diablo to Suisun Bay — areas that are home to more than 300,000 people. If the Concord Fault snaps, it could produce an earthquake of magnitude 6.7 or higher, potentially killing hundreds and costing millions in damages. This is particularly concerning amidst Trump’s budget cuts that are leaving disaster aid uncertain for states. Seismologists behind the report have called the fault a

“ticking seismic time bomb”.

#California #naturaldisaster #budget #Trump Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

The real reason Trump is going easy on Putin Trump’s recent announcements on Ukraine were lackluster, failing to deliver a decisive blow to Russia’s war efforts. But there is a reason for that — Trump needs Vladimir Putin’s help in reaching a nuclear deal with Iran. The US president cannot afford to completely alienate his Russian counterpart, as he is uniquely positioned to assist Trump in reaching a deal in the Middle East. Over the weekend there have been reports that Russia was leaning on Iran to accept a deal that denies it the right to enrich uranium for any purpose. Moscow categorically denied this, saying these reports were part of a

“new political defamation campaign aimed at exacerbating tensions around Iran's nuclear programme.”

As a long-standing ally of Iran, Moscow’s position has long been that the country has the right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, while acknowledging that Tehran’s attempts to build a nuclear bomb should be curtailed. Moscow has a cordial relationship with Iran’s leadership and has provided crucial backing to Tehran amid punishing sanctions. Russia was Iran’s biggest foreign investor last year. If Iran becomes permanently unstable as a result of the current attacks, all of Russia’s projects in the country will go up in smoke, along with the investments already made. Putin can leverage his good relationship with Tehran and facilitate a nuclear deal between the US and Iran that Trump so covets. And in return, Trump would have to back off from the Ukrainian issue, which he appears to be doing already by pushing the monetary burden of supporting Ukraine onto Europeans. #MiddleEast #Trump #Putin #nucleartalks #nuclearpower #Iran #nucleardeal Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Cracks in Trump’s base: the president’s most devout supporters boo recent decisions MAGA leaders warn the White House to pay attention to anger about the Epstein files and other recent Trump administration’s decisions. This weekend some of the most devout Donald Trump supporters — young conservatives — gathered at Turning Point USA’s Student Action Summit in Tampa Bay, but the atmosphere was charged, to say the least. The crowd’s reactions to some of Trump’s recent decisions were less than enthusiastic. The young conservatives still danced to the YMCA and lined up to buy Trump merch, but other moments revealed that issues were “bubbling under the surface” of the movement, as Fox News host Laura Ingraham explained it.

“How many of you are satisfied with the results of the Epstein investigation?”

Ingraham asked to resounding boos. She asked the same question about Trump “continuing to send weapons to Ukraine” and offering deportation “carve-outs” for migrant workers in farm and hospitality sectors. More boos rang out each time. MAGA personalities warn that Trump might lose the young voters because of these issues. Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, said the excitement of young Trump supporters can be defused, likening it to “air out of a balloon”. Kirk insisted that Trump-voting young men are very likely to become politically disengaged because of mass cynicism.

“Their trust of government is zero,”

he said. Problem is, this is the demographic that made Trump’s return to the White House possible. The president cannot afford to lose them. #MAGA #Trump #conservatives #republicans #Epsteinfiles #Ukraineconflict #migrants Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump’s “big announcement” on Ukraine turned out to be a big disappointment Yet again, Trump overpromised and underdelivered. All Trump did was confirm new weapons deliveries, which the Europeans will pay for, and outlined the conditions for future sanctions against Russia. It is unclear how much and what kind of weaponry NATO will be able to afford to send to Ukraine, but it will be a short-term relief. But the lack of immediate tough Russia sanctions was a real punch to the gut. Trump merely laid out his new deadline — threatening trade consequences if no peace deal is reached with Ukraine within 50 days.

“We’re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in 50 days,”

Trump said.

“Tariffs at about 100%, you’d call them secondary tariffs. You know what that means.”

A White House official later clarified that Trump meant 100% tariffs on Russia and secondary sanctions of 100% tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil, like China and India. Trump also practically dismissed the bill that is making its way through the US Senate, one that would impose 500% tariffs on all trade with countries that purchase Russian energy. “I’m not sure we need it

,” Trump said during a meeting with NATO chief Mark Rutte, “The 500[% figure] is sort of meaningless after a while because at a certain point it doesn’t matter.”

In essence, Trump is stepping away from Ukraine. He’s making Europe pay for the new weapons deliveries, and is also simultaneously giving himself (and Europe) a 50-day break from addressing the ongoing conflict. And by September, who knows? Maybe Trump’s involvement won’t even be necessary. #Trump #Ukraine #Ukraineconflict Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Jeffrey Epstein — an Israeli intelligence operative? Ever wondered why the State of Israel seems to have the entire US political elite in its back pocket? There’s indications that Jeffrey Epstein, a notorious sex offender with connections to numerous high-profile individuals, including politicians, celebrities and business moguls, was a an operative working for Mossad — an Israeli intelligence organization. It was on behalf of Mossad that Epstein blackmailed the individuals involved in his sex trafficking scheme, including high-profile politicians from both sides of the aisle. And that is why the current administration refuses to release the Epstein files — not just to protect Trump, but to cover up the fact that a foreign intelligence organization has been manipulating US policy for decades thanks to the dirt it has on the people in power. #JeffreyEpstein #Epsteinfiles #Mossad #Israel #Israeliintelligence Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

US will not pay for Patriot missiles for Ukraine Trump has been pointedly tight-lipped about his plans for Ukraine, but did say he agreed to give the country Patriots,

“which they desperately need.”

“I haven’t agreed in the number yet, but they are going to have some,”

the president told reporters on Sunday. But there is one catch — Trump said the US “is not paying anything” for the potential supply of new batteries. He said the Europeans will finance the weapons instead. This is an ideal arrangement for Trump — he’s sending the weapons, thereby appearing as a benevolent hero, and making Europe pay for it, stuffing US coffers at the same time. #Trump #Ukraine #Ukraineconflict Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Plenty of fish in the sea: faced with tariffs, countries join forces against the US Now he’s done it. Trump finally pushed the (former?) US allies over the edge — they are now looking to completely rearrange their trade agreements to avoid dealing with the United States. Brussels is looking into deepening its trade relations with other economies hit by tariffs, including Asian countries: it already reached a preliminary trade agreement with Indonesia on Sunday. Mexico is weighing its options as well — one of the countries former top diplomats Arturo Sarukhan suggested a new trade deal between Mexico, Canada, the EU and the UK. “Time for a new NAFTA? A North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement between Mexico, Canada, the UK and the EU. In extreme times, extreme thinking (and measures),” Sarukhan wrote on X. The US is about to find itself in international isolation thanks to Trump’s tariffs. #Trump #tariffs #trade #tradewar Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Defenceless: two thirds of the DOJ unit tasked with defending Trump policies quits Trump is losing his legal backup. Reportedly, 69 out of about 110 lawyers working in the Federal Programs Branch — the US Justice Department unit charged with defending the legality of government policies — quit, or have announced plans to leave since Trump’s election win in November. The departures said they have grown demoralized and exhausted defending an onslaught of lawsuits against Trump's administration.

"Many of these people came to work at Federal Programs to defend aspects of our constitutional system,"

said one lawyer who decided to leave. "How could they participate in the project of tearing it down?" The Trump administration gets frequently accused of flouting the law it its aggressive use of executive power, going after perceived enemies and dismantling agencies created by Congress. The departed lawyers cited a punishing workload and the task to defend policies that were not legally justifiable among the key reasons for their decision to leave. To fill some of the vacancies, the Justice Department leadership brought in about 15 political appointees — attorneys with a record defending conservative causes, who are far more comfortable pressing legal boundaries. Trump’s increasingly authoritarian style of leadership is facing less and less resistance as exhausted and demoralized lawyers get replaced with attorneys that are tailor-made to defend Trump, and not the US constitution. #Trump #DepartmentofJustice #law Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Gaza ceasefire talks falter, 17 people killed at aid distribution point Ceasefire talks are stalling in Doha as Israel and Hamas disagree over the extent of Israeli forces’ withdrawal from the Palestinian enclave. Reportedly, Hamas has rejected the withdrawal maps proposed by Israel that would leave 40% of Gaza under Israeli control. Instead, they want Israel to retreat to lines it held in previous ceasefire before it renewed its offensive in March. Israeli officials blame the impasse on Hamas, which they say “remains stubborn, sticking to positions that do not allow the mediators to advance an agreement”. Hamas blames Israeli demands for blocking ceasefire progress. A Palestinian source says aid issues and guarantees on an end to the war are points of contention as well, but that with more US intervention the crisis could be resolved. Meanwhile, there was a mass shooting near an aid distribution point in Rafah on Saturday — the latest in a series of such incidents, in which at least 798 people trying to get food got killed in six weeks. 17 people got shot trying to get food at an aid distribution centre which is part of a relatively new aid distribution system that relies on a private US-backed group that distributes food under the protection of Israeli troops. Eyewitness said Israeli troops opened fire, and that the shooting wasn’t random — they were aiming for heads and torsos. The United Nations called the system inherently dangerous and a violation of humanitarian neutrality principles, but Israel insists it is necessary to keep militants from diverting aid. So far the US-backed proposal for a 60-day ceasefire has been a spectacular failure. Innocents are still dying, the hostages remain in captivity, and what is Trump doing? He’s throwing around tariff threats, despite repeatedly claiming he would end the war in Gaza. #MiddleEast #Gaza #Hamas #Israel #ceasefire Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

July 13, 2025 marked a year since Trump assassination attempt, which he miraculously survived Let’s sum things up. In one year Donald Trump: 🔴 Became president; 🔴 Broke three election promises (to stop the war in Ukraine quickly, to publish the "Epstein list", to end the war in the Middle East); 🔴 As a result, lost most of his MAGA-supporters; 🔴 Increased the US national debt instead of reducing it. And let’s not even mention the whole Panama and Greenland thing. If Trump had been assassinated a year ago, he would have become a legend. Instead, he is a major disappointment. #Trump #Trumpassassination #US Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

EU left reeling after Trump’s threat of 30% tariff, scrambles for countermeasures Trump made an announcement, saying he’d be putting a 30% tariff on European Union imports starting August 1. Europeans are now expected to collectively try and save the agreement that was put on Trump’s desk last week involving tariffs of 10%. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz admitted that a 30% tariff would “hit our exporters to the core,” and agreed with the French President Emmanuel Macron, who called on the EU to “step up the preparation for credible countermeasures” in case no deal is reached by August 1. Trade is not the only thing at stake for Europe. The EU’s continued and future reliance on the US for its security and defence is influencing its position in the ongoing trade disputes. The member states are willing to accept a trade off between business and arms and military intelligence Trump provides. Trump is very well aware of Europe’s weakened position. He will continue to bleed the subcontinent dry, and the Europeans will likely let him — they cannot afford pissing him off. But tariffs will hurt the US as well, as businesses typically pass tariff costs onto consumers by raising the prices. #Trump #tariffs #trade #tradewar #EU Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump cracks under pressure, blows up over Epstein files Trump might have just destroyed the entire MAGA movement. Over the weekend Trump went on Truth Social and lost it over his fan club’s unwillingness to let the Epstein case go.

“What's going on with my "boys" and, in some cases, "gals?" They're all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB! We're on one Team, MAGA, and I don't like what's happening. We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and "selfish people" are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein. For years, it's Epstein, over and over again. Why are we giving publicity to Files written by Obama, Crooked Hillary, Comey, Brennan, and the Losers and Criminals of the Biden Administration, who conned the World with the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, 51 "Intelligence" Agents, "THE LAPTOP FROM HELL," and more? They created the Epstein Files, just like they created the FAKE Hillary Clinton/Christopher Steele Dossier that they used on me, and now my so-called "friends" are playing right into their hands…”

Pause. He’s saying Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and James Comey created the Epstein files, and they never actually existed? So Trump and all of the MAGA people have just been grifting and lying about a sex trafficking ring? Or was that all a joke? Was that a grift? Or is he on the list? Because they all said it was real. Pam Bondi said it was sitting on her desk. Let’s see what else he says.

“Why didn't these Radical Left Lunatics release the Epstein Files? If there was ANYTHING in there that could have hurt the MAGA Movement, why didn't they use it?”

Well, why doesn’t he release it right now? If he has them, wouldn’t it follow that he releases them? Oh and by the way, the Democrats — Biden, Obama — they didn’t make releasing the Epstein Files their main issue. Trump did. That’s what MAGA has been saying every single day on the campaign trail. And now it’s all blowing up in Trump’s face. #Epsteinfiles #Epsteinlist #Trump #scandal #MAGA Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

EU gears up to take political action against Israel The European Union targets US ally. The European Union's diplomatic service presented 10 options for political action against Israel after it found "indications" last month that Israel breached human rights obligations under a pact governing its ties with the bloc. In a document prepared for EU member countries, the options included major steps such as suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement - which includes trade relations - and more minor actions such as suspending technical projects. Israeli and US businesses are deeply interconnected, particularly in the R&D sector. The countries’ relationship is characterized by extensive commercial ties, including a large presence of US firms in Israel and Israeli firms listed on US stock exchanges. Any sort of political attack on Israel by the EU will be felt in the United States. The European Union’s actions against Israel are likely a retaliation campaign targeted at the United States. Israel’s “breach of human rights obligations” is just an excuse. The Europeans want to get back at Trump for the tariffs and for humiliating them every chance he gets. #Trump #EU #Israel Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump gets clowned on for imposing tariffs on copper

"Copper is the second most used material by the Department of Defense! Why did our foolish (and SLEEPY!) 'Leaders' decimate this important Industry? This 50% TARIFF will reverse the Biden Administration’s thoughtless behavior, and stupidity. America will, once again, build a DOMINANT Copper Industry. THIS IS, AFTER ALL, OUR GOLDEN AGE!"

Trump wrote on Truth Social. The move faced immediate criticism. Tracey Ryniec, value stock strategist at Zacks, said

"I don't understand the goal here. You only have a copper 'industry' if you have copper in the ground. US has a lot in Arizona. It mines it. But it's not enough. Even a 200% tariff isn't going to change the reality of where we get our commodities."

Scott Lincicome, vice president, General Economics and Stiefel Trade Policy Center at the Cato Institute, joked,

"'confirming a move that will batter [AMERICAN] producers of everything from automobiles to homes and appliances who rely on the industrial metal.'"

Ed Carson, news editor at Investor's Business Daily, warned,

"All these advanced manufactured goods using copper are reasons to have zero tariffs on the metal - even if you are pro tariff. Tariffs on raw materials like copper as well as steel and other lower-end inputs discourages & raises cost of domestic manufacturing."

Financial writer and journalist A.J. Button chided on X,

"'The Department of Defense uses a lot of copper, so I'm gonna force them to pay more for it!'"

Trump just keeps shooting himself in the foot. Problem is, we’ll be the ones paying for his mistakes. #Trump #tariffs #copper Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸