When it comes to Trump’s foreign policy, Russia/Ukraine gets the attention. But there’s more to U.S. security policy than, “how do we read Putin this week”?
We’ve contended here, in fact, that Trump’s take on the Russia-Ukraine war is often misread; it’s more about splitting Russia away from China than anything else (more on that below).
But what’s also not just misread, but ignored: Trump’s foreign policy here in our own hemisphere. And don’t look now, but a Trump Doctrine for Latin America is starting to come together.
And the results could hit far closer to home for most Americans than what goes on in Kiev.
So this past week, Trump ordered three warships, 4,000 sailors and Marines, spy assets, and an attack submarine to the waters off the coast of Venezuela. Clearly, Washington’s posture toward Caracas is going from sanctions-first to show-of-force. The kid gloves are coming off.
Along with these deployments, the State Department raised its reward for information leading to the apprehension of Nicolás Maduro to $50 million. Maduro has blasted the deployments as “illegal” and mobilized his militia, but despite the convening of that fearsome Venezuelan force the near-term reality still looks like pressure without invasion. Trump’s strategy here: interdictions at sea, indictments on land, and a financial squeeze everywhere, with back-channel bargaining if Caracas blinks.
Or perhaps even better: regime-change, by the Venezuelans themselves (remember Iran? Yeah, we haven’t heard much from them lately either).
If there’s a Trump Doctrine for our hemisphere taking shape, it’s deterrence-by-lawfare, with Monroe Doctrine overtones:
Crush narco-states by treating cartels and their state patrons like terrorist actors (indict, extradite, seize)—a path the U.S. opened with narco-terrorism charges against Maduro and top officials.
Forward-deploy power—warships and joint task forces—to raise the daily cost of smuggling.
Deal from strength—sanctions relief and U.S. market access as potential bargaining chips.
Ride regional currents as Latin Americans tire of left-populist stagnation—see Bolivia’s recent break from two decades of socialist dominance, a symbolic tailwind for Washington’s narrative that the “pink tide” is ebbing.
Now layer in China. This isn’t just hemispheric cleanup; it’s about elbowing out Beijing. For years China has underwritten Caracas via loans-for-oil structures and embedded itself in Venezuela’s digital and surveillance stack through companies like Huawei/ZTE. Choking Venezuelan revenues, targeting security services, and policing the maritime lanes doesn’t just punish Maduro—it raises China’s operating costs in one of its most durable South American beachheads.
So expect tighter scrutiny of Chinese-linked shipping, front companies, “dual-use” infrastructure, and port/digital networks that bind Venezuelan and Cuban security services to Chinese vendors.
So: does the doctrine include Cuba? Practically, yes. Havana’s fuel, finance, and security partnerships are intertwined with Caracas—and increasingly with Chinese tech and logistics—so any move that throttles Venezuela’s cash and oil flows pinches Cuba as well.
Bottom line: call the Trump Doctrine the Monroe-Doctrine+lawfare—sea power at the rim, indictments at the core, financial warfare in between, all with an implicit China component.
The aim isn’t invasion; Trump’s aversion to war is well-documented. The aim is to make narco-authoritarianism—and great-power freeloading in the U.S. near-abroad—too expensive to sustain.
And if Bolivia’s political turn is a bellwether, the region may be more open to that bargain than it has been in years.
This emerging Trump Doctrine could well be his greatest legacy. That all this was so-ignored by the previous administration only gives this effort great credibility.
Fani Check-In
So as the cases against Donald Trump continue to fall apart, it’s time to check in on that bit of southern-fried bit of Georgia lawfare that was clearly bogus from the start.
If you recall, the media had convinced itself that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was poised to lead the most sweeping prosecution ever brought against a former president. Now, nearly two years after Donald Trump and 18 allies were indicted in Georgia on racketeering charges, her case sits in limbo—caught between courtroom dismissals, political fallout, and questions about whether it will ever reach trial.
If you recall, Willis began her inquiry in February 2021, focusing on Trump’s alleged pressure campaign to reverse Joe Biden’s narrow Georgia victory. In August of 2023, a Fulton County special grand jury indicted Trump and his co-defendants under Georgia’s RICO statute. The sweeping indictment alleged they acted as a “criminal enterprise” to subvert the election.
Several defendants, including attorneys Sidney Powell and Jenna Ellis, took plea deals, while Trump and others pleaded not guilty. But the legal terrain shifted quickly. In March 2024, Judge Scott McAfee dismissed six charges—including three against Trump—citing insufficient detail. By September 2024, three more charges tied to false filings were tossed out.
But that was the least of the case’s problems. Soon enough, the incompetent Willis herself became engulfed in controversy, after revelations of a romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. Judge McAfee allowed the case to continue only if Wade resigned—which he did. But in December 2024, the Georgia Court of Appeals went further, disqualifying Willis and her entire office from the prosecution, citing the appearance of impropriety. She appealed immediately to the Georgia Supreme Court.
And that’s pretty much where it stands, as Willis attempts to fight for her case and her reputation — both of which, in our eyes, are in tatters.
Willis, unsurprisingly, has been less-than professional in dealing with the courts. As her disqualification appeal winds forward, a separate battle opened in the state legislature. In December 2024, a judge ruled that Willis must respond to a Georgia Senate committee subpoena by January 13, 2025, either by producing documents or asserting privilege. That deadline has passed, and the issue is now on appeal. The Georgia Supreme Court has scheduled arguments for October 2025, a proceeding that could determine whether lawmakers can compel her testimony (which she clearly wants to avoid, as it would be under oath. Wow, wonder why).
Meanwhile the Trump case remains… unresolved.
For now, the prosecution has no active leader — it’s an orphan. Unless the state high court reinstates Willis, the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia may need to appoint a new district attorney to oversee the case.
Of course, what they really should do is dismiss the case, and move to disbar both Willis and Wade, who have major perjury and misconduct issues that Judge McAfee blatantly sidestepped.
In the end, with Trump back in the White House, the challenges are not just procedural. The question of presidential immunity hangs over the proceedings, adding another barrier to a trial that once seemed imminent. The Fulton County case was intended to hold Trump “accountable” for 2020—but as of mid-2025, it has become a test of Georgia’s ability to police its own prosecutors.
Right now — like the case and Fani’s career — it’s deservedly failing.
Will Bolton Be Indicted?
A quick report of Paul’s Thursday Recap, on where things stand with this search warrant on John Bolton’s house. To answer the above question: in our view, yes. The DOJ would likely not have gone to so much trouble if they didn’t expect to indict.
As the contours of the case leak, the emerging question appears to be: What did Bolton do with the classified documents he is alleged to have removed?
If he merely possesses them, he’s looking at a classified documents charge.
But if he gave them to anyone else, we could be looking at federal conspiracy charges. And if he gave them to a foreign entity — like Ukraine, for instance — he could be looking at espionage charges. The statute-of-limitations could be a factor also.
And then there’s this. Trump and Bolton’s disagreements occurred mainly in the Russia/Ukraine context, with Bolton being much more hawkish towards Russia than Trump reportedly was. Did Bolton’s hatred of Putin lead him down a dangerous path?
Recall: As National Security Advisor, Bolton’s advisory shop was the National Security Council (NSC) — where Trump hater Alexander Vindman worked as head of European Affairs.
Vindman reported to Fiona Hill — who reported to Bolton.
Both Vindman and Hill testified against Donald Trump during his impeachment hearings… regarding Ukraine.
Let’s see where all this goes.
This Week’s Podcast: Gold Bar Bob Menendez
Remember Gold Bar Bob? The Clinton-adjacent Senator who was every Dem’s friend (as long as you paid)? Well, Isabel Vincent of the NY Post and her co-writer, Tom Anderson, certainly do.
This week we speak to these two authors about their upcoming book exposing perhaps the most corrupt Democrat Senator of our time (and that’s saying something). These two make the case that Menendez was more than just a venal Senator-for-hire; he was literally the architect of modern Democrat elitism. And therefore, the architect of the party’s demise.
Click below for a sample, and HERE for the whole thing….
So where does Hillary fit? Who was this femme fatale that Bob married? How did he beat the first case?
And what on earth was with those gold bars in his closet?
(And wait until you hear the Saudi/Egyptian revelation…. Let’s just say, The Washington Post has once again embarrassed itself) (This is really a major story that these two have uncovered).
Hear about it here… before it hits the media this fall.
The Adams Family
It was another bad week for the shady Adams administration. Two of the mayor’s closest allies — Ingrid Lewis-Martin and Winnie Greco — both made headlines for corruption-related antics.
Lewis-Martin, indicted by the Manhattan DA in December 2024, saw new charges added this week. The former chief of staff now faces accusations of accepting bribes for everything from real estate and licensing to traffic redesigns and city contracts. By the looks of it, she’d take a payoff from just about anyone for just about anything.
Seven others were also indicted, including Jessie Hamilton, who resigned as Deputy Commissioner for Real Estate Services. Given the detail in the filings, it seems clear Lewis-Martin was caught on a wiretap — she may even have been the subject of the wiretap. Ruh-roh….
Even more embarrassing for Adams was aide Winnie Greco’s behavior. Greco, Adams’ “Asian liaison” with whom he traveled on numerous overseas trips, had her home searched by the FBI last year. She managed to outdo herself this week. She apparently handed reporter Katie Honan of The City an open bag of potato chips — which happened to contain about $300 in cash. The move looks like a laughably clumsy attempt to buy favorable media coverage. Honan has reported on Greco’s legal troubles before, but this brazen stunt gave new meaning to the term “bag man.”
Given these headlines, it’s worth recalling just how many of Adams’ people have been under investigation:
Mohamed Bahi (Community Liaison) — pled guilty to federal wire fraud
Eric Ulrich (Building Commissioner) — indicted for bribery
David Banks (Schools Chancellor) — FBI seized his phones
Philip Banks (Deputy Mayor for Public Safety) — FBI searched his offices, seized phones
Sheena Wright (First Deputy Mayor) — FBI searched her home, seized phones
Anthony Miranda (NYC Sheriff) — office searched by city investigators
Edward Caban (NYPD Commissioner) — FBI searched his home and phone
Jeffrey Maddrey (NYPD Chief of Department) — FBI searched his home and office
And the list doesn’t stop there. Adams himself had his residence searched and phones seized — one of which he conveniently changed the password on.
Though Adams was indicted by SDNY, the case was later dismissed after Donald Trump intervened. We opposed that dismissal; even if the charges were relatively minor, public corruption should never be tolerated. And what exactly was he hiding on that phone?
With so many search warrants and seizures, we expected sweeping indictments and more dirt on the mayor. Yet the DOJ has gone quiet. Unlike Trump’s “lawfare” cases, these probes had hard evidence — search warrants don’t materialize out of thin air.
For now, the Manhattan DA is the one pressing ahead. That’s bad news for Adams, since Trump can’t order state charges dropped — and any one of those indicted could flip against the Mayor.
Between Lewis-Martin’s wiretaps, Greco’s cash-in-chips scheme, and the sheer number of seized devices, the question remains: where are the feds? Did Trump’s DOJ shut these cases down? Were they handed off to Alvin Bragg? Or are they still underway, buried out of sight?
Voters deserve answers. If there was no wrongdoing — which seems unlikely — then clear their names.
We never thought we’d be applauding Alvin Bragg, but his office appears to be moving where the feds are not. Now it’s time for DOJ to step up. With elections looming, New Yorkers deserve to know whether their mayor is a crook or an innocent man.
A Homicide In Paradise?
So as has been hitting the news recently, a beautiful Irish model, Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra, was recently found dead on a boat in scenic Montauk, Long Island, NY.
For those who don’t know, Montauk’s become an extended part of the Hamptons — a seaside area where the rich and the super-rich go to party each summer. A death there — on a boat at the historic Montauk Yacht Club, no less — is going to attract major attention.
And at this writing, that attention seems justified, as detectives are investigating if this was more than a simple drug overdose. Could we in fact be looking at some version of a homicide charge?
Join our True Crime Girl over at her page, where she dissects the case.
It’s a sad story — made even sadder by the fact that, almost assuredly, it’s coming soon to a streaming service near you.
DC Crime Update
We want to stay on top of the DC crime numbers in light of the criticism that Donald Trump has been getting over his efforts to make our nation’s capital — and potentially, other cities — a place we can all enjoy safely and take pride in.
Since August 11th, when the federal government exercised its oversight over D.C, violent crime has fallen 53% compared to the same dates last year. Robberies, often seen as the bellwether crime in policing, have fallen 69%.
Which begs the question: Why hasn’t anyone tried this — or anything like it — before? (Oh, we forgot: fascism!).
And finally…
We recently noticed on our homepage that this article — from last year — is our top-viewed piece of all time:
The Right's Big Night
Readers, among the jobs your narrator has had over the years, one of them was speechwriter (including, at one point, for a Presidential candidate) (um, don’t ask).
Reading that right now… we can’t help but puff up a bit. Wow, did we call it!
President Trump should investigate Canada’s role in all the garbage he’s been fighting. From electoral fraud, Uranium One, to CHQ and MSM and DOJ/RCMP/CISIS DEI and de banking initiatives and freedom of speech restrictions, to Canada’s government allowing Chinese military to conduct joint exercises in the Canadian Arctic.
There’s many a connection point between Soros, Freyland, HRC, Obama, the Eurasia Group and Trudumb.
Just saying, it’s all connected, and the evidence exists.