Badlands News Brief
Trump Haunts Obama as Clown World Laughs
The News Cycle is almost impossible to track these days. At least, to do so fully.
That’s where we come in.
In the Badlands News Brief, the Badlands Media team hand pick news items of interest from the previous days to give you an overview of the biggest goings-on relevant to the Truth Community.
Some items feature original (and subjective) commentary. Feel free to follow the corresponding link to see our writers’ corresponding Substack accounts and check out their other work.
Now, onto the news from Tuesday, January 30 …
Obama-era directive could alter presumptions about Trump documents case, legal group says
A little-known Obama administration directive intended to shield the White House from foreign cyberattacks “may be relevant” to former President Donald Trump‘s liability in his criminal classified documents case, according to a Freedom of Information Act request from a conservative legal group.
America First Legal, a nonprofit group headed by former Trump adviser Stephen Miller, shared exclusively with the Washington Examiner its six-page FOIA request seeking to understand more about a “secretive” information technology committee created by former President Barack Obama after a fall 2014 foreign cyberattack breached an unclassified network that serves the Executive Office of the President.Between reports of two separate hackings believed to be tied to the Russian government in late 2014 and spring 2015, Obama created, via executive action, a White House information technology director and an Executive Committee for Presidential Information Technology.
Obama’s March 2015 PITC memorandum established the president’s “exclusive control” over information resources provided to the president, the vice president, and the EOP. Moreover, it made clear that any records sent to EOP systems or records stemming from those systems are controlled by the president. — The Washington Examiner
Our Take: “We'll discuss this in far greater depth tonight on the Devolution Power Hour with the documents boys
and once they get their grubby little nerd paws all over it ... but on a surface level, we've got America First Legal (a 'civilian' organization staffed almost exclusively by 'former' Trump Admin officials) getting Actual after Actual on the public record in the midst of the Jack Smith trial.It's also yet another example of Trump seemingly using the weapons of the enemy against them, as yet another Obama-era policy/directive is being turned back around and used to both define and codify Trump's ability to use the same powers when it comes to classification, DECLAS, and most importantly, information access and control when it comes to foreign interference and threats to national security.
It all feels just a bit National Essential Function-y, from where I'm sitting.
Weird, how all of this keeps coming out right when Trump needs it most for his legal defenses.
Planned long ago.” —
Joy Reid Drops F-Bomb Against Joe Biden Live on Air
Joy Reid was caught swearing by a live mic during a segment about President Joe Biden.
During Monday's edition of The ReidOut, the MSNBC host dropped the f-bomb, though it was unclear what she was referring to.
The host introduced a discussion about the border crisis and then cut to a clip of the Democrat president's South Carolina speech on Saturday. He said: "If that bill were the law today, I'd shut down the border now and I'd fix it quickly... And Congress needs to get it done."
Biden was referring to a bipartisan Senate border deal that would give him powers to shut down the southern border "when it becomes overwhelmed."
Its progress has been stalled by Republicans and Democrats alike, with former President Donald Trump urging Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson to only accept it if it is "perfect on the border." — Newsweek
And …
Opinion: The US is in the midst of a Middle East regional war
The Biden administration has a regional war on its hands in the Middle East and needs to change its strategy fast.
Three US soldiers were killed and more than 30 injured in a drone attack in Jordan this weekend, the first lethal attack on American targets in the Middle East since the October 7 assault on Israel by Hamas.
Since the war in Gaza began, Biden’s administration officials have been saying multiple versions of “we got this,” and have been working hard to contain any wider conflict.
Yet, in the past four months, we have also seen:
Routine Houthi drone and missile strikes in the Red Sea against commercial shipping and American warships, followed by retaliatory US and UK strikes in Yemen against Houthi targets.
Almost daily Israeli strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon and almost daily Hezbollah strikes against Israeli targets.
More than 150 drone and missile attacks on US troops in Iraq and Syria, and in response, US airstrikes against Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria.
Multiple Israeli strikes against Iran-linked Syrian targets.
An ISIS-launched major terrorist attack in Iran.
Pakistan strike against Iranian targets, and Iran strike against Pakistani targets.
A full-scale war in Gaza with no end in sight, while a vocal lobby in Israel pushes for a wider war with Hezbollah after tens of thousands of Israelis fled their homes to avoid becoming targets of the Iranian proxy’s rockets. — CNN
Our Take: “Joy Reid hilariously revealed herself to be a propagandist Monday, when she accidentally chastised scrotus Biden on a hot mic.
(CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW TO WATCH ON ‘X’)
‘Starting another f****** war,’ the host of MSNBC’s Reid Out said, ostensibly believing her mic was off. Reportedly, Reid has since publicly apologized.
Reid peddles a lot of Biden propaganda, so this must be a super embarrassing moment for her. Now everyone knows that she is misleading her audience as a matter of business.
Also, on the matter of Biden’s war machine, she’s not wrong.
The second piece outlining Biden’s foreign policy disasters is a sobering look at the current state of the union’s impact abroad. It’s not good.
(CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW TO WATCH ON ‘X’)
The world is on fire, war is around every corner, and the demented globalist puppet is screaming incoherently to mostly empty rooms. The ‘clap, you stupid bastards’ guy is campaigning that Trump hates the military. And one day after Joy rebukes Joe, CNN backs her up.
Trump is campaigning on ending the wars. Reid unwittingly exposed herself as values-aligned with Trump on the matter of the wars, and parts of the CNN piece read like a Trump Campaign Advertorial.
This is all so… unbelievable.
I like my popcorn with butter, salt, and pepper.” —
Biden's Bumbling LNG 'Ban' Profits Putin, Vexes Texas, And Unsettles Europe
The Biden administration's decision to delay the approval of new liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals in the United States may have marked a major victory for environmental advocacy groups in both the US and Europe (while effectively punishing Texas - the world's 3rd largest LNG exporter, for defending the southern border), it was a terrible move for Western interests.
Energy experts are saying that the move benefits America's enemies and harms the country's allies.
The Wall Street Journal editorial board called it "an election-year gift to Russia and Iran."
[…]
"There is no review needed to understand the clear benefits of U.S. LNG for stabilizing global energy markets, supporting thousands of American jobs, and reducing emissions around the world by transitioning countries toward cleaner fuels," American Petroleum Institute (API) CEO Mike Sommers said in a statement, adding "This is nothing more than a broken promise to U.S. allies, and it’s time for the administration to stop playing politics with global energy security."
What's more, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Europe turned to the United States in its quest to reduce its dependence on Moscow - resulting in a 141% increase in 2022 exports of US LNG over the previous year, and increased modestly in 2023, according to research firm Kpler. Thanks to a combination of those imports and mild winters, Europe has been able to avert winter shortages.
"U.S. LNG exports improve global energy security as U.S. natural gas is becoming Europe’s primary energy supply source replacing Russia," says Rob Thummel, the senior portfolio manager at Tortoise, in a statement to the Epoch Times.
While the White House has pointed climate activism as inspiring the move, most people with two brain cells to rub together assume it has to do with the administration's brewing battle with Texas over the southern border.
"This reckless move is nothing more than retaliation against Texas — for standing up to this administration over the border crisis," said Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham on X. — ZeroHedge
Our Take: “A few of the tantalizing tidbits to come out of the Wall Street Journal's full-on panic session regarding the Globalist regime's anger and confusion toward the Biden Administration:
‘... instead of reversing policies driven by Donald Trump’s protectionist view, Biden has advanced many of them ...’
‘... president has kept trade barriers in place, left European companies out of subsidies designed to bolster U.S. manufacturing and surprised allies with tighter restrictions on Chinese access to American technology.’
‘Many Europeans fear that Trump, seemingly en route to the Republican nomination, might abandon Ukraine and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, as well as inject chaos into global trade.’
‘Diplomats and officials across Europe are wondering whether the bloc can rely on the U.S. to continue backing the rules-based trading system—or if they face the possibility of economic conflict between the longtime allies.’
Can you say ... Devolution?
The brewing LNG Crisis is definitely one it behooves you to approach with a Bicameral mindset, as the following statement crystalizes a bit of (positive,) America First signal within the anti-Biden noise that, while very useful from a Narrative perspective, isn't always what it seems from an Actual one:
‘While this year's exports may not be affected, analysts have noted that what may unsettle allies is the message that Europe may not be able to count as firmly on US supplies going forward.’
In terms of negatives, the short-term ramifications of curtailed energy shipments to foreign nations is reduced US output (and thus, profits,) while forcing former buyers to go to other nations (especially in Russia and Asia,) for their energy needs.
Biden is rightly taking the Narrative fall for this, but when you zoom out, such policies seem to be leading Europe AND Asia into the forced direction of multi-polarity, while the US must look inward for domestic production and profit.
Perspective.” —
Struggling for Recruits, US Navy Lowers Education Standard
The U.S. Navy said Friday it will be starting to enlist those who didn’t graduate from high school, the latest attempt to fill its ranks in the wake of a recruiting crisis that troubles every branch of the U.S. military.
Under the new plan, Navy recruits without a high school diploma will be able to join as long as they score 50 or higher on the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT), which is used to determine basic eligibility for military service. The highest possible AFQT score one could get is 99.
Those without a General Educational Development, or GED, credential can also enlist as long as they meet the same AFQT score threshold. The GED consists of four academic subject tests, and passing those tests certifies that the taker has the skills and knowledge equivalent to a high school graduate. — The Epoch Times
Our Take: “The problem being framed by the US Navy in this article is that Covid-19 made US military-aged males drop out of school, so they need to waive the graduation requirement for service.
The actual problem is that US military-aged males who meet the service requirements are opting out of the service. This wasn’t a problem under the Trump Administration. It’s a direct result of the change in leadership — the change in the Commander in Chief.
My oldest son planned on joining the US Army after high school, and attending university after his service. He talked about this plan, in varying levels of detail, since elementary school, and was intent on following in the footsteps of his grandfather and great grandfather.
It wasn’t until the stolen election and military vaccine mandates that he changed his mind. My brilliant and beautiful adult male son decided not to become cannon fodder for globalists, as did many others. #Proud
That, in my opinion, is why the Biden administration needs to relax military recruitment standards. You no longer have to be fit, 18-39 years old (it’s 41 now), mentally sound, or even educated. They really just need bodies; and if they don’t get enough overweight, 41 year old, mentally ill morons, they’ll reinstate selective service.
They’ll reinstate the draft. In that case, it won’t be my son’s choice to serve. They’ll force him.
This worked in WW2 because no one doubted the Commander in Chief’s allegiance to America.
It worked less in Vietnam, as young people started to realize that these forever wars aren’t actually about ‘securing freedom’ or ‘spreading democracy.’
It won’t work in WWIII. The speed of information — and young people’s unfettered access to it — means that today’s kids aren’t just questioning the war.
They’re questioning the war machine.
They’re also questioning the dream they’ve been sold — and the legitimacy of the people who sold it.
With the older generations, public trust, government transparency, and strategic intent are important worldview considerations. The younger generations are still stuck on the foundational question of legitimacy.
Millennials, back when they were considered young people, found themselves in a similar dilemma— which they solved by conforming to the system and transforming it from within.
But GenZ is the GenX of dystopia, and conforming seems unlikely.
They’re either going to black pill or save the world. Maybe both. But they won’t be doing either from inside Biden’s armed services. Today’s young people are smart enough not to follow that man anywhere, let alone into war.” —
Is There A Taylor Swift Psyop?
Welcome to the matrix.
The current news cycle gives the impression that Taylor Swift is everywhere.
According to Bloomberg data, corporate media headlines featuring "Taylor Swift" began ramping up in the first half of 2023 and hit new record highs later in the year.
The singer, who has made an entire career whining about having chosen the wrong men, has been pitched by legacy media as finally finding the "perfect match": Kansas City Chiefs Travis Kelce.
The relationship doesn't pass the sniff test, given Taylor's terrible choices with men.
Let's begin with Michael Benz, a former Trump admin State Department official whose work has been cited in congressional hearings, posted on X a video from 2019 featuring the Pentagon's psychological operations research arm that pitched the idea of turning Taylor into an asset to combat "disinformation."
[…]
While it remains to be seen if Taylor has become a NATO asset. Certainty Democrats appear to be salivating all over her ahead of the presidential election to turn 'Swifites' into blue voters. — ZeroHedge
Our Take: “Ridiculing Normies for talking about Taylor Swift PsyOps while ignoring everything we've been saying for the last 8 years makes sense ... but is ultimately self-defeating.
When you're teaching a kid to ride a bike, you don't just whip them down the side of a mountain and hope it turns out alright.
Training wheels ... dad ... THEN you let them roll down that mountain and see how it goes.
The Swift-Kelce-Chiefs-Super Bowl madness is merging segments of the Normie hivemind that never interact, and forcing them to meet the concept of government-sponsored Influence operations head-on in the midst of the most contentious election cycle in American history, with info dissemination at an all-time high in terms of magnitude and velocity.
This is not a bad thing. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Don't lecture them about the finer nuances of conspiracy theories because it hurts your feelings that they say a game you like is rigged.
Embrace nodding Jack & watch the Establishment devour itself.” —
BONUS ITEMS
Biden says he has decided how to respond to attack in Jordan
President Joe Biden told reporters Tuesday he has made a decision about the US response to the drone strike that killed three US service members and injured dozens in Jordan.
Asked by CNN’s Arlette Saenz whether he has decided how to respond, Biden said, “Yes,” but declined to provide further details.
The Sunday attack on the small outpost was the first time American troops have been killed by enemy fire in the Middle East since the beginning of the Gaza war. Administration officials have feared that outcome since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel because it would require a strong American response, which the administration has worried could lead to a broader conflict.
The president reiterated that he is hoping to deter a broader conflict in the Middle East, saying on Tuesday, as he prepared to depart for a fundraising swing in south Florida, “I don’t think we need a wider war in the Middle East. That’s not what I’m looking for.” — CNN
In Bizarre Outburst, E. Jean Carroll Goes Full "Price Is Right" Over How She'll Spend "Trump's Money"
Following a bombshell $83.3 million award against Donald Trump, his rape accuser E. Jean Carroll, whose case was bankrolled by his enemies, couldn't remember basic facts of her own claim, once described rape as "sexy," and whose "off the rails" tweets weren't allowed to be shown to the jury - just put on an absurd display.
When asked by MSNBC's Rachael Maddow on Monday night how she'll spend "Trump's money" to help "women's rights," Carroll did her best impression of a "Price is Right" winner - like rape victims do, telling Maddow: "First thing Rachel, you and I are gonna go shopping, we’re gonna get completely new wardrobes, new shoes…Rachel what do you like, Penthouse? You want France? You wanna go fishing in France? It’s yours Rachel."
Her lawyer then nervously interjected: "That's a joke."
"If me fishing in France could do something for women's rights, I would take the hit," Maddow joked back. — ZeroHedge
Xi promised Biden China wouldn’t interfere in 2024 election
Chinese leader Xi Jinping told US President Joe Biden that China would not interfere in the 2024 US presidential election when the two men met in November — an assurance reiterated by the Chinese foreign minister to Biden’s national security adviser this past weekend, two people familiar with the conversations told CNN.
The previously unreported exchange between Xi and Biden took place during a high-stakes, hourslong meeting in California that was aimed at easing historically high military and economic tensions between the two superpowers.
It was Biden who raised the issue, according to one of the sources, who described the exchange as brief. In a meeting this past weekend in Bangkok with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan again brought up the topic. Wang offered Sullivan the same assurance Xi had given Biden months prior — that Beijing would not meddle in the American election this fall, the source said.
The potential for China to interfere in or influence US elections has repeatedly come up at senior-level meetings between the two nations in recent months, the source who was briefed on the matter said. — CNN
We hope you enjoyed this brief look back at the major news items you might have missed in this ever-escalating and ever-accelerating news cycle as the Information War continues to rage on around us.
As always, if you have any thoughts on these news items or the MANY others swirling in the digital ether, drop into the comments below to share them with your fellow Badlanders.
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Interesting that all of these unsubstantiated phony cases against Trump are unraveling and being exposed for what they are - lawfare and malicious prosecution. Is it time to say the drips have become a flood?
And you'd think the Dems and the Judicial system would be utterly embarrassed at the insane and immoral E. J. Carrol, whose lies and fantasies were used by the corrupt lawyers and judges. Of course, this BS will be overturned.
Swift/Kelce psyop? Absolutely. I barely know who these two are, but Chris Paul broke it all down on his podcast. Brilliant. So I fully expect them to make sure KC wins the Superb Owl.
Kudos to Ashe's son!
XI to Biden...."I no interfere Biden...I let you hang yourself with your own tie" Confucius say "Man who fish in toilet catch only boneless brown trout"