The Federalist Scored A Huge Win For Free Speech — And Exposed More Of The Censorship-Industrial Complex
Today’s filings represent a victory for free speech against the forces of censorship within our federal government.President Donald Trump is publicly weighing his options to pressure Iran's new regime into making a deal to end hostilities.
As the conflict enters the fourth week, Trump reassured the America people that the United States is in the midst of "serious discussions" with Iran's new, "more reasonable" regime to end the war. Although Trump said great progress has been made, he also threatened to obliterate key Iranian infrastructure if the conflict is not resolved in the near future.
'This will be in retribution for our many soldiers.'
"The United States of America is in serious discussions with A NEW, AND MORE REASONABLE, REGIME to end our Military Operations in Iran," Trump said in a Truth Social post Monday.
"Great progress has been made but, if for any reason a deal is not shortly reached, which it probably will be, and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately 'Open for Business,' we will conclude our lovely 'stay' in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!), which we have purposefully not yet 'touched.'"
RELATED: 'TOTAL RESOLUTION': Trump orders temporary suspension amid Iran peace talks

As Trump noted, the United States has refrained from striking these facilities after the president first announced the negotiations last week. Trump originally gave the Iranians a five-day window to strike a deal but later extended it by an additional 10 days.
If the strikes were to take place, Trump said they would be in "retribution" for the hundreds of Americans who have died at the hands of the Iranian regime.
"This will be in retribution for our many soldiers, and others, that Iran has butchered and killed over the old Regime's 47 year 'Reign of Terror,'" Trump said.
RELATED: Trump offers unique insight into Iran's 'strange' negotiations: 'It won't be pretty!'

Secretary of State Marco Rubio came short of naming these new negotiators, saying it would probably "get them in trouble."
"I'm not going to disclose to you who those people are because it would probably get them in trouble with some other groups of people inside Iran," Rubio told ABC News. "Look, there's some fractures going on there internally. And at the end of the day, I think that if there are people in Iran who now, given everything that's happened, are willing to move in a different direction for their country, that would be great."
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President Trump started a task force on corruption led by JD Vance — and it’s a move that Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck believes is telling when it comes to whom President Trump will be choosing as his successor in 2028.
“I want you to think of everything through the eyes of 2028. And let’s look at the board the way a strategist would look at it,” Glenn begins.
“Where’s Marco Rubio right now? Marco Rubio has more jobs than anybody I’ve ever met. He is, right now, exactly where you’d expect him to be: deep in foreign policy, standing shoulder to shoulder with Donald Trump and the administration in one of the most volatile geopolitical moments in my lifetime,” he explains.
Glenn calls the current situation in Iran and Israel the “highest stakes” he’s “ever seen a president play at.”
“High visibility, high risk, and whoever is with it is either a hero or a villain. And if it works, there’s stability. There’s lower oil prices. There’s a real peace dividend by '26 or '27. And Rubio will look like an amazing statesman. He becomes the natural heir, the man who helped steady the world,” he explains.
However, if the war doesn’t end and costs continue to rise, Rubio’s position “is an absolute anchor.”
“Where’s JD Vance right now on this issue?” Glenn asks.
“I’ve heard rumors — he’s not really with the president on this one — but I haven’t seen any statements, and I haven’t seen the president say, ‘Yeah, he’s kind of weak on this,’” he says, though he notes that Vance is very big on rooting out fraud and corruption.
“You have one potential successor tied to global outcomes that he can’t fully control, but he’s going to be tied with that. Another one being given a domestic mission that can be prosecuted daily, case by case, headline by headline, building a narrative that feeds directly into the next campaign,” Glenn says.
“JD Vance is going to be the guy against Gavin Newsom, because he’s going to find the corruption in California. So that pits him against Newsom. By 2028, we’ll know what the Republican message will be. Not just growth, not just strength abroad, but this: Your government was looted. The biggest theft in American history happened,” he explains.
“And we stopped it. That’s a pretty powerful argument against governors like Gavin Newsom or any other Democrat running on expanding programs and increasing spending and promising more systems, because the counter is going to be simple,” he continues.
“If it goes well, you have the possibility of the two best candidates I’ve ever seen in my lifetime, because we will know on record what they are capable of doing. We will have seen them in action,” he says. “This is how you build a successor without naming one.”
To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
President Donald Trump is once again weighing in on the ongoing peace talks with Iran, portraying the adversary as "strange" and increasingly desperate.
Trump is hammering Iran to cut a deal with the United States as the conflict with Iran approaches its fourth week. Iranian media has denied that there are ongoing peace talks, but the president insists Iranian officials are "begging" to make a deal to end the hostilities.
'Only President Trump determines who negotiates.'
"The Iranian negotiators are very different and 'strange,'" Trump said in a Truth Social post Thursday. "They are 'begging' us to make a deal, which they should be doing since they have been militarily obliterated, with zero chance of a comeback, and yet they publicly state that they are only 'looking at our proposal.'"
"WRONG!!! They better get serious soon, before it is too late, because once that happens, there is NO TURNING BACK, and it won’t be pretty!"
RELATED: 'Utterly false': White House sets the record straight over media's 'laughable' Iran narratives

After Trump initially made the negotiations public on Monday, reports began swirling about which officials are being included, and in some cases excluded, from the talks.
CNN reported earlier in the week that Iranian officials would not re-enter negotiations with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, instead insisting on meeting with Vice President JD Vance. The anonymous reports that Kushner and Witkoff were cut out of meetings were quickly quashed by the White House and other sources who set the record straight.
"President Trump and only President Trump determines who negotiates on behalf of the United States," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Blaze News.
"As the president stated today, Vice President Vance, Secretary [Marco] Rubio, Special Envoy Witkoff, and Mr. Kushner will all be involved."
RELATED: 'TOTAL RESOLUTION': Trump orders temporary suspension amid Iran peace talks

Another source familiar with the negotiations told Blaze News that these reports are a form of foreign propaganda relying on accounts of potential adversaries who want to see the peace talks fail.
"CNN and NYPost are using anonymous sources aka sources from other Middle Eastern countries who clearly want to scuttle negotiations to launder foreign propaganda and blatant misinformation," the source told Blaze News.
"The big tell is it’s not even being sourced to the Iranians but other unnamed regional sources who may or may not have a reason to undermine negotiations by peddling this type of laughable fiction," the source added. "The whole premise and their sourcing is laughable — they’re relying on other countries who may have an interest in quashing any negotiations here."
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The White House has flat-out rejected media reports claiming key players have been cut out of ongoing negotiations with Iran.
Outlets like CNN and the New York Post have reported that Iran does not want to re-enter negotiations with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and that they instead insist on negotiating with Vice President JD Vance. The White House and other sources familiar with the negotiations vehemently pushed back on this characterization, telling Blaze News that only one person has the discretion to decide who is or isn't involved in peace talks.
'The whole premise and their sourcing is laughable.'
"President Trump and only President Trump determines who negotiates on behalf of the United States," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Blaze News.
"As the president stated today, Vice President Vance, Secretary [Marco] Rubio, Special Envoy Witkoff, and Mr. Kushner will all be involved."
RELATED: 'TOTAL RESOLUTION': Trump orders temporary suspension amid Iran peace talks

Other officials went even further, telling Blaze News that these anonymously sourced articles are just another attempt to quash peace negotiations.
“These stories are utterly false," a White House official told Blaze News. "This obvious op sourced entirely to anonymous or 'regional' sources is clearly a coordinated foreign propaganda campaign meant to undermine the president.”
Another source familiar with the negotiations said the reports are sourced by foreign actors attempting to push their own propaganda about the ongoing Iran war.
RELATED: 'Insulting and laughable': Trump administration slams Joe Kent's resignation protesting Iran strikes

"CNN and NYPost are using anonymous sources aka sources from other Middle Eastern countries who clearly want to scuttle negotiations to launder foreign propaganda and blatant misinformation," the source told Blaze News. "The big tell is it’s not even being sourced to the Iranians but other unnamed regional sources who may or may not have a reason to undermine negotiations by peddling this type of laughable fiction."
"The whole premise and their sourcing is laughable," the source added. "They're relying on other countries who may have an interest in quashing any negotiations here."
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An American hostage has been released by the Taliban after more than a year in custody.
Fox News reported Tuesday that Dennis Coyle, an American academic who spent nearly two decades in Afghanistan before being detained by the Taliban without charges, has finally been released after more than a year in near-solitary confinement.
'Today, Dennis is on his way home.'
Coyle, 64, was taken from his home in Kabul in January 2025.
"The United States welcomes the release of American citizen Dennis Coyle, who was wrongfully detained in Afghanistan for more than a year," Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Adam Boehler said in a statement to Fox News.
RELATED: Suspect in National Guard shooting was part of CIA-backed unit that hunted down Taliban commanders

Earlier this month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated Afghanistan as a state sponsor of wrongful detention, writing on social media, "The Taliban continue to use terrorist tactics to seek policy concessions, but it won't work under this administration. The Taliban must release Dennis Coyle, Mahmood Habibi, and all Americans unjustly detained in Afghanistan."
On Tuesday, Rubio celebrated Coyle's release as "a positive step towards ending the practice of hostage diplomacy."
"Earlier this month, I met Molly, Amy, and Patti as they asked for help freeing their brother Dennis Coyle from detention in Afghanistan. Today, Dennis is on his way home. We thank the UAE and Qatar for their support," Rubio said on social media.
Coyle's family told Fox News that Coyle had been working legally as an academic researcher to support language communities in Afghanistan.
He was seized on January 27, 2025, just days after another American, Ryan Corbett, was released at the start of President Trump's second term, CBS News reported on the anniversary of Coyle's detention.
Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Coyle's release on social media. A section of the translated post on X reads: "[The release] has further strengthened the atmosphere of trust between the two countries. Likewise, it expresses the hope that both countries will, in the future, find ways to resolve the remaining issues through mutual understanding and constructive dialogue."
Habibi's status is unclear. The U.S. government, including the House Foreign Affairs Committee, claims he was taken hostage by the Taliban in August 2022. The State Department has offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his whereabouts.
CBS News reported in January that the Taliban denies that they arrested him.
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Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma has been confirmed by the Senate to head the Department of Homeland Security just weeks after President Donald Trump tapped him for the role.
Trump recruited Mullin to replace current DHS Secretary Kristi Noem in early March after a string of personal and political controversies. Noem will continue to serve in the role until March 31.
Despite Paul's defection, Mullin secured support from some Democrats.
Mullin's nomination sailed through the Senate in a 54-45 vote Monday night with Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky being the lone GOP "no" vote after the two shared a heated exchange during a confirmation hearing.
Paul called out Mullin for allegedly calling a vicious assault against Paul that left him with broken ribs "completely understandable." Mullin in turn said if he had something to say he would just "say it directly to [his] face," arguing that Paul likes to "fight Republicans more than you work with us."
RELATED: Trump adds new condition to ICE airport plan in DHS shutdown fight

Despite Paul's defection, Mullin secured support from some Democrats. Sens. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico voted with Republicans to confirm Trump's nominee.
It's typical for senators to overwhelmingly confirm a Senate colleague to a Cabinet position despite their political affiliation, so the limited Democrat support potentially indicates how divisive DHS has become. While Mullin was confirmed on a near party-line vote, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a former senator from Florida, was unanimously confirmed by his colleagues back in January 2025 to serve in the Trump administration.
Mullin is now set to take on the task of resolving the partial DHS shutdown that has withheld funding from key agencies like TSA and FEMA since February 14. As a result of the Democrats' partial shutdown, airports across the country are seeing massive security lines and constant flight delays.
RELATED: 'Freaking snake': Trump's new DHS pick faces major roadblock from lone Republican

Senate Democrats allowed DHS funding to lapse after the shootings of anti-ICE agitators Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Notably, the partial shutdown does not affect the immigration agencies Democrats seek to dismantle. Mullin's Democrat colleagues are also demanding changes to immigration enforcement like deploying body cams and removing face coverings, all of which he will have to negotiate in his new role.
Mullin is now expected to be sworn in at the White House Tuesday afternoon.
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