WHAT WE'RE WATCHING
🚨 Trump admin found 22,638 migrant children lost under Biden. Officials discovered thousands of unaccompanied minors unaccounted for, with 27 confirmed dead. Reports describe children trapped in debt bondage, forced to work off trafficking debts. The fallout highlights the deadly consequences of the Biden administration’s border failures.
🇰🇷 Hundreds of detained South Koreans sent home after raid. An agreement between Washington and Seoul will see around 300 workers flown back after the largest workplace raid in Homeland Security Investigations history. Border czar Tom Homan says more raids are coming, arguing that companies are exploiting illegal labor to drive down wages and sideline American workers.
💸 Trump to hit Russia with more sanctions. The president confirmed he’s ready to escalate sanctions against Moscow as peace talks stall. Trump pointed to tariffs on India for buying Russian oil, which he says have already cost Russia hundreds of billions. He’s making it clear that Putin’s refusal to seek peace comes with consequences.
🚀 GOP split after Trump’s Venezuelan cartel boat strike. After President Trump authorized a lethal attack on a drug boat, killing 11 members of the Tren de Aragua cartel, Vice President JD Vance called it the “highest and best use of our military,” while Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) condemned the move as “despicable.” The rift exposes a deep divide over how aggressively to defend American lives from foreign threats.
INSIDER RADAR
Trump adviser Stephen Miller blasted an “unelected Marxist judge” for blocking Trump from reversing Biden-era amnesty granted to 1.1 million Venezuelans and Haitians.
Border czar Tom Homan stated the administration is at "war with criminal cartels" and accused Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) of protecting them.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent predicted the US economy will see a "substantial acceleration" by the fourth quarter.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the arrest of two juveniles who murdered a Capitol Hill intern in June.
HOAX TRACKER
Media ignore brutal murder of Ukrainian refugee caught on video
Surveillance footage showed 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryana Zarutska being brutally stabbed to death on a Charlotte train by a repeat offender. While conservative media covered the story extensively, outlets like CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the AP have stayed silent.
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QUICK AND IMPORTANT
ICE agents launched Operation Patriot 2.0 in Massachusetts, following an earlier operation that yielded 1,500 criminal illegal alien arrests in May.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is set to resign less than one year after taking office.
President Trump pushed back on Florida's plan to eliminate all vaccine mandates.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is moving to use the "nuclear option" to fast-track confirmation of Trump’s lower-level nominees.
The most clicked link in our last newsletter was pro-India posts flooding X.
INSIDER EXCLUSIVE
Trump flexes military might in Venezuela
Last week, President Donald Trump ordered a strike on a drug-running Venezuelan naval vessel…
THE MAIN STORY
DOJ considers gun ban for transgenders
_WHAT’S HAPPENING_
The Department of Justice (DOJ) under President Donald Trump is considering new rules that would block transgender-identifying individuals from purchasing firearms.
The internal DOJ discussions, confirmed by multiple sources, follow the recent deadly school shooting in Minneapolis carried out by a transgender person. Officials are considering classifying gender dysphoria as a mental illness that would bar gun ownership, and are reportedly exploring a legal framework to implement it.
_THE FACTS_
The Minneapolis shooter’s writings blamed his mental state on transgender ideology and marijuana, stating they “f***ed up my head.”
In 2023, a female who identified as male murdered six people at a Christian school in Nashville.
One source inside the Justice Department described the potential policy as a “common sense” gun law.
The DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel is involved in finding a legally sound way to enact restrictions.
One proposed idea would label transgender-identifying individuals as “mentally ill” and block them from purchasing firearms via the automatic background check process.
The Gun Control Act of 1968 makes it illegal for any person who has been “adjudicated as a mental defective” to possess firearms.
Major gun rights groups, including the NRA and Gun Owners of America, have come out against a potential ban.
The National Association for Gun Rights’ president argued that labeling a group “mentally defective” to strip gun rights would violate due process.
_OUR INSIGHTS _
If carried out, the Trump administration’s ban would be the most sweeping gun ban ever carried out by a Republican administration. To take effect, however, this will involve a controversial debate around whether transgenderism qualifies as a mental defect.
Libertarians and many gun-rights activists believe that this is not proper grounds to take away somebody’s Second Amendment rights, setting up an inevitable political and legal battle if the DOJ proceeds with this action.
_JOIN THE DISCUSSION_
Do you think that a transgender gun ban is Constitutional?
BIAS SPOTTER
How left and right outlets frame a transgender gun ban
_LEFT_
Pattern of discrimination: The AP connected the potential firearms ban to broader Trump administration actions targeting transgender people, including military service bans, passport restrictions, and sports participation limits. Associated Press
Due process concerns: Politico spotlighted legal experts arguing that the potential ban would "bypass due process and violate the Constitution," noting federal law requires a judge to declare someone mentally "defective" before stripping firearm rights. Politico
_RIGHT_
Legitimate response to violence: The Daily Wire cited a Department of Justice source who described "the rise in transgender violence over the past decade, particularly aimed at school children," framing the ban as a response to a dangerous trend. The Daily Wire
A tactical mistake: The Washington Examiner argued that pursuing a gun ban would be a political and legal disaster likely to fail at the Supreme Court. The author contended the Trump administration should focus on fighting transgender ideology rather than adopting gun control policies. Washington Examiner
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_THE DAILY DEBATE_
POLLS RESULTS FROM YESTERDAY
Who should decide what counts as “offensive speech”?
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 👨💼 Political leaders (12)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 📱 Social media platforms (8)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🏛️ The courts (141)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🗣️ Nobody – free speech should be absolute (1,127)
📱 Social media platforms: “Social media platforms are businesses, and every business should be allowed to have its own set of standards. If you don’t like it, don’t visit that business. Let capitalism be.” — Jenna
🏛️ The courts: “Nobody should be able to yell ‘fire’ or ‘they’ve got a gun’ in a crowded venue.” — DA
🗣️ Nobody — free speech should be absolute: “‘Being offended’ is too subjective.” — Mike
_POP QUIZ_
Today’s newsletter was written by Brandon Goldman, Anthony Constantini, and Ariel David. We scoured 100s of sources to bring you stories and insights you won’t find in the mainstream media.
See you tomorrow.
