In the bigger picture, it is very likely that congress will reauthorize FISA (702) surveillance because not doing so is against their interests. That reality creates an unusual dynamic where President Trump can leverage the inevitable outcome for his own political benefit.

PRESIDENT TRUMP – “Just like they did on Border Funding, the Radical Left Dumocrats are trying to take our National Security hostage because of unrelated issues. They should stop playing politics with the safety of our Great Country.

I have named William Pulte to be Acting Director of National Intelligence, who will take over on June 19th, and have asked him to execute the immediate and needed downsizing of the office, reverting staff to their home agencies. At the same time, I am looking for a permanent ODNI Nominee with experience in National Security.

FISA 702 is very important to our Military, and keeping the American People safe, especially during the World Cup and America250 Celebrations. If nothing is done, this important Law will expire this week. I am asking Congress to send me a short-term extension of FISA to provide time for the selection and confirmation of a permanent Head of the Agency. I would like to thank Director Pulte for his time and commitment.” ~ President DONALD J. TRUMP

The Legislative Branch is opposing FISA (702) renewal by using opposition as a narrative to enhance their “orange man bad” credentials.   Their opposition is fake.  In non-pretending reality we understand the Legislative Branch both wants and controls the dynamics around FISA (702).

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**BUMPED**

The authority for the United States government to capture the electronic records of all Americans without warrant falls under the auspices of FISA-702.  Reauthorization of the current authority is being debated.  This is a deep walk into why this issue is so important to our government.

Having researched almost every aspect to the construct and the argument, I am confident FISA-702 authority underpins a much bigger, quasi-constitutional justification for the collection of U.S. citizen metadata.  Without the 702 authority the legal justification for the apparatus of surveillance no longer exists.  It really is that simple.

It is not the just the illegal searching of the NSA database that presents the issue, although that aspect has received the majority of attention, the capture itself violates the Fourth Amendment. The only way the government can justify the capture of U.S. Citizen data is if there is some quasi-constitutional or national security reason for it.  That’s where FISA-702 comes in.

Take away “702” search authority, and the data collection argument collapses. Any “incidental” search of the database then loses any plausible legal justification.  702 is the camel’s nose under the privacy tent that forms the baseline for all data records to be intercepted, stored and ultimately available for review.

♦ Only one legal case has ever pushed into the sphere of challenging this unconstitutional exploitation. A 2025 decision in the U.S. v. Hasbajrami in Brooklyn, New York, where Eastern District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall identified the misuse of FISA-702 “backdoor searches” regarding defendant, Agron Hasbajrami.

Hasbajrami plead guilty to charges of attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization, alleging that he intended to travel to the Federally Administered Tribal Area of Pakistan, where he expected to join a terrorist organization, receive training, and ultimately fight against U.S. forces and others in Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, after his guilty plea, while he is serving time in prison, prosecutors admitted some of the evidence against him came as a result of privacy violations, unlawful FISA-702 searches.

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Representative Jim Himes is the ranking Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI).  During an interview on Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan, Himes looks forward to the political benefit he predicts following terrorist attacks inside the USA as soon as the FISA (702) program expires next Friday.

Elimination of FISA (702) authority is not a bad outcome; in fact, many of us want that outcome because FISA (702) is warrantless surveillance of American citizens.  However, watching Himes be gleeful at the possibility of terrorist attacks resulting from FISA (702) expiring, is, well, a little weird.

In the non-pretending world, we fully understand a terrorist attack is highly unlikely. However, if there was a terrorist attack, it would likely originate from our own intelligence community organizing it in an effort to get FISA (702) authorized again.  It’s far more likely the FBI would be motivated to create a false flag, than the odds of an actual terrorist attack.

[TRANSCRIPT] –  MARGARET BRENNAN: We turn now to the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, Representative Jim Himes, who joins us this morning from Greenwich, Connecticut. Welcome back to Face the Nation.

REP. JIM HIMES: Good to be with you, Margaret.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Congressman, President Trump appointed the Federal Housing Finance Agency head, Bill Pulte, to be the next Director of National Intelligence. The President said it is temporary, but even in that acting role, he could stay in it for over 200 days, and it would bypass Congressional approval. Pulte himself was Senate-confirmed for the housing job. Three Democrats voted for him. Do you know if he has a security clearance to do the intelligence work?

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu representing Israel, and President Donald Trump representing the United States, apparently had a testy telephone call about ongoing Israeli strikes against Hezbollah attacks from Lebanon.

Iran, essentially IRGC control officers who now control the government, had previously said their terms for negotiation required Israel to stop strikes into Lebanon against their allies in Hezbollah.  However, under the cover of that term, Hezbollah restarted rocket attacks from Lebanon against Israel.  Yesterday, Israel began counter-attack operations against Hezbollah, which led to Iran saying the terms of the negotiation were now violated, and they would stop discussions with the USA.

[NOTE – This overall dynamic is very similar to Saudi Arabia coming under fire about a month ago, and their anger toward the USA for essentially saying Saudi had to accept the attacks so that diplomatic talks could continue.   Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salmon rejected the expectation and challenged President Trump with Saudi allied base cooperation.]

Apparently, President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu had a strong discussion, some have leaked a very angered and open exchange, about Netanyahu launching strikes into Lebanon again.

On social media, it looks like this. Netanyahu put’s the Israel position via X:

[source]

President Trump responds to Netanyahu’s intentions with a phone call and then a follow-up on his Truth Social Account:

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This afternoon, federal and state officials from Florida unsealed an indictment against Raul Castro which was returned in federal court in Miami on April 23, and charges him with one count of conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, four counts of murder, and two counts of ‌destruction of aircraft. Five other people are also named as defendants in the case.

U.S. Attorney Todd Blanche made the announcement in Florida to a packed audience of Cuban-Americans. Reuters: “The charges stemmed from a 1996 incident in which Cuban jets shot down planes operated by a group of Cuban exiles, U.S. acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said at an event in downtown Miami on Wednesday to honor victims of the incident. “My message today is clear: The United States and President Trump does not and will not forget its citizens,” Blanche said to applause in a packed auditorium of government officials and Cuban Americans in Miami.”

For those not familiar with the sensitivity of the issues in the South Florida area, it is difficult to imagine the impact of this announcement.  There are hundreds of thousands of first- and second-generation Cubans who fled the brutality of the communist regime when Fidel Castro took power.  This is a very close and personal issue for the Cuban people within Miami-Dade.

Everyone in/around Miami knows an immediate family member or close family friend who was victimized by the Castro regime. As noted by The Hill:

[…] In indicting Castro, the U.S. is laying a similar groundwork that led to the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was also indicted in a U.S. court before armed forces seized him from his compound.

It’s unclear what action may await Castro and Cuba, but CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with officials on the island last week to convey that the window for negotiations will not be open indefinitely. (source)

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The Christian people of Nigeria have been brutalized by Boko Haram and regional elements of the Islamic State (ISIS).  In February a small group of around 200 U.S. military technical and training personnel were sent to Nigeria.

Last night President Trump announced a joint U.S-Nigeria taskforce has eliminated ISIS #2 leader, Abu Bilal al-Minuki, who ran the Islamic State of West Africa Province.

“Tonight, at my direction, brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield. Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing. He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans. With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished. Thank you to the Government of Nigeria for your partnership on this operation. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”

~ President DONALD J. TRUMP

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The White House has published the official 2026 Counterterrorism Strategy with a foreword by President Trump. [SEE HERE]

Within the outline the White House breaks down the threats and strategies for each region.  It is well worth reviewing the entire document which is written in plain language that avoids any misinterpretations.

[READ HERE]

Regionally, the White House outlines specific threats and policies.  Given the current situation with drug and human trafficking cartels as well as regional conflict in the Middle East and vulnerabilities in Europe, each of these points of material interest should be highlighted (emphasis mine).

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Last week the DOJ indicted Mexican Governor Ruben Rocha Moya along with nine current and former Mexican officials for participating “in a corrupt and violent drug trafficking conspiracy with the Cartel to import massive amounts of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine from Mexico into the United States.” {GO DEEP} This has put Mexican Governor Claudia Sheinbaum in a precarious position.

Both President Sheinbaum and Governor Rocha Moya are from the Moreno political party in Mexico.  Following the indictment, Sheinbaum said she would not assist in any extradition effort of Governor Rocha and denounced the U.S. indictment; however, she said the federal government within Mexico would launch their own independent investigation.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum denounced the U.S. prosecution of a sitting Mexican governor and other officials on drug trafficking charges as “political,” and said Thursday that Mexico would not comply with Washington’s demands that the accused be arrested and extradited to the United States.

“We are not permitting a foreign government to say what is the future of Mexico,” said a defiant Sheinbaum, who repeatedly assailed U.S. “meddling” in the incendiary case. (more)

There is considerable support within Mexico to eliminate the corrupt activity of the Cartels who many admit are in control of large sectors of their regional and federal government.  As a consequence, many Mexicans support the position of President Trump and the Dept of Justice in prosecuting Governor Rocha Moya if there is evidence to support it.

Today, Sinaloa Governor Rocha Moya said he would step down from his position as the federal investigation of the claims get underway.

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In a series of messages from his Truth Social account, President Trump notes IRGC officials continue to fire weapons into the Strait of Hormuz in an effort to disrupt commercial shipping lanes.

The leadership of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps are in a zero-sum status.  Any change to the power structure of the country will likely mean the end to their power, life and status.  The IRGC will not accept any terms and consistently portray themselves as martyrs for the regime.

The U.S. blockade of Iranian ports and shipping is creating a serious economic problem for the regime in Tehran, and the IRGC is trying to stop the situation of commercial vessel transit for anyone except Iran.  (VIA Politico) – “Iran’s Supreme National Security Council issued a statement calling the blockade a violation of the ceasefire and said Iran would prevent “any conditional and limited reopening” of the strait.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP – “Iran decided to fire bullets yesterday in the Strait of Hormuz — A Total Violation of our Ceasefire Agreement! Many of them were aimed at a French Ship, and a Freighter from the United Kingdom. That wasn’t nice, was it? My Representatives are going to Islamabad, Pakistan — They will be there tomorrow evening, for Negotiations. Iran recently announced that they were closing the Strait, which is strange, because our BLOCKADE has already closed it. They’re helping us without knowing, and they are the ones that lose with the closed passage, $500 Million Dollars a day! The United States loses nothing. In fact, many Ships are headed, right now, to the U.S., Texas, Louisiana, and Alaska, to load up, compliments of the IRGC, always wanting to be “the tough guy!” We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY! They’ll come down fast, they’ll come down easy and, if they don’t take the DEAL, it will be my Honor to do what has to be done, which should have been done to Iran, by other Presidents, for the last 47 years. IT’S TIME FOR THE IRAN KILLING MACHINE TO END!” ~ President DONALD J. TRUMP

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My personal opinion on the FISA-702 reauthorization is well known {GO DEEP}.  However, I am not naïve enough to believe there is enough DC support to stop it. {GO DEEP} That said, I am disappointed the reauthorization will not be attached to the Save America Act as leverage.

[Via Truth Social] – “I am working very hard with our Great Speaker, Mike Johnson, along with Chairman Jim Jordan and Chairman Rick Crawford, to get a clean extension of FISA 702 through the House of Representatives this week. I am asking Republicans to UNIFY, and vote together on the test vote to bring a clean Bill to the floor. We need to stick together when this Bill comes before the House Rules Committee today to keep it CLEAN!

I was a victim of the worst and most illegal abuse of FISA in our Nation’s History, by Radical Left Lunatics, who lied to the FISA Court to spy on my 2016 Presidential Campaign in their attempt to RIG the Election in favor of Crooked Hillary Clinton. Their use of this instrument in the 2020 Presidential Election was even worse! When the Dirty Cop, James Comey, the failed Head of the FBI, went after me, he was using FISA Title I, the Domestic Collection, not FISA 702, the Foreign Collection, which needs to be extended today.

While parts of FISA were illegally and unfortunately used against me in the Democrats’ disgraceful Witch Hunt and Attack in the RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA Hoax, and perhaps would be used against me in the future, I am willing to risk that as a Citizen in order to do what is right for our Country.”

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