Approximately 5,400 probationary workers are expected to be fired from the Pentagon beginning next week.

Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Darin Selnick announced the cut back of the workforce in a statement on Friday evening.

“We anticipate reducing the Department’s civilian workforce by 5-8% to produce efficiencies and refocus the Department on the President’s priorities and restoring readiness in the force,” Selnick said.

Selnick’s statement continued, “We expect approximately 5,400 probationary workers will be released beginning next week as part of this initial effort, after which we will implement a hiring freeze while we conduct a further analysis of our personnel needs, complying as always with all applicable laws.”

On Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted a video to social media hinting at the upcoming layoffs.

Hegseth stated it is “not in the public interest to retain individuals whose contributions are not mission critical.”

A Message From @SecDef To The American Warfighter, And The American Tax Payer. pic.twitter.com/iRSPfrd6w0

— Department of Defense (@DeptofDefense) February 20, 2025

“Taxpayers deserve to have us take a really thorough look at our workforce top to bottom — and it will be top to bottom — to see where we can find and eliminate redundancy,” he said.

The Hill reports:

“While there is no official figure available of the total firings or layoffs, it’s known that several thousand federal employees have been shown the door in President Trump’s first month of presidency, including 1,000 from the Department of Veterans Affairs let go last week.”

The post Over 5,000 Firings Expected at the Pentagon Beginning Next Week appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

The Donald J. Trump administration has been described as running a ‘good cop-bad cop’ strategy toward the embattled Ukrainian leadership: while the President and many of his top aides are lambasting Volodymyr Zelensky and asking for new elections, the special envoy, retired Gen. Keith Kellogg, was able to make significant progress alongside Kiev.

It’s now been reported that the US is close to a deal with Ukraine for access to hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of mineral rights.

New York Post reported:

“Kellogg, believed to be one of the few Trump administration officials still supportive of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, began his two-day trip back to the US without confirming a deal that the White House has pushed hard for — but which high-level officials in Zelensky’s government view as a shakedown.”

President Trump announced at the White House that the US and Ukraine would sign an agreement soon.

“’It’s a big deal, but they want it, and it keeps us in that country, and they’re very happy about it’, Trump added later. ‘We get our money back. This should have been signed long before we went in. It should have been signed by [former President Joe] Biden’.

After a tense week of back-and-forth barbs between Washington and Kyiv, it was Kellogg’s visit Friday to wounded Ukrainian veterans at Irpin Military Hospital northwest of Kyiv that ingratiated the US to Zelensky, nudging the deal closer to the finish line, sources familiar with the situation told The Post.”

Read: Zelensky Has NO Friends in Trump Team, They Want Him Gone – ‘Best Case is He Leaves to France Immediately’ – NYP

Kellogg also published a post praising Zelensky publicly.

“’A long and intense day with the senior leadership of Ukraine’, Kellogg wrote on his personal X account following a round of meetings Thursday. ‘Extensive and positive discussions with @ZelenskyyUa, the embattled and courageous leader of a nation at war and his talented national security team’.”

Of course, what is lacking from Kellogg’s post is any mention to the usual narrative about the ‘unprovoked’ Russian aggression.

After the failed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s trip to Ukraine, Kellogg has achieved a positive movement in the negotiations.

Former Ukrainian President Poroshenko, expected to run against Zelensky whenever there is a next presidential election in Kiev:

“’A discussion with Trump requires diplomatic skill, patience and silence, sufficient not to reflect on his every statement’, he said. ‘I worked with him for three years and know what I’m talking about. The authorities should work on the mistakes and figure out [who failed] in building relations with the new American administration. Who, instead of building bridges, burned them? Now the government’s problems in communication with Washington have become a problem for our entire country’.”

Ukraine minerals deal is nearly done pic.twitter.com/DfkZYOdADv

— Karli Bonne’ (@KarluskaP) February 22, 2025

Read more:

President Trump: It’s “Not Important” for Zelensky to be Involved in Peace Talks – “He Makes It Very Hard to Make Deals”

The post ‘Good Cop’ General Kellogg Returns From Successful Ukraine Trip – US Reportedly Close to a Deal With Kiev Over Mineral Rights appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

The current FBI has become the most corrupt and partisan law enforcement agency in American history.

A 2023 Rasmussen poll found that nearly two-thirds of Americans believed that the FBI has been weaponized by politics.

The poll found forty-five percent (45%) view the FBI unfavorably, or nearly half of all Americans.

Earlier this month, the FBI admitted that 5,000 agents were assigned to work January 6 cases and harass and threaten hundreds of patriotic Americans who attended the January 6, 2021, protests in Washington, DC.

We also know that FBI Deputy Director Abbate reportedly told agents to hide DOZENS of J6 informants from the American public before Trump’s team took over. Abbate knew it would be “too embarrassing” for the agency if the American public really discovered all of their planning, plotting, and actions on January 6, 2021.

On Friday MAGA favorite Kash Patel was sworn in this week and immediately ordered 1,000 agents into the field. He also transported another 500 employees from DC to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama.

New: FBI Director Kash Patel is ordering 1,000 agents at headquarters into the field—and another 500 employees must move from D.C. to the FBI’s facility in Huntsville, AL, current and former FBI officials tell NBC News. There are around 7,300 employees working in the Hoover…

— Ken Dilanian (@KenDilanianNBC) February 21, 2025

There is no reason that these FBI agents were stationed at the DC headquarters.

The local authorities in Alabama were thrilled to hear the news.

There are 30,000 employees at the FBI.

The post Kash Patel Gets to Work – Immediately Moves 1,500 Agents from Headquarters Building, 500 FBI Agents Moved to Alabama appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Things just keep getting worse for the left-wing mainstream media.

NBC Universal has settled a lawsuit on behalf of MSNBC with a doctor the network falsely accused of committing numerous hysterectomies on female detainees at an ICE facility in rural Georgia.

The stories aired on MSNBC shows back in September 2020 hosted by the likes of Nicolle Wallace, Chris Hayes and Rachel Maddow, as well as various NBC News reports.

Amin was even dubbed as the “uterus collector,” despite no evidence he ever engaged in such activities.

The obstetrician-gynecologist responded to the reports by filing a lawsuit against NBCUniversal, demanding $20 million in punitive damages and a further $10 million in compensatory damages.

His lawsuit accused the network of portraying him as “an abusive, unethical, and dishonest physician who treated and operated on immigrant women in an abusive fashion, without consent, and motivated by profit instead of quality healthcare.”

Last June, U.S. District Judge Lisa Godbey Wood ruled that “the undisputed evidence establishes that multiple NBC statements are false.”

Some media news: NBCUniversal is settling a lawsuit filed by obstetrician gynecologist Mahendra Amin.

Amin filed a defamation lawsuit after NBC reported allegations that Dr. Amin performed hysterectomies that were unnecessary, unauthorized, or botched at an ICE facility. pic.twitter.com/ErSjRpDKOI

— Jeremy Barr (@jeremymbarr) February 21, 2025

“NBC investigated the whistleblower letter’s accusations; that investigation did not corroborate the accusations and even undermined some; NBC republished the letter’s accusations anyway,” she wrote in her 108-page ruling.

However, the final settlement agreement has not been publicly disclosed.

Had the lawsuit gone all the way to trial, hosts including Maddow, Hayes, and Wallace would likely have been called as potential witnesses. This may have proven devastating for the network’s already tarnished reputation.

Other potential witnesses included NBC News reporters Jacob Soboroff and Julia Ainsley, MSNBC producer Denis Horgan, senior director of stands and practices Mary Lockhart, and deputy head of standards Chris Scholl.

The agreement was reached weeks after a Florida jury found CNN liable for defamation against U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young and must pay out punitive damages.

The jury had awarded Young $4 million for lost earnings and another $1 million for personal damages, including emotional distress.

Before the panel could finalize an additional penalty against CNN, 14th Judicial Circuit Court Judge William S. Henry announced that both parties had settled on a final compensation amount.

BREAKING: Jury Finds CNN “Committed Defamation Against Navy Vet Zachary Young” – CNN Owes Young $5 Million in Emotional and Financial Damages

The post MSNBC Settles Lawsuit With Doctor They Smeared as ‘Uterus Collector’ at ICE Detention Facility appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Ukraine and the U.S. are closing in on a deal that would sign over the country’s mineral rights in exchange for military support.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the two sides were “nearing” an agreement and a deal could be signed as soon as Saturday.

However, the exact terms of the deal currently remain unclear.

The report stated:

Zelensky was presented with a deal by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Kyiv last week, but refused to sign, saying the Ukrainian side needed to study it further and that a deal should contain some form of security guarantees for Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials said that they had only a few hours to study it before it was presented to them.

An agreement could be signed as soon as Saturday, although it isn’t yet complete, people briefed on the talks said. The exact terms couldn’t be learned.

Ukraine holds vast mineral wealth, including major reserves of iron ore, coal, titanium, lithium, and uranium.

Its resources are crucial to steel production, energy, and advanced technologies, making them an important geopolitical consideration in Russia’s invasion.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared to confirm the deal on Friday evening.

“This is an agreement that can strengthen our relations, and the key is to work out the details to ensure its effectiveness,” he said in his nightly video address.

“I look forward to the outcome—a just result.”

However, Zelenskyy had previously refused to sign such a deal, sparking a war of words with Trump that resulted in him calling the Ukrainian leader a “dictator.”

JUST IN: President Trump SLAMS Ukrainian President Zelensky as “A Dictator without Elections” – Says He Was “Playing Biden Like a Fiddle” While Taking Hundreds of Billions in “MISSING” U.S. Aid

Speaking to reporters from the Oval Office on Friday, Trump said Ukraine were now in favor of the proposal.

“I think they want it,” he said. “They feel good about it.”

In an interview with Catherine Herridge, Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained why Ukraine will benefit from a mineral rights agreement.

“We discussed this issue about the mineral rights, and we explained to them, look, we want to be in a joint venture with you — not because we’re trying to steal from your country, but because we think that’s actually a security guarantee,” he said.

“If we’re your partner in an important economic endeavor, we get to get paid back some of the money the taxpayers have given — close to $200 billion,” he continued.

“And also now we have a vested interest in the security of Ukraine.”

NEW: Marco Rubio claims that President Zelenskyy acted two-faced with him and President Trump and warns him not to hustle the United States.

RUBIO: "We discussed mineral rights with Zelenskyy and said we want to be in a joint venture with you because we think we need a… pic.twitter.com/Tczl8KEnwl

— Autism Capital (@AutismCapital) February 21, 2025

The post Zelensky Folds Like a Cheap Suit — Will Sign Over Ukraine’s Mineral Rights to U.S. as Compensation For Military Aid appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Transgender actor Hunter Schafer has made a video complaining that the gender marker on his passport has been changed to “male.”

Schafer, a biological male, lost his passport while filming in Spain last year and had to get a new one.

In a video posted to social media, Schafer explained that President Donald Trump had signed an executive order saying the federal government would only recognize two sexes.

The order states, “sexes that are not changeable, and they are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.”

Schafer said he knew about the order, but did not believe anything would actually change.

“I’m not making this post to fear-monger, or to create drama, or receive consolation, I don’t need it,” he said. “But I do think it’s worth posting to sort of note the reality of the situation and that it’s happening. I was shocked. I just didn’t think it was actually going to happen.”

Hunter Schafer reveals that her new passport now lists her sex as male instead of female, following Trump’s instatement:

“I’m not making this post to fear-monger, or to create drama, or receive consolation, I don’t need it. But I do think it’s worth posting to sort of note the… pic.twitter.com/C9DDJEtf4u

— Pop Base (@PopBase) February 21, 2025

Schafer continued, “I want to acknowledge my privilege, not only as a celebrity transwoman who is white […] I pass, and it still happened. […] No one, no matter how wealthy or white or pretty or whatever is excluded. […] I don’t give a f-ck that they put an ‘M’ on my passport.”

“It doesn’t change really anything about me or my transness, however, it does make life a little harder. I’m pretty sure it’s gonna come along with having to out myself to border patrol agents […] much more often than I would like to or is really necessary. And thinking about other trans women or other trans people who this might be happening to.”

The post WATCH: Transgender ‘Euphoria’ Star Complains Gender Marker on His Passport Has Been Changed to ‘Male’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.