The southern border is a complete mess. Thankfully, with Trump at the helm, it’s improving.

But now Border Patrol uncovered a disturbing reality at the border that is raising eyebrows.

Authorities recently discovered Salvadoran illegal immigrant Stephen Marroquin-Mendez crammed inside a semi-truck’s cab cabinet, locked from the outside and unable to free himself.

Marroquin-Mendez told Homeland Security agents he had already paid $8,500 to be ferried across the Rio Grande into Texas, with another $8,500 due upon reaching Houston. From there, he planned to travel to Virginia to meet an aunt.

His staggering $17,000 smuggling fee reflects a new reality under President Donald Trump, as cartels scramble to keep their business afloat amid the administration’s historic border shutdown.

Smugglers are demanding exorbitant prices as Trump’s policies make illegal entry far more difficult. Mexican migrants, who once paid the lowest rates, now shell out at least $10,000 each, with prices reaching as high as $16,000, according to The Washington Times’ database of smuggling cases. Central Americans report paying anywhere from $16,000 to $17,000, with some forking over $30,000 or more to get across the border and into the U.S. interior.

Even more staggering, a Chinese couple caught hidden in a Hyundai Tucson admitted to paying $45,000 each to be smuggled in.

The dramatic price hikes are a direct consequence of Trump’s aggressive border policies, which have rendered illegal crossings nearly impossible compared to the chaos under Biden just a year ago. The Border Patrol, once overwhelmed with 10,000+ illegal crossings per day, now sees fewer than 500 encounters daily.

“Border crossings are down approximately 95%,” White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller told reporters. “You talk to agents on the line, in their entire careers they’ve never seen crossing days as low as what they’re experiencing right now.”

The impact on smuggling cartels has been devastating. Once raking in billions from illegal immigration, cartels are now scrambling to adapt.

“The cartels in fact are enormously frustrated because they’ve never seen a clampdown like this in American history,” Miller added.

Jonathan Fahey, former federal prosecutor and acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, credited Trump’s crackdown on “catch-and-release” for upending cartel operations.

Under Biden, smugglers simply had to get migrants across the border and count on the U.S. government to release them. Now, under Trump, avoiding detection altogether is their only option—driving up costs and risks.

“It’s hard to get in now because you’ve got to be a ‘gotaway,’” Fahey explained. “That’s a lot more challenging.”

Fahey also noted that increased criminal prosecutions of smugglers have raised the stakes, further inflating prices.

“It’s a higher risk for the smugglers to get locked up, so you’re going to have to pay them more,” he said.

With traditional smuggling networks disrupted, cartels are increasingly turning to social media to find new drivers. Platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram have become key recruitment tools, even luring in juveniles.

Agents in Texas recently arrested a 17-year-old boy who had responded to a social media ad for drivers. He admitted he was promised $110 for each illegal immigrant he transported after picking them up near the border wall.

Other smugglers caught in the crackdown include Elver Eligio Aguilar-Cruz, a New Jersey resident recruited via Facebook to drive migrants from Arizona, and Luis Vega-Perez, a Memphis-area man who answered a Marketplace ad offering $6,000 to transport three migrants to Phoenix.

With Trump’s border shutdown holding firm, cartels are running out of options—and migrants are paying the price.

It’s rare that a cushy federal position is left willingly. But these are odd times.

Now a bombshell resignation sent shockwaves through the federal government.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) is facing a major shake-up as Acting Commissioner Michelle King abruptly resigned over the weekend, The Washington Post reports. King’s exit comes as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), spearheaded by Elon Musk’s team, ramps up its investigation into waste and fraud within the SSA.

According to three sources who spoke with the Post, King’s resignation stemmed from her clash with DOGE’s efforts to access Social Security records. Wasting no time, President Donald Trump appointed Leland Dudek—an outspoken supporter of Musk’s cost-cutting reforms and the SSA’s anti-fraud chief—as the new acting commissioner. Meanwhile, Trump’s nominee for the permanent role, Frank Bisignano, is awaiting Senate confirmation.

Dudek’s arrival has ruffled feathers among the SSA’s old guard. The Post reports that he has praised DOGE’s reforms on social media, signaling he’ll be a strong ally for Trump’s mission to clean up the agency.

Martin O’Malley, who served as SSA commissioner under former President Joe Biden, took aim at the shake-up, saying:

“Trump’s move sends a message that professional people should leave that beleaguered public agency.”

The White House, however, made it clear that a change in leadership is exactly what the SSA needs:

“In the meantime, the agency will be led by a career Social Security anti-fraud expert as the acting commissioner. President Trump is committed to appointing the best and most qualified individuals who are dedicated to working on behalf of the American people, not to appease the bureaucracy that has failed them for far too long.”

Elon Musk, serving as Senior Advisor to President Trump, has become the face of DOGE’s aggressive probe into the SSA’s bloated and outdated systems—much to the outrage of Democrats. Their latest fear? DOGE accessing Social Security data to expose fraud.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pushed back hard on the left’s fearmongering:

“Do not buy into the lies from the legacy fake news media who are trying to … scare you into believing otherwise,” she told Fox News host Sean Hannity. “Americans can rest assured that they will continue to receive their social security checks.”

Leavitt added that President Trump specifically tasked Musk and DOGE with rooting out fraud in the system:

“Musk and his team suspect that there are tens of millions of deceased people receiving fraudulent Social Security payments.”

On Sunday, Musk took to social media with a startling revelation: The SSA’s database still shows millions of people over 100 years old as “alive”—despite only about 86,000 centenarians living in the U.S.:

“According to the Social Security database, these are the numbers of people in each age bucket with the death field set to FALSE!” Musk wrote. “Maybe Twilight is real and there are a lot of vampires collecting Social Security.”

Musk’s vampire quip might be tongue-in-cheek, but the problem is real. Inspector general audits over the past decade uncovered the same issue: Millions of centenarians listed in the system—yet nearly none were cashing checks.

A 2023 audit revealed around 18.4 million centenarians appeared in the SSA database but didn’t receive benefits. The reason? Their deaths were never recorded—most likely because they died long before the digital record-keeping era. The inspector general concluded:

“We believe it likely SSA did not receive or record most of the 18.9 million individuals’ death information primarily because the individuals died decades ago — before the use of electronic death reporting.”

With Musk and DOGE tearing into decades of waste and fraud, and Dudek taking the reins at SSA, it’s clear the Trump administration is serious about reform. And while Democrats scramble to protect a broken system, the American people can finally hope their hard-earned Social Security dollars are safe from fraudsters—living or undead.

Politics isn’t for everyone. Especially those who don’t know when to quit while they’re ahead.

Now a top Democrat made a career-ending slip of the tongue in this primetime speech.

Mayor Eric Adams, under siege from scandals and party backlash, launched a fiery tirade at a Brooklyn church rally Monday—complete with a bizarre reference to Mein Kampf—as he fought off mounting demands to step down.

Adams, speaking before about 50 supporters at Rehoboth Cathedral, aimed his sharpest barbs at Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, his potential successor if he’s forced out.

“I still don’t know what he does, because it’s hard to really serve the city when you wake up at noon,” Adams sneered.

Then, in a line that sounded more like a warning than a joke, he added:

“If I step down, the public advocate becomes the mayor. So can you imagine turning the city over to him? That is the top reason not to step down. When you don’t have a job, you can go all over the city throwing rocks,” he continued. “I love this city too much to watch him become mayor.”

The embattled mayor was flanked by clergy who prayed for him, but even their support couldn’t overshadow his eyebrow-raising remarks comparing his critics to Nazi propagandists.

Adams bizarrely claimed he once heard Martin Luther King Jr. quote Adolf H-tler’s Mein Kampf:

“If you tell a lie long enough, loud enough, people will tend to believe it’s true,” he said, adding, “And that’s what you’re seeing right there, right now: a modern-day Mein Kampf.”

Historians were quick to note the quote isn’t from Mein Kampf but is widely attributed to Nazi propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels. But accuracy didn’t seem to be Adams’ concern—he was on the attack.

The mayor then unloaded on his critics, slamming them for protesting his policies on homelessness, crime, and the migrant crisis.

“I slept in a homeless shelter with my migrant, asylum-seeker brothers and sisters and talked with them on the ground,” Adams said, defending his record. “Now they have a loud voice yelling at me—where were you when I was going to Washington, DC, fighting for the people of the city?”

Adams didn’t hold back his frustration over the protests dogging his administration:

“When we talk about taking homeless off our streets so we won’t have encampments, they protested me. When we talk about taking guns off our streets by having our gun units in place, they protested me. When we talked about changing and building new small businesses, they protested me.

“When we talk about putting police officers on a train to make our streets safe, they protested me,” he continued. “When we talked about mental health issues and crises to prevent people from living in that condition, they protested me.

“All they know how to do is protest.”

Adams’ troubles started with a five-count federal indictment accusing him of taking $123,000 in bribes and illegal campaign donations from Turkish officials in exchange for fast-tracking their Manhattan consulate project. The mayor pleaded not guilty.

But the case took a stunning turn when the Trump administration’s Justice Department abruptly ordered federal prosecutors to drop the charges—claiming the probe was politically motivated.

The fallout was immediate: Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor, Danielle Sassoon, resigned in protest, blasting the Justice Department in a fiery letter for turning the dismissal into a “quid pro quo” to pressure Adams into backing Trump’s immigration crackdown.

As Adams clung to his office, his administration began to implode. Deputy Mayors Maria Torres-Springer, Meera Joshi, Anne Williams-Isom, and Chauncey Parker all resigned Monday, despite a frantic weekend push from Adams’ team to delay their exits.

Meanwhile, the political pressure on Adams intensified. City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams joined the chorus demanding he step aside:

“It’s clear that Mayor Adams has now lost the confidence and trust of his own staff, his colleagues in government, and New Yorkers,” she declared. “He now must prioritize New York City and New Yorkers, step aside and resign.

“This administration no longer has the ability to effectively govern with Eric Adams as mayor … there is too much at stake for our city and New Yorkers to allow this to continue.

“We have endured enough scandal, selfishness, and embarrassment, all of which distract from the leadership that New Yorkers deserve,” she concluded. “This is the opposite of public service.”

Adams, ever defiant, told a Queens congregation on Sunday he was on a “mission from God” and had no plans to quit. But as the scandals, resignations, and party revolt pile up, his once-solid grip on power is crumbling fast.

The mayor may see himself as a fighter for the people. But from where most New Yorkers stand, it’s starting to look like a losing battle.

The Clintons will never go away willingly. They are too addicted to power.

Now this Trump official went on Fox News and completely destroyed Hillary Clinton.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that SpaceX engineers will visit the Air Traffic Control System Command Center in Virginia on Monday, taking the next step in President Trump’s push to modernize America’s skies.

Duffy shared the news in a Sunday post on X—while also taking a jab at Hillary Clinton, with whom he’s been sparring online.

“America deserves safe, state-of-the-art air travel, and President Trump has ordered that I deliver a new, world-class air traffic control system that will be the envy of the world,” Duffy declared.

He welcomed contributions from any American company ready to help achieve that goal, adding, “To do that, I need advice from the brightest minds in America. I’m asking for help from any high-tech American developer or company that is willing to give back to our country.”

Duffy highlighted SpaceX’s role in the effort, saying:

“Tomorrow, members of @elonmusk’s SpaceX team will be visiting the Air Traffic Control System Command Center in VA to get a firsthand look at the current system, learn what air traffic controllers like and dislike about their current tools, and envision how we can make a new, better, modern and safer system.”

But before the media or the usual suspects on the left could start screaming “favoritism,” Duffy preemptively responded—calling out none other than Hillary Clinton:

“Because I know the media (and Hillary Clinton) will claim Elon’s team is getting special access, let me make clear that the @FAANews regularly gives tours of the command center to both media and companies.”

Duffy isn’t stopping with SpaceX. He revealed that later this week, he will head to the FAA Academy in Oklahoma:

“Later in the week, I will travel to the FAA Academy in Oklahoma to meet with air traffic controller instructors and students to learn more about their education and how we can ensure that only the very best guide our aircrafts,” he noted.

The Transportation Secretary made it clear his office is open to any company willing to put America first:

“My door at @USDOT is open to any and all patriotic developers or companies who want to help our country in this incredible, game-changing mission. I hope to hear from any company committed to ushering in America’s golden age of travel!”

The partnership between Duffy and SpaceX comes as President Trump has appointed Elon Musk to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, a bold initiative to root out waste, fraud, and abuse across federal agencies.

Musk, known for his no-nonsense approach, threw his support behind the air traffic control project, replying to Duffy’s post:

“The safety of air travel is a non-partisan matter. SpaceX engineers will help make air travel safer.”

The latest clash between Duffy and Clinton is just another chapter in their ongoing social media feud. The two recently traded blows after Duffy announced that Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team would help modernize the nation’s aviation system.

The Left hasn’t been able to catch a break. That doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon.

Now Democrats are panicking after a devastating test result hit their desks.

With Donald Trump back in the White House for a second term following the 2024 election, Democrats are signaling frustration with their party’s direction, while Republicans are largely content to stay the course.

According to Gallup’s latest poll, conducted from January 21-27—right after Trump’s inauguration and the GOP’s return to control of both congressional chambers—a striking shift in party preferences has emerged.

Among Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents, 45% now want their party to move toward the center, an 11-point jump since 2021.

Meanwhile, the share pushing for a more liberal party has dropped by five points to 29%, and those content with the status quo have plunged by nine points to 22%.

Republicans, on the other hand, are sticking with Trump’s winning formula. Support among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents for keeping the party’s current ideological stance has surged nine points to 43%.

Meanwhile, enthusiasm for a more conservative direction has dipped 12 points to 28%. Calls for moderation within the GOP remain low, at 27%, virtually unchanged since 2021.

Gallup’s data underscores a widening ideological divide. In 2024, a record-high 55% of Democrats identified as liberal, while a staggering 77% of Republicans identified as conservative.

Digging deeper, the ideological splits within each party reveal clear battle lines.

Among Democrats, self-identified liberals (49%) are divided—45% want a more progressive platform, while 22% prefer the party stays put and 30% favor moderation.

But the real push for change comes from moderate Democrats, with 62% demanding a centrist shift, compared to just 14% calling for a more liberal approach.

On the Republican side, the conservative majority (67%) stands firm—45% favor the current course, while 38% want the party to become even more conservative. Only 16% seek a more moderate approach.

Among moderate Republicans, however, a 50% plurality pushes for the party to move toward the center, with 36% satisfied with the status quo and a mere 10% hoping for a more conservative stance.

Interestingly, moderate Republicans are more content with their party’s direction than their Democratic counterparts, who are clearly fed up with their leadership’s far-left drift.

With Republicans retaking the presidency, the Senate, and holding a narrow House majority, Trump has wasted no time in delivering on his conservative agenda.

The GOP base, energized by victory, stands united behind him.

Meanwhile, Democrats appear adrift, torn between their activist wing and a growing demand from the middle to course-correct after their stinging 2024 losses.

As they lick their wounds and look ahead to 2026, Democrats are left facing an uncomfortable reality: Voters are telling them loud and clear—it’s time to come back to Earth.

Nuclear power can be a major force for good. That is, until it’s targeted for destruction.

Now a sudden missile attack on a nuclear reactor put the entire world on red alert.

A Russian drone struck the protective containment shell of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, causing significant damage, Ukraine reported on Friday morning.

The drone, armed with a high-explosive warhead, pierced the dome placed around Reactor 4 in 2016, leaving a large hole in the protective structure.

“Last night, a Russian attack drone with a high-explosive warhead struck the shelter protecting the world from radiation at the destroyed 4th power unit of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

“This is a terrorist attack for the entire world,” he added.

The Chernobyl plant remains a haunting reminder of the catastrophic level 7 nuclear disaster of April 26, 1986, when a power surge led to steam explosions and a reactor meltdown.

Security footage shared by Zelensky captured the dramatic moment when a brilliant flash illuminated the night sky above the defunct power plant, followed by a large fireball erupting from the domed roof of the containment structure.

Aerial videos showed flames leaping from the damaged section and later revealed what appeared to be the scorched remnants of the drone.

While the attack caused considerable damage and ignited a fire, emergency crews quickly extinguished the blaze. Officials confirmed that radiation levels have not increased since the incident, though monitoring remains ongoing.

The strike occurred just after 2 a.m., roughly 62 miles north of Kyiv. Zelensky did not mince words when condemning Russia’s actions.

“The only country in the world that attacks such sites, occupies nuclear power plants, and wages war without any regard for the consequences is today’s Russia,” he declared.

Zelensky also criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for his apparent reluctance to engage in meaningful negotiations.

“Putin is definitely not preparing for negotiations — he is preparing to continue deceiving the world,” Zelensky said. “That is why there must be unified pressure from all who value life — pressure on the aggressor. Russia must be held accountable for its actions.”

The Chernobyl site has been a strategic target since the start of the war. Russian forces seized control of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone on the war’s first day. Putin later threatened Ukraine with another “new Chernobyl” at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

The protective sarcophagus around Reactor 4 was initially constructed in 1986 to contain the radiation. Erected within 206 days under extremely hazardous conditions, the structure was only partially effective due to the reactor’s intense radioactivity.

In 2016, the more robust New Safe Confinement dome was rolled into place, designed to last at least a century.

The recent attack has reignited global concerns about the safety of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities amid the ongoing conflict. The world watches with bated breath as Russia’s reckless tactics continue to endanger not only Ukraine but the entire international community.

Stay tuned to Prudent Politics.

America’s enemies are bold. They think they can intimidate us.

Now enemy aircraft were spotted over these US states for one terrifying reason.

A senior official from U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) has revealed that some of the 350 drones detected flying over military installations and sensitive areas last year may have been engaged in surveillance activities.

Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander of NORTHCOM and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), addressed the issue during a Senate Armed Services Committee Budget hearing on Thursday. The drones, which were spotted across the country, were most notably observed in New Jersey, as well as over key military installations like Joint Base Langley, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., pressed Guillot on the potential threat these unmanned aircraft pose to military operations and personnel.

“Senator, the primary threat I see for them in the way they’ve been operating is detection and perhaps surveillance of sensitive capabilities on our installations,” Guillot explained. “There were 350 detections reported last year on military installations, and that was 350 over a total of 100 different installations of all types and levels of security.”

Guillot confirmed that commanders at sensitive sites, such as nuclear bases, have the authority to protect their airspace from unauthorized drone activity. He noted that these high-security installations make up about half of the military’s total facilities.

Cotton expressed disbelief that only half of the nation’s bases have the capability to defend against drone intrusions.

He compared the situation to the ability of base commanders to handle a ground attack. “Base commanders at every base in the U.S. have the ability to protect their ground if a terrorist drove a dump truck through the front gate of a military facility,” Cotton said, to which Guillot agreed.

Cotton further raised concerns about recent reports that Mexican cartels were authorized to deploy drones equipped with explosives against U.S. Border Patrol agents along the southern border.

He questioned whether the Department of Defense needed additional authorization to share drone-related intelligence with the Department of Homeland Security and other border agencies. Guillot confirmed that this was indeed necessary.

The general advocated for enhancing the military’s drone defense capabilities, emphasizing the need to improve base protection and facilitate smoother information-sharing between government agencies.

Meanwhile, the White House sought to downplay some of the drone sightings. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt explained late last month that the drones observed in large numbers over New Jersey were “authorized by the FAA for research and various other reasons.”

In addition to these authorized drones, hobbyists also contributed to the sightings as public curiosity increased.

Nonetheless, the wave of drone sightings in November and December stirred public concern and drew the attention of law enforcement agencies.

The FBI, along with New Jersey State Police and the NJ Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, issued a public request for information regarding drone activity along the Raritan River.

“The FBI Newark, NJ State Police, and NJ Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness are asking for the public to report any information related to the recent sightings of possible drones flying in several areas along the Raritan River,” stated an FBI release from Dec. 3.

The Federal Aviation Administration responded by imposing temporary flight restrictions in some areas of New Jersey to curb the unexplained aerial activity.

The situation highlights the growing concerns surrounding drone technology and its implications for national security.

Stay tuned to Prudent Politics.

The political battles are back in full force. And who knows who will fall victim.

Now an impeachment threat from the White House rocked Capitol Hill to its core.

Rep. Clyde Moves to Impeach Radical Judge Blocking Trump’s Spending Freeze

Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA) is taking action against what he calls a blatant abuse of judicial power, announcing plans to file articles of impeachment against U.S. District Judge John McConnell Jr., who recently blocked President Donald Trump’s efforts to freeze federal funds from going toward left-wing pet projects.

“I’m drafting articles of impeachment for U.S. District Judge John McConnell Jr.,” Clyde wrote on X.

“He’s a partisan activist weaponizing our judicial system to stop President Trump’s funding freeze on woke and wasteful government spending. We must end this abusive overreach. Stay tuned.”

McConnell, an Obama-era appointee with a long history of leftist activism, issued a restraining order on January 31 to halt the Trump administration’s plan to pause grants and loans for programs like the so-called Climate Pollution Reduction Grant.

This grant and other Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) slush funds have been a favorite tool for Democrats to funnel taxpayer money into their radical green agenda.

Despite the judge’s order, 22 states and Washington, D.C., claimed last week that the administration still hasn’t released the funds, prompting McConnell to double down with a new motion demanding compliance.

On Tuesday, a three-judge panel from the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals—hardly a bastion of conservative jurisprudence—rejected the Trump administration’s appeal.

McConnell’s ruling has sparked outrage among conservatives who see his decision as yet another example of unelected judicial activists trying to undermine the will of the people.

“This is not justice—it’s judicial tyranny,” Clyde told Fox News Digital. “For a federal judge to deny the executive their legitimate right to exercise their authority is wrong. This type of judge, this political activist—this radical political activist—should be removed from the bench.”

McConnell’s own words seem to confirm his bias. In a 2021 video, he made it clear that he views the law through a leftist lens, stating:

“You have to take a moment and realize that this, you know, middle-class, white, male, privileged person needs to understand the human being that comes before us that may be a woman, may be Black, may be transgender, may be poor, may be rich, may be — whatever.”

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, who has become increasingly vocal about left-wing judicial overreach, weighed in on X: “Impeach this activist posing as a judge! Such a person does great discredit to the American justice system.”

The push for impeachment is gaining steam among Trump allies in Congress. Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) has also indicated he may file impeachment articles against U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer, another leftist judge who recently tried to block the Trump administration from accessing Treasury records as part of its plan to crack down on government bloat.

While McConnell has refused to comment on the case, it’s clear his decisions are already eroding public trust in the judiciary. Trump’s supporters say these judges are not impartial arbiters of the law but partisan operatives protecting the Democrat agenda.

The fight is far from over, but Clyde’s impeachment push signals that conservatives are done playing nice with activist judges who put ideology before the Constitution.

Stay tuned to Prudent Politics.

Trump’s America First foreign policy is having dramatic effects. No one can afford to not take notice.

And now a top foreign leader groveled on hands and knees to Donald Trump.

Modi’s White House Visit: Trade Deals, Tariffs, and Trump’s Favor

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to meet President Donald Trump on Thursday, arriving with a host of trade concessions, business deals, and strategic cooperation offers—hoping to win favor with the America First leader.

Just weeks into his second term, Trump has once again wielded tariffs as leverage, pressuring both allies and adversaries to strike new trade deals, invest in the U.S., or step up cooperation on key policy issues. Despite his warm relationship with Modi in his first term, Trump has criticized India as a “very big abuser” in trade, with his steel and aluminum tariffs hitting the country hard.

Ahead of the highly anticipated White House meeting, Modi has prepared a series of promises, including increased purchases of liquefied natural gas, combat vehicles, and jet engines, according to Indian officials. Additionally, India is looking at potential trade negotiations, opening its markets to more U.S. agricultural exports, and investing in nuclear energy. Tariff reductions in key sectors such as electronics, medical equipment, and chemicals are also on the table—moves that align with Trump’s push for fairer trade terms.

“It’s a ‘gift’ for Trump,” said one source familiar with the discussions, previewing the private meeting.

Beyond trade, Modi is reportedly seeking assistance with the case of billionaire Gautam Adani, a close ally who was indicted by the U.S. Justice Department in November over an alleged bribery scheme—charges Adani denies.

Another thorny issue looms in the background: the alleged Indian intelligence plot to assassinate a Sikh activist on U.S. soil during the Biden administration.

Despite the broad agenda, trade is expected to dominate the discussions. “It’s going to be a boxing match,” said Richard Rossow of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “I think India is willing to take a few hits, but there’s a limit.”

The U.S. currently has a $45.6 billion trade deficit with India, and while America’s trade-weighted average tariff rate sits at 2.2%, India’s is much higher at 12%, according to WTO data. Trump’s administration has vowed to impose reciprocal tariffs on countries that tax U.S. imports—fueling fears of a deepening global trade war.

Another key issue on Trump’s radar is unauthorized immigration. India remains a major source of migrants to the U.S., including high-skilled workers in the tech sector and those in the country illegally.

During his Washington visit, Modi is also expected to meet one-on-one with billionaire Elon Musk, a close Trump ally. According to sources, the discussion could touch on Starlink’s bid to enter the Indian market.

Beyond trade and business, India plays a crucial role in Trump’s broader strategy to counter China. Both Washington and New Delhi are wary of Beijing’s military ambitions, and India competes with China in several global markets. However, India remains cautious, maintaining its foreign policy of “strategic ambiguity” to avoid direct confrontation.

Modi’s balancing act extends to Russia as well. Despite the West’s efforts to isolate Moscow over the Ukraine war, India continues to be a major buyer of Russian energy.

Meanwhile, Trump has ramped up diplomatic efforts, speaking directly with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy about potential negotiations to end the conflict.

Modi’s White House visit may offer insight into whether Trump will push key global players—India included—to apply pressure toward a resolution.

While trade and defense deals will take center stage, one thing is certain: Modi’s visit isn’t just about securing economic agreements—it’s about navigating Trump’s America First agenda and ensuring India stays in Washington’s good graces.

Stay tuned to Prudent Politics.

The Left doesn’t hide their disdain for America. But funding her enemies is a step too far.

Now a top Democrat was caught bankrolling a major terrorist with taxpayer dollars.

A U.S. agency currently under fire from President Donald Trump and Elon Musk—while being fiercely defended by Democrats—has been exposed for funding the college tuition of an American-born jihadist once described by U.S. officials as “a key leader of Al-Qaeda.”

According to Fox News, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) provided “full funding” for Anwar al-Awlaki to attend Colorado State University in 1990.

Al-Awlaki, an American-born terrorist with direct ties to the 9/11 hijackers, was ultimately killed in a drone strike under the Obama administration.

Al-Awlaki played a pivotal role in Al-Qaeda’s war against America and was in contact with Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan before Hasan carried out the deadly 2009 attack at what was then known as Fort Hood, killing 13 people.

Over the weekend, investigative reporters unearthed documents revealing that USAID not only paid for Al-Awlaki’s college education but that he fraudulently claimed to be a Yemeni national to qualify for an exchange visa.

Journalists Pamela Browne and Catherine Herridge shared the bombshell findings on X, exposing how Al-Awlaki misrepresented his citizenship to receive taxpayer-funded tuition.

“Aulaqi would later develop close ties with several 9/11 hijackers and attain leadership status in AQ’s Yemen affiliate,” Herridge wrote.

“Aulaqi was the godfather of the digital jihad that leveraged his writings and the web to radicalize Americans to AQ’s cause. Aulaqi became the first American targeted for death by the CIA. In 2011, he was killed in a US drone strike.”

Born in Las Cruces, New Mexico, in 1971 to Yemeni parents, Al-Awlaki spent his childhood traveling between the U.S. and Yemen.

The document proving USAID’s involvement was initially discovered by George Washington University’s National Security Archive in 2015, but its resurfacing comes at a particularly inconvenient time for USAID as it faces scrutiny.

“This form, dated 1990, confirms that Anwar al-Awlaki was qualified for an exchange visa and that USAID was providing ‘full funding’ for his studies at Colorado State University,” the National Security Archive reported at the time.

“The document lists Anwar’s birthplace incorrectly as Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, which he later said was a deliberate falsehood offered at the urging of American officials who knew his father so that he could qualify for a scholarship reserved for foreign citizens.”

After finishing his education, Al-Awlaki worked as a Muslim cleric across the U.S., including at a San Diego mosque where he met two 9/11 hijackers in 2000.

By 2004, he had relocated to Yemen, where he was arrested in 2006 on suspicion of terrorist ties.

His radical influence extended beyond 9/11. He was also linked to the 2009 Fort Hood shooting and the attempted bombing of a Detroit-bound flight on Christmas Day of that same year.

While Democrats rush to shield USAID from accountability, this revelation raises serious questions about how taxpayer dollars have been funneled into the wrong hands—and whether this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Stay tuned to Prudent Politics.

America is no longer going to be weak. Under Trump, our enemies are starting to fear us again.

Now the US Army rushed a report to Donald Trump’s desk that could be a game-changer.

The U.S. Army reported record-breaking recruitment numbers in December—just weeks after President Donald Trump secured reelection.

According to the Army, last month marked the most successful recruitment period in 15 years, with an impressive average of 346 new enlistees joining each day.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth directly credited Trump’s leadership for the surge, saying that young Americans “want to serve under the bold & strong ‘America First’ leadership” of the Trump administration.

The news comes on the heels of a major overhaul in military policy. In a decisive effort to restore discipline and cohesion, Trump moved swiftly to eliminate radical “woke” programs that had plagued the armed forces under his predecessor.

In late January, the president signed three executive orders aimed at purging left-wing ideology from the military.

As CatholicVote reported, these orders “prohibited people from serving in the military while simultaneously identifying as ‘transgender,’ banned programs teaching critical race theory (CRT) in the armed forces, and reinstated over 8,000 service members who were expelled from the military for declining COVID shots.”

Another executive order reversed a controversial Biden-era policy that funneled taxpayer dollars into covering travel costs for military personnel seeking out-of-state abortions.

Under the Biden administration, recruitment numbers had plummeted. The Army failed to meet its goals in both 2022 and 2023, managing to hit only 74.8% and 76.6% of its targets, respectively.

The Department of Defense (DoD) blamed the collapse on a “strong economy,” a shrinking pool of eligible recruits, and “low trust” in the military among Generation Z.

But many pointed the finger at the Pentagon’s relentless push for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies that turned the military into a leftist social experiment.

Hegseth has been blunt about the damage these policies caused, arguing that DEI initiatives “detracted from the military’s core mission of keeping the country safe,” according to the Washington Examiner.

The contrast in messaging couldn’t be clearer. Trump’s Pentagon is focusing on warfighters, discipline, and national defense. New Army recruitment ads reflect this shift, featuring traditional warrior ethos slogans like “We fight to WIN” and “Strong Soldiers = Effective Warfighters.”

That’s a far cry from the embarrassing 2021 recruitment ad under Biden, which featured a young woman raised by two moms, linking LGBTQ activism to military service—a campaign that was widely mocked for treating the armed forces like a college diversity seminar.

At a recent Pentagon Town Hall, Hegseth emphasized the need to “get back to the basics” and restore the kind of messaging that actually inspires America’s best and brightest to enlist.

“I think we’ve seen an enthusiasm and excitement from young men and women who want to join the military actively because they are interested in being a part of the finest fighting force the world has to offer,” he said.

With recruitment numbers now surging, it’s clear: under Trump, the U.S. military is once again putting strength, patriotism, and readiness above political correctness.

Stay tuned to Prudent Politics.

No one ever claimed the ladies of The View were geniuses. But this is laughable.

Because Joy Behar went on The View and gave the most braindead rant about Donald Trump.

Joy Behar just can’t help herself. On Tuesday’s episode of The View, the liberal talk show host bizarrely claimed that President Donald Trump’s plan to stop minting pennies was nothing more than an ego-driven stunt—because he’s “jealous” of Abraham Lincoln.

Behar and her cohosts were discussing Trump’s common-sense proposal to eliminate the wasteful production of pennies, yet somehow, they twisted the decision into a personal grudge against America’s 16th president.

“I mean, it’s really— and he’s jealous of everybody. Now he’s getting rid of the penny, he’s even jealous of Lincoln,” Behar ranted. “He’s so small, so petty.”

“Small and petty, absolutely,” cohost Sunny Hostin eagerly agreed.

Trump’s Move to Cut Government Waste

While The View panel cooked up conspiracy theories, the reality is much simpler.

Trump’s decision to halt penny production is about cutting government waste—something Democrats never seem interested in doing.

On Sunday, Trump explained the move on Truth Social, pointing out that the U.S. has been spending more than twice a penny’s face value just to produce each coin.

“For far too long, the United States has minted pennies which literally cost us more than 2 cents. This is so wasteful! I have instructed my Secretary of the US Treasury to stop producing new pennies. Let’s rip the waste out of our great nation’s budget, even if it’s a penny at a time,” Trump wrote.

Could Nickels Be Next?

Trump’s decision to eliminate pennies might just be the beginning of a broader effort to rein in unnecessary spending.

With nickels also costing more to produce than their actual value, they could be next in line if demand spikes due to fewer pennies in circulation.

Of course, that kind of efficiency is exactly what drives the Left crazy.

Instead of addressing the real issue—why the government wastes billions on outdated policies—Behar and her cohosts resort to their usual Trump-bashing.

But no amount of media hysteria will change the fact that President Trump is once again doing what he does best: cutting through government waste and putting America first.

WATCH:

Flaunting her profound ignorance of how even Obama floated the idea, ABC News's Joy Behar claims Trump wants to ax the penny because he's "jealous of Lincoln" and "small and petty." "Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah," agrees former fed prosecutor Sunny Hostin.
In reality, the stated… pic.twitter.com/5lTHitXOle

— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) February 11, 2025