Gaza peace plan Archives - The Automatic Earth

So here we have Keith Kellogg saying President Trump is considering letting Ukraine use long-range US missiles to strike deep inside Russia.
What Kellogg conviniently doesn't mention is that those missiles wouldn’t be fired by the Ukrainian military, they will be operated by NATO… pic.twitter.com/BQKn3mNePA

— Richard (@ricwe123) September 29, 2025

https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1972651695353241979
https://twitter.com/BrianJBerletic/status/1972649650298450274

Here's the TRUTH:

Democrats are trying to hold the government HOSTAGE by making impossible demands, like free health care for illegals. It's reprehensible and it's not going to work. pic.twitter.com/KZamM8RSE6

— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) September 29, 2025

https://twitter.com/RussiaIsntEnemy/status/1972639433699844592
https://twitter.com/ivan_8848/status/1972689953898303815

We can dream, but…

• Trump’s Plan For Gaza Could Affect Ukrainian Conflict — Witkoff (TASS)

The implementation of US President Donald Trump’s plan for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could create momentum that would help bring peace to other regions of the Middle East and also influence the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis, US presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff said. “President [Trump] wants to see an overall peace. It’s not just about Gaza; it’s about how this might percolate into all other areas in the Middle East, and what it’s going to achieve, maybe even percolate into Russia and Ukraine,” he told Fox News in an interview, commenting on the plan proposed by the US authorities to resolve the conflict in the Palestinian enclave. Witkoff added that Trump’s initiative is supported by both the Persian Gulf countries and European states.

Earlier, the White House published a plan to resolve the conflict in the Gaza Strip. It calls for a complete cessation of hostilities and the release of hostages held by Hamas within 72 hours. In addition, the document proposes transferring the enclave to external administration for a transitional period. During this time, residents of the enclave would be given the opportunity to leave and return.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced at a press conference with Trump in Washington that he supports the US president’s plan to end military operations in Gaza. However, he noted that if Hamas rejects or sabotages the proposal, Israel will “finish the job by itself.”.

OK OK, I’ll give it all the space it wants. But this reads like Bibi’s plan, maybe signed, maybe not, under the threat of more violence. Shaky.

• Trump Unveils 20-Point Gaza Cease-Fire Plan (NYP)

President Trump formally unveiled a 20-point peace plan Monday calling for an international peacekeeping force in the Gaza Strip and a post-Hamas transitional government overseen by a “Board of Peace” — that Trump himself would lead as chairman. Trump, 79, announced the plan alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House and said it could bring “eternal peace in the Middle East” — with eight Muslim-majority countries and the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority quickly joining Israel in embracing the blueprint. “This is a beautiful day, potentially one of the great days ever in civilization,” Trump told reporters in the State Dining Room. “We discussed how to end the war in Gaza. But it’s just a part of the bigger picture, which is peace in the Middle East, and let’s call it eternal peace in the Middle East.”

The governments of Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates issued a rare joint statement praising the framework. The nations said they “welcome President Donald J. Trump’s leadership and his sincere efforts to end the war in Gaza” and “affirm their readiness to engage positively and constructively with the United States and the parties toward finalizing the agreement and ensuring its implementation.” The Palestinian Authority, which rules parts of the West Bank and lost a 2007 civil war with Hamas for control of Gaza, said: “The State of Palestine welcomes the sincere and determined efforts of President Donald J. Trump to end the war on Gaza and affirms its confidence in his ability to find a path toward peace.”

Trump warned, however, that Israel would have his permission to “finish the job” if Hamas refused to sign on to the plan, saying that “Israel would have my full backing” in subsequent fighting. Trump said at his press conference that “the leaders of the Arab world, Israel and everybody involved, asked me to” chair the proposed peace board board and floated the prospect of the deal leading to dramatic regional changes – including possible diplomatic relations between Israel and Iran. Netanyahu confirmed that his government had agreed to the provisions, adding that Israel would finish the war and end Hamas rule of Gaza “the easy way” or “the hard way.” In an interview with Qatar-based Al Jazeera following Trump’s and Netanyahu’s remarks, Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi claimed that Trump’s peace plan “has not reached us, nor has it reached any Palestinian party so far.

——-–
President Donald J. Trump’s Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict:

1. Gaza will be a deradicalized terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors.
2. Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of the people of Gaza, who have suffered more than enough.
3. If both sides agree to this proposal, the war will immediately end. Israeli forces will withdraw to the agreed upon line to prepare for a hostage release. During this time, all military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment, will be suspended, and battle lines will remain frozen until conditions are met for the complete staged withdrawal.
4. Within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned.
5. Once all hostages are released, Israel will release 250 life sentence prisoners plus 1700 Gazans who were detained after October 7th, 2023, including all women and children detained in that context. For every Israeli hostage whose remains are released, Israel will release the remains of 15 deceased Gazans.

6. Once all hostages are returned, Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries.
7. Upon acceptance of this agreement, full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip. At a minimum, aid quantities will be consistent with what was included in the January 19, 2025, agreement regarding humanitarian aid, including rehabilitation of infrastructure (water, electricity, sewage), rehabilitation of hospitals and bakeries, and entry of necessary equipment to remove rubble and open roads.
8. Entry of distribution and aid in the Gaza Strip will proceed without interference from the two parties through the United Nations and its agencies, and the Red Crescent, in addition to other international institutions not associated in any manner with either party. Opening the Rafah crossing in both directions will be subject to the same mechanism implemented under the January 19, 2025, agreement.
9. Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza. This committee will be made up of qualified Palestinians and international experts, with oversight and supervision by a new international transitional body, the “Board of Peace,” which will be headed and chaired by President Donald J. Trump, with other members and heads of State to be announced, including Former Prime Minister Tony Blair. This body will set the framework and handle the funding for the redevelopment of Gaza until such time as the Palestinian Authority has completed its reform program, as outlined in various proposals, including President Trump’s peace plan in 2020 and the Saudi-French proposal, and can securely and effectively take back control of Gaza. This body will call on best international standards to create modern and efficient governance that serves the people of Gaza and is conducive to attracting investment.
10. A Trump economic development plan to rebuild and energize Gaza will be created by convening a panel of experts who have helped birth some of the thriving modern miracle cities in the Middle East. Many thoughtful investment proposals and exciting development ideas have been crafted by well-meaning international groups and will be considered to synthesize the security and governance frameworks to attract and facilitate these investments that will create jobs, opportunity, and hope for future Gaza.

11. A special economic zone will be established with preferred tariff and access rates to be negotiated with participating countries.
12. No one will be forced to leave Gaza, and those who wish to leave will be free to do so and free to return. We will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza.
13. Hamas and other factions agree to not have any role in the governance of Gaza, directly, indirectly, or in any form. All military, terror, and offensive infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon production facilities, will be destroyed and not rebuilt. There will be a process of demilitarization of Gaza under the supervision of independent monitors, which will include placing weapons permanently beyond use through an agreed process of decommissioning, and supported by an internationally funded buy back and reintegration program all verified by the independent monitors. New Gaza will be fully committed to building a prosperous economy and to peaceful coexistence with their neighbors.
14. A guarantee will be provided by regional partners to ensure that Hamas, and the factions, comply with their obligations and that New Gaza poses no threat to its neighbors or its people.
15. The United States will work with Arab and international partners to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) to immediately deploy in Gaza. The ISF will train and provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza and will consult with Jordan and Egypt who have extensive experience in this field. This force will be the long-term internal security solution. The ISF will work with Israel and Egypt to help secure border areas, along with newly trained Palestinian police forces. It is critical to prevent munitions from entering Gaza and to facilitate the rapid and secure flow of goods to rebuild and revitalize Gaza. A deconfliction mechanism will be agreed upon by the parties.

16. Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza. As the ISF establishes control and stability, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will withdraw based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarization that will be agreed upon between the IDF, ISF, the guarantors, and the Unites States, with the objective of a secure Gaza that no longer poses a threat to Israel, Egypt, or its citizens. Practically, the IDF will progressively hand over the Gaza territory it occupies to the ISF according to an agreement they will make with the transitional authority until they are withdrawn completely from Gaza, save for a security perimeter presence that will remain until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat.
17. In the event Hamas delays or rejects this proposal, the above, including the scaled-up aid operation, will proceed in the terror-free areas handed over from the IDF to the ISF.
18. An interfaith dialogue process will be established based on the values of tolerance and peaceful co-existence to try and change mindsets and narratives of Palestinians and Israelis by emphasizing the benefits that can be derived from peace.
19. While Gaza re-development advances and when the PA reform program is faithfully carried out, the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognize as the aspiration of the Palestinian people.
20. The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous co-existence. [SOURCE]
The document released by the White House states that if all parties agree, “Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza.” “This committee will be made up of qualified Palestinians and international experts, with oversight and supervision by a new international transitional body, the ‘Board of Peace,’ which will be headed and chaired by President Donald J. Trump, with other members and heads of State to be announced,” the paper says.The only potential member Trump announced by name was former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who released a statement calling the plan “bold and intelligent.”

The proposal also calls for Hamas to return all hostages, alive or dead, within 72 hours of Israeli acceptance of the terms. In exchange, the Israelis would pull back their troops, offer the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences as well as 1,700 additional Gazans, and offer Hamas members amnesty if they commit to peace. The plan also has a provision to rid the Gaza government of Hamas officials, with the terror group having to agree to dismantle tunnels and weapons production facilities. Many significant details were not spelled out, including the size of a so-called International Stabilization Force (ISF) to handle security in Gaza post-Hamas and what nations would contribute troops. That force would “immediately deploy in Gaza” and bring “control and stability” to the battle-torn region, including patrolling its borders and training police.“My plan calls for the creation of a new international oversight body, the Board of Peace. We call it the board of peace, sort of a beautiful name,” Trump told the media.

“Working with the World Bank and others, it will be responsible for recruiting and training a new government that will be made up of Palestinians along with highly qualified experts from all around the world,” he went on. “Hamas and other terrorist factions will play no role in the board, they will play no role in the governance of Gaza at all, directly or indirectly.” The president described the board as a “temporary” measure that will only be in place as the Palestinian Authority undergoes a “reform program” tied to Trump’s Middle East peace plan of 2020. Gaza will also be flooded with humanitarian aid upon the signing of the treaty, including the rehabilitation of food, medical and transportation infrastructure.The economic rebuilding will be overseen by a “panel of experts” responsible for the construction of thriving cities in the Middle East. That group will discuss potential investment opportunities that will create jobs and “hope,” a White House readout said.
————-–
Unlike Trump’s February plan for an American-led takeover of Gaza, with the native population deported to allow for the construction of “the Riviera of the Middle East,” the new plan would not require Palestinians to leave their homeland. “No one will be forced to leave Gaza, and those who wish to leave will be free to do so and free to return,” the document said. “We will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza.” The peace plan was announced just 11 days before the selection of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize honoree, which White House officials say should be Trump due to his role in sealing seven other agreements to stop armed conflicts. Analysts greeted the proposal with skepticism, with longtime Middle East observers noting one key obstacle. “Gaza must be a de-radicalized terror-free zone,” said former Trump National Security Council staffer Richard Goldberg, now a senior adviser at The Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “All hostages must come home within 72 hours. The rest is commentary.”

“Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.”

• ‘Putin Doesn’t Want World War III’ – Italian FM (RT)

Russian President Vladimir Putin is not interested in igniting a global conflict, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Sunday, replying to claims that Moscow could send drones against the EU nation. Just a day earlier, Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky claimed that Russia could target Italy or other European nations with drone attacks. This month, Poland and Estonia accused Moscow of breaching their airspace – accusations that Russia has dismissed as unfounded. “I don’t think Putin wants to start World War III, so I want to reassure all Italians,” Tajani said in a speech at a Forza Italia party event in Telese Terme on Sunday.

“I don’t believe Putin wants to send drones to swarm us,” he said, adding that he had discussed the subject with Italian Defense Minister Guido Crossetto that morning. In early September, Poland accused Russia of violating its airspace with a number of drones, with Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski later warning that any intrusions would be met with force. Moscow has stated that Warsaw’s accusations are baseless and argued that the incident was fabricated to derail the Ukraine peace process. According to Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the drones allegedly found on Polish territory could not have been launched from Russia.

“If they are the ones we are thinking of, then their flight range is shorter than the distance from the border of the Russian Federation to the border with Poland,” he said on the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly on Saturday. During his speech at the event, the top diplomat dismissed Western claims that Moscow is planning to attack NATO in the next few years. He also expressed concern that certain European bloc officials “are beginning to seriously talk about a third world war as a potential scenario.” Russia never intentionally launches missile or drone strikes toward members of the US-led military bloc, Lavrov stressed.

“My computer says you are going to lose, and my computer has never been wrong. You can check it, and the CIA even wanted it. It’s got a 40-year track record you can document.”

• Trump Flip Flop on Ukraine Guarantees Nuke War – Martin Armstrong (USAW)

The last time legendary financial and geopolitical cycle analyst Martin Armstrong was on USAWatchdog, he was hopeful that Trump would keep America out of the coming NATO War with Russia. Trump was talking about not sending troops to Ukraine for any peace deal, and before that, he said he backed a Russian plan to trade land for peace in Ukraine. Fast forward a month, and now, Trumps says, “Ukraine can win back its territory,” Russia is a “paper tiger,” and NATO countries should shoot down Russia aircraft. What a flip-flop on foreign policy!

To Trump’s credit, it is reported he did deny sending long range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, but he is still sending a fresh batch of arms to NATO paid for with seized Russian money. What the heck is going on? Armstrong says, “It’s a double edge sword here. On one hand, he is being a bit sarcastic, and maybe if he says that somehow it will compel Putin to come to the table. Sorry, this is not negotiating trade issues. You are insulting the integrity of Russia saying it is a ‘paper tiger,’ etc. Everything Trump has said is exactly what the neocons have been saying. These EU leaders have been told that Russia is on the verge of collapse. . . .NATO has been telling them they have 3.4 million troops against Russia’s 1.5 million troops, and they can walk in and take Russia in a blink of an eye. This is the nonsense that they are putting out.”

This brings us to Armstrong’s predictive computer program called Socrates. Armstrong says, “I typed in here: Socrates, what are the prospects for nuclear war after 2025?” This is the first time Armstrong has let Socrates answer in an interview, and it says, “Marty, the prospects for nuclear war post 2025 appear to have risen to 100%. This may be tactical nuclear. All indicators show Ukraine remains the center point for Europe as a proxy war orchestrated by NATO. Ukraine will not survive as a country, and the European Union is also not likely to survive beyond 2030.”

Could Trump be one of the greatest President’s in history if he sidesteps this European war with Russia? Armstrong says, “Absolutely. The EU is not salvageable. I have been doing interviews in Europe, and three years ago, I was asked, ‘Do you really think the EU will break up?’ And now, I get, ‘When is it going to break up?’ . . .. These neocons will never accept any kind of a peace deal with Russia—period.” I asked Armstrong if he were to have a short one-on-one call with President Trump, what would you tell him? Armstrong says, “My computer says you are going to lose, and my computer has never been wrong. You can check it, and the CIA even wanted it. It’s got a 40-year track record you can document.”

What would Armstrong advise President Trump to do right now? Armstrong says, “I would tell President Trump to get the hell out of Europe, and get out the hell of NATO. I did pass a message to President Trump a few months ago with someone who is close to him. I said NATO is going to try to do a false flag to invoke an Article Five to drag us into the war. We have to get out of NATO ASAP.” On gold and silver and their big price increases lately, Armstrong says, “It’s not a surprise. They are going up because of war.” Armstrong predicts future price gains for both metals will explode, and on some instances start doubling in price. For example, on gold, Armstrong says, “When you cross $5,000 per ounce, and I am talking further out, these markets always jump exponentially to the next major psychological number. So, when you cross $5,000, it will jump to $10,000. That’s what everybody will be looking for then,” One last thing, Armstrong says, “China is on record to not let Russia lose to NATO, because if that happens, they are next.”

Nostalgia?

• EU Officials Fear New ‘Franz Ferdinand Moment’ – Politico (RT)

The EU is increasingly wary that tensions with Russia could spill into a major conflict, in a scenario some officials privately liken to the chain reaction following the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand that triggered World War I, Politico reported on Monday. EU leaders are poised to meet in Copenhagen on Wednesday to discuss ways to contain Russia amid a surge in drone incidents across Europe. According to Politico, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is pushing for an “unprecedented discussion” of the EU’s military posture, going well beyond the bloc’s usual remit to include projects such as a “drone wall” to neutralize UAVs deemed hostile.

The outlet notes that the summit participants are certain to agree that Russia poses a “threat” to the bloc, and sign up based on the sentiment that “doing nothing… makes all-out war more likely.” However, unnamed diplomats told Politico that potential moves to deter Russia are “strewn with potential disasters,” with some officials warning privately of a possible “Franz Ferdinand moment” – a sudden escalation that could drag the continent into conflict. The phrase refers to the 1914 assassination Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, which set off a rapid chain of alliances and ultimatums that triggered WWI. EU military leaders reportedly believe the bloc is already in a “form of low-intensity war with Russia,” adding that historically, wars have been financed with public debt. However, it could prove very difficult to persuade all EU members – some of which are already grappling with economic problems – to expand the bloc’s budget for defense, Politico said.

The heightened caution follows a recent episode in which Warsaw claimed Russian drones violated Polish airspace during strikes on Ukraine, prompting discussion in NATO about whether the bloc should shoot down intruding jets. Moscow has dismissed Warsaw’s accusations, saying it did not provide any evidence, while denouncing the debates on downing Russian planes as “irresponsible.” Moscow has on numerous occasions said that “Russia has no intention” to attack NATO while expressing concern over the fact that Western officials “are beginning to seriously talk about a third world war as a potential scenario.”

They would be NATO strikes, not Ukraine.

• Trump May Have Authorized Ukrainian Strikes Deep Inside Russia – Kellogg (RT)

US President Donald Trump may have already approved Ukrainian long-range strikes inside Russia, special envoy Keith Kellogg said on Sunday in an interview with Fox News. Kellogg, who is often described in the media as a pro-Kiev voice within Trump’s team, was asked about the president’s recent remark that Ukraine could recapture all the territory it has lost to Russia and “maybe even go further than that,” which the host interpreted as a sign of imminent long-range strikes. Ukraine must secure Washington’s approval to hit targets deep inside Russia with US-supplied weapons.

The first such permission was granted in November 2024 under President Joe Biden, shortly after Trump won that year’s election. Kellogg said the final call on any such request rests with Trump as commander-in-chief, noting that “sometimes the Ukrainians get some of these, sometimes they don’t.” Pressed on whether Trump supports Ukrainian strikes into Russia, Kellogg replied, “I think, reading what he has said and reading what Vice President [J.D.] Vance has said as well as [Secretary of State Marco] Rubio, the answer is, yes.” He added, “There are no such things as sanctuaries.”

Vance recently told Fox News that Trump is “certainly looking” at a renewed Ukrainian request for US-made Tomahawk cruise missiles. Kellogg said such weapons would allow Ukraine to deepen its reach inside Russian territory. The Kremlin has downplayed the potential impact of any Tomahawk deliveries. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said no “wonder weapon” would change the battlefield dynamic, although he added that Ukrainian forces would likely be unable to operate Tomahawks without direct US involvement – something Moscow would consider a serious escalation.

“The U.S. provides the missiles. The U.S. approves the missile locations in Ukraine. The U.S. authorizes the targets of the missiles from their location. NATO provides the satellite guidance system. Ukraine targets Moscow and launches the missiles. How is President Trump not directly responsible for a NATO proxy war against Russia?\”

• Kellogg Says Trump Has Authorized NATO Strikes Against Moscow (CTH)

Ukraine is not a member of NATO. The United States is the leading force within NATO. Most recently President Trump has repeatedly said that he is brokering missile sales to NATO for transfer to, and use from, Ukraine against Russia. To wit, President Donald Trump has authorized NATO member states to deploy offensive missile systems into non-NATO Ukraine, provided by the U.S. In the latest development, U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine General Keith Kellogg has announced Ukraine has the authority to launch those missile systems deep into Russia, including Moscow. According to General Kellogg, President Trump is authorizing NATO to strike Moscow with U.S. missiles, launched from Ukraine. How is Ukraine not a proxy war between NATO and Russia?

This is escalating madness. We are reasonably intelligent and pragmatic people. We have the objective capability to look at the issues from both sides of the equation. Look at this issue from the perspective of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The U.S. provides the missiles. The U.S. approves the missile locations in Ukraine. The U.S. authorizes the targets of the missiles from their location. NATO provides the satellite guidance system. Ukraine targets Moscow and launches the missiles. How is President Trump not directly responsible for a NATO proxy war against Russia?

The only way for President Trump to make the ‘accountability monkey’ jump now, is to exit NATO. The reason why the EU member states of NATO want escalated war with Russia is financial and economic. Through policy and ideology, the EU/NATO members have walked themselves into an economic dead end. They are out of assets to leverage. The only way out for the EU/NATO leadership is to create a war to erase debt, expand assets and reset the economics.

When all else is said and done, he did.

• James Comey Tried to Take Down Trump (Victor Davis Hanson)

I’d like to do something different today and the next day, and that is to do a two-part, short, little videos. One is on the moral implications of James Comey’s recent indictment, the former FBI director. And then, the legal ramifications. Even though I’m not a lawyer, I thought we could talk about the legal separately from the moral indications. James Comey was indicted by the Trump Justice Department on two counts. One, he allegedly had lied under oath to Congress that he had not authorized leaks to the press by FBI subordinates. Probably, in particular, Andrew McCabe, who admittedly lied four times, I think three times under oath, according to the inspector general of the DOJ. And a second count that he obstructed, by lying to Congress, a congressional investigation.

But there’s larger questions here. James Comey, remember, was the FBI director when he interfered in the 2016 election. He said that Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee who was running against Donald Trump, had broken the law by using an unsecure private server, in which classified material was transmitted. But he didn’t think a jury would convict her, or he didn’t think it led to a level of such seriousness. That’s not his decision, really. That’s the Department of Justice. He’s supposed to bring evidence. James Comey, remember, also, he met with Donald Trump. And they had a confidential conversation. That’s not in dispute. And James Comey assured the president of the United States that he was not the subject of an FBI investigation. That was false. Now, he may not have said that under oath, but he admitted he said that, and so did Donald Trump. They agree on that.

So, he lied to the president of the United States. And then what did he do? He took that conversation and “memorialized it.” And then he had four memos involving his interactions with the president. They were recorded on FBI machinery or devices, but he did not file them officially with the FBI. He put them in his private safe as safekeeping or insurance, so that he could embarrass the president of the United States, if he was ever threatened with firing. And so, what did he do? He took one of those memos and gave it to a friend, who happened to be a professor at Columbia, for the express purpose of leaking it, leaking it to The New York Times, and then he wouldn’t have his fingerprints.

So, while he is legally charged with this other incident or crime—if he’s proven guilty of leaking—he admitted that he had leaked information about the president of the United States. And he also, essentially, admitted that he wasn’t the object of an investigation, when he likely was. In addition to this, he was the one that hired Christopher Steele. Christopher Steele was working for Hillary Clinton through three paywalls: through the Democratic National Committee, through the Perkins Coie law firm, and through Fusion GPS. It’s against the law, in a presidential federal campaign, to hire a foreign national. He was on the payroll of the Clinton effort, he was also a contractor that James Comey hired, and he was the one who compiled this phony dossier.

In addition, James Comey was in the room with John Brennan and James Clapper when Barack Obama essentially said to them, both during the campaign, but even after the election of 2016: I don’t believe that your subordinate intelligence reports are accurate about not finding actionable Russian collusion. I want you to bring me something—I’m paraphrasing—that would show that Donald Trump was colluding. He also, you remember, he laughed when he said that he sent his FBI team to interview Michael Flynn. But the administration, in 2016, during their transition, was so inept, so unprepared, they didn’t even have a lawyer. So, Michael Flynn just welcomed him naively into his office, and he talked to them and he incriminated himself without counsel. Of course, the FBI people involved felt that he had been honest to them and had not tried to mislead them.

What am I getting at? All of these things that James Comey has been responsible for—the Russian collusion hoax; trying to frame Donald Trump, or I don’t know what you would call it, by memorializing a conversation, and then hiding it from the FBI files and leaking it, indirectly, to The New York Times; or having anything to do with this scoundrel, Christopher Steele; or trying to override intelligence estimates and try to fabricate something else; or giving special treatment to Hillary Clinton. But add it all up, at least, morally and ethically, he was bankrupt, absolutely bankrupt. Maybe not in the legal, strict sense, or not in—he couldn’t be prosecuted in a New York or Washington courtroom and get a guilty verdict from one of those juries. But he is morally culpable. Next time we’ll talk about his legal exposure.

“We really are living through Bloody September” —Will Chamberlain.

• The Big Lebowski Civil War (James Howard Kunstler)

When the newly-formed Confederacy attacked Fort Sumter in Charleston Bay, April 1861, they ignited the Civil War. They, at least, had a clearcut goal: to maintain an economy (and society) based on slavery. It was patently evil, but it was firmly established and it was their engine for daily life, and they didn’t want it to end. When Charlie Kirk was murdered in 2025, Civil War 2.0 kicked off. The enemy this time are not Confederates with a coherent command structure and a goal. They are an army of nihilists like the gang in The Big Lebowski, who, for one reason or another, have failed to launch lives of meaning and purpose, and so have adopted the purpose of destroying the country they cannot thrive in. Unlike The Big Lebowski, this is not a joke. But, it’s obviously a different sort of civil war than the first one.

It appears that many of these nihilists, especially the ones amalgamated as Antifa, are straight-up mentally ill — crazed young women too untamed to find a mate, many obese and self-mutilated like tattooed savages with steel bones in their noses. . . young men, hormones afire, likewise frustrated, escaping into sexual fetish and psychotic obsessions with demons, violence, blame, enmity. They are warriors for their own deformed ids. There is, for sure, plenty to complain about in American life as currently organized. It abounds with swindles and ruses, and much of the ill effect falls on young people who were rooked into college loans, are drowning in unpayable debt, are unable to find meaningful work in an economy dominated by cruelly gigantic companies, are unable to afford a place of their own to eat and sleep in, and whose bodies and minds are ravaged by junk food and pharma products.

Do not overlook the deleterious effects of the everyday environment we have created: the world of American suburbia. Above all, it requires a reliable car to even begin to function in, and that is beyond the reach of many newly-minted adults with no job or a shit-job. The sheer ugliness of American suburbia is punishing to human neurology. It induces anxiety and despair to a degree we can’t begin to reckon. Try walking a mile down a six-laner between the Sam’s Club and the DMV sometime. Suburbia atomizes social relations, making everyone an isolated unit and it defeats any attempt to form real communities. Its schools function like minimum security prisons, generators of anomie and ennui. On top of all that, suburbia has entered its arc of economic failure.

Even the gainfully employed middle-aged can no longer pay for it. It was built out of crappy materials that are falling apart now. A sane person would opt to not live in it, but since escape is so difficult from sea to shining sea, the other option is to go insane — especially if you’re just setting out in life. All of this discontent gets converted, abracadabra, into political ideology. The old, reliable package of Marxism works whenever people feel cheated out of meaning, purpose, and a livelihood. And so, this anguished cohort of the young, defeated in making a life, driven mentally ill by their surroundings, hounded by the endless prompts of their beloved smartphones, wrecked by the things they put in their bodies, and broken by their demoralizing failures, become the useful idiots of their political elders.

And the Democratic Party, having become little more than a grifting machine of hustles and hoaxes, uses the young to generate ever more ill-feeling across the land over issues that self-evidently are against the interests of the young — so that the party can survive its present existential crisis. It was not in young America’s interest to receive “Joe Biden’s” flood of illegal migrants across the border. Apart from their criminal histories, or the hidden agenda to form subversive cells for foreign enemies, the illegal migrants compete with young people in many realms of employment like the building trades, while they drive down wages generally. So why are the Antifas out there in front of the ICE facility affecting to “rescue” the deportees?

Because the mind-scrambling language of Marxian revolt has persuaded the Antifas that the illegal migrants are their “marginalized intersectional allies.” It’s bullshit, of course, but the mentally ill swallow it because they are desperate for meaning and filled with animus for all-and-any authority responsible for constructing and managing a system they have failed in. Mr. Trump, the primary demon in their fantasies, and certainly the enemy of the Democratic Party’s corrupt grifting machine, attempts to restore an economy based on producing things of value, rather than financial flimflams. The catch is, he may not be able to do that using the old armature of gigantic corporate organisms operating on rollover debt. That phase of history is probably over.

We need a new armature, but one based on voluntary exchange, which is to say economic liberty, not top-town communist-type centralized planning. Everywhere that has been tried, it failed and blew up. Euro-style Socialism Lite is not a workable choice anymore, either, because we are leaving behind the cheap energy economy and the geopolitical deals that made six-week vacations, retirement at 60, and free medicine possible.

“..the government could shed roughly 275,000 employees by the end of 2025..”

• Trump Is About to Pull Off the Biggest Federal Workforce Cut in History (Margolis)

The Trump administration just pulled off something most Americans probably didn’t think was possible: shrinking the federal bureaucracy in a massive and meaningful way. On Tuesday, more than 100,000 federal workers are expected to walk out the door through a deferred resignation program, marking the largest single-year reduction in the civilian federal workforce since World War II. Factor in layoffs, buyouts, early retirements, and natural attrition, and the government could shed roughly 275,000 employees by the end of 2025. Of course, the federal workforce is enormous—roughly 2.4 million employees, not counting postal workers—and not everyone qualifies for these programs. Military personnel, immigration enforcement officers, national security staff, NTSB employees, postal service workers, and several other categories are excluded. Even so, the reductions represent a historic reshaping of government employment.

This didn’t happen by accident. The Trump administration executed a deliberate strategy to cut spending; eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse; and push the federal workforce closer to an at-will employment model more typical of the private sector. It’s a bold move that challenges entrenched bureaucracy and signals a new era of accountability in Washington. The Economic Times has more. Trump administration officials defend the expenditure. The Office of Personnel Management stated the one-time costs reduce longer-term federal government spending. The agency also criticized job protections for federal civil servants, arguing the government should adopt a “modern, at-will employment framework like most employers.”

A White House spokesperson said there was “no additional cost to the government” because employees would have received their salaries regardless of the program. “In fact, this is the largest and most effective workforce reduction plan in history and will save the government $28bn annually,” the spokesperson added. The total number of expected departures through the delayed resignation and voluntary separation programs, attrition, and early retirement programs is approximately 275,000 employees, according to the spokesman. Sources told CNN earlier this year that OPM offered an early retirement incentive through the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority, or VERA, to employees who qualify and choose to participate in the deferred resignation program. To be eligible, workers must be at least 50 years old with 20 years of service—or any age with at least 25 years on the job.

What we’re witnessing is a permanent reduction of more than 10% in the civilian federal workforce. Agencies like the EPA and FEMA have offered voluntary buyouts to nearly all employees to speed up the process. Critics say this depletes institutional expertise and hurts morale. Supporters say it streamlines government, reduces regulatory burdens, and saves money. Legislative and legal efforts to stop the mass departures have largely failed. Congress faces a critical funding deadline on Tuesday, and agencies are already planning for additional large-scale firings if there’s a government shutdown. The Trump administration is making good on its promise to shrink the size and scope of the federal government, and the bureaucracy is feeling it.

If Washington can cut this deeply into its bloated bureaucracy and the sky doesn’t fall, then Americans should be demanding even more. For decades, politicians have promised to rein in government, only to hand us more waste and more debt. This moment proves it can actually be done, and voters must hold Washington accountable to deliver more of it.

“Funny to think that Bill Clinton’s policies when he was President were essentially MAGA..,*

• Is This the Man to Save the Democrats? (Stephen Green)

The Democrat who once quipped, “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do [big government] things that you think you could not do before,” seems like an unlikely choice for tearing the party from the revolutionaries and radicals who increasingly make up its public face. But that’s exactly the case the Wall Street Journal made today about former White House advisor and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who “appears increasingly serious about running for president.” The Journal’s John McCormick wrote that while Emanuel’s “centrist message clashes with an insurgent progressive base mesmerized by figures such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) and Zohran Mamdani,” and other so-called Democratic Socialists, “the seriousness of Emanuel’s ambitions was obvious throughout his two-day visit” to — you guessed it — Des Moines, Iowa over the weekend.

“It was instructive to see Emanuel surrounded over the weekend by the Democratic base in Iowa where he headlined an annual party fish-fry fundraiser in the state’s largest county,” McCormick reported. “While he wasn’t technically campaigning, it was the first time the famously combative Emanuel had made a high-profile retail political appearance on his own behalf for the better part of a decade.” Politico’s writeup of the same Iowa appearance included Emanuel’s repetition of a centrist message that could have come right out of his time in the Clinton White House: The former White House chief of staff offered a message centered on economic fairness, education and affordability. “This should not come as a surprise to you,” Emanuel said from the stage set up at the home of Iowa state Rep. Sean Bagniewski, who hosted the fish fry in his front yard for 400 Democrats. “The American Dream is unaffordable. It’s inaccessible, and we, as Democrats, that’s unacceptable to us.”

Yet the Journal noted that “gone were his recent criticisms of his party’s brand as ‘toxic’ and ‘weak and woke.'” The 65-year-old — who will be pushing 70 during the next presidential race and hasn’t run for anything since 2018 — has to do something to appeal to younger voters, after all. I suppose the best thing a conservative could say about Rahm Emanuel is that his corruption is well within Chicago’s Daley-era norms, and that, unlike his party’s Young Turks, he isn’t bat-guano crazy. But here’s the thing about being a member of a party that almost reflexively finds itself on the 20% side of every 80/20 issue: maybe the 20% is exactly what their remaining voters want. While I’m not always a huge fan of the GOP dragging itself toward the center and away from some of its core conservative policies — “Funny to think that Bill Clinton’s policies when he was President were essentially MAGA*,” Elon Musk quipped on Sunday — there’s a noteworthy silver lining.

A more centrist GOP effectively isolates Democrat radicals inside their shrunken, 80/20 party, where they’re less able to inflict serious damage outside the Deep Blue zones. It’s a huge win for the country, and we should be happy to take it. *At least on crime, welfare, and immigration.Maybe I’m wrong about this, but Emanuel’s effort has a bit of a Springsteen “Glory Days” feel to it. “Hey, remember when things were great under Clinton? Remember the Lightbringer? I remember!” Or maybe Emanuel is just the pol to pull the Dems back toward the center. He’s one of the few Obama-era people with name recognition (at least with the money people), and without any major ties to Obama’s Red Diaper radicalism. But the problem with being the one-eyed man in the land of the blind is that they’ll probably poke your eye out. Good luck, Rahm — you’ll need it.

“..It’s always wrong to shut our government down.”

• John Fetterman Throws His Party Under the Bus (Margolis)

John Fetterman is throwing his own party under the bus, and frankly, it’s about time a Democrat did so. The Pennsylvania senator delivered a reality check, calling out the left’s tired playbook of labeling every Republican opponent a “Nazi” or “fascist.” During an appearance on Sunday Morning Futures on Fox News, Fetterman indicated that he won’t participate in the Democratic Party’s increasingly unhinged rhetoric. While his colleagues foam at the mouth with hyperbolic accusations, Fetterman positioned himself as an independent voice willing to break ranks when his party loses its collective mind. He’s not switching parties, but he’s certainly not drinking the Kool-Aid either. On Sunday, Fetterman sat down with Maria Bartiromo and said he has no intention of leaving the Democratic Party. However, he also stressed that he won’t hesitate to go against the party line when he feels it’s the right thing to do.

“I’m not going to switch, you know?” He said. “But I, I’m just going to be an independent voice in the Democratic Party.” He insisted that standing apart from the more radical elements in his party was important, saying, “I’m not gonna be afraid if people… I mean, and, and if there are groups a-attacking a, a Democrat, you know, the last one in Pennsylvania, then that’s… To me, that’s part of the problem, you know, in our party.” Fetterman also pushed back on the toxic rhetoric that has become standard on the left. “And if you want a Democrat that’s gonna call people Nazis or fascists or all these kinds of thing, well, I’m not gonna be that guy.” Instead, he cast himself as someone who would speak the truth even if it didn’t align with his party’s agenda:

“You know, independent thinking and views, wherever I happen to believe the truth, regardless if it’s the Republican or the Democratic voice, you know? But I think it’s the truth in this. Now, in this truth right now, it’s firmly on Israel through this, and it’s also… It’s always wrong to shut our government down.” Fetterman admitted that his positions might set him apart but said he’s comfortable with that. “And that’s where my voice is and if that puts me as an outlier, then, you know, that’s where I am.” Democrats face mounting criticism for their inflammatory language and divisive tactics, and Fetterman is the one choosing to be the adult in a room full of tantrum-throwing toddlers.

The senator’s departure from Democratic orthodoxy extends well beyond his refusal to take part in dangerous name-calling. His unwavering support for Israel during the ongoing conflict has put him at odds with the progressive wing of his party, many of whom seem more interested in appeasing Hamas sympathizers than supporting America’s democratic ally in the Middle East. Fetterman criticized efforts to recognize a Palestinian state, correctly identifying such moves as rewarding terrorism. Fetterman has also been critical of his party’s shutdown strategy. While Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer tries to pin blame on Republicans, Fetterman pointed out that it’s actually the Democrats who would be responsible. Unlike his colleagues, who seem to believe their media allies will always provide cover, Fetterman recognizes that voters notice when politicians create chaos and then try to blame others.

It’s Farage’s country now.

• UK Records Unprecedented Migrant Boat Arrival (RT)

A small boat carrying 125 people crossed the English Channel from France to the UK on Saturday, the largest number ever recorded on a single vessel, Bloomberg has reported, citing the Home Office. The previous record was set in August, when 107 people arrived on what the British media described as a “mega-dinghy.” The latest crossing comes despite Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s pledge to “smash” the smuggling gangs behind the journeys. It also follows the appointment of new Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who has called small boat crossings “utterly unacceptable” and promised to “explore all options” to address the issue. Official figures show that around 33,000 people have crossed into the UK since the start of the year, the highest total for this point in the year since records began in 2018, according to The Independent.

Public discontent over illegal migration has grown sharply in Britain, with polls showing it among voters’ top concerns. Many see the rising number of crossings as evidence the government has lost control of the borders, while communities voice frustration over pressures on housing, health services, and schools. The discontent has boosted support for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party, which has made hardline immigration its central message. A recent YouGov poll put Reform in the lead with 29%, ahead of Labour on 21%. Labour has pledged to target people-smuggling networks while keeping legal migration routes, framing its approach as a balance of security and humanitarian obligations. In August, the UK and France ratified a treaty which states that migrants deemed inadmissible after arriving in Britain can be returned to France, while the UK accepts an equal number of asylum seekers via a legal route. The first removals under the scheme took place earlier this month.

The Reform party advocates abolishing Indefinite Leave to Remain, forcing settled migrants to reapply under stricter conditions, and limiting welfare benefits to British citizens. In an interview on Sunday, Starmer called Farage’s proposals “racist” and “immoral,” though he admitted many drawn to Reform are frustrated by the slow pace of change.

Good word: “transanity”..

• Rowling Finally Gave Hermione the Spanking She Deserves (Green)

In happier times, child actress Emma Watson brought J.K. Rowling’s beloved Hermione character to life in the Harry Potter movies, beginning in 2001 when Watson was just 11 years old. She’s a big girl now but in serious need of a spanking — one that Rowling just belatedly, reluctantly, and devastatingly applied. Seriously, it might be weeks before Watson can sit down comfortably again. “Emma and [and Harry Potter costar Daniel Radcliffe] in particular have both made it clear over the last few years that they think our former professional association gives them a particular right – nay, obligation – to critique me and my views in public,” Rowling posted to X on Monday. “Years after they finished acting in Potter, they continue to assume the role of de facto spokespeople for the world I created.”

Ouch. Now 35, Watson spent years using public appearances and social media to take digs at Rowling and her so-called transphobia. “Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren’t who they say they are,” Watson tweeted in response to Rowling in 2020. And that was really just the start.For her part, Rowling has long used her fame and fortune to stand up for the sanctity of women’s spaces and women’s sports — even at the height of transanity. “Here to present the next award is Emma Watson,” BAFTA Awards host Rebel Wilson announced that same year. “She calls herself a feminist, but we all know she’s a witch.” After taking the stage, Watson smiled and said, “I’m here for all the witches,” in reference to Rowling’s recognition that men aren’t women.

“I wasn’t a multimillionaire at fourteen,” Rowling reminded Watson today. “I lived in poverty while writing the book that made Emma famous. I therefore understand from my own life experience what the trashing of women’s rights in which Emma has so enthusiastically participated means to women and girls without her privileges.” Rowling remembers 2020 as a time “when the death, rape and torture threats against me were at their peak.” She continued, “Emma had just publicly poured more petrol on the flames, yet thought a one line expression of concern from her would reassure me of her fundamental sympathy and kindness.” Rowling later said she would “never forgive” Watson — or co-stars Radcliffe and Rupert Grint — for having “cozied up to a movement intent on eroding women’s hard-won rights.”

Rowling’s post today was more in sorrow than in anger, however: The greatest irony here is that, had Emma not decided in her most recent interview to declare that she loves and treasures me – a change of tack I suspect she’s adopted because she’s noticed full-throated condemnation of me is no longer quite as fashionable as it was – I might never have been this honest. Stay honest, J.K. — women (and men) need to hear more of that from you.

I wasn’t aware of this until today, but Watson’s acting career appears to be dead in the water. She’s had only a baker’s dozen appearances since the last Harry Potter film debuted almost 15 years ago, including two single-episode appearances on TV. Her most recent film role was in 2019’s Little Women, and her last role, period, was in a 2022 short called “Prada Paradoxe,” which she directed herself and had no other actors. She’s currently attending Oxford in pursuit of a post-grad degree, but that hardly explains a film career long in decline. Watson isn’t hurting for money after all the success she enjoyed as a child, so maybe it’s relevance she’s trying to get with all the outbursts against her former benefactor. If it’s attention she wanted, she just got it — forcefully.

https://twitter.com/catsscareme2021/status/1972635771560669676

in 2016 – Julian Assange explained how then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, through the Uranium One deal – sold 20% of our processed uranium directly to Russia – and that was the motivation behind the Russia Hoax and the desperation to paint Trump early on as a Russian asset. pic.twitter.com/uozDwPFZlb

— The Rubber Duck ™ (@TheRubberDuck79) September 28, 2025

Elon Musk: "The people who ordinarily wouldn't get involved in politics, who just want to live their lives, they're quiet, they just go about their business, my message is to them, if this continues, that violence is going to come to you. You will have no choice. You're in a… pic.twitter.com/IoBrZ4MVV0

— Camus (@newstart_2024) September 29, 2025

Size of this moose
pic.twitter.com/RGJjqYrIeA

— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) September 29, 2025

Support the Automatic Earth in wartime with Paypal, Bitcoin and Patreon.