Trump Ally Stuck in Israel, Fears Being ‘Bargaining Chip'
Michaelah Montgomery told Newsmax, a conservative channel, that she was in Israel but didn't want to risk trying to leave the country and become a target because of her Republican Party connections.
She said she did not want to be used as a "bargaining chip to force the United States to get involved" in the hostilities in the Middle East.
Montgomery's comments come amid concerns over whether the U.S. could become directly involved in the escalating violence between Israel and Iran.
Montgomery attended Clark Atlanta University and during a meeting with Trump last year, praised the then-GOP presidential candidate for funding historically Black colleges and universities, according to Fox 5.
Images of the pair at a Chick-fil-A on Trump's way to a fundraiser in Atlanta last August went viral at a time when Republicans were trying to make inroads with Black voters.
Trump introduced her on to the stage at his rally in Atlanta, where he praised her as "incredible" with a "tremendous future" and told her he would do "whatever I can to help you," before giving her the podium.
Montgomery told the crowd she was the founder of Conserve the Culture, which she said helps "mobilize the HBCU students."
During her interview with Newsmax on Monday, she praised Trump's leadership but suggested that as Iran continues with its retaliation against Israel's strikes on the Islamic Republic's nuclear capabilities, her ties to the U.S. president could put her at risk.
She said because of her "notoriety back in the states and my proximity to our president, it's not safe for me to move with large groups."
She said there was a "ring of fire" around Israel and the borders were not safe for somebody like her.
Michaelah Montgomery, conservative activist, on Newsmax: "At the end of the day, the last thing I need is to be used as a bargaining chip to force the United States to get involved in this conflict."
Patriots Prayer Network, on X, formerly Twitter: "Michaela[h] Montgomery is currently in Israel. I've been in contact she's safe, but cannot disclose her location for security reasons. Keep her in your prayers. I can tell you firsthand: she's not in the safest of places right now."
Montgomery told Newsmax that "the State Department and other agencies were working to get me out" of Israel.
As speculation mounts over whether he will directly involve the U.S. in the hostilities, Trump has said he wanted a "real end" to the conflict.
2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
13 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Pope Leo says migrants and refugees can bring light and aspiration from dark corners of the world
'In a world darkened by war and injustice, even when all seems lost, migrants and refugees stand as messengers of hope,' he said. 'Their courage and tenacity bear heroic testimony to a faith that sees beyond what our eyes can see and gives them the strength to defy death on the various contemporary migration routes.' Advertisement The remarks from Leo, who ascended to the papacy earlier this year to become the first American pope, come amid the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration. In recent months, Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Los Angeles and other cities have sparked protests across the country, and a surge in detentions has led to immigrants being held in overcrowded facilities with deteriorating conditions. Pope Leo showed a special interest in the well-being of immigrants during his work before the Vatican and has been described as the 'first modern immigrant pope.' In a May meeting, he emphasized this side of his past to diplomats, telling them, 'My own story is that of a citizen, the descendant of immigrants, who in turn chose to emigrate.' Advertisement 'All of us, in the course of our lives, can find ourselves healthy or sick, employed or unemployed, living in our native land or in a foreign country, yet our dignity always remains unchanged: It is the dignity of a creature willed and loved by God,' he said. Before his papacy, Leo served the poor in Peru for decades and was especially concerned about Venezuelan migrants who fled there, opening churches as soup kitchens and asking priests to convert free spaces into makeshift refuges while bishop of Chiclayo. That side of his work has resonated with other leaders in the church. The Rev. Russell Pollitt, a Jesuit priest at Holy Trinity Catholic Church near Johannesburg, said in May that Leo 'seems to have been someone who was on the side of migrants and refugees flocking to Peru from Venezuela.' 'I think that's important, that we don't lose that. Migrants and refugees are becoming a sort of scapegoat for politicians,' he said. In this past week's letter, Leo stressed that communities that welcome migrants and refugees can become living witnesses to hope. 'In this way, migrants and refugees are recognized as brothers and sisters, part of a family in which they can express their talents and participate fully in community life.' He wished for spiritual protection for 'all those who are on the journey, as well as those who are working to accompany them.'
The Hill
13 minutes ago
- The Hill
Venezuelan Little League team denied US visas for World Series
A Venezuelan Little League baseball team will miss the Senior Baseball World Series held in South Carolina after it was was denied entry into the U.S. because the players were unable to obtain visas. Cacique Mara Little League team, from Maracaibo, Venezuela, qualified for the World Series after winning the Latin American championship in Mexico, but will not be able to compete in Easley, S.C. because they were unable to 'obtain the appropriate visas' to travel, according to Little League International. Little League International said in a statement to The Hill that while this is 'extremely disappointing, especially to these young athletes,' the tournament committee has decided to advance the second-place team from the Latin American championship, Santa María de Aguayo from Tamaulipas, Mexico. The league said the replacement will ensure the 'Latin America Region is represented in the tournament and that the players, coaches and families from Mexico are able to have a memorable World Series experience.' A senior State Department official told The Hill on Saturday that U.S. consular officers are currently 'working to review the case to confirm proper procedures were followed and necessary appeals were submitted by the visa applicants.' Venezuela is on President Trump's list of countries where the entry of their nationals is partially restricted or limited. Six other countries — Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo and Turkmenistan — are also included. In early June, Trump also fully restricted the entry of nationals from 12 nations: Afghanistan, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The administration pointed to national security concerns when announcing the travel restrictions. The Venezuelan baseball team went to Colombia two weeks ago to apply for travel visas, according to The Associated Press (AP). 'It is a mockery on the part of Little League to keep us here in Bogotá with the hope that our children can fulfill their dreams of participating in a world championship,' the baseball team said in a statement, according to the AP. 'What do we do with so much injustice, what do we do with the pain that was caused to our children.'
14 minutes ago
USAID analysis finds no evidence of widespread aid diversion by Hamas in Gaza
An analysis compiled by USAID officials examining more than 150 reported incidents involving the theft or loss of U.S.-funded humanitarian aid in the war-torn Gaza Strip says it failed to find any evidence that Hamas -- the militant rulers of the Palestinian enclave -- engaged in widespread diversion of assistance, according to a presentation reviewed by ABC News. The findings of the report appear to undercut the Trump administration's repeated claims that Hamas has regularly interfered with aid distribution in the past -- assertions it has used to justify its support for the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and for measures undertaken by Israel to limit the flow of assistance to neighboring Gaza through other pathways. The GHF -- with Israel's approval and despite rejection from the United Nations -- took over most of the aid distribution system in Gaza on May 27, after an 11-week Israeli blockade on all supplies from entering the strip. Israel has long accused Hamas of stealing aid provided by the U.N. -- formerly the main distributor -- and others to fund its militant activity -- claims which Hamas denies. Israel has allowed a limited amount of supplies into Gaza since lifting the blockade and, according to an Israeli security official, is "coordinating future airdrops of aid" by foreign countries "that are expected to take place in the coming days." This comes after a coalition of more than 100 organizations warned this week that "mass starvation" is spreading in Gaza with "supplies now totally depleted." USAID officials behind the presentation say they analyzed alleged incidents of fraud, abuse and waste reported between October 2023, when the ongoing Israel-Hamas war began, and last May. It was compiled before the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) -- once the world's largest single donor of humanitarian aid -- officially ceased independent operations on July 1. The Trump administration canceled more than 80% of the agency's programs, while the remainder were absorbed by the U.S. Department of State. USAID officials say their findings indicate that in the majority of cases involving the loss of aid, the perpetrator could not be definitively identified. The Israel Defense Forces denied the report in a statement to ABC News, saying "not only does the report ignore clear and explicit evidence that Hamas exploits humanitarian aid to sustain its fighting capabilities, it goes so far as to criticize the IDF for routing decisions made specifically to protect humanitarian staff and shipments." The IDF added that when it "directs aid deliveries along specific routes, it is based on the operational reality and intelligence assessments, aimed at safeguarding both the aid and the humanitarian actors — precisely the issue the report claims is not being addressed." The State Department is also pushing back forcefully on the analysis, which was first reported by Reuters, as well as media coverage related to the matter. A State Department spokesperson called it "astonishing" that "the media is busy debating whether the masterminds of Oct. 7 are somehow too principled to loot." "There is endless video evidence of Hamas looting, not to mention members of the aid-industrial complex who have admitted that looting exists by reporting it as 'self-distribution,' in a poor attempt at an aid corruption coverup," the spokesperson said. "Available intelligence confirms what is reflected in open-source information: that a significant portion of non-GHF aid trucks have been diverted, looted, stolen, or 'self-distributed.'" Despite this, the Trump administration -- a staunch ally of Israel -- has provided no evidence of Hamas carrying out widespread aid diversion to date. The IDF said it is "making tremendous efforts to enable the safe distribution of humanitarian aid under complex operational conditions." The ongoing Gaza war erupted after Hamas led a surprise terror attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people there and taking 251 others hostage, according to figures from the Israeli government. Since then, Israeli forces have killed more than 59,000 people in Gaza, according to data released by the strip's Hamas-run Ministry of Health.
