Latest news with #America-first
Time of India
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Kash Patel's girlfriend dragged into Epstein case: 'Why would she date a not-so-attractive Indian-American?'
Conspiracy theories linking Kash Patel's girlfriend to Epstein case are now doing the rounds. Conspiracy theories like the Donald Trump administration dropped the Epstein case altogether, as the president was named in his files, or because Epstein was a Mossad agent, have been doing the rounds amid a major MAGA meltdown. Now, FBI chief Kash Patel 's singer girlfriend Alexis Wilkins has been dragged into the conspiracy. A viral post on X claimed that Alexis works for an "NGO that's basically Israeli intelligence". "And seriously, why would an attractive young woman date a not so attractive Indian American. Classic honey pot," the post claimed adding that Alexis works for PragerU. "Plus: she is 26 and he is 45. Red flags all over," the conspiracy theorist noted. Alexis Wilkins is indeed a PragerU media personality, as she's listed on the website of PragerU as a presenter. But the connection between PragerU and Israel that the viral post drew is far-fetched. It said Marissa Strey, who is the CEO of PragerU served in the military intelligence unit of the Israel Defense Forces. — goddeketal (@goddeketal) "Could you be any more racist, antisemitic, and wrong?? Who cares how old anyone is? Who cares if he's 'Indian-American?' And PragerU is not an NGO (they take zero government money)!!" one comment dismissed the conspiracy theory while many subscribed to the theory happily as they concluded that Alexis Wilkins is way out of Kash Patel's league. "Alexis Wilkins is a PragerU media personality, political commentator, country music artist, and published writer. Alexis was born in the USA, raised in both Europe and Fayetteville, Arkansas, and is currently based in Nashville. Alexis uses her platform and experiences as a public speaker, musician, and conservative student to promote education, America-first values, and veteran causes. She is an ambassador for Turning Point USA and a contributor to The Unity Project," the PragerU bio of Alexis Wilkins said. Kash Patel promised the threadbare revelation of the Epstein case but five months into the new administration, the Donald Trump administration closed the case asserting that there was no foul play in Epstein's death and he indeed committed suicide in his prison cell in 2019 and was not murdered. The DOJ and the FBI also said Epstein did not have a client list -- a list of powerful people who went to Epstein island and took part in sexual assault of minors -- that MAGA activists were expecting. The sudden wrap up of the case sent MAGA commentators into a major meltdown and now they are coming up with theories that Epstein was a Mossad agent and hence the details of the case will be protected anyhow.
Economic Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Multilateralism must Trump US-first policy
Donald Trump's America-first stance reflects his belief that the US has lost global dominance, and he aims to restore the US to its former glory by ensuring that the world 'respects' the US. On Sunday, Trump injected himself into the summit of the BRICS group of nations in Rio de Janeiro, warning countries that aligning with the 'anti-American' policies of the grouping would attract a 10% tariff. At the summit, BRICS leaders expressed 'serious concerns' about the rise in unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures'. Though the US was not mentioned by name, the signals were clear. Whether it is BRICS, of which the US is not a member, or the Quad, of which it is, what is increasingly clear is that the Trump administration is focused on pursuing an 'America for itself' policy. Washington has hosted two Quad foreign ministers' meetings in the last six months, with a focus on security. There is little doubt that this recalibration is driven by China's ambitions and influence in the Indo-Pacific region. But then, Trump's US is not the poster child for steady ties-consider the renewed engagement with Pakistan. The BRICS summit was about what lies ahead-how emerging economies deliver on their promises. Contrary to Trump's apprehension, the US remains the pre-eminent global power. That explains China's response to the 10% additional tariff. The Rio summit and the Quad foreign ministers' meeting point to the same thing: multilateralism remains the only viable response. To ensure that the world does not move from a US-dominated world order to one defined by the Beijing-Kremlin combine, countries like India need to step up and engage more globally to build a multilateral system that is fit for the 21st century.
Business Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Business Times
Citigroup's rich clients divert from US to UK despite higher taxes
[LONDON] Some of Citigroup's wealthy clients are souring on the US and instead looking at the UK, even as Britain hikes taxes on its rich residents, according to one of the bank's top executives. 'It's a two-way trade in terms of clients in and out of the UK,' Citigroup global wealth head Andy Sieg said in a Bloomberg Television interview on Thursday (Jul 4) in London. While some are exiting Britain, others are 'looking at the US, and changes in the US, and thinking maybe the UK is the place where my kids might want to go to college and might want to spend more time.' The comments signal the growing fallout from US President Donald Trump's America-first politics as his administration clashes with the nation's elite colleges and targets foreign students. That is leading to a recent spike in applications for British universities offering similar prestige. An influx of wealthy individuals diverting to the UK instead of the US would also mitigate the blow from the surge of ultra-wealthy residents exiting Britain. Keir Starmer's Labour administration has brought in a series of higher taxes this year for well-heeled foreigners, as well as rich natives. One of the most controversial moves was scrapping a preferential tax regime for non-domiciled residents, or non-doms, with Labour going further than measures outlined last year from the then-ruling Conservative Party by exposing rich foreigners' overseas assets to UK inheritance tax. The UK government is betting that its changes to the regime, which allowed international investors and entrepreneurs to avoid levies on earnings from outside the UK, will bring about £33 billion (S$57.4 billion) in extra taxes in coming years. A wave of think tanks are contesting those figures, however, warning of the threat to jobs and economic growth, while billionaires such as founder Guillaume Pousaz and Egypt's richest man Nassef Sawiris have recently exited the UK. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up 'We see topics like the non-dom discussion very much on the mind of clients,' Sieg said. Citigroup rival JPMorgan Chase on Thursday announced a new leader for its private banking arm in order to cater to clients who want to use its services across different continents, tapping David Frame to lead the business globally. JPMorgan's private bank oversees more than US$2.9 trillion in client assets and caters to the bank's wealthiest customers. 'He will focus on further enhancing our US and international private banking businesses, platform and services as our clients expand their reach across continents and generations,' Mary Callahan Erdoes, who leads JPMorgan's asset and wealth management business globally, said in a statement announcing the move. Sieg, a longtime Bank of America executive, joined Citigroup in 2023 to help lead a turnaround of the New York-based firm's wealth management business. Chief executive officer Jane Fraser has embarked on a broader restructuring effort in recent years for one of America's biggest lenders. Returns and revenue have since risen at the business, with a focus on increasing investment volumes from clients, who include about a quarter of the world's billionaires. Private banking recently posted first-quarter revenue of US$2.1 billion, up 24 per cent from the same period a year before. Sieg cited the UK as a territory where the unit is 'growing strongly.' 'We haven't reached our goal in terms of being number one in wealth management in the world,' he added. 'But we have got one of the fastest-growing wealth businesses.' BLOOMBERG
Economist
02-07-2025
- Business
- Economist
India's Licence Raj offers America important lessons
Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister, and Donald Trump, America's president, do not share many similarities. Nehru was an erudite product of Harrow School and Trinity College, Cambridge; Donald Trump, for all his expensive education, is ultimately a rough-and-tumble graduate of New York real estate. A freedom fighter before becoming prime minister, Nehru spent nine years in British-run jails having campaigned against imperial rule; Mr Trump's tangles with the law have involved hush money for a porn star. Nevertheless, Nehru's Fabian socialism—a patrician distrust of commerce mixed with an intellectual love of scientific progress—means his views on trade are, many years later, mirrored by Mr Trump's America-first instincts.
Newsweek
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
GOP Rep: 'Big Beautiful Bill' Would Secure Southern Border
For four years, under the radical policies of the Biden administration, our southern border was opened to the entire world and illegal immigration was not only exacerbated but encouraged. Drug cartels snuck through the cracks, criminals entered with no questions asked, individuals with known connections to terrorism broke our laws, and millions of illegal immigrants crossed our border without even a slap on the wrist. To make matters worse, millions of "gotaways"—those who were not apprehended at the border and whose identities are unknown—found their way to communities in every corner of our country. This open-border agenda pushed by Joe Biden and liberals in his administration was catastrophic. Deadly substances like fentanyl, which is largely manufactured in China, have poisoned our children and cut lives far too short. Tragically, American women like Rachel Morin, a loving mother of five from Maryland, and Laken Riley, a young nursing student from Georgia, were senselessly murdered by illegal immigrants. Families have grieved the loss of loved ones because Biden and the Democrats refused to secure our border, defeat the drug traffickers, and keep our communities safe. Fortunately, the era of lawlessness, disarray, and chaos at our border ended when the Trump administration began. Virtually overnight, President Donald Trump locked down our border by reversing Biden's failed policies, continuing construction of the border wall, and deploying additional personnel to patrol the border. He also reinstated the successful "Remain in Mexico" policy, put an end to "catch and release," and designated the drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. US military personnel install concertina wire on top of the wall along the US-Mexico border between San Diego and Tijuana near the San Ysidro Port of Entry in San Diego, California on April 23, 2025. US military personnel install concertina wire on top of the wall along the US-Mexico border between San Diego and Tijuana near the San Ysidro Port of Entry in San Diego, California on April 23, 2025. Patrick T. Fallon / AFP/Getty Images With these America-first policies in place, illegal border encounters plummeted. On February 22, 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded just 200 encounters—the lowest single-day total in 15 years, and in March, border apprehensions fell by 94 percent from the previous year, reaching the lowest figure registered since 2000. The numbers confirm that President Trump's decisive actions immediately secured our border, signaling to Americans nationwide that he would do everything in his power to protect our kids, families, and communities. In conjunction with President Trump's work, there is nothing more significant that my fellow members of Congress can do to permanently lock down our border than get our "One, Big, Beautiful Bill," which I voted for a few weeks ago, signed into law. It is the most consequential piece of legislation for border security in our nation's history. This "Big, Beautiful Bill" dedicates nearly $47 billion to finishing the border wall and constructing needed river and vehicle barriers and allocates additional funding to hire 10,000 new ICE agents, 5,000 new customs officers, and 3,000 new border patrol agents. This investment also includes signing and retention bonuses for border patrol agents who work very long hours and put their lives on the line every day to defend our national security. This legislation further deploys technologies like sensors, cameras, and other mechanisms to identify illegal activity and combat drug cartels and sex traffickers. Alongside these vital border provisions, President Trump's "One, Big, Beautiful Bill" protects programs like SNAP and Medicaid for the most vulnerable among us by eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse from our social safety nets. That means kicking 1.4 million illegal immigrants off Medicaid, preventing illegal immigrants from using SNAP, and ensuring that able-bodied Americans who can work do work if they receive taxpayer-funded benefits. These common-sense reforms ensure that American citizens—like those with disabilities, pregnant mothers, children, and others—can access quality health care and put food on the table. These programs are meant for Americans in need—not illegal immigrants or individuals who are well enough to work but refuse to. Under the Trump administration, our border is the most secure it has ever been. From deploying National Guard troops to stop the dangerous riots in Los Angeles to signing into law the Laken Riley Act, which includes my bill, Sarah's Law, President Trump has prioritized American citizens over violent criminals and illegal immigrants. Now, by passing his "One, Big, Beautiful Bill," we can continue President Trump's historic work to close our border, defeat the drug cartels, and end the scourge of illegal immigration. Randy Feenstra, a Republican, represents Iowa's Fourth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
