Putin-Trump Summit Sends Europe Into Full Panic Mode

The same Deep State that faked “Russia collusion” now fears losing its war profits.

Good Morning, it’s Sunday, August 17th, 2025.

Trump and Putin have wrapped their Alaska summit — and the real fireworks are in Europe, where leaders are spiraling over what might have been said behind closed doors. With no leaks, no transcripts, and no EU seat at the table, the establishment is filling the vacuum with panic about “manipulation” and “pressure.” What they really fear is peace — because peace threatens their power, their cash flow, and their control.

Before we dive in: today’s issue of The Ledger goes live in a few hours. It breaks down how the surveillance state is no longer national but borderless—a fused machine where U.S., Israeli, and Five Eyes agencies trade capabilities to spy on citizens, launder data, and pre-clear media narratives. Spyware, churches, even your news feeds—nothing is off-limits. You’ll want to read this one.

Alaska summit fuels European paranoia

Peace doesn’t pay — and that’s why they’re terrified.

Trump and Putin met in Alaska — and now European leaders are panicking over what was said in the room with no staff, no leaks, and no Europeans present. Former Lithuanian Ambassador to Russia Eitvydas Bajarūnas warned that Europe could be “jointly pressured” with Ukraine to accept a deal Washington and Moscow cut without them. Translation: Europe’s nightmare isn’t that Trump got manipulated — it’s that he and Putin may have found common ground.

CEPA fellow Olga Tokariuk spelled out the fear: “It looks like it’s two big powers just deciding the fate of Ukraine without any Ukrainians at the table.” Brussels calls that “dangerous.” Ordinary Americans might call it overdue — a U.S. president finally putting America’s interests ahead of endless foreign entanglements.

The same intelligence network that ran the Trump-Russia collusion hoax is back in action, flooding media outlets with buzzwords like “manipulation,” “strategic ambiguity,” and “hybrid warfare.” These aren’t warnings — they’re cover fire for a system terrified of losing its war dividend. NATO think tanks don’t survive on peace. They survive on budgets fattened by conflict.

Europe’s real fear? Losing leverage. Bajarūnas admitted it himself: “The bulk of sanctions are on the European side.” If Trump undercut sanctions in Alaska, Brussels loses its only bargaining chip — and the gravy train of U.S. taxpayer cash starts to slow. That’s why EU leaders are scrambling with emergency calls and summits: not to protect Ukraine, but to protect their seat at the table and their cut of the spoils.

Meanwhile, the Biden-era foreign policy holdovers are whispering worst-case scenarios: that Trump “made a bad deal” and now plans to walk away, leaving Europe with the bill. Their nightmare is Trump doing exactly what he promised voters — ending endless wars and forcing Europe to clean up its own mess.

Bottom Line: The paranoia over Alaska isn’t about Putin’s KGB charm. It’s about what happens if Trump struck even the outline of a peace deal. That threatens their money, their leverage, and their control. And that’s why the establishment is sweating bullets about a meeting they weren’t invited to.

Bondi Federalizes D.C. Police, Democrats Cry “Authoritarianism”

The same crowd that shut down churches now claims to care about states’ rights.

Pam Bondi just dropped a political nuke on Washington: she ended D.C.’s sanctuary city policies and installed a DEA chief as “emergency commissioner” over the metro police. Democrats instantly screamed “federal overreach” and “authoritarianism.” The irony? These are the same people who had zero problem when the feds locked down businesses, schools, and churches during COVID.

Bondi is playing hardball. On Thursday, she announced that 32 sanctuary city mayors and multiple governors have one week to comply with federal immigration laws—or face DOJ lawsuits. Her message to California’s Gavin Newsom was blunt: any official obstructing immigration enforcement “may be subject to criminal charges.” In Greenville, South Carolina, Bondi made clear this isn’t just about D.C.—“we’re coming after you” was her warning to sanctuary states coast to coast.

The numbers back her up. South Carolina just saw the largest fentanyl seizure in state history—156 pounds with the potential to kill 36 million people—thanks to coordinated work between DEA, state police, and local sheriffs. Bondi’s point is simple: federal, state, and local law enforcement cooperation saves lives. Sanctuary policies, on the other hand, let killers like Laken Riley’s murderer slip through the cracks.

Bottom Line: Democrats only rediscover “local sovereignty” when it’s about protecting illegal aliens. Bondi is reminding America that law and order isn’t optional—and sanctuary cities are next on the chopping block.

Trump May Take Government Stake in Intel

When China runs your chip supply, “free market” turns into suicide.

Intel stock jumped 7% this week after reports that the Trump administration is considering taking a direct government stake in the struggling chipmaker. The move would fund Intel’s Ohio hub and keep America’s semiconductor backbone alive. Cue the pearl-clutching from free-market purists crying “corporate welfare.” But here’s the cold reality: Beijing doesn’t play by Adam Smith’s rules, and America can’t afford to be naïve.

The talks followed a meeting between Trump and Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan—just days after Trump blasted him for CCP ties and called for his resignation. Senator Tom Cotton has been pressing Intel’s board for answers about Tan’s investments in Chinese tech firms, some linked directly to the People’s Liberation Army. Intel insists it’s “deeply committed” to U.S. national security and aligned with Trump’s America First agenda.

This wouldn’t be the first time Trump weaponized economic power for security. Last month, the Pentagon took a $400 million stake in rare-earth producer MP Materials. The administration also announced Nvidia and AMD must hand over 15% of Chinese AI chip revenues to Washington. Strategic industries are being treated as what they are: national security assets.

Bottom Line: Intel failed by playing globalist games. Trump is forcing a reset: no more ideology, no more excuses. Chips are the new oil—and America won’t survive if China holds the faucet.

Obama Calls Texas Map an “Assault on Democracy”

From the guy who gerrymandered Illinois into a pretzel.

Barack Obama jumped on a Zoom call with Texas House Democrats this week to denounce Republican redistricting as a “systematic assault on democracy.” He praised Democrats for fleeing the state to block a vote, posting that he was “so proud” of their quorum break. Classic Obama: lecturing about norms while applauding lawmakers literally abandoning their jobs.

The Texas map at stake could give Republicans five more House seats in 2026. Democrats are demanding the special session adjourn without a vote. Meanwhile, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is openly scheming to redraw his own state’s lines to offset GOP gains — proving that “independent commissions” vanish when Democrats need power.

The hypocrisy is staggering. Obama carved Illinois into one of the most gerrymandered states in America. He weaponized federal agencies against political opponents. And now he warns about “democracy being bypassed” because Republicans are playing by the same rules Democrats wrote. His projection game is unmatched.

Bottom Line: “Democracy” is just code for Democrats winning. Obama’s sermon in Texas wasn’t about fairness — it was about keeping the left’s grip on power, no matter how many maps they have to rig.

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Blackwater boots hit Haiti. Erik Prince is sending nearly 200 Blackwater personnel to help Haiti’s government reclaim territory from gangs. UN peacekeepers were too busy trafficking kids to fight criminals, and the State Department burned cash with no results. Sometimes you need warriors, not social workers.

Climate cash machine exposed. Environmental groups are suing Trump over a “secret climate report” assembled by Energy Secretary Chris Wright’s team of skeptics. The outrage isn’t about transparency — it’s about protecting the billions funneled through the climate industrial complex. “Science” means their approved science only.

Democrats defend D.C. swamp. House Democrats introduced a bill to terminate Trump’s takeover of D.C. police, claiming “federal overreach.” Local law enforcement has been compromised for decades, but suddenly, Democrats pretend to care about jurisdiction. They’re not defending democracy — they’re defending their protection racket.

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• Newsom’s meltdown. California Gov. Gavin Newsom blasted Trump on X with “DONALD IS FINISHED — HE IS NO LONGER ‘HOT’” while pushing his redistricting power grab. The theater is obvious: attack Trump to distract from California’s fentanyl crisis, Chinese cash ties, and mob-linked scandals.

• Consumer confidence cracks. U.S. consumer sentiment fell for the first time since April, with Bloomberg warning about “tariff anxiety.” The spin is transparent — panic over tariffs that haven’t even taken effect, while the same media ignored real inflation under Biden.

• Government buildings = death traps. Officials confirmed multiple government buildings as sources of a Legionnaires’ outbreak that’s already killed four. The same bureaucracy that “lost” $247 billion can’t even maintain clean water systems — and they want more control over healthcare.

• Swamp shrinking. A federal appeals court cleared Trump’s administration to lay off 1,400+ Consumer Financial Protection Bureau staff. Taxpayers just dodged a massive bill for salaries and benefits that produced little more than paperwork and political targeting.

• Brain-eating amoeba scare. A Missouri resident was hospitalized after contracting a deadly infection likely from water skiing in a local lake. State officials stayed quiet about dangerous water conditions — because tourist dollars beat public safety every time.

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Today’s Ledger uncovers how the surveillance state no longer stops at national borders — it’s merged into a borderless intelligence regime. U.S., Israeli, and Five Eyes agencies swap tools to sidestep domestic law, spyware shells like Paragon and Cytrox turn your apps into listening posts, and media “fact-checkers” like Aspen and NewsGuard pre-clear narratives for regime stability. What looks like convenience is just a collection.

Read today’s Ledger here — before the apparatus shifts from hidden to permanent.

Thanks for reading today’s Briefing. The Alaska summit has the establishment rattled because they weren’t in the room — and that alone tells you everything. When elites panic over peace, it’s because war lines their pockets. Remember this: the loudest voices crying “democracy” are usually the ones most desperate to keep their grip on power.

If today’s issue hit you like it hit us when writing it, pass it along. The more people who see through the spin, the harder it is for the regime to keep running the same playbook.

~ Scott 🇺🇸

P.S.

Here’s my take: Trump didn’t just meet Putin in Alaska — he broke the EU’s monopoly on the war narrative. That’s why they’re terrified of what was said behind closed doors. Do you think Trump should push for a deal, even if it sidelines Europe? Hit reply — I want to hear your take.

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