The following is an installment of Trump-Vance team accomplishments (each article is linked for further info):
1. Here Is What President Trump Said after 2020 Election Was ‘Rigged’
During a White House event Monday night President Trump let loose, telling the audience about his thought process after the 2020 election was “fortified” (to use the Time Magazine term).
"And then they rigged the election. And then I said, you know what I'll do? I'll run again, and I'll shove it up their ass. And that's what I did.”
— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) May 20, 2025
If Trump had served his second term from 2020 through 2024, he explained, he wouldn’t have been president when the United States hosts the 2028 Summer Olympics or the 2026 World Cup. But, the way things worked out, the Left will have to watch as President Trump presides over those events and the United States of America’s 250th birthday.
Of course, Trump describes this scenario in a way that only he can.
Instead, they have me for four more years. Can you believe it?
2. ‘The Warrior Ethos’ under SecDef Hegseth Is Transforming the U.S. Military
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth talked Monday with Fox News about the overwhelming surge in recruitment across all branches of the military. There are naysayers fact-checking this, claiming the surge started before Trump was sworn in office, but the numbers tell the tale.
With Hegseth now in charge, the U.S. Army, for example, is set to smash recruitment goals for fiscal year 2025. As of mid-April, 51,837 new enlistments had occurred. That’s a staggering 85 percent of the 60,000 goal met with five months still left. Other branches are seeing similar surges.
PJ Media also spotlighted the recruitment boom and accurately pinpointed the reason:
As Hegseth put it, this remarkable surge—what they proudly call the “Trump bump”—isn’t surprising. It’s the natural result of a leadership team that put war fighters first, made historic investments, and reminded Americans why serving their country is something to be proud of again. All the left’s noise couldn’t drown out the reality: under Trump and Hegseth, the U.S. military is back and stronger than ever.
A Sunday op-ed praised the transformation in recruitment and readiness under Hegseth and pinpointed why, despite the external attacks and attempts to remove Hegseth from his cabinet position, the armed forces have experienced a revival they have not experienced in decades.
The new mission at the Department of Defense is simple:
Mission first, people always, and no apologies
for putting America’s defense
at the center of American policy.
SecDef Hegseth has made clear among the ranks that the three areas listed above will be at the center of everything the U.S. military will do: restoring warrior ethos, rebuilding our military, and reestablishing deterrence.
As Hegseth proudly declared, young people want to pursue purpose and live for something beyond themselves.
The “Warrior Ethos” he affirmed is the magnet drawing young men and women back into military service. And the four prongs of “Warrior Ethos” are:
Readiness, Accountability, Lethality, and Warfighting.
3. VP Vance Abruptly Cancels Israel Visit as IDF Expands Gaza Operations
The Trump administration did not want to appear to be endorsing the Israeli decision to launch a massive operation at a time when the U.S. is pushing for a ceasefire and hostage deal.
The good news I suppose is that the right decison was made not to send Vance as it would have validated Israel's expanded ground op. The bad news is the Trump Administration isn't pressing Israel to rethink a campaign Witkoff reportedly described as Israel's pointless war. https://t.co/hb4IZ4WQk2
— Aaron David Miller (@aarondmiller2) May 19, 2025
Starting Friday the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced an expanded mobilization of troops for operation ‘Gideon’s Chariots.’ Some two million Palestinians are expected to be forced into a “humanitarian zone” while most of the enclave is destroyed and flattened.
The initiative contradicts Trump’s messaging during last week’s Gulf tour, wherein he emphasized peace through deal-making, and not ‘chaos’ in the war-torn Middle East.
According to a timeline of the Vance trip cancellation issued by Axios:
– Additional discussions took place on Sunday between U.S. and Israeli officials to prepare for Vance’s visit. Reports soon popped up in the Israeli press that Vance might arrive on Tuesday; and
– Several hours later, a White House official denied the reports in a statement to reporters traveling with the VP. ‘While the Secret Service has engaged in contingency planning for the addition of several potential countries, no additional visits were at any point decided upon, and logistical constraints have precluded an extension of his travel beyond Rome. He will return to Washington on Monday.’
In the White House press briefing room Monday morning, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to a question by ZeroHedge by saying President Trump “has made it very clear he wants to see this conflict in the region end.”
Further:
The president is moving as quickly as he possibly can and working overtime to end these conflicts in both Israel and Gaza and also the Russia-Ukraine war.
And:
The president made it very clear to Hamas that he wanted to see all hostages released.
4. The Devil is in the Details—Trump Announced “Immediate” Russian-Ukrainian Ceasefire Talks
Having recognized the limits of third-party mediation between Russia and Ukraine, President Trump posted about his latest call with Putin on Monday. He announced the “immediate” start of ceasefire negotiations between them but specified:
The conditions for that will be negotiated between the two parties, as it can only be, because they know details of a negotiation that nobody else would be aware.
Following are ten background briefings which place the president’s latest position into context:
– 12 March: “Will Putin Agree To A Ceasefire?”
– 1 April: “Trump’s Latest Sanctions Threat Against Russia Suggests That He’s Getting Impatient For A Deal”
– 4 April: “Putin’s Economic Envoy Helped Break The Russian-US Impasse On Ukraine”
– 10 April: “How Might The US’ Relations With Ukraine & Russia Change If It Abandons Its Peace Efforts?”
– 28 April: “Five Significant Disagreements Account For Trump’s Newfound Anger With Putin”
– 2 May: “The Amended Minerals Deal Will Likely Lead To More American Weapons Packages For Ukraine”
– 3 May: “Five Benefits That The US Would Reap From Coercing Ukraine Into More Concessions To Russia”
– 10 May: “The US Is Toughening Its Negotiating Stance Towards Russia”
– 13 May: “Third-Party Mediation Between Russia & Ukraine Is Approaching Its Limits”
– 17 May: “The Ball’s In Trump’s Court After The Latest Istanbul Talks”
Again, the devil is in the details of the Russian-Ukrainian ceasefire talks, which will determine whether the U.S. sanctions Russia or cuts off Ukraine.
5. VP Vance Sees Pope Leo XIV as U.S. Diplomatic Partner
Vice President J.D. Vance said he hopes the relationship the U.S. is cultivating with Pope Leo XIV will lead to the first American pontiff playing a significant role in diplomatic efforts worldwide.
Vance and SoS Rubio were given a one-hour audience with Leo on Sunday following the Pope’s first Mass since being named successor to Pope Francis.
Vance said:
We talked a lot about what’s going on in Israel and Gaza. We talked a lot about the Russia-Ukraine situation.
Further:
It’s hard to predict the future, but I do think that not just the Pope, but the entire Vatican, has expressed a desire to be really helpful and to work together on facilitating, hopefully, a peace deal coming together in Russia and Ukraine.
Leo said last week he would be willing to play host to a new round of talks at the Vatican.
Vance, who also met with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during his visit to Rome, described Leo as “extremely sweet.”
Vance, a Catholic, said:
We have an American Pope of the world’s largest single religion—a guy who doesn’t have an army, but who I think has an incredible amount of capacity to convene and to influence, not just Europe, but, really, the entire world.
Further:
I hope it’s the beginning of a very good relationship because I think he does care a lot about peace.
The Vatican said in a news release Monday:
[T]here was an exchange of views on some current international issues, during which hope was expressed that humanitarian law and international law be respected in areas of conflict and that there be a negotiated solution between the parties involved.
