Kathleen Culliton

Kathleen Culliton is Raw Story's managing editor. She's been covering local and national news for more than a decade for outlets that include the New York Post, Al Jazeera, DNAinfo New York, Bustle, the New York Daily News, WNYC, NY1, City Limits and the New York City Patch. Kathleen is a proud alumna of the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism.

'Wild': Trump attorney whining about new ruling gets immediately schooled

A high-ranking Trump administration attorney received a swift schooling Thursday when he took to social media to whine about a recent court ruling regarding ICE agents' ability to go masked.

Rather than take a victory lap, James Percival, Seventh General Counsel for Homeland Security, lashed out at Philadelphia Democrats who challenged his department's authority.

"Democrats across this country have no shame," wrote Percival. "These mask restrictions on ICE lack even a plausible legal basis."

Percival's outburst came in response to news from Politico reporter Kyle Cheney that a federal judge has blocked Philadelphia from banning masks and face coverings.

Percival was apparently outraged that Philadelphia even attempted to limit how federal agents conduct themselves in the city, where immigration arrests have surged under President Donald Trump and communities report living in fear.

He argued the real danger was the one ICE agents face.

"This danger is not hypothetical," Percival wrote. "Our officers are facing an 8,000% increase in death threats."

Minutes later, Americans stepped in to share their interpretations of Democrats' demands.

"It's wild to claim that wanting federal agents not to look like cartel gangsters with masked faces is framed as 'threatening their families' safety,'" Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior fellow with the American Immigration Council, wrote. "Polls consistently show strong bipartisan opposition to ICE agents masking up."

Attorney Tom Needham of Chicago added, "Why do they need masks when all other federal agents plus state and local law enforcement do not?"

"Real police do not wear masks," wrote author William Turner. "The putative threat to their families is even greater. This has never been a problem."

Trump dealt fresh blow in war on DEI: court records

A federal appeals court on Thursday dealt President Donald Trump a fresh blow in his crusade against diversity, equity and inclusion.

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a federal court order blocking the Trump administration from firing dozens of CIA staffers tasked with working on DEI projects, court records show.

“Prior failure to follow the Termination Regulation...does not absolve the Agencies of their duty to it going forward,” wrote Judge Nicole Berner in the majority statement.

“The Agencies may not ignore their own procedures and then use such noncompliance as an excuse to evade future obligations.”

At issue are two executive orders Trump issued during the first days of his second administration.

The first directed federal agency heads to terminate all DEI offices and positions, which Trump criticized as “illegal and immoral.” The second aimed at eliminating DEI programs across the federal government.

Dozens of intelligence officers subsequently fired then challenged Trump in a Virginia federal court, arguing he had violated their Fifth Amendment right to due process.

Federal Judge Anthony Trenga initially denied their request to block the CIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence firings, but a month later agreed the employees should be placed on administrative leave as they challenged the terminations.

The three-judge panel ruled Thursday to uphold that decision, with two affirming and one dissenting.

Dissenter Judge Paul V. Niemeyer, an appointee of former President George H. W. Bush, argued federal agencies maintain the right to terminate whomever they choose.

“The district court’s and the majority’s holdings, I conclude, fail with double F’s,” he wrote. “The unfettered discretion that Congress gave the Directors to terminate the employment of agency employees precludes the employees from having any entitlement to their employment.”

Berner, in her affirming decision, argued that Trenga’s decision served the public interest.

“The district court pointed to ‘the wealth of talent and experience’ that the Intelligence Officers possess,’” wrote Berner. “It noted that, “[a]s the Supreme Court has repeatedly stated, there are few interests that can be more compelling than the nation’s need to ensure its own security.”

Trump 'really worried': Analyst says one threat has House Republicans scrambling

One looming threat to President Donald Trump that has House Republicans scrambling, a political analyst said Thursday morning.

Commentator Molly Jong-Fast took to BlueSky to share a Semafor report she argued showcases one of Trump’s top concerns should Republicans lose the House in the midterm elections.

“Trump,” Jong-Fast wrote, is “really really worried about being investigated.”

The Semafor article shared by Jong-Fast details a highly aggressive and "unorthodox" tactic House Republicans might use to hold onto power as the minority party: investigations.

While the minority party typically doesn’t have the power to produce much testimony, House Republicans could still feasibly target Trump challengers by relying on support from his administration, reporter Nicholas Wu argued.

“If the Trump Justice Department takes an aggressive approach against corporations and institutions seen as running afoul of the administration’s priorities,” wrote Wu, “Republicans’ investigative pursuits will actually have teeth.”

Oversight Committee member Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) told Wu the Justice Department could serve as an ally to House Republicans by processing their minority referrals and providing a "a criminal component.”

James Mandolfo, the attorney who investigated former President Joe Biden’s family, believes House Republicans might be able to pull it off with support from the executive branch.

"The Republican minority will be among the strongest in history because they likely will have the Trump administration backing them on core issues," Mandolfo said to Semafor.

"The Trump administration could take action against those companies/institutions that don't comply with any requests from the minority."

But an obstacle remains, argued Wu: Republican infighting.

“There’s no guarantee that congressional Republicans and the Trump administration will be completely aligned,” Wu wrote. “There was friction between some Oversight Committee Republicans and the Justice Department earlier this Congress, after the GOP-controlled panel voted to subpoena then-Attorney General Pam Bondi in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation."

Rhode Island MAGA candidate revealed as foreign agent for Cuban Communists: report

This MAGA candidate takes his mojito shaken, not stirred.

Victor Mellor, a Jan. 6 rioter running for U.S. Congress in Rhode Island, was revealed Wednesday to be a foreign agent for Communists in Cuba, according to government files and a new report.

“Mellor has quite the resume,” Bulwark reporter Joe Perticone quipped.

Foreign Agents Registration Act filings dated June 16 reveal Mellor — challenging Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-RI) in the race to represent the state’s 2nd Congressional District — was engaged by Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of the Interior.

Mellor pitched the ministry some “good websites” and made a video about cultural misunderstandings that it has not released, according to one filing.

“These activities are for the intention of promoting communication and cultural differences to further perspective and conquer communication challenges,” the filing states.

At the Ministry of the Interior and General Directorate of Personal Security, Mellor was engaged by Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, grandson of the recently indicted Cuban leader Raúl Castro, according to another FARA filing and the Bulwark.

According to the filing, Castro and Mellor discussed “informational materials and dissemination,” specifically on social media.

The Bulwark report notes both filings state Mellor has “no agreement or understanding.”

“This suggests that the filings could be meant to circumvent further scrutiny from the Trump administration,” wrote Perticone. “It’s all quite strange.”

For those who need a refresher on what FARA does, Perticone noted its responsibilities have been limited of late.

"Shortly after becoming attorney general early last year," the report states, "Pam Bondi defanged the FARA unit to limit criminal enforcement to 'instances of alleged conduct similar to more traditional espionage by foreign government actors.'"

Mellor, a former aide to President Donald Trump’s one-time national security adviser Michael Flynn, traveled to Cuba in June to meet with Communist Party leaders, USA Today reported at the time.

Mellor insisted he was in no way stepping on the toes of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“[Rubio’s] been doing an amazing job,” said Mellor. “A conversation isn’t betrayal. We’re having an open dialogue. I don’t see how I could hurt anybody.”

His campaign did not respond to the Bulwark’s request for comment.

'Piece of meat': Beauty queen reveals Trump's disturbing question after alleged assault

A former beauty queen says President Donald Trump asked her a disturbing question after an alleged sexual assault she says occurred decades ago, according to a new report.

Former Miss Europe contestant Beatrice Keul, 55, told PunchUp on Wednesday that Trump — whom she accuses of sexually assaulting her at the Plaza Hotel in 1993 — proceeded to grill her about Jeffrey Epstein.

“Have you spoken to Jeff?” Trump allegedly asked.

Interviewer Tom Latchem added, "Keul told PunchUp that this suggested to her that he and Epstein were coordinating which young women would be invited to private parties, including at Mar-a-Lago."

Keul, then 23, says she received a personal invitation from the then-real estate mogul to participate in the Donald J. Trump American Dream Pageant, according to reports.

On Wednesday, Keul described the pageant as a “playground” for Epstein, the convicted sex criminal who died in a New York City jail cell before he could face sex trafficking charges, and the men who wanted his help securing access to her fellow contestants.

“They knew exactly what they wanted,” Keul reportedly said. “I was fresh meat.”

Epstein promised young women flights, hotel stays and invites to parties at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s resort in Palm Beach, Florida, Keul told PunchUp.

But White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson denied Keul’s claims.

“Just as President Trump has said, he’s been totally exonerated on anything relating to Epstein,” Jackson said in a statement to PunchUp. “And by releasing thousands of pages of documents, cooperating with the House Oversight Committee’s subpoena request, signing the Epstein Files Transparency Act, and calling for more investigations into Epstein’s Democrat friends, President Trump has done more for Epstein’s victims than anyone before him.”

Keul is hardly the first person to levy such accusations against Trump. When Keul first revealed her accusations to the Daily Beast in 2024, she became the 28th person to accuse him of sexual assault.

An explosive FBI interview buried in the Epstein files aligns with Keul’s description of her encounter with Trump. That witness accused Trump of orchestrating a team of recruiters to search Trump Tower for women to have sex with, the files show.

In 2020, former contestants of Elite Model Management’s Look of the Year competition in 1991 and 1992 told the Guardian Trump appeared backstage as they changed clothes.

“Every time we changed, it was like Trump would find a reason to come backstage,” said Stacy Wilkes, then 16. Another contestant recalled similar instances. “I remember thinking, what have I got myself into?”

Defensive Trump touts corporate investment as jumpstart for 'fabulous children'

A defensive President Donald Trump on Wednesday declared American children owed him gratitude for his leadership.

The commander-in-chief's typically rambling and grammatically ambiguous Truth Social post claimed credit for a new $250 million investment in Trump Accounts, the government-run savings accounts for kids that Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) praises as a pathway to privatizing Social Security.

"My Policies are WORKING, and working 'BIG,'" Trump wrote. "Our Country is doing far better than any country, anywhere in the World."

Trump claimed the $250 million investment in his "fabulously successful" program would provide millions of American children "real financial security" and a "headstart [sic]."

But critics warn that the benefits of Trump Accounts will most likely be "trivial" and come with caveats not often included in his talking points, such as the fact that individual contributions are not tax-deductible.

The editorial board of the conservative news outlet National Review warned readers, "Trump Accounts are bound to disappoint."

And the Urban Institute, the nonprofit founded by former President Lyndon Johnson as part of his "War on Poverty," argues that the account will primarily benefit wealthy families with cash to invest.

Trump's declaration that millions of children would benefit from one $250 million donation arrived the same day he boarded a $400 million luxury jet, a gift from Qatar, and fielded questions about the $2.2 billion he's earned since returning to office.

While the White House claims there is no conflict of interest because a blind trust has been managing his assets, CNN host Andrew Berman noted two American children — Trump's own, Don Jr. and Eric — still manage the family business and remain close at hand.

"The president said he hasn't talked to the people who handle his money," Berman said. "His two sons were standing directly behind him when he said that."

The corporate pledge from Micron Technology was confirmed by the economic magazine Quartz earlier Wednesday.

"This investment is about helping children build a strong foundation for future opportunity while supporting the workforce and communities that will shape U.S. semiconductor leadership," CEO Sanjay Mehrotra told the outlet.

Added Trump on Truth Social, "This incredible gesture...will make many children extremely happy some day in the not too distant future."

Wall Street Journal scolds Trump: Quit chasing 'MAGA Twitter insurgents'

Donald Trump received a slap on the wrist Friday from the Wall Street Journal in the form of a snarky editorial video that lists multiple lessons they urge the president-elect to learn.

Ominous music pulses underneath a dire video editorial that warns Trump he needs to change his ways after initially selecting former Rep. Matt Gaetz as his attorney general nominee.

"Not all allegations against Republicans are partisan shams," the narrator tells Trump. "Take your lead from people who know, not MAGA Twitter insurgents."

As the camera zooms in on a grinning Sen. Mitch McConnell, the narrator explains to Trump that Republicans are well-versed in protecting their own from "nonsense."

The image cuts to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and the narrator adds, "even their unpopular colleagues."

The Journal then issues a snide slam of Gaetz, who was forced to withdraw his name from the Cabinet contest as Republican senators balked at confirming a candidate accused of having sex with a minor at a drug-fueled party.

ALSO READ: A giant middle finger from a tiny craven man

"There was a reason few if any Republicans rushed to Mr. Gaetz's defense," the narrator said. "They know him."

This zinger leads to the Journal's final lesson for Trump, which appears above an image of a smiling Gaetz sitting next to Rep. Lauren Boebert as she sticks her tongue out.

"There's a bright line between a candidate who is aggressive, committed and professional," the narrator says, "and one who is unthinking, partisan and a liability."

The Journal praises Trump for choosing as Education Department head Linda McMahon, the former World Wrestling Entertainment executive accused of covering up child sex abuse, and Sen. Marco Rubio as secretary of state.

The Journal also reminds Trump of the two sides of their bright line.

"Gaetz was always clearly the latter," the narrator says. "Big on bravado, short on ideas."

Watch the video below or click here.

'Deception and denial': Voter views reveal dark truth about Trump's 'mandate'

Interviews with Donald Trump's voters reveal a dark truth about the "mandate" his supporters say the president-elect has been granted, a new report reveals.

The truth, according to Atlantic staff writer Adam Serwer, is that the mandate doesn't exist — but may be acted upon anyway.

"Many people who voted for him believe he will do only the things they think are good (such as improve the economy) and none of the things they think are bad (such as act as a dictator)," Serwer wrote.

"This is the problem with a political movement rooted in deception and denial; your own supporters may not like it when you end up doing the things you actually want to do."

Serwer spoke with several Trump supporters who revealed alarming confidence that the president-elect will strictly follow their specific moral codes and dismiss his darker pledges as campaign rhetoric.

One Trump voter claimed there was no evidence the president-elect had ever made a racist claim.

"I found this extraordinary," wrote Serwer, "because the list of racist things that Trump has said and done this past year alone is long."

ALSO READ: A giant middle finger from a tiny craven man

That list includes lying about Haitians eating pets, questioning Vice President Kamala Harris' race, and claiming immigrants had "bad genes" that made them more likely to murder.

People who say they've heard the president-elect use the n-word include his nephew Fred Trump III, niece Mary Trump and "The Apprentice" producer Bill Pruitt.

In 2016, then-presidential candidate Trump suggested Vladimir Putin had called former President Barack Obama the n-word, then said of the Russian president, "I hope he likes me."

This was not the only misconception of Trump's views, Serwer reported.

"There were the day laborers who seemed to think that mass deportations would happen only to people they—as opposed to someone like the Trump adviser Stephen Miller—deemed criminals," he wrote. "There was the restaurant owner and former asylum seeker who told CNN that deporting law-abiding workers 'wouldn’t be fair,' and that Trump would not 'throw [them] away; they don’t kick out, they don’t deport people that are family-oriented.'"

During his first administration,Trump spearheaded a deportation program that separated families — the Washington Post reported in May of this year that 1,400 children remain separated.

Serwer said many voters he interviewed on the campaign trail didn't understand why Democrats compared Trump to Adolf Hitler — seemingly unaware his own former chief of staff had revealed the former president praised the Nazi dicator's generals and actions.

The Atlantic writer credited the right-wing media with Trump's ability to survive what might once have served as career-killing scandals — but warned his voters they might have some unsavory surprises ahead.

The worst would be discovering the true contents of character only after it is too late, Serwer argued.

"Some may change their minds once they realize Trump’s true intentions," he wrote, but added, "All of this may be moot if Trump successfully implements an authoritarian regime."

'Nightmare scenario': Hush Money judge stuns with latest Trump trial ruling

The decision to stay sentencing in president-elect Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial has spurred cries of justice denied on the left — and cheers of celebration on the MAGA right.

New York Justice Juan Merchan on Friday postponed indefinitely a sentencing hearing initially scheduled for Nov. 26 — and in doing so triggered an uproar over Trump's ability to circumvent the usual course of the law.

"Just another example of Trump and his goons skirting the rules to avoid punishment," replied the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen. "No one should be above the law.... This is bulls---."

Trump was found guilty in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal hush money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg successfully argued to a New York City jury that Trump had broken the law as he worked to cover up a story he feared would derail his first successful presidential campaign.

It was one of four criminal cases Trump faced in the interim between his two presidential terms, and the only one that came to trial.

Trump pleaded not guilty in each, and it is predicted he'll kill the two federal cases against him — on charges he interfered with the 2020 presidential election and violated the Espionage Act by hoarding classified documents in his ballroom, bathroom and shower — upon resuming office.

"Never again say that no man is above the law," wrote the Editorial Board newsletter editor and U.S. News contributor John Stoehr. "It's a lie now."

But Steven Cheung, Trump's campaign spokesperson, struck a more jubilant tone in a comment sent to the Guardian correspondent Hugo Lowell.

ALSO READ: It's time for Democrats to declare class warfare

"In a decisive win for President Trump, the hoax Manhattan Case is now fully stayed and sentencing is adjourned," wrote Cheung. "All of the sham lawfare attacks against President Trump are now destroyed and we are focused on Making America Great Again."

Whether or not Merchan will heed Trump's attorneys demands to dismiss the case remains to be seen, according to MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin.

That did not stop Trump's eldest son from claiming the case was definitively dead.

"YUGE win in Manhattan DA case," Donald Trump Jr. wrote. "Sentencing cancelled, the judge also apparently asked to file papers to dismiss case. Another one bites the dust!!!"

Valentina Gomez, the failed MAGA candidate who notoriously burned books with a flame thrower, struck a threatening tone when she celebrated the ruling.

"The hammer of Justice is coming," she wrote. "That judge should be in jail."

There is no evidence Merchan committed any wrongdoing.

Amee Vanderpool, an attorney and author of the political newsletter SHERO, argued Merchan's decision to consider a dismissal motion was less than ideal.

"As a legal professional," Vanderpool wrote, "I can honestly say this is a nightmare scenario."

Matt Gaetz says he will not rejoin Congress next year: report

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz said Friday he will not rejoin Congress next year, reports show.

The Florida Republican told far right pundit Charlie Kirk that he would not seek to reclaim the seat he abandoned to pursue a failed bid to become President-elect Donald Trump's attorney general, CNN reported.

“I’m still going to be in the fight, but it’s going to be from a new perch," Gaetz told Kirk. "I do not intend to join the 119th Congress."

ALSO READ: A giant middle finger from a tiny craven man

Gaetz resigned from the House earlier this month when Trump named him to lead the Justice department — a nomination that failed in the face of a looming House Ethics committee probe into accusation he had sex with a minor at an illicit drug-fueled party.

Gaetz, who withdrew his name from the Cabinet contest on Thursday, reportedly resigned two days before a committee vote on whether it would release the report.

“There are a number of fantastic Floridians who’ve stepped up to run for my seat," Gaetz reportedly said. "And I’m actually excited to see Northwest Florida go to new heights and have great representation."

Gaetz, who took office in 2016, said Friday eight years was all he needed.

“I’m going to be fighting for President Trump," he said. "I’m going to be doing whatever he asks of me, as I always have. But I think that eight years is probably enough time in the United States Congress.”

'Can’t find himself a seat at the cool kids’ table': Vance cast as Trumpworld loser

There's a loser eating lunch in the cafeteria bathroom of Trumpworld and his name is Sen. J.D. Vance, a new political analysis contends.

President-elect Donald Trump's running mate has swiftly become an outcast as Trump draws billionaires, political scions and his namesake into his transition team clique, MSNBC anchor Michael Steele wrote Friday.

"America is witnessing what happens when a private citizen amasses power solely based on their proximity to the president of the United States," wrote Steele.

"As for Trump’s actual incoming vice president, he just can’t find himself a seat at the cool kids’ table."

Steele argues this is literally true — and makes the case he's been elbowed out by X CEO Elon Musk.

"Last weekend, Trump shared a picture of his inner circle on his private plane enjoying McDonald’s," Steele wrote. "Trump was surrounded by Musk; his son Don Jr.; House Speaker Mike Johnson; and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Not pictured: Vance."

Musk has gotten all the cool jobs, Steele argues. By which he means, the "dumb" jobs.

"The Tesla founder will oversee a wholly made-up 'Department of Government Efficiency' alongside Vivek Ramaswamy," Steele wrote. "How dumb is that? They are creating an agency to get rid of other agencies."

And while Musk is flying around in Trump's private plane and having cushy jobs created to help him wield enormous federal power, Vance has been delegated the dirty work, Steele argued.

ALSO READ: A giant middle finger from a tiny craven man

"Vance was given the thankless task of convincing Senate Republicans to confirm Trump’s menagerie of misfit MAGA sycophants to the Cabinet," Steele wrote. "While Musk is sitting in on phone calls with Trump, Vance wasted his time trying to convince his fellow Republican senators to back Matt Gaetz, just a day before Gaetz withdrew his nomination for attorney general. That must be the worst assignment for a vice president since President Joe Biden charged Vice President Kamala Harris with solving the root causes of global migration."

Steele warned Americans to keep an eye on Musk and his potential to buy his way into the federal government and extend the reach of the executive branch beyond the founding fathers' intention.

Vance, on the other hand, no one need worry about, Steel concluded.

"Trump put Musk in a driver’s seat," Steele wrote. "Vance is just along for the ride — if only he could get in the car."

'Heads would explode': Key Trump adviser and ex-caddie floats run for Elise Stefanik seat

A key Trump adviser and former caddie is considering running for Congress to replace the MAGA loyalist President-elect Donald Trump wants to represent the U.S. abroad.

Dan Scavino Jr. on Friday floated the idea of chasing the New York seat that will be left vacant should the Senate confirm Rep. Elise Stefanik as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

"I wonder if heads would explode," he wrote in a Truth Social post, "if I moved just a little bit north [laughter emoji] and ran in the Special Election for Elise Stefanik’s seat in #NY21, being she’s going to the United Nations."

Scavino, Trump's former social media director and White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications, began his career as Trump's caddie at the Briar Hall Country Club in New York’s Hudson Valley, reports show.

ALSO READ: A giant middle finger from a tiny craven man

He then became general manager of Trump National Golf Club, traveled the world with his boss, and was featured on a golf-themed episode of “The Apprentice," according to a CNN bio from 2016.

The report notes Scavino's entry into politics was marked by scandal almost from the onset.

"Scavino was thrust into controversy over the Fourth of July weekend when Trump’s Twitter account posted an image of Hillary Clinton that featured a six-pointed star, a pile of cash and the words 'most corrupt candidate ever,'" CNN reported.

"The image had originally appeared on an anti-Semitic, white supremacist message board."

Scavino served as a senior advisor to Trump's 2024 campaign.

Stefanik represents New York's 21st congressional district which covers a large swath of the state's northern territory.

She is one of many conservative lawmakers who transitioned from expressing abject disdain for Trump to absolute support during his 2024 reelection campaign.

Despite rumors she appeared on Trump's vice presidential shortlist, and insults levied at the international organization, the president-elect earlier this month opted to tap Stefanik for the U.N. ambassadorship.

"Stefanik has repeatedly attacked the United Nations over accusations that the world body is antisemitic," Politico reported at the time, "Last month she called for a 'complete reassessment of U.S. funding of the United Nations' in response to efforts by the Palestinian Authority to expel Israel from the United Nations as war rages in the Middle East."

'Requesting a change in attitude': North Korean leader rebuffs 'love letters' from Trump

President-elect Donald Trump needs to change the tone of his love letters, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un reportedly said this week.

Kim belittled and rebuffed Trump — who once boasted "'We fell in love, okay? No, really, he wrote me beautiful letters" — and the prospect of reviving nuclear diplomacy with the U.S., the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

“We have already explored every possible avenue in negotiating with the U.S.,” said Kim, according to North Korea's state media. According to the Journal, Kim vented about the U.S.’s “unchanging aggressive and hostile policy” toward North Korea.

Kim reportedly flaunted North Korea’s nuclear capabilities in a direct message to the Trump administration not to mount a pressure campaign against him, Hong Min, a senior researcher at Korea Institute for National Unification, told the Journal.

“North Korea is requesting a change in attitude," Hong said, "in order to make dialogue possible again."

ALSO READ: A giant middle finger from a tiny craven man

North Korea’s nuclear program represents a major foreign policy challenge to Trump because Kim has both expanded his arsenal and deepened ties with Russia, the Journal reported.

Trump boasted at the Republican National Convention in July that Kim probably missed him, but Hwang Ji-hwan, a professor of international relations at the University of Seoul, told the Journal he had doubts.

“Trump may think love letters are enough," he said, "but for the past five years Kim has shown he’s determined not to lose face again."

Trump’s preference for Secretary of State Sen. Marco Rubio has compared North Korea to a “criminal syndicate" and Rep. Mike Waltz, Trump’s pick for national security adviser, called North Korea's ties to China and Russia an “unholy alliance," the Journal reported.

"During his speech on Thursday, Kim accused the U.S. of sowing chaos around the world through 'unscrupulous tactics' that aim to retain America’s sphere of interest globally," the Journal wrote.

Kim was reportedly quoted as saying, “We are currently witnessing the most chaotic and violent world since World War II."

'Bubble finally popped': Expert says Trump dreams dashed — but 'maximum chaos' remains

The Republican Senate burst President-elect Donald Trump's bubble this week — and left the nation splattered in chaos, a new political analysis contends.

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz's withdrawal from the Trump Cabinet contest proved to the president-elect and the nation that the Republican Party is not his to control absolutely, according to Axios writer Zachary Basu.

"Trump has enjoyed — and exploited — an aura of invincibility that few Republicans have been willing to challenge publicly," wrote Basu. "On Thursday, the bubble finally popped."

But Trump's decision to select among the most despised among his MAGA loyalists — and bog down his party with a House Ethics probe into statutory rape and illicit drug use allegations — shows the future president has another tool in his arsenal, Basu argued.

ALSO READ: A giant middle finger from a tiny craven man

"The explanation is head-spinning but simple," wrote Basu. "Trump has achieved historic political success by following his instincts — and his instincts tend to favor maximum chaos."

Basu argued "MAGA mayhem" has already begun to dominate the nation even though Trump has yet to claim his position in the White House.

On Thursday alone, three major scandals rocked Trump's transition, Basu noted: Gaetz announced his withdrawal, police released a report on sex abuse accusations Pete Hegseth faced in 2017, and a CNN report revealed Robert F. Kennedy once compared Trump to Adolf Hitler.

"The Trump who won 312 electoral votes a few weeks ago is the same Trump who exhausted many Americans with non-stop political drama from 2017 to 2021," wrote Basu.

"As Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) advised reporters after feigning shock at Gaetz's withdrawal Thursday: 'You better pace yourself because it's not even Thanksgiving.'"