Federal Government Watch -
Trump Administration Needs to Wise Up About Islam
by Clare M. Lopez
May 2025
This month, we include a number of reports dating to the waning days of the Biden administration, along with some early policy decisions by the incoming Trump administration regarding an ambassadorial pick, Qatar, the Taliban, and HAMAS/UNRWA that appear questionable.
From Biden days:
“DOGE Shocker: Biden Gave Terrorists Social Security Numbers and Welfare Benefits” by Bethany Blankley at Daily Signal, April 14, 2025
“US Peace Institute paid $132,000 to former Taliban official, says Musk” by Fidel Rahmati at Khaama Press, May 3, 2025
“Over $7.2 Million in Taxpayer Money Sent to Hamas-Linked CAIR” at israfan.com, March 17, 2025
“Documents Show How Biden’s State Dept Ignored Warnings About Funding Hamas-Linked UN Organization” by Michael Chamberlain at the Daily Signal, February 19, 2025
After Trump took over:
“Disaster Averted: Daniel Davis Won’t Be Joining the DNI” by Hugh Fitzgerald at Jihad Watch, March 15, 2025
“Air Force Academy's Muslim cadets denied accommodation during Ramadan: Allegation” by Mary Shinn at The Gazette, April 11, 2025
Trump said in a 2016 interview “I think Islam hates us,” but does he really understand the ramifications? Apparently not:
“The Trump Administration's Jihadi Problem” by John Guandolo at Truth Blog, March 10, 2025
“In policy shift, State Department ends some bounties on Taliban’s Haqqani network leaders” by Jerry Dunleavy at Just the News, April 6, 2025
“Watchdog: Rubio Covers for USAID, Won’t Disclose Gaza Aid Recipients” by Veronika Kyrylenko at New American, March 10, 2025
“Trump picks anti-Israel Muslim mayor of Hamtramck, Michigan as ambassador to Kuwait” by Robert Spencer at Jihad Watch, March 10, 2025
“Huckabee vs. Witkoff Divide in Trump Mideast Policy: ‘Stop Being Duped’ by Hamas and Qatar” by Collin McMahon at Gateway Pundit, March 31, 2025
In other news:
“FAA Contractor Pleads Guilty To Spying For Iran” by Nancy Butler at The American Standard, April 17, 2025
“Qatar’s Growing Influence in the United States” at EMET, April 2, 2025
Trump Administration Needs to Wise Up About Islam
by Clare M. Lopez
May 2025
This month, we include a number of reports dating to the waning days of the Biden administration, along with some early policy decisions by the incoming Trump administration regarding an ambassadorial pick, Qatar, the Taliban, and HAMAS/UNRWA that appear questionable.
From Biden days:
“DOGE Shocker: Biden Gave Terrorists Social Security Numbers and Welfare Benefits” by Bethany Blankley at Daily Signal, April 14, 2025
- Not only were millions of illegal aliens allowed into the U.S. by the Biden admin, but thousands of them were also given work authorization and Social Security numbers.
“US Peace Institute paid $132,000 to former Taliban official, says Musk” by Fidel Rahmati at Khaama Press, May 3, 2025
- This was some of the financial data recovered by the DOGE team at the U.S. Institute of Peace…reportedly, along with weapons.
“Over $7.2 Million in Taxpayer Money Sent to Hamas-Linked CAIR” at israfan.com, March 17, 2025
- Not only was over $7 million sent to CAIR’s greater Los Angeles chapter between 2022-2024 – supposedly to assist immigrants – but that chapter is not a registered non-profit organization and thus not eligible to receive the money. That is in addition to the fact that CAIR was an unindicted co-conspirator in the 2008 Holy Land Foundation HAMAS terror funding trial.
“Documents Show How Biden’s State Dept Ignored Warnings About Funding Hamas-Linked UN Organization” by Michael Chamberlain at the Daily Signal, February 19, 2025
- Documents received under a FOIA request reveal that the Biden admin insisted on channeling funds to UNRWA despite evidence it is closely connected to HAMAS.
After Trump took over:
“Disaster Averted: Daniel Davis Won’t Be Joining the DNI” by Hugh Fitzgerald at Jihad Watch, March 15, 2025
- For some reason, DNI Gabbard seemed unaware of Davis’ antipathy to Israel and misplaced sympathy for the Iranian regime.
“Air Force Academy's Muslim cadets denied accommodation during Ramadan: Allegation” by Mary Shinn at The Gazette, April 11, 2025
- Perhaps there’s hope after all? Cadets at the Air Force Academy simply cannot be excused from physical training for an entire month because they choose not to eat all day.
Trump said in a 2016 interview “I think Islam hates us,” but does he really understand the ramifications? Apparently not:
“The Trump Administration's Jihadi Problem” by John Guandolo at Truth Blog, March 10, 2025
- As John Guandolo points out, there seems not to be much understanding of Islamic doctrine, law, or scripture among Trump administration senior figures or advisors.
“In policy shift, State Department ends some bounties on Taliban’s Haqqani network leaders” by Jerry Dunleavy at Just the News, April 6, 2025
- Bounties of millions of dollars on Sirajuddin Haqqani, a top Taliban leader and close ally of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, and other Haqqani Network commanders, were dropped in March 2025, perhaps as part of a deal to release George Glezmann, an American citizen held hostage since 2022. What is more concerning is the appearance of warming ties between the Trump administration and the Taliban.
“Watchdog: Rubio Covers for USAID, Won’t Disclose Gaza Aid Recipients” by Veronika Kyrylenko at New American, March 10, 2025
- Despite demands for transparency, notably from Judicial Watch, USAID has refused to disclose who exactly received $27 million in taxpayer-funded grants sent to Gaza (ruled by HAMAS, an Islamic terror organization on the U.S. Foreign Terrorist Organizations list). As of mid-March 2025, the date of this article, both the Departments of State and Justice were fighting disclosure in court.
“Trump picks anti-Israel Muslim mayor of Hamtramck, Michigan as ambassador to Kuwait” by Robert Spencer at Jihad Watch, March 10, 2025
- Appreciation, perhaps, for Muslim votes that helped swing Michigan to the Trump column in the November 2024 election?
“Huckabee vs. Witkoff Divide in Trump Mideast Policy: ‘Stop Being Duped’ by Hamas and Qatar” by Collin McMahon at Gateway Pundit, March 31, 2025
- Now-confirmed Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee takes a very different approach to Qatar than U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff. Huckabee’s understanding of Islam and the Middle East would appear to go well beyond that of real estate businessman Witkoff.
In other news:
“FAA Contractor Pleads Guilty To Spying For Iran” by Nancy Butler at The American Standard, April 17, 2025
- Good that he was caught, but what about the employee screening at the FAA?
“Qatar’s Growing Influence in the United States” at EMET, April 2, 2025
- In this early April 2025 Webinar, hosted by Sarah Stern at EMET, Clare M. Lopez discussed the outsized influence Qatar exerts on U.S. academia, lobbyists, media, and think tanks even while funding, supporting, and training HAMAS jihadis in Gaza and harboring HAMAS leadership figures in Doha. Full transcript available at the site.