The Lead
Don't Blink—Your President Is in Trouble. Time To Deploy the 'Diane' Weapon
by David Shavin (EIRNS) — Jan. 04, 2026
A dizzying week just ended.
Two days ago, Russia actually handed over to the United States the physical evidence from a downed Ukrainian drone, showing that it had been programmed to hit the complex of buildings at President Vladimir Putin’s residence in Novgorod, early in the morning of Dec. 29, 2025. The hope was that a cold bath of reality would touch the better angel of Trump’s nature, so he would be able to reflect on who was lying to him and who was dealing with openly.
Immediately, the Dec. 29, 2025-Jan. 1, 2026 chatter in the Western media—that it was clear that Moscow had simply invented the story, that Moscow had no proof, that no one could believe anything they said—that chatter disappeared; but only because Western media had completely lost interest. No calls for the U.S. intelligence agencies to examine the evidence, no retractions of groundless assertions, and certainly no apologies.
Recall that, on Dec 28-29, 2025, Trump had confronted Ukraine’s acting president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with the necessity of yielding the Donbas regions—regions that had voted overwhelmingly in 2022 to join the Russian Federation, an area that Moscow had vowed to clear of foreign soldiers. So, at that point, what basis did Zelenskyy think he had for rejecting the peace deal? How could his course of action during that time with Trump not have been connected to Ukraine’s launching of those 91 drone missiles at the residence?
Then, what happened? Trump talked with Putin on that Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, and expressed his anger at the drone assault. Later that day, when pressed by the media that there might not have been any such attack—as Zelenskyy had explicitly denied the attack—Trump admitted such a conspiracy theory was possible, but he expressed confidence in what Putin had told him. Then the deviltry escalated over Dec. 30-31, Tuesday into Wednesday.
Amidst all the verbal assaults on Moscow for making up the story, Trump was assaulted by rump factions in the U.S. intelligence community—not dissimilar to the December 2016-January 2017 “Russiagating” fraud. Recall that Trump capitulated on the firing of his chosen national security adviser Michael Flynn, and he played defense from then on. Had he learned better?
By Wednesday, Dec. 31, the Wall Street Journal reported, based upon one unnamed official who wasn’t in the meeting, that the CIA had briefed Trump that there never was a drone assault targeting Putin’s residence. The WSJ asked the CIA to confirm their story, but they refused to. The media barrage escalated. They all knew what the CIA had determined, and nobody had to look back.
Except on Thursday afternoon, Jan. 1, 2026, in Moscow, a U.S. military attaché received the physical evidence. Would not that same rump faction amongst U.S. intelligence agencies, exposed on their lie, plunge forward? The in-place plans to assault Venezuela and kidnap President Nicolás Maduro were activated at some point, and 36-48 hours later, the United States is plunged into the “Teddy Roosevelt bully” mode, except on steroids—naked looting of “colonies” that won’t submit voluntarily, while lying to beat the band and accompanied by chest-thumping.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth explained on Jan. 3 that it would be like the foolish regime-change disaster of 2003 Iraq—except that Trump has “flipped the script” by designing a regime change with a business model that can turn a profit. This is not an exaggeration, not hyperbole. It was naked, unapologetic addiction to looting as a positive quality.
We all know basically decent people in our communities, whose selfishness and insecurities can sometimes get the better of them. It is the unfortunate mark of the bankruptcy of political discussion and so-called “leadership” in the West that greed—yes, a willingness to step on the back of one’s neighbor, and a lust for the perpetuation of one’s own fantasy world—is the dominant core of Western culture—or the pus of the downfall of the culture.
The measure of the “public welfare”—that is, credit issued by a National Bank, based upon deliberations over scientific advances created, such as plentiful clean energy (e.g., TVA, nuclear, fusion), public health (e.g., modern sewerage and sanitation systems), efficient transportation of people and goods (high-speed rail, the Bering Sea tunnel, etc.) and, not least, bright, motivated citizens of the future—turns on no lights in the space between the ears of most Western leaders. The “derivatives” fantasy game gave way to the magic “crypto” world, as deeper levels of pornography seize the personalities.
The stampede is on, now that the nakedly greedy crowd have gotten President Trump to have a wild night out, “solving” problems by vigilante methods. The lust and the salivating have broken out: Take down Cuba, Iran, Russia, China... It all works like a “Rambo” movie.
On Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, the UN Security Council will hold an emergency session on Venezuela. Anyone who harbors any doubt as to whether the so-called serving of an arrest warrant on a foreign head of state—much less the kidnapping and deportation—has any standing in international law, will certainly be disabused of such pabulum. However, more is needed, as the world has recoiled in horror over the Jan. 3 kidnapping of a head of state, with apparently dozens of President Maduro’s security detail killed, as they watch President Trump as a sort of Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde character. America, your President is in trouble.
Former Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) addressed “President Trump: do not fall into complacency or listen to the siren song. Tell the hawks to go to hell; you have the capacity to act with practical judgment. Do not forget that today’s fleeting victory can be tomorrow’s resounding defeat.” New York City’s Mayor Zohran Mamdani reported that he spoke with Trump yesterday, opposing the adventurism in Venezuela. Such direct diplomacy is vital and necessary.
Yet, one unique, timely and appropriate weapon to seize hold of is the newly declared, independent Presidential candidacy of Diane Sare. Intelligent, compelling and succinct leadership is what President Trump so desperately needs to imbibe—and he has a lot more enemies than actual friends.
Rather than watch in horror, citizens can help themselves, their neighbors, and their elected President. Take a measure of a real leader, one who knows what the “general welfare” actually is, and hence one who will never sell you out. Make the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. republic a real one.
Contents
Strategic War Danger
- Marjorie Taylor Greene Blasts Trump's Invasion, Connects Oil Grab to ‘Next Regime Change War in Iran’ (↓)
- U.K.’s Nigel Farage Calls Strike on Venezuela Illegal, But Useful To Scare China and Russia (↓)
- Mike Pompeo Cajoles Trump for Regime Change in Iran (↓)
- Rubio's Cuban-American Mafia Says Install Machado, Then Topple Cuba and Nicaragua (↓)
- Trump Explains 'Regime Change' Wrong in Iraq, Right in Venezuela (↓)
LaRouche movement
- Zepp-LaRouche Tells China’s CCTV, the U.S. Venezuela Action Could Plunge the Continent into Turmoil (↓)
Collapsing Imperial System
- Hypocritical EU Leaders Justify Aggression against Venezuela (↓)
- Former Presidents Kirchner and López Obrador Tell Trump: Uphold the U.S. of Lincoln, Not Teddy Roosevelt (↓)
U.S. and Canada
- U.S. Secretary of War Explains, If 'Regime Change' Is Profitable, It Is Legal (↓)
- Will the U.S. Try To Run Venezuela with 'Boots on the Ground'? (↓)
- Venezuela Military High Command Defends Constitutional President Maduro (↓)
Harley Schlanger Update
Watch The Daily Update with Harley Schlanger, a short video update available every weekday morning from The LaRouche Organization.
