Former ‘Anonymous’ Author Files Legal Challenge Over Trump Memo Targeting Him

A former Homeland Security official whom President Donald Trump accused of potentially “treasonous” conduct is challenging the President’s use of federal power to investigate him, filing an Inspectors General complaint on Tuesday over what he calls an “unconstitutional order that targets a citizen not for a crime but for dissent.”

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Miles Taylor, who served as chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security during Trump’s first term, is urging federal watchdogs at the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice to investigate whether their departments are being weaponized to punish dissent through Trump’s April 9 memo, in which he ordered an investigation into Taylor.

“The real harm will come if Trump’s lieutenants are allowed to carry forward with these revenge investigations, unimpeded,” Taylor wrote in an op-ed for TIME published Tuesday. “Indeed, it will create a precedent for this White House or any future president to investigate anyone they please.”

Taylor penned a widely read anonymous 2018 New York Times opinion essay titled “I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration,” which set off a leak investigation at the White House. Soon after, Taylor left the Administration and published an anonymous 2019 book that chronicled his observations during Trump’s first term in office. He later revealed his authorship and publicly campaigned against Trump’s reelection.

Taylor’s complaint filed this week zeroes in on presidential memorandums Trump signed in April, which singled out Taylor and another official from Trump’s first term—former cybersecurity official Chris Krebs—who publicly contradicted Trump’s false claims of widespread voter fraud after the 2020 election. Both Taylor and Krebs had their security clearances stripped.

The memos marked a significant escalation in Trump’s post-reelection efforts to use the power of his office to punish perceived enemies. Trump suggested that Taylor may have violated the Espionage Act and committed treason, a crime punishable by death. “I think he’s guilty of treason,” Trump said in the Oval Office when he signed the memo.

Asked by TIME in April whether his memos calling for investigations into his critics were an appropriate use of presidential power—and whether they contradicted his own claims that former President Joe Biden had weaponized the government against him—Trump deflected: “Oftentimes I’ll have some people sitting right here, and behind them will be 10 or 15 people from their agency or their office, and they’ll stand there, and then all of a sudden, I’ll hear that like I’m, you know, they’re all time experts in me,” Trump said. “I know very little about Chris Krebs, but I think he was very deficient.”

Taylor noted in his op-ed for TIME that Trump is following through on his earlier vows to punish him for speaking out. “This is much bigger than me. This is about whether we will allow the President—any president, of any political party—to criminalize criticism,” Taylor wrote. “That’s why this Inspector General complaint matters.”

Inspectors General are independent watchdogs embedded within federal departments, responsible for uncovering waste, fraud, abuse, and violations of law. By filing a complaint with the oversight bodies tasked with policing misconduct within the government, Taylor is seeking to trigger a formal investigation into whether federal agencies are being co-opted to serve the President’s personal political agenda.

Though Inspectors General lack enforcement power, their findings can lead to internal discipline, referrals to the Justice Department, or congressional scrutiny. Trump fired more than a dozen Inspectors General less than a week into his second term.

Taylor’s complaint asks the Inspectors General at the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice to determine whether Trump’s memo is being used to initiate a politically motivated investigation into him in retaliation for public dissent. “Now is the time for them to act,” he wrote, adding that “DHS and DOJ watchdogs have a responsibility to investigate whether their departments are being misused to punish dissent, whether federal employees are violating constitutional rights, and whether this abuse of power is the beginning of something much worse.”

Taylor and his legal team have argued that Trump’s memo is “unconstitutional” and warned that the President’s directive amounted to “an unprecedented” use of the executive branch to target a private citizen for exercising free speech. 

Taylor wrote that Trump’s memo has upended his personal and professional life—forcing him to step away from his job because “the blacklisting makes it impossible for me to carry out my work,” and exposing his family to harassment and doxxing by Trump supporters. A top Homeland Security official was even fired, he said, for attending his wedding.

“We are in a moment that will test democracy for the ages,” Taylor wrote.

source https://time.com/7290748/trump-miles-taylor-treason-legal-challenge/

‘We’re All Going to Die’: GOP Struggles to Defend Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill

This article is part of The D.C. Brief, TIME’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox.

Donald Trump’s demand for a sprawling legislative package of expensive tax cuts and big spending reductions is running into trouble as even his strongest Republican allies are having a tough time defending it.

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Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa leaned into tongue-in-cheek gallows humor last week, telling an audience “Well, we all are going to die,” in response to concerns that kicking millions off Medicaid would lead to more deaths. House Speaker Mike Johnson, meanwhile, is simply repeating the inaccurate statements that the White House keeps putting out, asserting—very wrongly—on Sunday that “we’re not cutting Medicaid,” and last month claiming that the bill’s deepest cuts would target migrants in the country without proper documentation. “The numbers of Americans who are affected are those that are entwined in our work to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse. So, what do I mean by that? You got more than 1.4 million illegal aliens on Medicaid,” Johnson said on CNN on May 25. And just this week, he told NBC another disproven assertion: “I am telling you this is going to reduce the deficit.”

It all points to how openly frustrated Republicans on Capitol Hill are about walking a plank of their own making. Trump’s demands to take on his second-term agenda in one bite has boxed in his party and they’re plenty steamed about the blatant lack of an off-ramp. As one Hill aide put it to me, it’s like watching what can most generously be called an “Ostrich Strategy”—head in the sand, hoping no one notices the reality happening above ground.

The fissures are there for anyone who dares see them. Sen. John Hawley of Missouri on Monday said the President had told him not to cut Medicaid benefits, despite the House-passed version doing exactly that with Trump’s enthusiastic endorsement. The so-called Medicaid Moderates like Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska have already balked at the House’s version, which the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office says would boot roughly 10 million people from current coverage. 

But other Republicans, like Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Mike Lee of Utah, have a very different complaint—that the bill doesn’t cut enough. Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin says he would be fine leaving his seat if it means tanking a proposal that would balloon the debt by over $1 trillion even when factoring in economic growth. Sen. Rand Paul is objecting to a provision that increases the credit limit on the national credit card to cover purchases already made, also known as raising the debt ceiling.

And these are nominal Trump allies. 

These big-ticket ideas rise and fall on salesmanship. At the height of debate over the Affordable Care Act, as Republicans were making hay out of so-called death panels, then-White House adviser David Axelrod had to tell President Barack Obama a hard truth: “A whole bunch of facts and figures won’t change that” opposition. Eventually, Obama’s flood-the-zone approach powered Obamacare across the finish line, but it was plenty messy. The measure has proven durable because its benefits were tangible, and voters seldom surrender benefits.

But that is not the norm. The wasteland of these policy failures is crowded. Bill Clinton’s attempts to overhaul health care in the 1990s doomed his fellow Democrats to a hellish 1994 midterm cycle. George W. Bush’s efforts to privatize Social Security after his re-election bid ran headlong into a woodchipper. Obama’s second-term quest at a border bill similarly crashed into unbending opposition. Trump’s first-term Infrastructure Week never really got off the ground as he lurched from tweet to tweet. 

Which explains why so many Republicans are squeamish about this current package. As passed by the House, Medicaid spending would be cut by at least $600 billion over a decade, reducing the rolls by 10.3 million people. The biggest chunk of that, $280 billion, would come from requiring Medicaid recipients to prove they are working. That work requirement is seen as bureaucratic red tape targeting a small pool of able-bodied participants who aren’t currently working, while potentially kicking out many others who are already working but making too little to afford health coverage.

Ultimately, this is going to come down to a simple truth in politics: the biggest bullhorn wins. With an ambitious timeline of getting the “big beautiful bill” to the White House for the President’s signature by the July 4 holiday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune has to work fast. The House bill as it arrived cannot pass, meaning the Senate needs to take up the shell and do a pretty hefty rewrite. Working with a 53-vote GOP majority in a 100-member chamber, Republicans are working under a rule loophole that will allow them to get to the finish line with a bare majority, and a tie-breaking vote from Vice President J.D. Vance if needed. That means Thune can lose just three of his own, and there are at least five nos at the moment, with a few others hinting that they want their seat at the rewrite table.

Republicans have ownership of the House, Senate and White House. That doesn’t mean they have control over every corner of them.

Make sense of what matters in Washington. Sign up for the D.C. Brief newsletter.

source https://time.com/7290575/joni-ernst-medicaid-big-beautiful-bill-mike-johnson/

What We Know About the Victims of the Colorado Attack

Eight people were hospitalized after a man with a “makeshift flamethrower” threw an incendiary device into a crowd of protestors in a mall in Boulder, Colo., who were calling for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza.

Four women and four men between the ages of 52 to 88 were injured in the attack and taken to Denver metro hospitals, according to Boulder police. Police said in a post on X Monday morning that no victims have died. At least one was in serious condition, Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn said in a press conference Sunday evening. He described the injuries resulting from the attack as consistent with those of burn victims. 

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The names of the victims have not yet been released.

Elyana Funk, director of University of Colorado Boulder Hillel, a center for Jewish students, told CNN that several of the victims were well known among community members and that a Holocaust survivor in her 80s and her daughter were injured in the attack. Funk spoke to at least one of the other injured, a woman she said was “healing from horrible burns,” on Sunday night.

Early Monday, a spokesperson for Boulder Community Health told The New York Times that victims treated at Foothills Hospital Emergency Department had been transferred or discharged, but declined to provide additional information.

The victims were participating in a Run for Their Lives event, which are held weekly in communities around the world to advocate for the release of hostages held by Hamas.

The National Counterterrorism Center is working with the FBI and local authorities to investigate the incident as a “targeted act of terrorism,” according to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. The suspect yelled “Free Palestine” while throwing the incendiary device into the crowd, FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek said Sunday evening. 

Authorities arrested a suspect identified as Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, of El Paso County, according to the Boulder Police Department. He has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder.

Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin identified Soliman as an undocumented immigrant who overstayed his tourism visa in a post on X. He filed for asylum in September 2022, McLaughlin said.

“We stand in full solidarity with those targeted. And we will continue to ensure that justice is pursued swiftly, support is provided to victims and their communities, and preventative action is taken to protect everyone’s safety. We stand in full solidarity with those targeted,” Michalek said in a statement.

source https://time.com/7290402/who-are-colorado-victims/

Pete Hegseth Talked a Big Game to Indo-Pacific Allies—but Trump Mistrust Runs Deep

Against the backdrop of U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance’s jaw-dropping polemic against European democracies at February’s Munich Security Conference, this was a welcome return to sense, if not sanity.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a powerful though measured speech at Singapore’s IISS Shangri-La Dialogue on Saturday, pointedly calling out “Communist China” for its “massive military build-up, … grey zone tactics, and hybrid warfare,” while also hailing the strength and importance of America’s regional alliances and using the word “peace” 27 times.

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“President Trump is a leader of peace, a man of peace, a force for peace,” Hegseth told the scores of Asia-Pacific defense and military chiefs crammed into the ballroom at Singapore’s Shangri-La Hotel. “And together, we will achieve that peace through strength.”

Hegseth repeatedly called the Indo-Pacific “our priority theater” and, in a marked departure from Vance, actually praised European nations for hiking defense spending as an example that their Asian counterparts should emulate. “It was quite surprising that he used Europe as a reference in terms of GDP [defense] spending,” Micael Johansson, president and CEO of the Swedish arms manufacturer Saab, told TIME. “But it was a good speech and more collaborative than I had expected.”

As Hegseth described it, American defense policy was now that Europe’s security would be left to Europeans, while the U.S. was focusing its rebuilt military might—augmented by a $1 trillion defense spend next year, a 13% year-on-year rise—on the Indo-Pacific. This would focus on boosting America’s forward force deployment, helping allies and partners strengthen their security capabilities, and rebuilding defense industrial bases including within friendly nations.

“A strong, resolute, and capable network of allies and partners is our key strategic advantage,” said Hegseth.

Hegseth also unleashed several broadsides against China, accusing strongman President Xi Jinping of having “ordered his military to be capable of invading Taiwan by 2027,” with the former Fox News anchor warning that an assault on the self-ruling island—which politically split from the mainland following China’s 1945–49 civil war—“could be imminent.”

These remarks drew the inevitable rebuke from Beijing, which issued a statement saying Hegseth “vilified China with defamatory allegations” that were “filled with provocations and intended to sow discord.” Beijing also warned that Washington “must never play with fire on [the Taiwan] question,” which is “entirely China’s internal affair.”

Notably, China’s defense minister stayed away from the annual security summit for the first time since 2019. Admiral Dong Jun was rumored to have been under a corruption investigation amid a sweeping purge of high-ranking PLA officers, though latest reports suggest that he’s been cleared.

The Chinese delegation that did attend treated Hegseth’s accusations with scorn. “He used a very strong, harsh tone, which surprised me a little, and it’s unconstructive and hypocritical,” says Prof. Da Wei, director of the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Beijing’s Tsinghua University. “Because the U.S. is imposing high tariffs on regional countries, so how can you expect them to partner with you against another economic power?”

Indeed, Trump’s internecine global trade war was the glaring elephant in the room. Asked about the “reciprocal tariffs” imposed in April, Hegseth joked: “I am happily in the business of tanks, not trade, and I will leave that discussion to the man who knows how to do it best.”

Which was the ultimate takeaway for the brass hats present. Hegseth’s statement of commitment to the region and working with allies was broadly welcomed but hedged by the chaotic approach of the guy he reports to. Indeed, Hegseth showed his hand when he admitted: “My job is to create and maintain decision space for President Trump, not to purport to make decisions on his behalf.”

Delegates in Singapore were only too aware that today, more than during any other U.S. administration, power rests with just one man, whose constant policy flip-flops—embarrassing Zelensky before lambasting Putin; ripping up one Iranian nuclear deal before seeking another; hiking and pausing tariffs—have conjured a bevy of TACO, “or Trump always chickens out,” memes as well as the impression that American words have never been cheaper.

“I’m quite sure it’s just talk,” one European delegate said of Hegseth’s speech. A Bangladeshi military officer agreed: “It still feels like Trump is a more inward-looking than global President.”

source https://time.com/7290340/hegseth-shangri-la-dialogue-speech-indo-pacific-china-trump-mistrust/

The Chilling True Story Behind HBO’s The Mortician

HBO’s The Mortician, a documentary series premiering June 1, examines the startling true story of a cremator who went to prison for mishandling human remains.

In the 1980s, David Sconce ran a cremation business that deliberately mixed up human remains and robbed families of their loved ones’ valuables. Sconce, who was in and out of prison after pleading guilty to his crimes in 1989, even speaks in the three-part series.  

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The episodes, premiering weekly, detail the unethical ways that David Sconce increased the cremation business for his family’s funeral home, Lamb Funeral Home in Pasadena, California. In the series, Sconce’s former employees reveal the terrifying things that they saw while working for him and customers talk about how traumatic it was to receive incorrect remains from Sconce’s business. And current morticians weigh in on the correct ways to take care of human remains. 

Director Joshua Rofé says viewers may be able to relate the cremation scandal to other scandals they see in the news about companies cutting corners in order to make as much profit as possible in exchange for as little work as possible. But in the funeral industry, he says, “it’s pretty damn gruesome.”

Here’s a look at the most surprising moments in The Mortician. 

How David Sconce got caught

Pasadena-area funeral home directors became suspicious of Sconce when he was completing more cremations than his competitors—and at lower prices. That’s because, as former employees explain in the series, Sconce’s team would cremate multiple bodies at a time—breaking a collarbone, arm, or leg to squeeze as many bodies into the oven as possible.

When his operation moved further out into the California desert, production ramped up, cremating 150-200 bodies at a time. A soldier who liberated Auschwitz happened to live near Sconce’s operation in the desert and phoned 911 because he smelled burning flesh, a smell he said he’d never forget after World War II. That’s when Sconce got busted. 

In 1989, Sconce pled guilty to mishandling human remains and mining the corpses’ teeth for gold fillings at Lamb Funeral Home. He served a couple of years in prison, and then was sent back in 2013 for violating his lifetime probation by being in possession of a firearm. He was released on parole in 2023.

Funeral directors stress in the series that Sconce was a bad apple. They say the Sconce scandal led to more rules and regulations regarding cremations, including laws requiring unannounced inspections of crematories. Taking dental gold or silver is a felony now.

How David Sconce carried out the illegal cremation business 

People who carried out cremations for Sconce recall the red flags they noticed while working for him.

Former employees described stripping clothes off of bodies to sell and cutting off body parts to get jewelry to sell. There were running competitions among the employees to see who could fit the most bodies in the oven. Andre Augustine, who worked for Sconce, claims that Sconce’s former employees didn’t know which remains to put in which box. Clients would get the remains of not only their loved one, but also the remains of other bodies.

Sconce’s ex-wife Barbara Hunt says her husband was secretive about the cremation business, and claims that she only learned what he was doing from news coverage. But, she recalls, once she saw Sconce sitting on the floor of the garage cracking teeth with a hammer and putting the gold in a styrofoam cup that said “Au,” the chemical symbol for gold. 

“He sold the gold,” Hunt says. “I just sat there thinking, what world am I in?”

Why David Sconce has no regrets

Sconce openly talks about cremating multiple bodies at once in the series with no sense of shame. As the series shows, he used to drive a corvette with the license plate “I BRN 4U.”

He argues that because crematories can never clean the ovens of every speck of ash before they put another body into the oven, it justifies what he did. “Comingling of ash is not a big deal. I don’t put any value in anybody after they’re gone and dead. They shouldn’t when I’m gone and dead. That’s not a person anymore.” 

He said that most families signed up for Sconce to scatter their cremated relatives at sea, with no relatives in attendance, so he doesn’t see why anyone would care if the ashes he scattered at sea came from one body or multiple bodies. 

When asked how he felt about delivering families the cremated remains of multiple people, he said, “There’s no difference in anybody’s cremated ash…people just got to be more in control of their emotions. That’s not your loved one anymore, and it never has been. Love them when they’re here. Period.”

Rofé argues that there’s more to Sconce’s motivation, telling TIME, “It was about money.” He recalls a moment during the filming when he was alone with Sconce in a motel room and Sconce asked him what Rofé would do if someone gave him so much money to do a documentary that would make Sconce look bad. “There was a look in his eye unlike any that I’d seen before,” he says. “It was just scary.” 

Giving Sconce a voice in the documentary seemed like the right choice to Rofé, who says it’s important to not avoid stories about people who have commited crimes. “If we were to all walk around pretending that everything in this world is hunky dory, we would be doing a great disservice to humanity,” he says. “But taking a good, hard look at people like this is vital.”

source https://time.com/7290184/the-mortician-hbo-documentary-true-story/

Authorities Issue Warnings Over Multistate DMV Scam Texts. Here’s What to Look Out For

Authorities and Department of Motor Vehicles offices (DMVs) officials across multiple U.S. states have released advisories to their citizens to look out for scam texts that are attempting to manipulate drivers into paying a fake “outstanding toll.”

The prevalence of the text scams ramped up throughout May, leading to various states issuing warnings and advice, ultimately telling members of the public to watch out for messages claiming to be from the DMV.

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“These scammers flood phones with these texts, hoping to trick unsuspecting New Yorkers into handing over their personal information,” said New York DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder in an press release. “DMV will not send you texts asking for your personal information.”

Here’s what you need to know about the DMV scam texts and how you can best protect yourself:

What states are encountering the scam texts?

The spam texts have spanned across the United States, with Illinois, New York, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Florida, New Jersey, Georgia, Colorado, Vermont, Texas, and California among the states that have issued alerts.

Though their advisories differ, all authority boards have made clear that the DMV does not, and will not, send customers unsolicited requests for payments and personal information.

In Illinois, Secretary of State Alexander Giannoulias issued a stark warning, stating that the Illinois DMV will only send out text messages for appointment reminders.

“Phishing scams are unfortunately an increasingly prevalent threat in our modern society, seeking to cheat Illinoisans out of their personal information and hard-earned money,” Giannoulias said.

In Florida, the state DMV has created a webpage to alert drivers about the scam, reminding locals that the FLDMV “will never contact you via text message demanding payment or threatening suspension or arrest.”

Some local police and civic associations in states like New York and New Jersey have posted warnings across social media, too. 

The Warren Township Police Department in New Jersey shared a notice on Facebook on May 31, alerting locals of the “recent increase” in the scam texts.

What are the DMV scam texts saying?

According to screenshot examples placed on government websites, the texts vary state-by-state, but they tend to include a warning that if the recipient does not pay an outstanding traffic ticket, they will encounter a penalty. Recipients are told they could lose their vehicle registration or driving privileges, potentially see a toll booth charge increase, see their credit score impacted, or even risk prosecution.

Some of the websites—the “click here” links—listed in the text messages include terms mirroring “.gov” in an effort to appear legitimate. In New Jersey, many of the scam messages have included links involving variations of “ezpassnj.”

“New Jersey State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Final Notice: Enforcement Penalties Begin on May 30,” one spam text circulating New Jersey stated, according to a screenshot shared in a warning by the City of Linden. The scam message continued: “Our records show that as of today, you still have an outstanding traffic ticket… Please pay immediately before enforcement to avoid license dispensation and further legal disputes.”

What should you do if you receive one of the DMV scam texts?

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has a website with consumer advice, which suggests various  steps people can take to protect themselves from text message scams. First, those who receive the text can copy the message and forward it to 7726 (SPAM), which could allow your provider to “block similar messages in the future.” 

People can also report it to the FTC directly on the government website.

In general, the DMVs of these multiple states advise their citizens to be cautious of all communications they receive, even if those messages come from claimed “trusted sources,” and to never send personal and sensitive information via text or email.

In its public notice, the Warren Township Police Department advised recipients of the text scam to follow four key steps:

• Delete the message immediately
• Do NOT click any links or provide any information
• Report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov
• If you’re unsure about your DMV status, visit the official DMV website directly or contact them by phone

Generally speaking, scammers are known for creating a sense of urgency, often giving a deadline or listing serious consequences—such as the loss of  driving privileges, in this case—in order to prompt a swift response from victims.

David Brumley, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, told TIME in 2024 that the best way to protect yourself from scams is to be alert and, if you are unsure if a text is legitimate, call the department or business directly to confirm, before taking any further action.

Murat Kantarcioglu, a professor of computer science at Virginia Tech, told TIME earlier this year that people should also make sure they are informing their older relatives of any prevalent scams, as they may be less tech-savvy and more vulnerable.

“I think everyone should make it their mission to educate the older people in their family about these issues,” said Kantarcioglu, adding that it’s best not to answer text messages from unverified senders or engage in phone conversations with people you don’t know.

source https://time.com/7290315/dmv-scam-texts-multiple-states-how-to-avoid-falling-victim/

China Urges U.S. to ‘Stop Inciting Conflict’ in Asia-Pacific Region in Blistering Response to Hegseth

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday issued a strong public rebuke of U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, accusing him of touting a “cold war mentality” after he said China poses a real “threat” that “could be imminent.” In a statement posted online, the ministry urged the country to “stop inciting conflict” in the “Asia-Pacific.”

“China urges the U.S. to fully respect the efforts of countries in the region to maintain peace and stability, stop deliberately destroying the peaceful and stable environment cherished by the region, and stop inciting conflict and confrontation and escalating tensions in the region,” the statement read.

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The ministry shared its stance after Hegseth addressed the Shangri-La Dialogue defense conference in Singapore on Saturday and issued a warning about China’s ambitions in Asia, saying it “hopes to dominate and control too many parts of this vibrant and vital region.”

“China seeks to intimidate you in your own waters,” Hegseth told the crowd of defense ministers and security officials. “China’s military harasses Taiwan.”

“It has to be clear to all that Beijing is credibly preparing to potentially use military force to alter the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific,” Hegseth said, arguing that the other countries in the room should be upgrading their own militaries and boost defense spending to prepare. “We are not going to sugarcoat it—the threat China poses is real and it could be imminent.”

In response, China’s foreign ministry said that Taiwan is an “internal affair” and argued that the U.S. is overstepping its bounds by “stoking flames” in the South China Sea.

“No country in the world deserves to be called a hegemonic power other than the U.S. itself, who is also the primary factor undermining the peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific,” China said.

The ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) claims that Taiwan—which has its own democratically elected government—is a breakaway territory of China that is illegally run by separatists, and they seek to annex it or carry out a “reunification.”

The U.S. does not diplomatically recognize Taiwan, but it serves as a key ally and has made “available to Taiwan such defense articles and defense services in such quantity as may be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability,” according to Congress.

Read More: Why China-Taiwan Relations Are Getting So Tense

Tensions have risen between Taiwan and China in recent months, as both the U.S. and China have ramped up their military presence in the South China Sea. However, Hegseth said in his speech in Singapore that President Donald Trump “does not seek war.”

“We do not seek regime change, nor will we instigate or disrespect a proud and historic culture. We will be ready, but we will not be reckless,” said Hegseth of the U.S.’ intentions. “Instead, we seek peace. But we must ensure that China cannot dominate us—or our allies and partners.”

Beyond mounting geopolitical tensions, China and the U.S. are in the midst of a trade war as they go back-and-forth regarding tariffs. On May 12, both nations agreed to significantly lower their tariffs for a 90-day period. The U.S. said it would lower import taxes on goods coming from China from 145% down to 30%. While China agreed to lower its tariffs from 125% to 10%. It was agreed that the actions would be put into effect by May 14, but progress has stalled since the marathon trade talks held in Geneva.

On May 30, Trump accused China of “violating” its trade agreement with the U.S.

“Two weeks ago China was in grave economic danger! The very high tariffs I set made it virtually impossible for China to trade into the United States marketplace,” said Trump via Truth Social, claiming that there was “civil unrest” as a result of the high levies.

Read More: Trump Accuses China of ‘Violating’ Its Trade Agreement With the U.S., Laments Being ‘Mr. Nice Guy’

In response, China said that the U.S. has “discriminatory restrictions” in its use of export controls within the chip industry.

“Recently, China has repeatedly raised concerns with the U.S. regarding its abuse of export control measures in the semiconductor sector and other related practices,” China U.S. embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu told NBC News. “China once again urges the U.S. to immediately correct its erroneous actions, cease discriminatory restrictions against China and jointly uphold the consensus reached at the high-level talks in Geneva.” 

Meanwhile, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon on Friday said that China isn’t America’s biggest threat, and that the U.S. should look inward.

Speaking at the Reagan National Economic Forum in Simi Valley, Calif., Dimon said: “China is a potential adversary—they’re doing a lot of things well, they have a lot of problems. But what I really worry about is us. Can we get our own act together? Our own values, our own capability, our own management.”

source https://time.com/7290272/china-united-states-conflict-taiwan-pete-hegseth-threat-comments/