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2.0

Trump administration admits politically-aligned foreign nationals accused of crimes

  1. Original Date Announced

    December 29, 2025

    The Bulwark reports that Lauren Chen and Liam Donovan, Canadian nationals and founders of the right-wing YouTube channel Tenet Media, have returned to the U.S. after Chen's work visa was revoked in 2024. The revocation came after the FBI indicted Tenet Media's funders for taking money from Russian media outlet RT in violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The indictment alleges that Chen and Donovan worked with RT to direct $10 million to Tenet and create a fictional persona to disguise the source of the funding. United States v. Kalashnikov, 1:24-cr-00519 (S.D.N.Y.). (Link to case here.)

    Chen thanked Joe Rittenhouse, a Senior Advisor of the Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs, for "moving mountains" to facilitate her return. Rittenhouse (@Overlord26) confirmed his involvement in a post on X, writing that Chen and Donovan's return "would not be possible without new Leadership at the Whitehouse, FBI, CBP, and State Department."

    Trump 2.0 [ID #2151]

    2025.12.29 Reported: Trump Admin Scores Visa for Founder of Russian Propaganda Outlet - The Bulwark 2024.09.03 Indictment - United States v. Kalashnikov
  2. Effective Date

    December 29, 2025
  3. Subsequent Trump and Court Action

    May 11, 2026

    2026.05.11 Reported: Poland says it expects US to extradite ex-minister who fled from Hungary - The Guardian

    The Guardian reports that Polish leaders have said they expect the U.S. to extradite Zbigniew Ziobro, an ex-Justice Minister who fled to the U.S. on the day that former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's successor, Péter Magyar, was inaugurated. Ziobro is wanted in Poland under a domestic criminal warrant and is facing abuse of power charges. Polish officials asked for details about "what document allowed [Ziobro] to cross the border and gave him the right to enter the United States," because he has been stripped of his Polish and diplomatic passports.

    Ziobro reportedly received a U.S. visa based on his journalist's role with TV Republika, a right-wing Polish broadcaster. The Guardian reports that President Trump personally approved the visa over the objections of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the U.S. ambassador in Warsaw.

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Current Status

None

Original Trump Policy Status

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